by Dave Stahler, Sr.
As I sit at my desk in the rural setting of the NEK looking out at the snow covered trees after a not so bad storm, I decided to peek at my unread emails. I say peek because often times there are many that go contrary to my NEK nature…not that it is necessarily a good or bad nature to have!
The below article caught my attention by its title: “State must help Burlington police, house its homeless”. Since I have come to the realization many years ago, painful as it sometimes is, that I learn more from listening to/reading the words of people I might philosophically disagree with than those that I do agree with, I read the below article. After reading it, I find myself conflicted with the author’s views. I get it about the need to help people in need. I really do. However, I don’t get it about the self-proclaimed richest town in Vermont needing to be bailed out by the mostly not so rich other towns in Vermont. Seems like Burlington would have the ability and drive to do so itself.
I have also learned in life that you sometimes learn more by asking questions rather than by just making statements. Therefore I have the following questions regarding Mr. Bossange’s below article:
-Basic question is: Why should I, or any other Vermont taxpayer outside of Burlington, be expected to help pay for their self-imposed social and economic problems?
-What lesson are we teaching when/if we help bail out Burlington? It seems to me more like group punishment: Johnny was acting up in class so sorry, everyone will therefore not be allowed to go out to recess today, not just Johnny!
-Does bailing out Burlington remind you of the national taxpayers bailing out GM and Chrysler a few years ago? Does bad management/governing practices mean public tax dollars should always come to the rescue? Does this bring better or worse subsequent practices?
-Does John Bossange also believe that most/all other Vermont towns, that also have social, police, and economic problems, should also be given Vermont taxpayer money to solve these problems? Should all Vermont towns be given “emergency money”?
-Why is Burlington suddenly at such a breaking point that it needs money, and a lot of it, from the rest of Vermont’s taxpayers? Did the folks in Burlington not see this coming?
-Since, according to Mr.Bossange, Burlington is apparently the so-called “engine” that keeps Vermont running, how come the owners of the engine, the Burlington voters and their leaders, have allowed their engine to decline into such a state of disrepair?
-Does he believe that the money in the various State of Vermont funds was put there to bail Burlington out of its current woes rather than being used equitably for the appropriate needs of all other Vermont towns? I ask Mr. Bossange: ever hear of DEI?
-Why does Burlington need money for their police and homeless people more than the other towns in Vermont? Does the rich man who squanders his assets suddenly become more needy when he becomes broke than the poor man who never had money to begin with?
-In being supportive of those in need, do we give the once rich man more money because he once had more money and/or the ability to earn it than to the poor man who is less able to earn money? There’s that DEI thing again!
-Why should the rest of Vermont’s taxpayers fund Burlington’s police force when the folks in Burlington, their leaders and the voters by their OK, defunded the police a few years ago? Are the rest of us in the state expected to pay for their mistakes?
-Why should the rest of Vermont’s tax payers pay for the results of Burlington’s support of lax penalties for drug traffickers and felons, since most of the Vermont legislature’s “soft on crime and drug traffickers” legislation comes from Burlington’s state legislators?
-Since it is recognized and agreed upon by almost all political factions that the drug issue is the prime driver of Burlington’s and rest of the state’s woes, why not pass laws making Vermont the one state where you do NOT want to be caught trafficking drugs?
-Why is our liberal Vermont legislature, controlled mainly by Burlington and Chittenden county legislators, actually moving to soften the penalties for drug trafficking rather than hardening them? Why are they also attempting to reduce our prison system size?
-Does Mr. Bossange believe that the prosecution work, or lack of it, done by State’s Attorney for Chittenden County Sarah George has made the public safety factor of Burlington better or worse since her election in 2017? Just asking.
-Why is our Vermont legislature constantly adding more judges that operate a revolving door judicial system when they should be doing just the opposite? Does Mr. Bossange believe that this is having a positive or negative effect on Burlington?
-Does Mr. Bossange know where the money will come from to replenish the funds, under his plan, that he would rob from our Vermont state funds? Will the Burlington taxpayers pay this money back, with interest, thru higher Burlington real estate taxes?
I am running out of time this morning to ask more questions, however I have not run out of questions.
Author is a resident of Lyndon Center and a retired Vermont businessman.