It wasn’t hard to see this coming, not with the track record of Anthony Pollina being what it is: losing, losing and losing. But the Caledonia Record reported earlier this week that the milk company co-founded by Progressive Party stalwart Anthony Pollina, the Vermont Milk Company, is experiencing some serious financial setbacks. Worse, one of the five farms that supplied the non-organic milk to the company is crying foul when it comes to the payments they received from Pollina’s company.

Last week, before news of the company’s troubles became public, Pollina tendered his resignation from the company’s board in order to “focus on his run for governor.” While the Pollina campaign is seeking to distance itself from the company’s new woes, it continues to highlight the Vermont Milk Company as a major achievement in his efforts to help Vermont’s dairy farmers.

According to the first paragraph of Pollina’s biography on his campaign website, “he was approached by a group of dairy farmers interested in working together to keep farming viable. The result was the Vermont Milk Company – a farmer controlled ice cream, cheese and yogurt plant. Anthony ran the start up until 2008.”

But Karla Barrett and Mark Sutton, two Northeast Kingdom farmers who sent their milk to Pollina’s start-up, aren’t impressed with the “help” they received.

The following is an excerpt from the Caledonian record story:

“We stopped shipping milk to them December 1 because we didn’t get paid,” Karla Barrett said. “They still owe us a lot of money. We got paid the base price but not the extra money.”

She said she understood there had been some poor business management decisions, but she wants to know what is going on.

“Somehow I think they should look into Anthony Pollina. I don’t think he’d make a good governor if he can’t run a little milk company,” Barrett said. “Hopefully, investors will come through and they can clear all this up.”

Interestingly, officials at the Vermont Milk Company are claiming that its financial problems are a result of the “high milk prices” being paid to farmers of late. Pollina, therefore, was in a most awkward position in his dual role as dairy farmer advocate and dairy company executive. And, according to Barrett, the farmers came out on the losing end of that particular juggling act of Pollina’s.

News of the Hardwick-based Vermont Milk Company’s financial failures come at a sensitive time for Pollina – just as he puts his campaign for governor into high gear while using the company as an “example” of his “professional” experience.

A call to the headquarters of the Vermont Milk Company by Broadsides wasn’t returned today. The person answering the phone only said that no one was available because the company was in the middle of a board meeting. One can only imagine that they had a lot to discuss, not least of which was trying to fix this problem before it brought Pollina down with the farmers he’s always proclaimed to be helping.

The real mystery in this story is where are Vermont’s other mainstream media outlets? So far, not a peep…

Hello folks, it’s semi-official. After being approached and encouraged by many people, I am now actively considering a run for governor of Vermont under the banner of the Progressive Party. It has become clear to me and others that a true third-party choice is necessary in this upcoming election.

The only declared candidate for governor in the Progressive or Democratic parties is Anthony Pollina, and he has been seemingly more interested in playing footsie with the powers-that-be than offering a true alternative to them. I, on the other hand, believe in the importance and necessity of building an alternative base to politics as usual amongst the dominant two parties.

I think it’s important for a progressive to be in this race to offer a true contrast to the failings of the other major parties when it comes to stopping the war, providing health care for all, addressing economic inequality and celebrating and protecting Vermont’s natural resources.

You know who I am: an activist, writer, musician, farm-husband and – over the last six-years – a horseman. I believe in Vermont, especially in its deep and powerful independent streak. But I am concerned and disheartened when those claiming to honor that heritage become victims of the urge to dilute their passions in the pursuit of political power – a most distasteful cocktail that says one and only one thing to the voters: Manipulation.

I believe that Vermonters are ready and yearning for a political candidate who speaks truth to power, who will not mince words when it comes to the problems we are facing, who understands the Vermont way of living, who won’t talk about being for change but purr in the face of the same old, same old political forces, and who won’t call themselves an “alternative” but bow at the altar of the power elite.

As a resident of this state for nearly 20 years, I understand its unique nature. I understand its powerful possibilities. I believe in its ability to lead. And I have done nothing but fight for its right – and responsibility — to persevere as a leader for change in a nation drifting toward a rut of complacency and, worse, inequality.

Yes, Vermonters, it’s time for change. But that change must be led by true change agents – not the same old hucksters and political players.

