by Pam Baker
I attended the Town Hall event on Monday by Balint and have submitted the letter below to the Brattleboro Reformer. I will also submit it to other outlets as well. You will notice, I have toned down my normal rhetoric. (Or maybe you won’t notice…) And I did this purposefully to get a message across to the middle of the road voters and citizens. If we don’t start trying to build community, we will lose it all in a little over 3 years from now. The only other option is untenable. Use your imagination. Think… “ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”
As a Vermonter, I am deeply concerned that Rep. Becca Balint fails to build trust across ideological lines — a core responsibility for any elected official representing a politically diverse state. Roughly one-third of Vermonters identify as conservative, and another third as independent, libertarian, or unaffiliated. That means a majority of the people she serves don’t necessarily share her political ideology — and yet, their voices are too often absent from her agenda.
Since taking office in 2023, Rep. Balint has aligned herself almost exclusively with the progressive wing of Congress. Her public statements and legislative priorities rarely reflect the concerns of those outside her base. This isn’t just a missed opportunity — it’s a failure to fulfill the basic responsibilities of her office. A representative is elected to serve all constituents, not just those who share her political ideology.
At a recent town hall in Bellows Falls on April 14th, this divide was only deepened. Conservative constituents were effectively excluded from the conversation, as her staff carefully managed which audience members were allowed to ask questions despite the appearance of randomness. Only one independent voter was given the opportunity to speak. Instead of fostering open dialogue, the event became a rally of sorts — with Rep. Balint taking aim at the current administration and even encouraging the audience to “disrupt” government. The tone invited division, not unity. Attendees shouted epithets, and one visibly nervous citizen was berated by another audience member simply because she was hard to hear. That’s not what democracy — or decency — should look like.
One phrase stood out: “Let’s throw some punches.” While some might write that off as political bluster, language matters. In today’s tense climate, that kind of rhetoric only fuels a combative mindset. It doesn’t invite cooperation; it signals opposition — not just to policies, but to people. And that mindset trickles down to our communities, where many Vermonters, regardless of political affiliation, no longer feel safe talking to their neighbors about the issues that matter to them. When both conservatives and progressives feel silenced or shamed, we have a serious problem.
This pattern isn’t new. In February, Rep. Balint made misleading claims that “unelected billionaire Elon Musk has illegally seized control of the payment systems at the United States Treasury.” She described it as a national emergency. Yet, when 2.9 billion personal records — including Social Security numbers — were compromised in a major data breach in August 2024, there was no comparable public response from her office. If she is truly concerned about our data security, where was the outrage then?
At a time when so many people feel isolated and ignored, her message that “you are not alone” rings hollow to those outside her ideological circle.
Rep. Balint could use her platform to bring people together. Instead of focusing on “ugliness” inside the political system or adopting an adversarial tone, she could say: “While we face serious challenges, it’s more important than ever that we come together to find common ground and make progress for the American people.” That’s the kind of leadership Vermont — and our country — needs.
We deserve a representative who works for all of us — not just those who agree with her. That means attending events hosted by conservative groups, holding inclusive town halls, engaging respectfully with differing perspectives, and recognizing that leadership isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about bridging them.
The author is a West Halifax resident and 2024 GOP candidate for the Windham-6 House seat.