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Their sense of entitlement without accountability is a proven governing failure.
by Rob Roper
The last election indicated that Vermonters are finally catching on to the fact that VT Democrats (really the Progressives who infiltrated and took over the Democrat Party like a political version of the creature from John Carpenter’s The Thing) have wrecked our state. Turned us into a dumpster fire where the dumpster is filled with lithium-ion batteries from subsidized electric vehicles.
Just a quick rundown of their top hits:
Progressive healthcare policy over the past quarter century has produced the most expensive health insurance in the nation by far, bankrupt rural hospitals, created a lack of primary care physicians, and longer wait times for a declining quality of medical care.
Public education under the Prog/Dems has gone from one of the highest scoring systems in the country attained with average costs to taxpayers to the second most expensive per pupil (with the attendant property tax crisis) and test scores dropping to the middle of the national pack with no end to the decline in sight.
Under their pro-criminal law (non)enforcement policies, the Prog/Dems turned the safest state in the union, according to the FBI, into a place where violent crime, drug related crime, and industrial-scale shoplifting are now a major concern.
The Prog/Dem policies to help the homelessness have backfired spectacularly, creating one of the nation’s fastest growing homeless populations. This is partly driven by the crime policies mentioned above and partly by the loony-leftist environmental policies that make building homes difficult and unnecessarily expensive so that buying or renting becomes unaffordably so. I know they prefer the term “unhoused,” and in this case I guess I agree. The middle class has been “unhoused” — by Progressive Democrats! Maybe we should coin the term for those living on the streets as “people experiencing progressive crime, housing, and tax policies.”
I could go on, but don’t want to digress too far. Suffice to say, this is a record of blasting tax dollars out of a cannon at problems real and imaginary (and imaginary until made real via bad policy) with zero accountability for efficiency let alone effectiveness. It’s a disaster. It’s not a record to run on. Which brings us to the recent mole hill made mountain over the SNAP (aka Food Stamps) program and Governor Scott’s decision to give the federal government requested data.
First and foremost, SNAP is a federally funded but state managed program. That the federal government wants to see state level data – who is receiving benefits and what are they spending the money on — for a program that it pays for is not just reasonable, it would be irresponsible for them not to have that data. How else could the people in charge of paying for the program evaluate whether or not the money is being well spent and if the program is achieving the outcomes it’s supposed to be achieving? They couldn’t.
Scott is using common sense — and facts — in his August 5 press release, explaining:
Last month, the federal government notified states that they would be requiring states to provide specific information about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to validate eligibility determinations and ensure program integrity.
• All information provided to the federal government is information states are required to provide in accordance with the USDA’s notice in the Federal Register published June 23, 2025, pursuant to the federal Privacy Act of 1974.
• A law was also passed through a bipartisan effort in Congress in 2018, with unanimous support from Vermont’s congressional delegation, clarifying the government’s right to this information.
• There is no conflict with state law, and simply objecting to this request for the sake of political resistance could put the SNAP benefits of thousands of Vermont’s most vulnerable at risk.
Yup. No big deal.
Still, just about every prominent Prog/Dem politician and left-wing propaganda outfit posing as an objective news outlet pearl clutched, gnashed teeth, and rent garments over this absolute non-issue. Treasurer Mike Pieciak, AG Charity Clark, former Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman, and most recently Rep. Rebecca Holcomb (maybe more) all took to keyboard, camera, and/or microphone to decry helping the federal government audit for waste, fraud, and abuse in a federally funded program. Why?
Reason one, as mentioned above, their actual policy record being the equivalent of stuffing a hand grenade up the economy’s rectum and pulling the pin, all the Prog/Dems have to run on is “Orange Man Bad!” So, whatever the Trump Administration does, no matter if perfectly reasonable or even good, must be “resisted” as if it were the End of Days. Yawn.
And all of these governor wannabes see this as an opportunity, pathetic though it is, to tar Scott as some kinda sorta secret MAGA Trumpist in hopes the electorate will turn on the most popular governor in America for being, well, sane. Sure. Good luck with that strategy.
But really all this shows is what fiscally irresponsible, partisan hacks these people are. Their governing philosophy is one of arrogant entitlement divorced from any accountability. Give us the money; don’t ask any questions of us or hold us accountable for how it’s spent. Then, hypocrites not, they turn around and give away the money and don’t ask any questions of the people they give it to or hold them accountable for how it’s spent. When the money’s wasted, don’t ask questions, just take more more of the money you feel you’re entitled to and repeat. And this is why our state is fiscally FUBAR!
So, no, it’s not a surprise that when the Trump Administration – or anybody for that matter — wants to know if taxpayer money is being spent effectively and in accordance with the rules, the Prog/Dems will be rabidly opposed. I get it. I mean, if your record were as atrocious as theirs would you be a big fan of accountability either? Probably not.
Rob Roper is a freelance writer who has been involved with Vermont politics and policy for over 20 years. This article reprinted with permission from Behind the Lines: Rob Roper on Vermont Politics, robertroper.substack.com
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Categories: Commentary
Unfortunately, it’s not just the usual majority suspects avoiding accountability while robbing the minority electorate blind. Our Governor, Lt. Governor, and their appointments, are equally culpable in that they do whatever it is they think they ‘can’ do, as opposed to what they ought to be doing.
