by Jay Eshelman
“Front Porch Forum is a Vermont Public Benefit Corporation and not a nonprofit.” However, “Acceptance of payment does not create any obligation for Front Porch Forum to fulfill.”
I’ve been impressed with the number of reports by various VDC readers confirming the totalitarian nature of Front Porch Forum (FPF), couched in the guise of a so-called Public Benefit Corporation.
While FPF claims that ‘Common sense and a growing body of research tell us that well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and public utilities’, FPF’s actions belie its false façade. Especially when it comes to ‘…better service from local government…’.
One of my local Windham 3 Vermont House representatives, a retired healthcare worker and member of the House Committee on Healthcare, continues to use FPF as a platform to promote increased taxpayer funding into Vermont’s already financially bloated healthcare sector. Most recently, as reported by my representative on FPF, December 15, 2023, “…the Green Mountain Care Board and the Agency of Human Services have been tasked by the Legislature with the implementation of Act 167 of 2022. This Act is looking at creating global hospital budgets, which would move from the fee-for-service model we are familiar with to a global budget model.”
Of course, it’s now difficult for me to provide my neighbors any balance to these ‘ravenous’ globalist policies on FPF, having only recently learned that my ‘account has been closed due to violations of FPF’s Terms of Use.’
And no, FPF didn’t tell me my account was closed. Nor did FPF answer my request to explain its actions. Again, “Acceptance of payment does not create any obligation for Front Porch Forum to fulfill.”
It’s clear that some of our legislators and some certain Public Benefit Corporations, like FPF, will continue deceiving us with their debatable revelations. And I hope VDC readers will continue to report any other malicious indiscretions reported on Front Porch Forum. After all, as well meaning as most FPF members are, they should know the whole truth. And I, for one, feel obligated to do my best to provide it.
More analysis on education and the reported 18% property tax increase to follow.
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Categories: Commentary, Media
Here are some details on Vermont’s healthcare charade that FPF and our legislators don’t publish.
The Vermont healthcare system received $10.5 Billion (that’s with a ‘B’) in Federal Covid Funding from 2020 through 2022. That’s just from federal funding. So, it virtually doubled Vermont’s entire operating budget for the period. Is it any wonder then that the Vermont healthcare industrial complex, now addicted to so much easy money, is having withdrawal pains.
Their self-imposed cure is, apparently, safe injection sites and Narcan (a metaphor, folks).
Let’s start with page 8 of Act 167, Sec. 3. designating $5 Million for hiring consultants as needed to assist the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) in moving to the ‘global budget model’ – whatever that is. Who are the consultants? Did they also ‘consult’ the legislature as it was crafting Act 167?
Never mind that the GMCB has been floundering for more than ten years as it is.
“It was granted what was arguably the broadest and strongest regulatory authority of any health care regulator in the country. Since then, it appears to have earned more enemies than friends.” – – VT Digger, June 20, 2021
And, separately, the State has now awarded $5.13 million to be ‘appropriated through Act 183’ for nursing workforce development to “enable healthcare workers to pursue nursing career pathways while maintaining paid employment… It aims to draw new students into Vermont nursing programs and ease advanced degree education for existing nurses.”
The ‘catch 22’, of course, is that Vermont already has more nurses per capita than the majority of other states in the U.S… And those who take advantage of this program will be required to work in Vermont only “for a minimum of one year following licensure for each year of forgivable loan awarded.” Then what? And how does any of this make healthcare more affordable or lower taxes?
To characterize Public Benefit Corporations as being wolves in sheep’s clothing is an illogical slander on the wolf. Again, it’s a metaphor. The point is that you likely won’t hear our legislators discuss any of these issues with those innocents who have yet to be ‘cancelled’ on Front Porch Forum, or with any of us here on VDC. Organizations, like FPF, parading under the guise of being a ‘public benefit’ in name only, tend to function like many Public Benefit Corporations do, recognizing ‘obligations’ only to themselves.
health care education environment///who is in control of all///answer the question///you will get the answer
Front Porch Foreskin is a joke.
If you don’t put on your dimple cheeks and pretend to be going prostrate for your neighbor then your privilege to use that social platform is revoked.
FPF is afraid of truth So its moderator so-called refuses to remove his rose-colored glasses.
He is in fact a failed small-time politician, having lost a council race in a small-time town of Vermont, namely Burlington.
If you can’t win a city council race in Burlington, Vermont then you need to pack up your tent and go find someplace else to live.
“Account has been closed due to violations of FPF’s Terms of Use,” is music to the ears.
Hats off to Jay Eshelman.
Most of the small, local town “newspapers” are also now operated by the moonbat-minded and routinely screen their content of any “dangerous” conservative ideas. They serve as mouthpieces for democrat and progressive lawmakers and non-profits like the Public Assets Institute to misrepresent their propaganda as fact. (The Public Assets Institute based in Montpelier wants to treat your paycheck and savings as a “public asset”)
Personally I view FPF with the same scepticism as I have for NBC, CNN, etc. and try to “keep my friends close, and my enemies closer” but I can’t do that if I don’t keep track of what they are saying or doing.
