Lisa Tathke, Associated Press
Monday, October 24, 2010

MONTPELIER — They’re both numbers guys — an accountant turned state auditor with a familiar Vermont political name and a self-employed policy analyst.

The two major party candidates for state auditor, Republican incumbent Thomas Salmon and his Democratic-Progressive challenger, Doug Hoffer, also have something else in common. Both think their experience and styles uniquely qualify them to run state government’s accountability office.

Hoffer, 59, of Burlington, who’s never run for elected office before, says he’s in the race because he’s frustrated with what he calls inadequate data provided to legislators on economic development. He thinks the auditor’s office has unfulfilled potential, and he has been critical of the review by Salmon’s office of the Vermont Economic Growth Incentive program and other work.

[State Senator Vince] Illuzzi called Hoffer “an invaluable resource” to all the committees on which Illuzzi has served, describing his analytical skills as a “hot knife through butter.”

“When he comes into our committee everybody pricks up their ears,” said Illuzzi of Hoffer, who often does the work on his own dime.

Read more

http://www.benningtonbanner.com/ci_16424531

Hoffer For Auditor 60

Randolph T. Holhut October 20, 2010

BRATTLEBORO—While the race for governor between Democrat Peter Shumlin and Republican Brian Dubie has monopolized all the attention, perhaps the most intriguing statewide race is the contest for auditor.

The incumbent, Bellows Falls native Tom Salmon, ran as a Democrat in 2006, was re-elected in 2008 while on active duty with the Naval Reserve in Iraq, and switched to the Republican Party in 2009. He’s received more attention for his personal foibles, such as a drunk driving arrest last year and the alleged use of state resources for his re-election campaign, than he has for the work his office has done over the past four years.

The challenger, Doug Hoffer of Burlington, is running as a Democrat and as a Progressive. He is a public policy analyst who has never held elective office and is little known by Vermonters who aren’t political junkies or policy wonks. He has a reputation for blunt talk and an uncompromising approach to his work.

Read more

http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site02/story.php?articleno=2453&page=1

October 18, 2010

BURLINGTON – The Vermont Democratic Party today called on Republican State Auditor Tom Salmon to return two improper political campaign contributions, including one from a county sheriff whom Salmon audits. The Democratic Party also criticized Salmon for accepting a contribution from a partner in a firm that does work for the State Auditor.

“Everyone but Tom Salmon knows that the Vermont State Auditor should never take a penny from the people he audits,” said Paul Tencher, coordinated campaign manager for the Vermont Democratic Party. “It’s clear that the Republican State Auditor still does not understand the concept of conflict of interest. The amount of money involved for Tom Salmon in accepting these donations may not be that large, but the principle is. By accepting money from people you audit, such as a Sheriff, or the people bidding on your contracts, you create the perception that perhaps you’re acting on behalf of a private interest rather than the public interest.”

Read more

http://vtdigger.org/2010/10/18/tencher-salmon-accepts-improper-campaign-cash/

Oct. 12, 2010

Auditor Candidate Doug Hoffer Better Equipped for the Job

Democratic candidate for State Auditor Doug Hoffer wants voters to consider who is best able to ensure accountability. Hoffer said, “Tom Salmon claims to care about tracking government’s performance, but it’s not clear that he is willing to ask the tough questions.” According to Hoffer, “the only way to know is to compare and contrast the work of the two candidates.”

For example, Auditor Salmon recently released an audit of the state’s primary business incentive program (Vermont Economic Growth Incentive or VEGI). The report stated that the “audit objective was to determine the extent to which the Department of Taxes has controls and processes in place to ensure that the claims, payments and recoveries are accurate, complete and timely.”

Hoffer pointed out that “Concern about internal controls is always warranted but this narrow question ignores the elephant in the room. That is, the current and former business incentive programs (VEGI and the Economic Advancement Tax Incentives, EATI) have cost the state $50 – $100 million in foregone revenue and we don’t know if they were sound long-term investments.” Hoffer noted that the current recession affords an opportunity to find out.