Would the Governor, Lt. Governor, and their appointments be in the positions of power (assuming they have any at all) if they took a truly conservative stand? Probably not. But ‘pretending’ to be a conservative voice in order to be elected is, IMHO, worse than losing an election.
Think about that. As it is, because Phil Scott and John Rogers were handily elected, the only thing we really have is a mirage…. ‘the most popular Republican governor in the country’. How’s that working for us?
Vermont politicians and those connected to them gat rich off of keeping Vermonters poor and broken, so it’s not likely to stop by their own doing as they are making bank! It’s in almost every broken part of Vermont.
1j Healthcare, making bank, Vermonters of visibly poor health.
2) Schools, making bank, poor educational outcomes and mismanagement.
3) Business/housing Permits, government officials, NGO’s, nonprofits making bank on being difficult, nobody can find decent housing at affordable price.
4)Criminals, making bank, government gives them free rein do business.
5) Drug Dealers, making bank, government gives then free rein to work.
6) Government employees, definitely making bank, expanding government allows their friends and family to make more bank too!
#6. That is highlighting the story of Farm life, what was the name of it? Where the pigs take over…..and suddenly some pigs are more equal than others?
Marxism is great for those connected, not so much fun for everyone else.
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
So claims the Marxist pig of Animal Farm and the Marxist Pig of Vermont, and just like animal farm, whereby the marxist pig in his claim for utopia and his utter disdain for the laws of God and Nature…….he makes himself worse than all, by his pride, in thinking he is God…..the Marxist Pig becomes the “devil” he so despised.
When you have power and money as your north star, the guiding light, your idol, well you reap what you sow.
His tactic, just like the above quoted pig, whom is really spousing propaganda, is envy. (the manager produces nothing, the company owner produces nothing) This is the currency and trade of marxism, that and cancel culture. Cancel culture is very, very effective, because by our nature we are flawed creatures, the easiest thing to do in this world is find fault with your fellow man.
When you can love your enemy, (doesn’t mean like) they you’ve realized where we all sit in this world, we’re all flawed, some realizing we can’t do it on our own, are freed for joyful obedience, others are trapped by the law.
TGBTG
“Entitlement without accountability”…sounds like Vermont’s free motel room program, which attracted vagrants from far and wide, with qualification based solely on the honor system claim of “not having anywhere else to go”.
Yes, Rob, but my only quibble is with:
“The Prog/Dem policies to help the homelessness have backfired spectacularly, creating one of the nation’s fastest growing homeless populations.”
They have not backfired. They have worked perfectly, creating an ecosystem of government funding of NGO’s and connected developers, taking advantage of the noblest instincts to help the downtrodden.
Again, there’s a story here, should you investigate.
“Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink the milk and eat those apples.” ― George Orwell, Animal Farm
Spot on, Tyler. It’s backfired from the ostensible mission statement point of view, but in regard to the actual agenda it’s working like a Swiss watch. Same as Act 60-plus. GWSA, Etc and so on. Separate the taxpayers from their money to the greatest extent possible with the least amount of accountability allowable, all the while growing a political special interest voting block to perpetuate the scheme.
Jay, priceless, you’re killing me. Too funny. Oh, you know we passed these laws for the betterment of others! We go to Washington because of our love for you. We suffer these meetings with lobbyists so you don’t have too! But of course we only want these solar panels, for to stop the imminent collapse of the world! We write these books out of a selfless quest to inform, we didn’t ask for large book advances!
The mission statement Rob talks about is a bold face lie, it’s gaslighting, it’s propaganda, that’s what liars do. We have to be a bit less naive, a bit more discerning. It would be easy prey for the vtgop to put holes in all b.s. pit out by the parties and press if they were so inclined, but it seems they are at the trough, drinking milk and eating apples, making sacrifices for all of us. How selfless so them.
Tell me, who should pay for their soda, Ring Dings and Twinkies ? And what about their Snickers and Skittles? All those goodies gone in a “SNAP”.
No one does “waste, fraud, and abuse” better than those who legislate it and administer it – no questions asked, no audits demanded, no accountability for failures. Simply approve budget increases year over year. Don’t forget all the added services since 2020 where money is taken out of taxpayer labor and handed over to countless non-profits. No one balks, no one votes the bums out – many find it easier to abmonish and demoralize the poor sods caught in the web of crimes against humanity. Back in the old english days – they were referred to as the “unfortunates.” Now they are victims/clients, entered into data bases, charted, and scored with the appropriate bounty affixed to their existance. We all have that number affixed on existance (aka the social security number) – make no mistake. Pay no mind to the elders and veterans caught in the same web of deceit and wanton destruction.
Why not take to task those who built the Vermont Industrial Welfare complex over the past three-four generations? What was meant to be a hand up is a boot on the neck unless a person can escape human services management and control.
By the way, did anyone catch Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s response to a reporter asking about scooping up the homeless in DC? Where are they going? They will be offered mental health services and shelter – if they refuse, the will be charged and arrested. How nice, how humanitarian, how dystopian, how repugnant and nefarious. They created the madness, they enabled the chaos, and now they will dole out the punishments onto one and all regardless. Societal collapse is the goal – order out of chaos – Agenda 2030.