That sage advice from the Godfather movie is a good reason to be a faithful weekly reader of the Sevendays. However, I still can’t get myself to visit VTDigger lately…it’s just too disturbing.
Hi Rich, For the sake of keeping up with leftist propoganda, I even watched Chuck Todd on NBC Meet the Press every Sunday ! My TV does not know how close it came to being made inopperative a few times, but we both made it !
Hats off to Jay Eshelman.
The guy who runs FPF is a petty, small-time, failed politician who couldn’t even win a city council race in Burlington.
“Acount has been closed due to violations of FPF’s Terms of Use.’
Music to the ears.
And that is exactly the reason I still listen to NPR, keeping those enemies closer…
Ha! That’s exactly why I follow VDC. The comments are especially telling.
FPF is the most blatantly obvious liberal propaganda outlet around. It’s stunning how they get away with what they do, but Vermonters are so mercilessly brainwashed that it’s no wonder.
I remember back when BLM love was being pushed in the state a kind poster on our local FPF board nicely suggested that those who don’t support BLM be incarcerated or perhaps terminated….don’t remember which. I was stunned at that such a post got through the mods and I kindly responded to the post echoing this statement. Guess whose post got censored? Yup. They canned my post.
I immediately quick that den of liberal vipers and have never looked back. It’s an evil platform run be evil people.
Great story. Says all we need to know about the clowns at French Porch Forum.
VDC Readers: While FPF is what it is… keep your eyes on the other prize too – namely the misinformation our legislators are putting out to justify ever higher tax dollar spending to subsidize a bloated healthcare bureaucracy.
No, you won’t hear it on FPF. But make sure your friends and neighbors understand it.
FPF isn’t a non-profit”? Is this simply a semantical dodge?
Perhaps we need to create the alternative antidote, such as BackPorch Forum or Kitchen Table Forum? Let’s face it, the throttling of open discussion and blatant censorship is obvious as is the purpose. Germany, circa 1934. We are the United States of America. While a minority of modern day bolsheviks attempt to overtake and subvert our God given rights, it is our duty to put them down and starve them of their fuel (money.) Take a stand, raise the standard, and push back harder – we are the majority (fact) and it is time were start acting and doing as such.
The alternative antidote is Vermont Daily Chronicle.
I agree – yet when it comes to advertising yard sales, lost pets, or looking for items or resources, a competitor to the FPF would be great for people nonetheless.
I agree, Melissa. A well-managed local public bulletin board can be a valuable resource for any community. Which is one of the reasons I’m protesting my treatment by FPF and FPF’s practice of intermingling useful information, such as lost and found announcements, local service requests and advertisements, and various local meeting and entertainment schedules, with blatant political propaganda and the punitive membership cancellations imposed on those who question that political content.
Re: “Germany circa 1934”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhW6bkpBuec&t=919s
Last Warning to the West
I’ve read most of the Vermont Statute in this regard – not all. The actual VT law concerning Public Benefit Corporations is a rather tedious and non-descript missive on ‘virtue signaling’.
“The benefit corporation law allows for the creation of a new and voluntary corporate entity that will allow businesses to consider profit as well as society and the environment”.
The mere existence of this designation in VT Statute implies that a traditional corporation that doesn’t declare its ‘woke’ perspective is inconsiderate of its effect on society and the environment.
“11A V.S.A. chapter 21 – § 21.02. LAW APPLICABLE (b) The existence of a provision of this chapter does not of itself create any implication that a contrary or different rule of law is or would be applicable to a corporation that is not a benefit corporation. This chapter does not affect any statute or rule of law as it applies to a corporation that is not a benefit corporation.”
In other words, the ‘public benefit’ designation is a charade. Judge them by their actions, not by their corporate designation.
Again, the primary purpose of my article is to expose the malicious legislative propaganda published on FPF that, upon careful scrutiny, is anything but publicly beneficial – if, for no other reason than the unwillingness of FPF, and especially the legislators who slink within it, to engage in discussion.
Propaganda is always state and fascist funded.
Reflecting the agenda of those in power…
FPF is also used by law enforcement in VT to monitor the ‘temperature’ of the citizens and forecast malcontents.
Is the rejected content being shared with law enforcement?
You won’t get an answer from FPF…FIRST PROPAGANDA FORUM…
You will be able to tell them by their works…
Doesn’t anyone here see the irony? The author and rabid conservative commenters here want censorship of all liberal and mainstream media.
You must be reading a different page. Not seeing that.
Feel free to leave your critiques on the Seven Days forums or VT Diggers.
Brian’s remark is a clear case of his psychological projection. My point is, after all, that it is FPF who is doing the censoring.
Jay, how is violating the terms and conditions being censored? Second of all, NO ONE under 70 even knows what the FPF is, do you really need the 23 people on there to know you don’t think masks work?
Really? How else would you describe someone being denied access to what happens to be the only online forum our elected representatives use to publicly discuss legislative considerations that affect them and their constituents?
Do you see any of these legislators publishing their points of view here on VDC?
That’s censorship, coming and going.
