Online Chat
Colchester Middle School
April 15, 1999

[PatLeahy] Hi - it's good to be with you again. Please excuse any typos - I do my own typing .

[ryan] How are you today Mr Leahy?

[Erin] What do you think of Fred Tuttle's win in the Republican Primary?

[PatLeahy] Doing fine Ryan and good to be with you too Mike. Any questions I could answer for you?

[caitlin] Are you happy with the education in Vermont?

[PatLeahy] Erin I was not surprised by Fred's win. There is nothing wrong with someone from out of state running for office in Vermont but they ought to demonstrate that they care about our state first. The man from Mass. didn't.

[mike] Paul, do you still post a transcript to the web site

[Eric] What is a major issue in Washington?

[ryan] Is there any such thing as "area 51"? (you dont have to comment)

[PatLeahy] Caitlin I feel that Vermont like the rest of the country has to continously improve it's education or we will not be able to compete with the rest of the world for jobs. You are fortunate to have the good school and teachers you have there.

[PatLeahy] Mike I will pass on your question to Paul when he gets back.

[PatLeahy] Eric the biggest issue in Washington right now is Kosovo and the problem of protecting the refugees. Ryan I get all my information from the X-Files [just kidding].

[Eric] What do you think we should do with the refugees?

[caitlin] Do you think the scandal has hurt the government?

[PatLeahy] Eric we have to move very quickly to get food, sanitation, shelter and medicine to them. If we don't their will be very large numbers of death from disease and malnutrition - far more deaths than any war there could cause.

[PatLeahy] Caitlin which scandal? The one involving the impeachment efforts against President Clinton?

[caitlin] gee surpise me with anyone

[Erin] As Serbia was the center of WWI, do you think this is the start of another World War?

[ryan] What do you think is going to happen in Y2K ?

[PatLeahy] Erin I hope this is not another World War and it won't be. One of the reasons for the NATO alliance is to make sure we don't have one starting in that part of the world. By the same token we can not stand by and watch genocide.

[Eric] What should we do about our POW's?

[mike] Are we still connected

[PatLeahy] Ryan Y2K will cause some problems but much less in our country than most. We have been working very hard at the business and government level to make sure we are ok. There will be some isolated problems that should be easily fixed - I hope!

[mike] We lost our connection again. We'll be right back

[caitlin] Do you think any changes should be made to act 60?

[PatLeahy] Eric the POWs are in Milosevic's hands. We have to hope he follows the Geneva convention and if he does they will be alright. The worry is that he has violated so many international rules that he might still do it with them.'

[PatLeahy] Caitlin there will be some changes to Act 60 but that is a decision only the Vermont legislature and the governor can make.

[Erin] As Serbia was the center of WWI, do you think this is the start of another World war?

[PatLeahy] We are connected here.

[caitlin] What is the government doing to protect against y2k?

[ryan] Will any companies benifit from Y2K?

[PatLeahy] Caitlin the government has worked on its own thousands of computers and has been especially helpful in providing guidance and expertise to small businesses.

[PatLeahy] Ryan a lot of companies will make money correcting Y2K problems.

[mike] We are still having some connect troubles here

[ryan] If you could change anything in the world what would it be and why?

[Erin] As Serbia was the center of WWI, do you think this is the start of another World war? Please answer

[PatLeahy] Ryan I wish we would never have another war, no more landmines, no more displaced people. Let us use our resources for health care, education, better lives and so forth.

[ryan] Godd answer :)

[ryan] good

[caitlin] Do you think social security will go bankrupted?

[PatLeahy] Erin I answered the WW1 question. As I said one of the reasons we have NATO is to make sure we do not have another World War in that part of the world. At the same time we cannot allow genocide and so-called ethnic cleansing.

[mike] Sorry, I think we lost our connection when you answered that

[Erin] Sorry, I guess I didn't get that. I was disconnected.

[PatLeahy] Caitlin if the Congress would stop posturing over investigations and feel good tax policy we can make sure Social Security and Medicare stay solvent.

[Erin] What do you think of graduated licenses?

[PatLeahy] Erin I am not sure what you mean by graduated licenses. Could you explain?

[Eric] How do you feel about the Vermont House counting on Powerball lotery?

[ryan] What do you think about gun control?

[Erin] Drivers licenses for teen drivers-they get more priveleges in driving step by step

[PatLeahy] Eric I try not to tell the Vermont legislature what to do in the sometimes vain hope that they will return the compliment.

[PatLeahy] Erin I don't know about the licenses. I have never really thought about it but I will.

[Erin] What do you think we should do with the Federal Revenue Surplus?

[PatLeahy] Ryan Vermont has virtually no gun control and far less than all other states. We also have a very low crime rate. What works for us may well not work in other parts of America especially in large citiies.

[ryan] oh ok

[caitlin] What is your opion on the push to remove vermont supreme court justices on there act 60 decision?

[Eric] How do you feel about Lake Champlain providing a major movie backdrop?

[PatLeahy] Erin the surplus should go first to protecting Social Security and Medicare and paying off our national debt which tripled in the 80's.

[PatLeahy] Caitlin as a Vermonter and a lawyer I cherish an independent judiciary. I still cannot understand why our legislature does SECRET votes on judges.

[caitlin] Is it fair that rich people have to pay more in taxes?

[Erin] Is it fair that Social Security and Medicare taxes are always taken out of a person's paycheck, even if they only make $50.00?

[PatLeahy] Eric I was in California this past weekend and met with many in the movie industry. I told them they could not find a more beautiful site than Vermont and Lake Champlain.

[Eric] Are you going to be in another movie such as "Batman"?

[ryan] Do you belive we will ever pay of the $5+ trillion natoinal debt?

[PatLeahy] Social Security and Medicare taxes have the effect of making average wage earners pay a lot more in their real tax rate than the wealthiest. It is not fair.

[caitlin] Do you think Lake Champlian should have been included in the Great Lakes?

[Erin] What is your opinion on same gender marriages?

[ryan] Thats a good question!

[PatLeahy] Caitlin it was important that Lake Champlain had the special environmental funding of the Great Lakes but does not need to be named as the 6th lake. All I wanted to do was to protect it for generations to come and I think I did.

[Erin] What would have been some benefits of Lake Champlain being named the 6th Great Lake?

[Jen] Senator Leahy is going to have to leave in a few minutes.

[PatLeahy] Erin same gender marriages is a question for the legislature. To date they have answered no.

[Erin] What is your personal opinion?

[PatLeahy] Erin we got all the benefits of naming because we can have access to the environmental help we need.

[ryan] how old are you?

[Erin] What are your opinions on abortion and why?

[ryan] What do you think about immigration?

[PatLeahy] Jen pointed out that I missed a couple earlier questions. Eric if they make another Batman i may be in it and , of course, I give my paycheck to charity. Ryan we should start paying off the debt now or we will never pay it off and with that I am leaving for a vote on the Senate floor coincidentally on the budget! Great to be with yu - this is one of the tw best things for me today. The other is being with my family later this evening in Vermont.