While driving through Vermont, I saw dozens of yard signs for Rich Tarrant, the Republican challenger for the US Senate seat that will be vacated by famed Independent Jim Jeffords. Rich Tarrant… why does that name sound familiar? I wondered, figuring it bore resemblance to most politicians’ names, with a solid-citizen resonance and WASP-y twang.
Then, in a hotel room, we watched a televised debate of the Vermont senatorial candidates, which wasn’t much of a debate because Tarrant’s main competition, Rep. Bernie Sanders, didn’t show – perhaps wrapped up in his present obligation of serving in the House of Representatives. Tarrant scored a crowd-pleasing zinger during his opening remarks (I’d like to thank every one for coming out today, especially my opponent) and immediately established himself as an asshole.
Why does he look so familiar? I wondered. Of course, he looks like what I’d conjure a Vermont Republican to look like: A mane of well-groomed gray hair, fit and trim with an air of ruggedness, and a constipated, forced smile. As he humbly asserted his qualifications, I tuned him out until I heard “I founded the largest public company in Vermont in 1969…”
“Hey, I worked for the largest public company in Vermont!” I said aloud, and the realization of why Rich Tarrant seemed familiar suddenly dawned: He was the founder and chairman of the board for IDX Systems Corp, a Burlington, VT-based health care technology company that I worked for briefly and laid me off right after 9/11. The lay-off process was prolonged over a two week period and crammed with information sessions, job placement assistance, and cloying sympathy, as if “We’ve dropped you, but we want you to land on your feet!” (I much preferred the quick tear-off-a-bandaid method employed by my first company, which gave me an hour to clean out my desk before escorting me out with a taxi voucher.)
The lay-offs at IDX were a smart business decision. Four years later, IDX was bought by General Electric for $1.2 billion, giving Richie-Rich Tarrant plenty of free time to pursue other activities, like… run for the Senate!
Since that mother laid me off, I admit bias when asking Vermonters not to vote for Rich Tarrant, so here are a few facts: He gives money to Bush, he’s a social conservative, he has no political experience, and he’s been involved in several corporate scandals. But most damning, Rich Tarrant is another rich businessman spending his way into politics, further fudging the line between “politician” and “lobbyist” and trumpeting that apocryphal mantra, “Government should be run like a business!” Careful, Vermont. Rich Tarrant just might lay you off, too.