Chris: you are a perfect example of the ill effects created when a so-called ‘public benefits’ organization covertly censors people.
First, you have no idea how many members FPF has. During 2022, FPF’s service grew on many fronts – for every 1,000 households in VT, FPF has 800 members.
Second, you mistakenly assume that I actually did something nefarious to breech FPF’s terms and conditions, while you ignore the fact that FPF cancelled my membership without notice, without the opportunity to correct whatever it was I did wrong, and without explaining their actions when I specifically asked them to do so.
And third, you haven’t been paying attention to the half dozen or so similar complaints about FPF by other VDC readers.
This isn’t just about me, Chris. When FPF censors me and other VDC readers, they censor you too – because you have no idea what’s being published and are denied the benefit of a point of view you would otherwise never know about.
Jay, you know full well what you wrote to cause them to cancel you. To not post that part of the story is just spineless journalism.
Sorry, sir. I have no idea what your’re referring to. Please enlighten all of us.
He said, what did you do to get banned that you’re not telling us?
No, Chris. He said: “you know full well what you wrote to cause them to cancel you.”
A falsehood, if there ever was one.
And, apparently, neither briancostellovt nor you, Chris, can enlighten me, or any VDC reader, on what it was that I wrote that so offended FPF.
So, I’m beginning to think you both are FPF surrogates trying to distract readers from the issues (the healthcare and education charades put forth by legislators on a censored platform) while, at the same time, perpetuating the charades.
The fact is that the perpetrators of these pretenses have no clothes (yes, yet another metaphor), and you and briancostellovt are making that point abundantly clear.
I know what I wrote on FPF that caused them to cancel me out of Colchester in 2021! I wrote not one, but two posts on the imperativeness of: FREE SPEECH on “public service” platforms & forums. Pretty “grizzly” huh? Oh wait, it’s actually a Constitutional Right. So, for writing about the Constitutional right of free speech, I got cancelled for writing about my inherent, innate, inalienable right of free speech.
Perhaps if you use the “freedom of information act” to request my posts from that year under my name and request the subsequent emails that were then sent from FPF to me and vice-versa regarding the “cancellation” of my speech on that friendly neighborhood platform – you’ll have what you need for PROPER discernment.
You have my written permission herein on VDC for FPF to turn over all emails from me to them during the time I resided in Colchester.
I’ll wait.
Stick to your story, “brian” – prove to us all how genial and Constitutionally adherent FPF really is!!!!!!!
Waiting……….
Kathleen, some have been waiting for FPF to explain itself for ten years.
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/is-vermonts-front-porch-forum-moderating-civil-discussion-or-censoring-free-speech-2266444
I struck first and cancelled my subscription to FPF in 2020. Remember, we are in a war and it is 5th generation information lawfare warfare. We need to reserve our energy and use our ammo (facts) wisely and strategically. Seeing how the liberals are losing their composure, projecting nonsensical drivel, (the co-exist crowd?) on a daily basis, it is clear they are in fear and proof propaganda works, they are the targets of such nonetheless. The majority of normal people need to start the parallel econcomy and create new avenues that circumvent the controllers. We are smarter and more creative than our enemies. It is time to show them they are the losers and hand them their consolation prize . Declared and decreed!
Perhaps VDC might have “cause” then to cancel you, brian? Nah….never mind, VDC remains constitutionally compliant – wholly unlike any of the rest of Vermont’s biased, discriminatory, intolerant, exclusive fake “news” sites such as FPF.
…..And I JUST told you. Reading comprehension issues, Chris?
Now…..waiting…….for you to tell us how what I testified to is inaccurate/misleading/incorrect/etc.
Still waiting……………………………..
And in the interim, go ‘distract” on your fake news sites such as VTDigger, Seven Days , etc. Oh wait! THEY don’t allow free speech. Nevermind.
The US Constitution Stands FOREVER, Chrissy.
I don’t even know how to respond to this nonsensical drivel. You think that you have a constitutional right to comment on a websites comment section? They only allow comments here because there are even less readers than FPF, and NO ONE cares what anyone here has to say. Go outside
YES! I DO have the Constitutional RIGHT to Freedom of Speech on the internet wherein any site provides a comments section that affords for public commentary — and that site, publicly-funded no less like FPF, has ZERO right to DISCRIMINATE against my opinion and my innate freedom to impart my opinion, Chrissy. Section 230 provides immunity against lawsuits —- it does NOT provide immunity against discrimination. But…….I was under the impression that your “party” was “tolerant” and “accepting” anyway!??? Huh……
Now, get ready to head back to class next week all prepped to ask your Gender Studies teacher for more extra credit for all the irrational & radicalized noise & distraction you believe you brought to this naughty, constitutionally compliant website that you chose (you & your party like “choice”, correct?) to play on.
In the meanwhile, as to FPF’s flagrant violation of my inherent right to freedom of speech & that aforementioned freedom of information act you & your little classmate brian should be filing to prove my above-referenced account against FPF as wrong………
I’m STILL waiting…………………………………….perhaps you’re “outside” (whatever that connotes in your mind).