by Kolby LaMarche
You may have seen Representative Leslie Goldman’s Front Porch Forum post, published here in the VDC. In reading Goldman’s post it becomes apparent that there are areas of concern that warrant attention.
In case you missed it, Goldman’s piece had three points of note: 1) Goldman passionately presents her work during this session and implies, in an attempt to emotionally ensnare the reader, that disagreement with the budget signifies a lack of concern for the mental and physical well-being of Vermonters. 2) Goldman relies on the statements of Speaker Jill Krowinski rather than offering her own independent thinking. 3) She attributes the entirety of the G.A. motel crisis to Governor Phil Scott, deflecting responsibility from the legislature.
Goldman aligns herself with Krowinski’s assertion that “it is the Executive Branch’s responsibility to ensure the welfare of the state and the health and safety of all Vermonters.”
One wonders what Goldman perceives as her own responsibility. Is it not to serve the health and safety of Vermonters? Or perhaps it entails pursuing personal gain, such as a substantial pay increase or attending to mundane matters like cleaning that special license plate she received when she first took office.
Goldman introduces another perspective, stating that “The legislature creates policy and funds that policy, the executive branch ‘executes’ policy.” This contradicts the earlier paragraph, leaving uncertainty about Goldman’s understanding of the Executive Branch’s role.
Nevertheless, an important admission emerges from her writing: Goldman acknowledges that it was a policy choice by herself and fellow legislators, not the executive branch, to end the motel program without a well-funded and adequately planned transition.
While Goldman demonstrates a solid grasp of various numbers, such as 10 counties, 14 counties, 4 months, and specific years, a glaring omission remains: the significant figure of 2,800. This represents the number of Vermonters who will face eviction due to a state-sponsored mass-unsheltering, initiated by Goldman and her colleagues, by July 28. Amusing, but not shocking, to observe how Goldman conveniently avoids honestly addressing the repercussions of her actions.
In the upcoming vote to override the Governor’s budget veto, Goldman is expected to align herself with Krowinski and Democratic leadership, disregarding humanity and moral imperatives. It is crucial to recognize that this issue transcends partisan lines, constituting a moral quandary. As readers and voters, we bear the responsibility of holding Goldman, as well as every Democratic representative who failed to adequately plan for this crisis, accountable. So, if you see Goldman in your travels, let her know she has failed Vermont and that she may want to refrain from representing or advocating for anyone other than herself.
Kolby LaMarche is a prudent leftist from Burlington.
Categories: Commentary
Look there are job opening signs everywhere. Have the places I go to don’t have enough staff to stay open. These people don’t want to have a job or they have some sort of chemical addiction or mental problem. If they paid any attention to the news at all, they’ve known this is coming for at least a year and a half and they’ve only been available to them for 2 years.
So talking about somebody needed some sort of plan for transition is just BS.
Instead of pandering to them and trying to find out how to provide for them, we should understand what their problems actually are and solve those.
Also, not everyone wants to be saved.
Ms. LaMarche, you too fail to assign accountability, responsibility, and the inability to adequately plan for Vermont’s homeless problems and that is citing first & foremost where it belongs: in the hands of the homeless people themselves.
The majority of all Vermonters struggle with problems in life and always have – from addiction issues to mental health illnesses to unplanned pregnancies to serious financial struggles, etc., but the vast majority never wind up homeless nor expecting their state government, at the expense of hard-working taxpayers, to perpetually pay their living expenses because of such difficulties.
Social service programs were long ago instituted as a way for citizens to temporarily garner financial help for necessities as they worked arduously to regain their status in society to again be able to independently support themselves and/or their families again. These programs were never intended to endlessly support able-bodied persons who refuse to become gainfully employed or enable drug addicts to continue to use while their mental & physical health suffered, and personal behaviors often devolved into criminality to support such lifestyles.
Vermont taxpayers have had enough of individuals who are living off the dole without any semblance of accountability required by this state. As many have mentioned on this site previously, perhaps “tough love” is what is required here after all these years of resources being expended which resulted, in many cases, in certain motels, or portions thereof, having to be completely demolished due to the damage caused by the homeless residents therein, and law enforcement departments being strained by the chronic calls to these locations over drugs and violent encounters.
There are some individuals who have stepped out of the matrix, no longer towing the line, or feeding the beast. Some realize that working and paying taxes is nothing more than a grand illusion. Some realize tax money is stolen, feeds a never-ending war machine, blood money, upholds the lies and deception of the continuous doom-loop we live in today. Many are succumbing to the results of the warmongers and Davos crowd that planned all of this over decades. I refrain from painting with a wide brush saying these people should just get a job. The phrase is a bonafide copout in our society. The reality is having a job and paying taxes in the USA is condoning and supporting a corrupt and demonic system. Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Ah, the classic conflated argument. I’ll cut to the chase. Will Ms Casey commit to housing and feeding a group of homeless individuals (who have “stepped out of the matrix”) in her personal living space until they’re on their feet and find jobs?
What say you, Ms Casey? Will you practice what you preach?
The same questions should be asked of you and every activist, representative, program administrator and voter who lobbies and gets paid by taxpayers for these endless programs. If each of you sponsored, housed, fed, educated and sponsored employment for just ONE of the 2800 homeless persons, I dare say problem solved. What say you?
There is a saying charity starts at home. After 2008, preparing for the next round of bankster shenanigans and thievery was something many never considered. Many don’t have the guts to step away and make it on their own without handouts. Taking a leap of faith into God’s arms is what many will never do, but some are forced into it by nefarious, evil scheming – crimes against humanity. Some are too beholden to their debt masters and endless desires for new, shiny things. Going without takes more fortitude than chasing the cheese and carrots dangling from a stick. It is freewill. For those who end up on the streets, like veterans, there is a reason that many choose to ignore. I paid my dues for over forty-years and am still paying. I’m praying and staying . My trust and faith is in my Lord, Jesus Christ. God is the waymaker. Sorry if that doesn’t fit the hivemind mentality. I thank God I’m naturally immune to social engineering.
Stepped out of the matrix? NO, they haven’t when they are accepting money, benefits that come from ME and my hard work. Thats a cop out and an out right lie. They are living in a state that provides hand outs. And they gladly accept them to be able to sit on their back sides. There are dozens of videos of the homeless in SF and Seattle saying, basically, “I don’t have to work, I get money (from the govmint), I have my tent and I can party and use all the drugs I want”. Hand outs. I’m sure this is *generally* true for those in these motel situations. There is no accountability. The TRUE people who have stepped out of the matrix and no longer tow the line are those that have structured their lives so they aren’t dependent on the guvmint, in any way shape or form, as much as is possible. I know people who have gone to great lengths to NOT pay into the war machine, the free killing of babies (to which our Guvnah has greatly contributed OUR dollars). Heck half my town lives off grid BY CHOICE. So, no. Those that have been living for free in motels and are now losing that house, since neither they, nor the guvmint, PLANNED a way out, did not step out of any matrix. They have accepted the kool aid and happily drink it. As others have said, there are help wanted signs EVERYWHERE! How is it that in a year and a half, with free housing, they weren’t prepared to go elsewhere? When our youngest child was born, I worked 2 part time jobs. One was for UPS that started at 330AM at an airport….do you know how cold it is when high winds blow across that flight line??? When I finished that job at 8am I went home, showered and changed and went to job #2. Its called responsibility Melissa.