Read more

http://vtdigger.org/2010/10/12/hoffer-vegi-program-needs-more-scrutiny/

Monday, October 11, 2010
Molly Walsh

The race for state auditor is picking up speed as incumbent Republican Tom Salmon of St. Johnsbury and Democratic challenger Doug Hoffer of Burlington spar over their qualifications to be Vermont’s paid government watchdog.

The debate occurs with state government’s failure to spot the alleged embezzlement of $490,000 by a state employee serving as a backdrop. West Charlestown resident Kathy Lantagne, 46, was arraigned in U.S. District Court last week and pleaded innocent to charges that she stole state funds intended to subsidize funerals and rent for the indigent.

Hoffer says Salmon has not adequately explained why his office, which oversees audits of government spending and accounts, failed to catch the apparent scam, which according to court papers went on for five years until an accountant with the Vermont Department for Children and Families became suspicious about duplicate payments in October 2009. During a debate on Vermont Public Radio last week, Salmon defended his record and said the implication that his office was “asleep at the switch” was off-base.

Read more
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20101011/NEWS03/10110319/1095/Auditor-s-candidates-question-each-other-s-qualifications

Sue Prent – posted Oct. 10, 2010

Notice how carefully the Freeps front page story on the Agency of Human Services embezzlement skirts the issue of Tom Salmon’s culpability? It is raised and dismissed in barely two sentences late in the article:

“The case has triggered debate in the race for state auditor, with challenger Doug Hoffer asking why incumbent Tom Salmon’s office did not catch the alleged five-year scheme. However, Human Services Secretary Hoffman and DCF Commissioner Steve Dale had closer oversight responsibilities of the division in which Lantagne worked.”

But, you well might ask, wasn’t Tom Salmon the state’s elected auditor for much of the five year period over which the embezzlement took place? Perhaps other heads should roll as well, but few would argue that the “buck” doesn’t stop in full on the desk of the state auditor.

I listened with interest to a recording of the October 5 VPR debate between Doug Hoffer and incumbent, Tom Salmon. I really wanted to understand Tom Salmon’s rationale for his office having overlooked this huge discrepancy; but I got nothing. Not only on the topic of the embezzlement, but on many other questions put to Mr. Salmon, his replies were lost in a sea of incoherent double-speak that seemed to go nowhere. His contempt for his opponent was, to say the least, thinly-veiled; but he was factually challenged with regard to Mr. Hoffer’s credentials, and had apparently made little effort to inform himself, making Mr. Salmon come off as petty and ineffectual. He wasn’t even aware of audit reports authored by Mr. Hoffer that are included on the state auditor’s own website! The longer Mr. Salmon spoke in response to most questions, the further he strayed from the point. In sharp contrast to Mr. Hoffer’s concise and focussed remarks, Mr. Salmon’s were vague and often emotionally charged. In defense of his flip to the Republican party, Mr. Salmon characterized himself as an “original thinker.”

Read more

http://www.greenmountaindaily.com/diary/6911/halfbaked-salmon

VPR Debate

A video ad from Hoffer for Auditor

Backstory: See Blurt: the Seven Days staff blog (9.17.10)

“In each of the past two debates, Republican Brian Dubie has called on Democratic rival Peter Shumlin to say if he agrees with a comment made by fellow Democrat Doug Hoffer, the party’s candidate for state auditor. Dubie also asked Shumlin if he was publicly supporting Hoffer’s candidacy. Really?

Sounds like Hoffer’s running critique of Dubie’s understanding of Vermont’s tax structure is getting under the GOP candidate’s skin (http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2010/09/visions-of-an-auditor-to-come-hoffer-challenges-dubies-numbers.html and http://vtdigger.org/2010/09/20/hoffer-there-he-goes-again/

…perhaps Dubie thinks Hoffer is a wedge issue of choice this campaign season. In a tight race, you just never know.”