Bellini likes what he hears — the governor pledging to stand up for state workers — until he wakes up and realizes the dream was too good to be true.
That’s the gist of a new Vermont State Employees Association video featuring Bellini, a Department of Corrections worker and union activist. It was posted to YouTube early this week and is featured on the VSEA’s website and Facebook page.
The video is the latest step in the union’s effort to counteract Shumlin’s proposal to cut $10.8 million from state personnel costs by reopening the union’s year-old contract. If it doesn’t, Shumlin has told the union, he’ll lay off up to 325 workers. Seven Days wrote about the governor’s disintegrating relationship with the state’s public sector labor unions in this week’s issue.
The video makes use of footage from a 2010 meeting between Shumlin, then a candidate for governor, and the VSEA. At the time, then-governor Jim Douglas had recently pushed steep job cuts to the state workforce.
“I’ve never seen such a demoralized workforce,” Shumlin says in the 2010 remarks. “I don’t blame you for being demoralized. And when they lay off 400 state workers, they celebrate. I will put an end to that era. No more cuts … I’m here to tell you that I’ve been saying consistently, we can’t deliver the services Vermonters expect with the employees we have right now. How could we possibly say we’re going to cut more?”
In the video, Bellini then awakens.
“I knew that was too good to be true,” he says.
Watch the video here:
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Shumlin is a liar, and only cares about his political career. That’s why this kind of thing isn’t surprising. The problem is that most refuse to believe truth when it stares them in the face. Ask yourselves this question: how are things now, as compared to when Shumlin became governor, and Shap Smith became speaker? A lot worse you say? Well, then who would you say is to blame for that? Seems obvious right? Well then let’s not rest until they are gone…..for good.
I’m actually doing a lot better under Shumlin. I started my own business, I have health insurance and I am finding success in Vermont. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Scott McCarty- That’s awesome. Vermont sounds like paradise. If the rest of the state’s quality of life was determined by your level of self satisfaction, we would have no problems.
And the lies just keep on coming… Let me think here. About a year and a half ago, his ‘nothing burger’ is under cooked and still needs buns and condiments. Why didn’t we just go with the Feds? Shit. Next, a relative dark horse in Milne just about beat Pete in the election. Not even finalized as the Gov, he pissed off the single payer folks by canning it. Timing is everything, but too bad he didn’t get the numbers back until ‘after’ the election.
So we have this $113 million+ budget deficit, let’s start the hatchet job, while blaming it on revenue shortfalls. Cut 911 staff and threaten big time cuts to the VSEA folks, oh and the teachers are hacked because of the dumped single payer and now, they can’t strike! Ouch, that’s a lot of pissed off people. Add payroll taxes to business and more from the wealthy — and sugar taxes on soda, oh the humanity…
Now you tell me, are there any Vermonters who he hasn’t pissed off?! Well in truth, he did give raises and no cuts to the State Police, probably due to many unfilled positions and a separate union. Besides, they fix tickets when Pete’s cruising too big on the interstate.
That’s one problem with lying, it tends to catch up with you. Scott Milne is really looking good at this point, a little too late.
Mr. McCarty is a health care consultant and life long friend of Shummy’s. Full disclosure.