by Rep. Leslie Goldman (Windham-3 House District)
What follows is an announcement from one Vermont representative who plans to vote to override Governor Scott’s budget veto – as published on Front Porch Forum. It was forwarded to us from a VDC reader. Judge for yourselves whether or not the reasoning is sound. – Editor
A question from a reporter “And are you going to vote to override the budget veto, why or why not?”
I will be voting to override the veto.
The Speaker stated in her press release that the Legislature has spent 4 months developing this budget “engaged in a comprehensive process, taking testimony from Vermonters, and carefully weighing the diverse range of budgetary needs.”
As a member of the Health Care Committee, I and my 10 committee members worked very hard through this process to support health care needs in all 14 counties. We supported our underfunded health care workforce including our doctors, nurses, other staff and hospitals. This included needs in both the mental and physical health care system. This was a deliberative and comprehensive process and I support this work being funded as presented in this budget.
All the policy committees went through a similar process with their work funneled to the Appropriations Committee and Committee of Conference creating the budget. Not supporting this budget halts this work.
We all know that the population in Vermont is aging. It is a significant topic for my committee. Democrats are making long term investments in Childcare and Climate. These are crucial investments that will attract younger people and families to Vermont. We must act now.
Homelessness is a national crisis and we in Vermont are not immune. The 2024 budget contains tens of millions of dollars to address this problem as did the 2023 budget and the 2023 budget adjustment act.
The Governor and his administration have been asked repeatedly to present a plan to transition people from the motel program into other housing. There has been no plan presented by the Executive Branch and I agree with Speaker Krowinski that this is a “failure of leadership”. As she says “it is the Executive Branch’s responsibility to ensure the welfare of the state and the health and safety of all Vermonters”.
I firmly believe this. The legislature creates policy and funds that policy, the executive branch “executes” policy.
I am very worried about the implications of the State not having a budget. It will harm people in all 14 counties in all walks of life.
I am voting to override the Governor’s veto.
As always, please be in touch with me with questions or concerns
Lgoldman@leg.state.vt.us
Categories: Commentary
Excuse me, but you did NOT support anything worthwhile. What you did support was a law to force me and others to pay for those that are unwilling or incapable of supporting themselves. Your so-called solution is to force me to pay for these non-productive citizens forever. Brilliant. You should be so proud of yourself……..NOT. Your arrogance and ignorance make me sick.
“underfunded health care workforce” – are you insane?
There’s not a single person who works in the health care industry that I think is poor! In fact, there’s a whole growing set of housing, specifically targeted to health care workers because they can afford to pay more.
If I remember correctly, 1800 nurses and doctors went on strike and got what they wanted which was a 22% raise across three years. If I want a 20% raise I need to work 100 hours a week or find a new f-ing job. Not to mention the hospital just took 80 million in 2020, and I’m positive they got more money in 2021 and 2022. I just don’t remember.
Normally I just called this greed but it’s way worse than that, as the medical system in Vermont takes advantage of Vermonters every single day to line their pockets. Disgusting
https://youtu.be/b7NrJqV7i2k
“We all know that the population in Vermont is aging. It is a significant topic for my committee. Democrats are making long term investments in Childcare and Climate. These are crucial investments that will attract younger people and families to Vermont. We must act now.” Translation: The population is aging, but long-term care and caring for the elderly is the very least of our concerns. So, we offer assisted suicide for elders driven from their homes due to rising costs. Promoting childcare means we will work toward making your children gay, hope to sterilize them, and if they are white, they will know they don’t matter. We promote families through our sponsor, Planned Parenthood, where families cease to exist through human termination and selling the remnants of future generations. All in the name of climate change, which is human depopulation and subjugation. Playbook known.
Thanks for a very concise synopsis of the “playbook” of the Vermont democrats/progressives, basically over the last 20 years…I wonder what they have in store for us taxpayers and contributing members of society for the next 20 years?…or if there will be any of us left to pay the bills, farm the land, fix the plumbing and roofs, repair the cars etc…
Vermont’s has a mental health crisis that is most evident by the fact that people like this are elected to serve in the legislature…liberalism is a mental disorder…
Bingo, Rich. I ran against this person, as well as Michelle Bos-Lund, in Windham-3, and was soundly trounced. The Brattleboro Reformer would not publish my response (500 words) to its candidates’ query, the local weekly Commons would not publish my essay regarding the Second Amendment in light of knee-jerk reactions to Uvalde, and the incumbents emailed that they would be too “uncomfortable” to participate in a local candidates’ forum, thus minimizing their exposure to even the most decorous, polite examination of the issues and their records regarding them.
When my new neighbors ask why I moved from Vermont, all I now have to do is pull this article up on a screen, and say, ” because THIS is what my former community elected as its representative.”
There is no way to compete if you can’t speak, and the media and progressives won’t let you speak and all they do is shout false beliefs.
The media from top to bottom is biased against conservative ideas, right down to the little town newspapers, slowly bought up and consolidated.
a severe mental disorder…
Here’s an example of what’s killing Vermont. This person (she/her) wants you (he/she) working people to work harder and have less so (she/her) can feel good about (they/them) progressive incompetents in our house. The people who vote for these ideologues are also responsible for killing us off financially. We have an election in 2024. If we/us don’t wake up and throw these/them progressives out of office, you will eventually have nothing. This rep. (she/her) should be one of the first to go. Wake up, Mr. and Mrs. Vermont voter. You are a slave to the progressive destruction of Vermont. You can’t pay bills, buy food and heat your home with your feel good virtue that actually enables more layabouts and draws in the worthless to collect the benefits you are being taxed for.
If the legislature feels they need to spend money on homeless they should return their pending pay increase to cover costs, instead of fleecing working Vemonters with higher taxes! Vermont needs to recognize that we have an example of taxation without representation.
If Vermont had invested a portion of the hotel program’s expense into purchasing land in communities where micro-dwelling units could be built and managed, we’d have had a significant portion of a solution to Vermont’s homeless needs. What we have had has been an ongoing great pocketful of taxpayer funding being drained dry and going into abyss with nothing to show for it in the long run.