Governor Howard Dean
State Capitol Building
State St.
Montpelier, VT
Dear Howard, March 1, 2002
Sorry to bother you. I know you are busy. I just wanted you to know that the Putney Town Report came in. It lists 85 Civil Unions through our town clerk from October 2000 through December 2001. We still don’t have any locusts, famine, earthquakes, plague, cross-burnings, or dying sugarbushes. Seems God continues to smile on us as we enjoy the fruits of hard work and good community. I mean for the most part there seems to be enough food and shelter to go around, mainly.
Of the 85 Civil Unions listed, only two couples are listed as Putney residents. The rest are from away– one couple from Louisiana, two from Arizona, three from Florida, and six from California. There was one couple from Alberta, Canada, and one from Midland, Texas- God bless ‘em. It sort of reminds me of Vermont’s history with the Underground Railroad. People treated unfairly from so many other places came here on their way to freedom. I am proud to see the tradition continue. And I am grateful to you for helping to make it happen. I know principles can be hard to come by in government. I am glad yours were showing so clearly on this.
If you do run for president of the country, I will vote for you. Not because I agree with everything you’ve done. I don’t. But I think you could give the White House something it hasn’t had in years- a hard worker who hasn’t had everything handed to him from the country club set and a good looking guy who keeps it in his pants. Imagine what a nice change it would be to have someone up there we knew well enough to know when he was lying. That would be refreshing and make me think democracy was still possible.
If you do get to the White House, I’d like you to save a night sometime when the shadow government could hold down the fort and you didn’t have to stay in the situation room keeping score on some war where women and children were bombed into nothing. My husband, Marshall Brewer, and I would like to take you and your wife out to a nice little Italian restaurant on 18th St we know. I think you’d like it. And God knows, you’d need a break from all the flatlanders asking you about the best places for skiing back home.
Thank you for all your good work.
Sincerely,
John Calvi