To the Editor:
In 1990, I was a financially-struggling college student attending Lyndon State College in northern Vermont. I was an active member of the College Democrats, and an avid supporter of Bernie Sanders who was then running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Like his other supporters, I too found appeal in Bernie’s grand promise of economic prosperity and a fair share of American wealth that seemed to be going to everyone else but us. I was thrilled when he defeated Peter Smith, his Republican opponent of whom I knew nothing.
Thirty-four years later, I wish I could go back in time and have a blunt conversation with my younger self to explain how naive and uninformed I was. In 1990, Burlington was a clean and crime-free city with a strong economy. It was a tourist destination that every American would have been pleased to visit. It was also a city where working Vermonters could afford to live and raise a family. In fact, one could have said the same about the entire state of Vermont. The education system was good, the property taxes were tolerable, and representative democracy in town select boards and school boards was robust. Homelessness, drug abuse, crime, food insecurity, and lack of access to healthcare were not societal epidemics.
Since then, the unseen social and moral factors that anchor a healthy society have been steadily eroded. Now, the above-mentioned social problems lead news stories every single day. No longer can Vermonters actively engage in the process of self-governance without the interference of left-wing progressive administrators and central planners in Montpelier and Washington D.C. Our right to freedom of speech and expression, among other previously inalienable rights enshrined in the Vermont and U.S. constitutions, have been discarded in the endless pursuit of “progress” by unelected bureaucrats. “Progressive” career politicians do their bidding by stoking envy and manipulating vulnerable citizens with dishonest indictments of society. It’s not surprising that so many still fall for the false vision of an egalitarian utopia.
All these changes have been to the detriment of middle- and working-class Vermonters. This is not progress. How I wish I could go back and have that conversation with myself and put my efforts into preserving the Vermont in which I grew up. Those of us that haven’t yet been forced to leave Vermont can barely afford to live here. Bernie, in stunning contrast, has a $2 million property portfolio consisting of a house in Burlington, a lakefront cabin in North Hero Island, and another conveniently located residence in Washington, D.C. near the Capitol Building. How I wish I had known what the “equality” revolution would cost Vermont and pay the likes of Bernie Sanders.
-Stuart Lindberg, Cavendish
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Categories: Letters to the Editor
And it was even better in the 50’s and 60’s.
Who was it better for? Blacks? Women? Gays? So sorry you’re losing your unwarranted privilege.
Most college kids come out of school with liberal views.. its not their fault. It’s an indoctrination that has been prevalent for many years. The realities of life show us that we’ve been manipulated. Some of us have an epiphany and come to our senses. I only hope that this election cycle turns this state and country around!
And even small towns aren’t safe from all of it.
you people can not get a grip on the money system and the inflation that has been created by the federal reserve/// this is a debt based system and has to keep inflating to exist/// what cost five thousand dollars in 1970 now costs 50,000.00////
Ronald Reagan made Bernie look good as mayor of Burlington. Peter Smith shot himself in the foot (pun intended) with his flip flop on guns and the NRA members voted for Bernie.
The corporation set out it’s agenda long before the 1990’s. The acceleration now to destroy America was because 45 upended the plan. George Sr. teed it up brilliantly and since then, the cartel had it all set up for Hillary to bring it home or rather bring it all down. Bernie is just a pawn in the big scheme. The majority of leadership on all levels are blackmailed, compromised pawns. The good news is every day they are being exposed by their own twisting lying tongues. It’s coming down all right, as it should, and the days of retribution is at hand. The 40 day countdown has commenced. Repent or be destroyed. Let it be so!
Why didn’t Lyndon State furnish you with the works of Milton Friedman or Thomas Sowell? Welcome to reality, glad you’re here. Lets turn this state and country around. The past was better, much, much better.
I had an excellent economics professor who introduced me to Friedman, Hayek, Adam Smith and Mises. It was no fault of his or Lyndon State College that it took until 2004 for the seeds they planted to take root and grow.
Vermont is unrecognizable to those of us who were born and lived before the flatlander invasion. Everyone who came to Vermont in those previous years found the paradise they had been looking for and many came. Vermont had been settled and politically run by conservatives and self-reliant people for 109 years.
The turning point was Phil Hoff (D) from Massachusetts followed by Tom Salmon another import (D). Then came Kunin and her socialist background from Switzerland and her brother Edgar May (D} a liberal senator. All this caused the Vermont culture to change with the new Liberal policies supposedly designed to help the little people. The welfare class was born and more came for the benefits.
Then came the almost never-ending reign of Howard Dean, LT Governor (the doctor), after the untimely death of Richard Snelling (R) who tried to clean up the mess in progress from the onslaught of demo/progressives in the legislature. Jim Douglas (R) was elected after Dean, and he tried in his gentlemanly way to just slow them down which led the way for Shumlin (D) to continue the ruination of the state with a demo/prog legislature.
Through some miracle Phil Scott (R) was elected. Instead of acting like a republican he sold out to the left and only gave token resistance to the demo/prog legislature then lost his veto power by trying to compromise with the left. He broke promises to his supporters in signing the first of restricting gun control laws ever in Vermont. Without the power of a veto and support to uphold it, it really doesn’t matter if there’s an (R) behind his name on the ballot.
This is the short version of the destruction of the state I loved and wanted live out my life in. This next election is the deciding factor for me to see if I stay or go. I do not want to be associated with or contribute any further to this state no matter how small my contribution is at my old age. Look at our roads, look at the poor results from our education of students, look at the homelessness, crime, welfare, suicides and general unaffordability these flatlanders have brought with them. Look at the craziness of telling you that you can’t use a plastic bag, you won’t be able to drive the vehicle you need, your children are being taken over by the STATE and look at the mental health problems and the insanity of the so-called green renewable energy religion, it’s fake to make connected people rich.
No, Vermont wasn’t perfect in the 50, 60 and 70s but we had freedom, liberty, a healthy lifestyle and the safety from people’s right to own and protect themselves and their loved ones with a firearm. We collectively, need to fire those who shun our constitution, violate their oaths of office, do the bidding of the lobbyists and ignore the people. When you go into the voting booth or seal your envelope containing your ballot, no one will know how you voted. If you ant to change Vermont into a place that once was the calling place for many, you need to change the makeup of the legislature and vote the arrogance and nanny state flatlanders out of office. Just one Vermonters opinion!
Outstanding synopsis. 100% spot on.
When Boinie starts one of his letters to constituents with ” dear fellow Vermonters” its enough to make me vomit. What a waste of a life he is. Senator rich guy.
As was said in Animal Farm, “ All pigs are equal.” Guess it was not on Bernies reading list.