by Kolby LaMarche

As Montpelier basks in the glory of its efficient recovery, in elsewhere Vermont, the struggles of poorer communities remain overlooked. 

Recent reporting from Seven Days and VTDigger highlights that there exists an indifference to the plight of the poorer Vermonter. Even in our rosy state, the flooded poor find themselves caught in the crossfire of profit-driven insanity.

It’s no secret that disaster responses have a knack for favoring the economically privileged, resulting in a hierarchy of suffering. While the rich rebuild swiftly, the less fortunate are left to wade through the sludge. 

Take, for instance, Montpelier, where, according to VTDigger, “most businesses ha[ve] finished cleaning out debris and some ha[ve] even asked for help to start rebuilding.”

Match that to the current state of, say, Barre, a city that continues to struggle for a fraction of the volunteers that our State’s seat of government has retained. While tents stocked with fresh water, warm food, and friendly faces lined Montplier’s State Street, Barre was still crawling out of the initial shock, straddled with a 24% poverty rate.  

In Seven Days’ article titled In a Mobile Home Park Devastated by Flood, Shock, Sadness and Frustration Take Hold, we meet persons from the Berlin Mobile Home Park. 

Zack Andrews, a resident whose home was badly impacted, said “Nobody gives a —- about a trailer park”, his father-in-law, Earl Thompson, added “Somebody’s gonna benefit, but it ain’t going to be us” And they were right.

Michael Bilodeau, a profit thirsting ‘mobile home dealer’, quickly set out soon after the flood to buy up sunken homes. Offering only between $2000 and $4000, Bilodeau was a tricky salesman. As Seven Days noted, “What Bilodeau failed to mention was that some of those who sold their homes too quickly a dozen years ago [Katrina] ran into problems recouping their losses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”

And for those opting rather to keep their unsafe, disaster-stricken homes: an email from the park’s operator. 

According to Seven Days, the operator “noted other parks he owns that have vacancies…[and] ended the email by confirming that he would continue to charge rent, meaning anyone with a home still on its lot would owe $490, come next month.”

While you may see photos or videos of the brisk work of Montpelier, know that our people in Vermont are being neglected. But so goes it, where the rich rebuild and the poor recoil, and the burning sky blazes on. 

Zuckerman’s Inclusive Talks

Vermont’s back-again Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman’s “Banned Book Tour” began on June 28th and will host various public sessions until September. 

According to the Lt’s website, the events “will feature special guests who will join the Lt. Governor to discuss with the audience the importance of free speech, inclusion, democracy, and open dialogue.”

But let’s rewind a bit; I’ll circle back to that in a moment.

Last month, tensions flared in the Addison Northwest Unified School District. The fuss? An event hosted by the Vermont chapter of Parents’ Rights in Education (PRE) titled “Transgender ‘Care’/Helpful or Harmful?” According to VTDigger, the event was set “to feature a talk by Walt Heyer, an activist who identified as a transgender woman for eight years before detransitioning.”

Agree with the event or not, PRE had the lawful ability to host the event – which they did on June 20th, though not without public outcry. 

What struck me most of all about this whole episode was a statement issued by Outright Vermont. 

In a statement released on the 16th of June – which has since been removed from their website – Outright said, “A far cry from ‘promoting dialogue,’ this event is part of a coordinated, national smear campaign that aims to instil fear, censor and obscure the truth about trans lives (emphasis added), and justify deadly restrictions on the rights of LGBTQ+ people – especially youth,” 

I’m sorry, but PRE is the one attempting to ‘obscure the truth about trans lives’? Look, I get why they might be livid. But they are, in fact, trying to obscure Heyer’s lived experience as formerly a trans person. Not to mention their use of the word censor…

Now, back to Zuckerman’s free speech and dialogue tour. 

The Lt Gov said it best on his website, “Students, teachers, and curious minds should be able to access materials that spark critical thinking, cover difficult topics, and appeal to diverse interests without fear of government interference.” I agree! 

So, surely Zuckerman wouldn’t go as far off the rails as Outright, would he? If you see him, ask him! 

Burning Sky is dedicated to providing critique and commentary on the issues of the day from an unapologetic perspective, fueling change in the heart of Vermont. Authored by Kolby LaMarche every week.