Comments on: O’Brien: Christmas party was a private affair http://vtdigger.org/2010/03/17/obrien-christmas-party-was-a-private-affair/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=obrien-christmas-party-was-a-private-affair Independent, investigative news for Vermont Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:11:08 +0000 hourly 1 By: Gary Sachs http://vtdigger.org/2010/03/17/obrien-christmas-party-was-a-private-affair/#comment-6985 Gary Sachs Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:09:29 +0000 http://vtdigger.org/?p=5259#comment-6985 I feel as though I am obliged to comment on the umbrage Commissioner O'Brien of the Department of Public Service states. I am a citizen of Vermont. I raise Mr. OBrien's umbrage to a state of outrage that a group formed by the Governor to keep him or her up to date on all things nuclear which is Chaired by the Commissioner of the DPS, ie the VT State Nuclear Advisory Panel, will not meet NOW pending the tritium leaks and the ongoing unclear statements made by Entergy employees under oath to the Public Service Board, pending the state Senate vote, pending the ongoing PSB hearings, and in lieu of the fact that every Entergy employee who has spoken to VSNAP over the past 8 years has now been placed on administrative leave. Why won't VSNAP meet? Because Mr. O'brien refuses to hold a VSNAP meeting as long as a certain Senator Mark MacD is on the panel. I disagree with Mr. O'Brien. I do not believe that public figures whose incomes are provided by our tax dollars, should be concerned about having their “personal space invaded.” I believe if you are a public figure you lose the benefits of some of your personal space boundaries. Dear Mr. O'Brien, if the administrative leave is so grievous, please define its boundaries to us citizens. Likely it involves paid leave, perhaps a vacation, and maybe another corporate BMW. If you choose to not explain it, perhaps you would have one of your PR men, Larry Smith, Rob Williams or Brian Cosgrove explain it to all of us. C'mon how real is the “personal toll “for the 5 managers who neglected to correct the record or speak the truth to the Public Service Board ie under oath? While you claim the DPS is responsible for “bringing it to light” I choose to illuminate that it was the same DPS that formed back room deals with Entergy in Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) that evidenced the “public good” not just for the sale to Entergy but also for the uprate and dry cask docket permissions. My time to craft this response was not at a state computer on work time paid by your tax dollars. Sincerely, Gary Sachs Brattleboro VT I feel as though I am obliged to comment on the umbrage Commissioner O’Brien of the Department of Public Service states.
I am a citizen of Vermont. I raise Mr. OBrien’s umbrage to a state of outrage that a group formed by the Governor to keep him or her up to date on all things nuclear which is Chaired by the Commissioner of the DPS, ie the VT State Nuclear Advisory Panel, will not meet NOW pending the tritium leaks and the ongoing unclear statements made by Entergy employees under oath to the Public Service Board, pending the state Senate vote, pending the ongoing PSB hearings, and in lieu of the fact that every Entergy employee who has spoken to VSNAP over the past 8 years has now been placed on administrative leave. Why won’t VSNAP meet? Because Mr. O’brien refuses to hold a VSNAP meeting as long as a certain Senator Mark MacD is on the panel.
I disagree with Mr. O’Brien. I do not believe that public figures whose incomes are provided by our tax dollars, should be concerned about having their “personal space invaded.” I believe if you are a public figure you lose the benefits of some of your personal space boundaries.
Dear Mr. O’Brien, if the administrative leave is so grievous, please define its boundaries to us citizens. Likely it involves paid leave, perhaps a vacation, and maybe another corporate BMW. If you choose to not explain it, perhaps you would have one of your PR men, Larry Smith, Rob Williams or Brian Cosgrove explain it to all of us. C’mon how real is the “personal toll “for the 5 managers who neglected to correct the record or speak the truth to the Public Service Board ie under oath?
While you claim the DPS is responsible for “bringing it to light” I choose to illuminate that it was the same DPS that formed back room deals with Entergy in Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) that evidenced the “public good” not just for the sale to Entergy but also for the uprate and dry cask docket permissions.

My time to craft this response was not at a state computer on work time paid by your tax dollars.

Sincerely,

Gary Sachs
Brattleboro VT

]]> By: Tom Kearney http://vtdigger.org/2010/03/17/obrien-christmas-party-was-a-private-affair/#comment-6984 Tom Kearney Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:33:35 +0000 http://vtdigger.org/?p=5259#comment-6984 Mr. O'Brien just doesn't understand that a regulator can't be buddies with the people he regulates. It's like a judge palling around with defense attorneys, or the Major League Baseball commissioner having Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa over for dinner. Early in my journalism career, I regularly interviewed the high school football coach. Then I realized we were becoming friends, and as a result I was starting to filter my questions and my writing. I stopped doing those interviews, because I had lost some objectivity, and I have tried not to make that mistake again. I am simply not friends with the people I cover. That way I don't owe them anything, and I can go about my business fairly and objectively. Mr. O'Brien also doesn't realize the power of perception. If the regulator and the regulated are friends, the relationship invites scrutiny, and it's fair to question whether he might cut his friends some slack. He's a public official. When it comes to his public duties, he doesn't have any personal space. As for his question about why journalists have not questioned "all the other interactions in Vermont between government and private business, at political fundraisers for all political parties, or lobbying firms hosting receptions for legislators during the legislative session while critical bills are under consideration," I'd say that's an excellent question, and those are areas that certainly do need exploring. I also have to say that, in the past, some reporters covering state government took a far too clubby approach, and that was wrong. Mr. O’Brien just doesn’t understand that a regulator can’t be buddies with the people he regulates. It’s like a judge palling around with defense attorneys, or the Major League Baseball commissioner having Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa over for dinner.

Early in my journalism career, I regularly interviewed the high school football coach. Then I realized we were becoming friends, and as a result I was starting to filter my questions and my writing. I stopped doing those interviews, because I had lost some objectivity, and I have tried not to make that mistake again. I am simply not friends with the people I cover. That way I don’t owe them anything, and I can go about my business fairly and objectively.

Mr. O’Brien also doesn’t realize the power of perception. If the regulator and the regulated are friends, the relationship invites scrutiny, and it’s fair to question whether he might cut his friends some slack.

He’s a public official. When it comes to his public duties, he doesn’t have any personal space.

As for his question about why journalists have not questioned “all the other interactions in Vermont between government and private business, at political fundraisers for all political parties, or lobbying firms hosting receptions for legislators during the legislative session while critical bills are under consideration,” I’d say that’s an excellent question, and those are areas that certainly do need exploring. I also have to say that, in the past, some reporters covering state government took a far too clubby approach, and that was wrong.

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