Vermont

Online Chats

[mike]  Good afternoon, Senator

[miranda]  hello

[PatLeahy]  Hi. How are things in Colchester? Glad you can join me.

[chelsea]  Could we make sports funded by the goverment? Because sports keep a lot of kids off of drugs are u old?

[PatLeahy]  We can help with some sport programs but most will still be private. Of course a lot of schools have sport programs as you know and they are just one of the many activities young people can and should be involved with.

[babyd] drugs are cool,yha,yha!

[chelsea]  :-) I love to play soccer basketball and softball

*** babyd was kicked by PaulM (PaulM )

[andrea]  I like to play field hockey and basketball.

[PatLeahy]  No drugs are anything but cool. As a former prosecuter i saw an awful lot of Vermont young people in the emergency room on overdoses from drugs. some didn't make it and ended in the morque.

[miranda]  go paul

[andrea]  How much time do you spend in Vermont v. Washington? Nice move paul

[PatLeahy]  What sport is the most popular in your school?

[mike]  babyd is not of my students

[tyler]  Soccer

[chelsea]  basketball

[mike]  The high just started a footballl program

[tyler]  I heard about that

[PatLeahy]  I am in Vermont many times a month and most of the time we are not in session in the Senate. My real home is in Vermont and of course I have been a Vermonter from the time I was born in Montpelier.

[PatLeahy]  Seems like your favorite sport is the one most popular!

[tyler]  Which- basketball or soccer Does somebody have another question?

[andrea]  How much time do you spend talking with Vermonters about their concerns?

[PatLeahy]  Whenever I am home I have meetings all over the state listening to people. Folks sometimes stop and chat when I am mowing my lawn, grocery shopping or whatever. I also have a lot of meetings in Washington with Vermonters and make dozens of calls back home every day.

[tyler]  Do you ever feel that you're vote is too small to make a difference?

[PatLeahy]  Of course this is a good way for you to let me know your concers via the internet.

[miranda]  Have you ever met President Clinton?

[PatLeahy]  In the Senate my vote carries the same weight as a Senator from California even thoug they have more than 55 times our population. Vermont counts and many times issues here are determined by a one vote margin.

[tyler]  Thanks:-)

[tyler]  I hope to become a page in washington

[chelsea]  Why don't we give more food to the 3rd world countries?

[PatLeahy]  I meet with President Clinton often each month and he calls me at home now and than when I am in Vermont. It was the same with former President Bush.

[miranda]  cool

[PatLeahy]  If you are a Junior in High School and at least 16 years of age you can apply for a page position. We always have a dozen or so applications for every one filled.

[mike]  All these students are 7th and 8th graders now

[andrea]  What do you think about the funding for schools being called unconstitutional, our school is already low on money , so what are we going to do now.

[PatLeahy]  We need to do more to help 3rd world nations grow their own food. Unfortunately many of them have their lands riddled with explosive land mines and they can't go out in the fields to raise crops.

[tyler]  That is what I call a dangerous way to get food!

[chelsea]  THat is horrible, I wish we could help

[miranda]  How many years have you been on the senate?

[tyler]  Do you have any freetime in Washington?

[PatLeahy]  The Vermont legislature has the most important decision before it that it has had in a generation. It must decide how we Vermonters will pay our taxes to support schools in light of the Supreme Court decision. I don't envy them deciding how to do it but as Vermont taxpayer I will do whatever they decide i must.

[mike]  As a teacher, I am very concerned about that decision.

[PatLeahy]  I have been in the Senate for 22 years. I do get some free time in Washington but not much as most weeks are at least 70 hours.

[andrea]  our futures depend on it

[chelsea]  My cousin was a page and my Grandfather was the govener from 61-63 his name was Frank Ray Keyser, have you heard of him?

[miranda]  thats a long time

[PatLeahy]  I knew your grandfather. He was Governor when I was in school.

[tyler]  When did you decide you wanted to do politics stuff?

[chelsea]  Thats cool!

[PatLeahy]  I have always thought being a Senator from Vermont was the best way to help my native state. After i turned 30 I decided to run for the Senate and have really been privileged that Vermont has kept me as its Senator. Have any of you decided you would like to go into government.

[miranda]  no

[andrea]  Would you ever consider coming to visit our school.

[mike]  I once met you when you were State's Attorney - I think in the late 60's

[andrea]  no, i want to be a writer of some sort

[tyler]  I don't really think that I would like being a Senetor, but it is a cool job anyway.

[PatLeahy]  I have visited your school in the past and my wife came with me once. I would like to come back some time.

[chelsea]  Politics is not My thing but I would like to help kids in jail with there problems

[andrea]  I didn't know that, when

[tyler]  When dod you visit our school?

[PatLeahy]  Several years ago I visited. Probably getting time for another visit.

[tyler]  yeah!\

[chelsea]  My grandfather might visit maybe you could come togther

[tyler]  yeah (again)

[mike]  I could coordinate something with Emily for a time when you're in Vt and where in school. I have 105 students and you could have lunch with the four you are chatting with now

[miranda]  that would be cool

[tyler]  Yeah(double again)

[PatLeahy]  How are the Lakers doing?

[andrea]  that would be cool

[tyler]  I don't know?

[chelsea]  I'd love to have lunch with the senator!

[andrea]  not to good sports wise

[PatLeahy]  What are you having for lunch?

[tyler]  Our principle is here!

[andrea]  anything

[chelsea]  The lakers girls soccer team wasn't that good (high school)

[andrea]  you want

[mike]  We'll cook up something sapecial

[tyler]  So is our Art teacher

[PatLeahy]  One problem I have is that the Senate is usually in session in Washington while you are in school

[tyler]  Darn!!

[mike]  Our students are in home ec now. They love to cook

[PatLeahy]  Great - I missed lunch. Wish I was there.

[tyler]  I think our secret chat is out- everyone is showing up!

[chelsea]  Could we tighten up the laws on trask dumping in VT

[PatLeahy]  Now that the Principal is back I can go back to the Senate floor. Go Cougars!

[chelsea]  WE have a beautiful camp in Chelsea Vt and people are dumping trash it's horriable

[tyler]  Did you play any high school sports

[PatLeahy]  I was on a rifle team in Montpelier and was the manager of my High School's basketball team.

[chelsea]  Could we tighten up the laws on Trash dumping

[tyler]  Maybe the federal government could tax higher, and the state government could tax lower, so that the federal government could manage schools

*** baby- (shichor@ts008p11.pop8a.netvision.net.il) has joined #Leahy

[andrea]  What are some thimgs you are working on in Washington

[PatLeahy]  I like the idea of we Vermonters running our schools.

*** baby- was kicked by PaulM (PaulM )

[tyler]  Do you remember much from your early school years?

[chelsea]  WE have a beautiful camp in Chelsea Vt and people are dumping trash it's horriable

[chelsea]  Could we tighten up the laws on Trash dumping

[tyler]  What do you think about limiting the campaign fuindraising

[PatLeahy]  I am going to have to leave now to go back to the Senate but have enjoyed this very much. I agree that good tough dumping laws are important and we Vermonters have to always be careful with our trash. Keep studying hard and especially keep reading.

[andrea]  how do you fundraise for your campaigns

[mike]  Thank you for your time

[tyler]  Thanks and Good bye:-)

[andrea]  thank you very much

[miranda]  thank u for talking to us

[chelsea]  Thank you SEnatore :-)