Biographical errors become a major issue [Dem VT Auditor Ready lies about education]

Times Argus ^ | 9-28-04 | John Zicconi, Vermont Press Bureau

[GraniteStateConservative]

MONTPELIER — Republican Randy Brock on Monday called on his election opponent, State Auditor Elizabeth Ready, to cease overseeing state audits until she can explain why several biographies credit her with college degrees she does not possess.

Ready, a two-term Democrat from Lincoln seeking re-election on Nov. 2, said she has no intention of recusing herself.

"I have a contract with Vermonters," she said Monday. "And I'm going to keep that contract."

A biographical sketch book published by the Vermont secretary of state from 1988 to 1996 reported that Ready holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont. Editions after 1997 say she has a master's degree from Norwich University.

Neither claim is correct. Ready's only college degree is a bachelor of arts from Burlington College.

Two national publications, Marquis Who's Who in American Politics and The State Yellow Book, have also carried inaccurate information about Ready's education.

Ready last week called these claims a "mistake" and said she is unaware how the publications got their information. She said she has never tried to "inflate" her achievements.

Brock, a Swanton Republican seeking to defeat Ready and take her job as state auditor, is unsatisfied with that response.

Officials at all three publications said they received their information from either Ready or her office. Brock wants to know why they were not given accurate information.

"She has yet to answer the question clearly as to what happened and why did it happen," Brock said at a press conference Monday at the Statehouse.

"Her responses have been conflicting and incomplete…" he said. "She owes us an explanation. I'm calling on her to recuse herself, to step aside from overseeing state audits until she has given that clear and forthright explanation that the people of Vermont deserve."

Ready met with reporters in her office within an hour of Brock's demand. She answered questions for 50 minutes, but said nothing that satisfied her opponent, a retired top executive with Fidelity Investments.

Asked several times by reporters whether she falsified her academic credentials in published biographies, Ready, a former state senator from Addison County, was ambiguous.

"When I served in the Senate during the 1980s and 1990s there were inaccuracies in my biography." Ready told reporters. "Those errors I take responsibility for. They are my fault, mea culpa, I apologize for those errors. It is also my responsibility to correct them, which I have done."

Ready was asked if she was trying to inflate her academic achievements.

"I'm saying there were errors, and I'm taking responsibility for those errors," she responded. "I don't have what I wrote in those days. But the buck stops with me, so there is no blame to go anywhere else but right here."

Ready was pressed on whether she had lied, or if it was intentional.

"I don't think I ever intentionally lied," Ready said. "Clearly I have put out information that was not accurate, it was confusing and it resulted in mistakes in the biographies. I take responsibility for those mistakes. … My intention was not to mislead people."

Reporters asked for a yes or no answer: Did she lie when she filled out the secretary of state's biography forms?

"There were errors in my background," Ready said. "But I did not willfully misrepresent the situation. You are going to have to go with that."

Reporters asked how she could not know whether she'd received a degree, how she could make an error about that.

"I did," Ready said. "You are just going to have to go with the fact that there it is, it's wrong, I take responsibility for it and I apologize."

Brock called these answers a "no-denial denial" that was akin to pleading no contest in court. He said they were not an acceptance of responsibility, and that he would continue to call for Ready to recuse herself until she is more forthcoming with voters.

"It is an evasion of responsibility," Brock said. "It is inexcusable that (she called) this an error. That is not a satisfactory answer. … People will come away from this still not understanding what happened and what she did or did not do."

Later Monday in a forum before a class at Johnson State College, the two candidates discussed what they see are the duties of the office and how they are qualified for the job. The issue of Ready's biographies did not arise.

Ready touted her office's audits and special reviews and her years as an Addison County state senator and in town government.

She said her office has earned top marks from the National Association of State Auditors. Brock described that review as narrow, conducted by peers.

He questioned the methods used in Ready's reports and said the office had an adversarial relationship with many agencies.

Contact John Zicconi at john.zicconi@rutlandherald.com.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

A state auditor with a fake master's degree? That's like finding out you were baptized by the devil.

[Paul_B]

This woman actually out-Clinton's Clinton.

[7.62 x 51mm]

Another lying, liberal-demokkkRAT scumbag? I'm just (((:::s-h-o-c-k-e-d:::)))!

[Poseidon]

"I have a contract with Vermonters," she said Monday. "And I'm going to keep that contract."

What a fraud. She tries to fall back on some pseudo legal instrument that was generated under false pretenses.

[Hardastarboard]

Are there ANY honest Democrats?

[rocksblues]

"I don't think I ever intentionally lied," Ready said. "Clearly I have put out information that was not accurate, it was confusing and it resulted in mistakes in the biographies. I take responsibility for those mistakes. … My intention was not to mislead people."

