Hey, let’s start with a tangent. Last week’s episode of “There’s No ‘A’ in Creemee” featured deputy state auditor Tim Ashe, now running to succeed the retiring Doug Hoffer in the big chair. And honestly, I thought Hoffer caught a couple of strays. Podcast co-host Andy Julow opined that during Hoffer’s tenure, the office has been “kind of a sleepy position” because Hoffer is not an “in front of a camera kind of guy,” There was no dissent from co-host Joanna Grossman or from Ashe himself.
To which I say, whose fault is that? Hoffer doesn’t chase cameras, but he does try to draw attention to the work of his office. Too often, that work is ignored by the news media and the Legislature. And that’s not his fault.
Take last week, for example. Hoffer’s office examined compliance with a law requiring Vermont schools to test their buildings for radon gas. As Hoffer wrote, “Breathing air with radon increases the risk of developing lung cancer and is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States after cigarette smoke.” Seems like something we’d want to prevent — especially when it comes to the kids, no?
The law was adopted in 2021 and testing deadlines were extended the following year. As amended, the law required all schools to test for radon by June 30, 2025. However, as Hoffer reported, the law “did not include a reporting requirement.” Kind of a legislative oopsie there. Or a deliberate omission meant to defang the law while creating the appearance of Doing Something.
The result: No one in state government had any data, or any idea whether testing had actually been done. So Hoffer’s team did the work instead. (His report is downloadable here.)
Want to know the results? Our major media outlets apparently didn’t think so, because they didn’t bother covering it. There were stories on WPTZ-TV and in the Rutland Herald and Times Argus, but that was about it.
Anyway, the results and what they mean.
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The Vermont Political Observer. 