by Guy Page
“We are Vermont Strong – tough, too!” proclaims the Vermont Strong 2.0 license plate rolled out by Gov. Phil Scott at today’s flood update press briefing.
The ‘tough’ reference is not only to Vermonters’ reputed resilience to adversity, but to participation by Darn Tough Socks. The Northfield-based hosiery manufacturer plans to provide bundles of socks for sale as a fundraiser. After Storm Irene, a fundraising license plate saying “I Am Vermont Strong” was popular among motorists.
Details of sale price, sales locations, and how proceeds will be spent are undetermined. More info coming soon, Scott said.
Flood claims second victim: Appalachian Trail hiker Robert Kerker “drowned in the swollen waters of Stony Brook,” Public Safety Commissioner Jen Morrison confirmed Tuesday.
Mobile home damage update – 61 mobile homes, thus far, have been reported uninhabitable.
State officials say owners of damaged mobile homes should: 1) report damages to 2-1-1. 2) Register with FEMA, apply for help. 3) Seek a certificate of condemnation. 4) File a claim with your insurance company. 5) Be patient. Don’t move home before a FEMA decision is made.
Damage has been reported to a total of 4,691 homes of all types, officials said.
2-1-1 “overwhelmed” – in response to a reporter’s question, Gov. Scott said the Vermont 2-1-1 emergency reporting system was “admittedly overwhelmed” in the early days of the flood. He compared the response backlog to the failure of the Department of Labor unemployment insurance site during the Covid-19 era.
“We weren’t given that information from 211 on the ground,” Scott said. “We can’t fix the problem if we don’t know about it.” The lack of staffing was “a communication issue, not a funding issue.”
Livestock feed outlook glum – Earlier hopes that flooded farmers could recover the corn crop now appear over-optimistic, Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said. Also, the hay crop is questionable because debris-strewn fields could damage expensive harvesting machinery.
Flood recovery czar announcement expected soon – The Scott administration will appoint a flood recovery czar to manage funding and operations, the governor said. When asked by a reporter if the new czar would be Mike Smith, Gov. Scott’s favorite short-time appointee to manage crises, Scott paused for a moment and said: “there’s lots of Mike Smiths.”
Categories: State Government
Sorry to hear about the Appalachian Trail hiker. He was so close to reaching his goal. May he Rest In Peace.
Well, the new license plate ought to fix everything. But just a question…are we strong and tough enough to resist the Communists in office?
Your personal list of “Communists” in office please. State and Federal.
I think we can start the list with the old Soviet Union sympathizer Bernie Sanders who has been ‘serving Vermonters’ since the early 80s. Anyone who called Barack a socialist or marxist during his first term was considered a hater. Now you have a party full of phonies falling all over themselves to see who can out do each other as the bigger Democratic Socialist. They’re just too gutless to come out now as who they truly are. There’s your list.
I think you may mean the official list rather than a personal one. Please know any lists are compiled and are the exclusive, confidential property of three-letter agencies and international partners known as five-eyes. You may consult a list of fortune 500 companies whose board members and executives are also members of the WEF or attend the Davos meetings. There is also Hollywood, the three main top media companies, and their corresponding union bosses and board members. Can’t say for sure they are all “communists” as they tend to teeter between tyranny and despotism. It seems to be a hybrid model under the banner “new world order.” It creates a vacuum and void within the power structure of sovereign governments with safe and secure internet cloud based [s]elections. Carry on!
The list is FAR too long….so let’s suffice it to say every single “Progressive”, Socialist, i.e.: Communist, and every Democrat. You now look them up yourself & make your OWN List.
Next!
By the way, I am surprised it isn’t empossed with an inverted rainbow or a fisted salute signifying “solidarity.” Perhaps next time….this certainly isn’t the last disaster to unfold here…stay tuned and stay frosty!
Sloganeering is for the weak. Nothing strong about replacing action with a slogan
Well stated. The truly strong feel no need to advertise it. This is just cheaply purchased virtue on a license plate.
Just one correction—the license plates after Irene said I Am Vermont Strong
yes, thank you
I think the state gets enough of our money already. Make a list of all the things you you can do in Vermont without paying a tax, a fee or a penalty, it won;t take long. Now other your new slogan and send them some more money to waste. I’m sure the state isn’t giving them away for free.
F.Y.I. Vermont Strong License Plates
“All 42,000 of the plates that were manufactured were sold, raising more than $1 million. For each Vermont Strong plate sold, $5 went to the DMV, $2 went to the Vermont Food Bank, and $18 went to the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund.” -Brattleboro Reformer 8/26/2016
Doesn’t say what it cost to produce the plates…..
Vermont Strong? Vermont Tough?
Meanwhile, Vermonters continue building and fixing up places that have been flooding for at least the last 400 years of the written record. One would think they’d know better by now.
How about a Vermont Stupid plate?
Really ugly design and totally untrue statement, Vermonters are sad weaklings with little resilience or gumption, old, feeble, naive… all these describe Vermont, not “brave”.
I hope murdering babies isn’t his definition of “tough”
2-1-1 understaffed and overwhelmed during an emergency? Yet, according to Phil speaking at a press conference, they were planning for the emergency a week prior to the event? Of course, another position of bureacratic bloat and new money changer is plucked from the grifter bin – a flood recovery czar! Whoo Whoo – Vermont is saved! Look a nifty new license plate to show how gullible and complicit we are for a nominal fee. Vermonters, submit all suggestions and questions to the flood recovery czar and they’ll get back to you when they hire a support staff.
Never been more ashamed to be from VT. I miss my state known for rugged, tough, independent, do it yourselfers that could handle anything with calmness, kindness and confidence. Now we are known for wokeies, heavy government bureaucracy and high covid jab compliance. Bring back the johnson woolies, woodstoves, dairy farms and rugged individualism. Vermont is no longer strong. Its a big herd of weak sheep led around by a handfull of socialist democrat (communist) leaders and legislators. Sad.
Amen! I agree with your assessment. Make Vermont Real Again!
So they got more federal money to squander on inconsequential nonsense to, yet again, justify their jobs.