WHAT THE ?

[GraniteStateConservative]

Other than Zell Miller?

[JRjr]

When Shirley DeLibrio was "recruited" to run Houston's mass transit system, she came complete with a padded resume which stated that she held two associate's degrees in a couple of engineering disciplines. She even spoke to women's groups telling of the vicissitudes of going to school, while raising children as a single mother.

Well, after some enterprising reporter started checking it was discovered that she, in fact, had no degree at all.

Once the heat was applied, she immediately went to a black activist church, the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, and from the pulpit confessed that she "had 'overstated' my qualifications on my resume," and asked for forgiveness for this slip of the written word.

No problem. Case closed. Lying on a resume is a resume enhancement in Democratic circles.

[rocksblues]

Their is also a woman in NYC that worked for the School Board in the news today. Is she a democrat of course!

[TaxRelief]

"I don't think I ever intentionally lied," Ready said. "Clearly I have put out information that was not accurate, it was confusing and it resulted in mistakes in the biographies. I take responsibility for those mistakes. My intention was not to mislead people."

They just don't understand what a "lie" is. Perhaps we should all send her a letter with a dictionary definition (for her own sake of course).

[7.62 x 51mm]

Dissembling lib-dem bitch; sounds like BJ Klintoon and a whole bunch of assorted liberal-socialist-commie-leftwing-nazi filth, doesn't it?

[dennisw]

btttttttt

[mewzilla]

Biographical errors? LOL. In my neck of the woods we call that LYING.

[dennisw]

http://www.readyforvt.com/aboutliz.htm

 

ELIZABETH M. READY of Lincoln, Addison County, Democrat, is the first female State Auditor of Vermont. She is only one of six female State Auditors in the nation. As Auditor, Ready has struck a clear, firm tone calling for results and improvements in performance. Click here to learn more about her record.

Elizabeth M. Ready for State AuditorReady was born in Burlington, Vermont and became a resident of present town in 1976. She was educated in elementary schools in Burlington, Vermont; graduated from Rice Memorial High School, Burlington, Vermont; Burlington College (B.A., Education); Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont (Master's Studies in Public Administration).

[rocksblues]

I am continually amazed at the statements put out by assorted liberal-socialist-commie-leftwing-nazi filth when they are caught/nailed!

The media reports the statements occasionally but it never goes any further.

[7.62 x 51mm]

*occasionally* is the operative word, rb. And they rarely mention the lib-dem criminal's party affiliation, but if a GOPer, it's in the opening line.

[Straight Vermonter]

Story from 2 years ago when she last ran:

Lots of people were talking about the $8,000 cell phone bill which Auditor of Accounts Elizabeth Ready ran up over the first sixteen months of her first term. Sources close to the Governor’s office implied that their pushing the story was payback time for what was believed to have been cheap shots by Ready, particularly her criticisms of the tax department’s woes when she took not one or two but three good shots at Dean’s management.

Ready disagrees, however, telling DPR that the story is being "shopped by Republicans." Fingerprints fingerprints. The facts came to light according to Ready when Philip Dessureau of Washington, VT petitioned her office with a Freedom of Information request which included "most everything we have which is on paper, including all our expenses, phone bills, cell phones, contracts, budget, etc. And we produced them all."

Ready said, "My problem was that we were on a bad cell phone plan and I did not know it until Mr. Dessureau’s requests. I should have seen the bill but I didn't. Our usage was $8,395, $2,298 of which were personal calls for which I reimbursed the state."

Probably thanks to Mr. Dessureau’s request if she never had seen a bill as she told us.

"Under the old plan, we had two cell phones in the office averaging over $350 per month. With the new contract we have cut that rate to just of $100 per month. There are over 1,000 cell phones in state government costing us $40,000 a month. Cell phone usage is a valid issue and I have raised that question with other state agencies. My office has learned from this. We are trying to pass on those lessons to the rest of state government. I am sorry about our contract. I did not know. I should have known. The buck stops with me," she concluded.

She asked, "Will you being doing a hatchet job?" What do you think?

[Bob]

Our usage was $8,395, $2,298 of which were personal calls for which I reimbursed the state."

As I read this, she only reimbursed the state because she got caught. Otherwise, it would have said "for which I had already reimbursed the state."

[rocksblues]

I read her comments "I don't think I ever intentionally lied," Ready said. "Clearly I have put out information that was not accurate, it was confusing and it resulted in mistakes in the biographies. I take responsibility for those mistakes. … My intention was not to mislead people." as

You know I lied, I know I lied but we are so adept at cheating/playing/spinning you will reelect me and many more of us because you are stupid people and still only watch ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN. And probably believe that Rather was duped by an overzealous producer!