Governor Jim Douglas must be defeated. He has steadfastly supported George Bush at nearly every opportunity – including serving as his Vermont campaign chairman. Moreover, Douglas has happily slept in the Bush White House while Vermonters have suffered from the presidential policies that have led us to perpetual war, to economic catastrophe, to $3.25 gas prices, to support for torture, and to a new and heightened sense of disenfranchisement from our nation’s democratic ideals.

Yes, Douglas must go. That much is obvious – just ask yourself if you’re better off now than when Douglas first took office in 2002? And then ask yourself if Douglas – or the Democrats – have done ANYTHING that has lessened your family’s economic burden or provided your family with true hope for the future?

Vermonters deserve true change. And I’m humbled by this pursuit and look forward to your input.

All the best,

Michael Colby

I guess the Pollina campaign will be the gift that keeps giving to this writer-boy. It’s just too bad that the mainstream media here in Vermont won’t wake up to the campaign’s many silly blunders. Yesterday, of course, we highlighted some of the names listed on the “Democrats for Pollina” website as being far from “Democrats.” And today I got a tip from a vegetable farmer here in Vermont who found it comical that Pollina’s little video speech on his campaign website about the importance of “buying Vermont food products” features a backdrop of…ready for this: bananas, oranges and a watermelon. Watch it yourself:

Like I said yesterday, this campaign is not ready for primetime – deep in the recesses of cable access, perhaps. But not primetime.

I mean, wouldn’t you think Pollina or someone on the campaign staff or video crew would stop to consider what food product is behind him when he says these words to Vermonters:

The State must set the example when it comes to buying Vermont products and helping provide markets for our farmers. It is frustrating to know that our prisons, state colleges and other institutions are still buying and serving dairy and other products that could be bought right here at home. We need more instate processing of meats, vegetables and other farm products. We need to make investments in agriculture infrastructure and on farm enterprises. And we need to build a Vermont Fair Trade certified brand of dairy and other Vermont products.

Or am I missing something and did Vermont just become a major grower of bananas, oranges and watermelons? Heh, you never know with global warming…

While campaign video backdrops may seem trivial, it does point to a continued sloppiness in what is increasingly looking like a haphazard and desperate effort. Remember, this is the campaign that began by trying to parse the definition of “intend,” as in: “I intend to run for governor.” He did that, of course, so he could keep his radio show (Equal Time) going while setting up the campaign without having to play by the “equal time” norms of campaigning. Cute.

And this is also the campaign that played semantics with his fundraising efforts. You’ll recall that Pollina announced at one point that his campaign had a goal of raising $100,000 by mid-January. Well, mid-January came and Pollina did what he thought he had to do: announce that the goal had been met. But when some of the Vermont media woke up for a brief second and asked for proof, Pollina had to admit that at least $30,000 of that money was in the form of “pledges.” Sure, Tony, just play loose with the facts and keep pretending you’re above the political games.

And now we come to his “buy Vermont” faux pas. Of course we all support the notion of buying local. Some of us have been doing that long before the trendy “localvore” movement became…well…trendy. But if you’re going to get up on a video soapbox and lash out at your opponent’s lack of follow through about “buying Vermont products first,” wouldn’t it be wise to hide the bananas, oranges and watermelons in the background? Or, better yet, wouldn’t you want to be featuring some good-old-fashioned Vermont products? Just a thought.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of “do as I say, not as I do” norm that many of us have seen from Pollina over the years. He wants to talk about his “closeness” with the “working man” but he’s more often than not seen sitting at the coffee shop during working hours. He wants to talk about the horrors of things like pesticides but starts a non-organic milk company. He talks about the problems of bovine growth hormone (rBGH) but is too scared to join efforts against the Cabot Creamery’s use of it. He talks about the importance of a third party but covets the Democratic Party’s support. He talked about the importance of public financing of campaigns but then ran into some very rich friends. And now he’s telling voters about the importance of buying Vermont produce with bananas as a backdrop.

Frankly, I’m not sure if Pollina’s clueless or just another smarmy politician amongst many. Either way, it amounts to a terrible start to what everyone admits is a huge uphill battle to unseat the incumbent governor, Jim Douglas. I guess he’s satisfied with fooling the same 15% of the population that he always does – and then calling it a “victory.”

Vermont progressives deserve better.