By Representative David Yacovone, (D-Morristown)
There are moments and interactions we experience that we never forget. Here is mine:
I was on my way out the door of a local restaurant with my take-out order when a fellow, who I will call John, sitting in the corner, waved me over toward him. It was dimly lit, and I had a hard time recognizing whether I knew him or not. He pulled on my jacket sleeve for me to sit down. I did so reluctantly only because I didn’t want the take-out order I had for my family to grow cold.
“Hey, you’re Dave Yacovone, right?” I nodded and made a weak smile, not sure what was coming next. “Can you give me a thousand bucks; I need some help.” Jokingly, I said I wasn’t Santa Claus and started to get up. He did not let go of my sleeve. “Wait a minute, you guys are all on the take down there in Montpelier! You got the money! Don’t give me that!”
After a conversation about how legislators are not “on the take”, the discussion shifted a bit to what was really troubling him. He shared that his wife had left him, he was behind on child support payments, and he owed his landlord money he did not have. There was a part of me that wanted to confront him on his money woes. After all, he could spend money at the bar. I fought the urge to judge. He made it clear that bourbon was his best friend.
He alluded to what was a horrific upbringing at the hands of his father. I imagined the toxic stress he endured and the vicious toll of untreated adverse childhood experiences. John went on to say he felt like he did not belong, like he did not matter to anyone. All the warning signs were flashing red. He said he just wanted to be happy.
Then, as quickly as he had called me over, he abruptly shut me off, and told me if I didn’t have any money to help him, to get lost. I looped back to the bar tender and told him I was worried about John. The bartender told me that he was a regular, and that he would be okay. Weeks later, I was excited to help John get his unemployment checks processed and to learn he was still in the game, so to speak.
How I wish I could introduce legislation to help all the lost souls like John. To help the homeless, the addicted, the hungry, the unsettled, all those who struggle so. If only there was a law to help, it would be so easy. Life for many is not easy.
Categories: Commentary
Most people feel these emotions, but many of people’s personal circumstances are beyond our control, sadly. However, I will state the following in direct response to the VT representative’s experience…
Here are but just a few of the lawmaker’s bills and the party he aligns himself with which will NOT help those such as the gentleman he describes:
1.) Your legalizing of retail marijuana – a known addictive & hallucinogenic drug destined to create yet MORE issues with drug abuse & addiction.
2.) That non-citizens and under-age children be allowed to vote – groups within our society who do not possess either the Constitutional authority or the adult intellect to understand the intricacies of the numerous issues that Americans face each day.
3.) Focusing much of your time, effort, and energy on bills and laws that create victims out of criminals, cause public schools to continue to decline scholastically by not adequately teaching traditional academics, creating major issues, where none should exist, out of school’s mascot choices, attempting to legalize prostitution, against the stern warnings and testimonies to the elected leaders of this state by women’s rights and sex trafficking crime experts.
4.) Etc. etc. etc.
Government cannot “fix” all or even most of life’s adversities, nor was our constitutional republic ever intended to, but it certainly can and should refrain from creating circumstances that will assuredly lead to creating yet more.
Marijuana has saved the lives of a number of people. I’m one of them. Unbridled use is another issue. Countless prescription drugs are harmful, even deadly.
Giving minors the vote is a way of securing their votes for those unscrupulous enough to pass such a law. Non-citizen voting is not included in the VT Constitution.
Unregulated prostitution will create havoc.
Legalizing prostitution and all drugs (which is in the pipeline) will only serve to further create lost souls.
A permissive, godless society creates these lost souls.
OMG! I could give this guy an earful. In short, he has no idea that he is this guys problem. The list of what these dem/Progs have done to this state has created drug dependency, alcoholism, spousal and child abuse, forced people to move, driven manufacturing and good jobs out of the state, force young people to leave the state so they can pay off incredible college debt and maybe find an affordable apartment, made home buying almost impossible except for those who are the children of well to do parents, we have the highest welfare population and it’s only getting worse with the climate change (global warming) religious BS, Covid-19 insanity and taxes. This Rep. might read this but it won’t affect him one bit, he does not live in the same conditions as most of his constituents and he’s a democrat. Their moto is control the citizens, tax whatever moves or stands still, require permits and licenses for almost any kind of work, destroy our fields with solar panels and rip our ridgelines apart to haul steal monoliths to the top of mountains. The solution to the man who forced this elite Rep. to talk to him is to vote these people out of office. Maybe he’s a nice guy, I don’t know but as long as he belongs to the party of death (abortion and suicide), the theft of our freedom, culture and the destruction of Vermont constitution, I don’t trust a word he says. Perhaps he should think about legalizing freedom from the Dem/prog parties oppression.
A good example of how out of touch from reality these “represenatives” truly are and for decades they do and say the same old things. They will never do the right thing because it doesn’t garner them any profit or power to do so.
This is his the ending quote to show how virtuous he is.
“How I wish I could introduce legislation to help all the lost souls like John. To help the homeless, the addicted, the hungry, the unsettled, all those who struggle so. If only there was a law to help, it would be so easy. Life for many is not easy”.
Of course, his inclination is to introduce legislation to solve and fix the problems that his party has created for the last 30 years or so. These people are empty suits with an agenda and help for the people who make this state work isn’t coming. Change will come when the voters realize that big government is the problem and we need less restrictive laws, not more.
perhaps he (include all branches) and “his” government (certainly not mine at this point) should look “inside” their house (government houses) and fix the issues there…before offering all a free ride; granted this position creates alot of VOTES; however, the corruption is rampant. Vt Legislature….take it up the chain of command and call out those who are profiting at the cost of the taxpayer…..Be a HERO, a bipartisan HERO…….Take TERM LIMITS up the chain…….The trickle down has landed squarely upon you…..Do Something about it!
Dear Mr. Yacovone, I applaud you for recognizing the need to help those in need, and I believe you are probably trying to help in the best way you can. The problem, though, is that, as others have noted, you have undoubtedly been deluded by fellow politicians (who know no better, themselves) into thinking you are passing laws that will “help” which actually make things worse for our society (see other comments above, trying to objectively take ideas in, realizing people are extremely frustrated with your party). If you want to do something worthwhile, put your efforts behind the following: 1) Recognize and respect the higher power Who has given us all clear instructions as to the difference between right and wrong, 2) Seek spiritual guidance and wisdom, 3) Listen to more logical conservative voices, seeking to understand the ways in which the liberals are deluded (Prop 5 is an excellent example of a governmental “declaration” that will do nothing to help anyone because the “rights” it seeks to protect are already protected, and the additional
rights” that it hopes to offer to individuals (without specifying those “rights) are only “rights” to make an individual’s (and thereby society’s) life more of a living hell, and Prop 5 is downright evil), 4) Promote individual responsibility for the struggles individuals face and can actually do something about, themselves, if they should actually decide they want to.
There are many many people who are willing to help those who are willing to help themselves. To attempt helping those who expect you to do everything for them is not helping, it’s enabling, and it makes matters worse. You could suggest that “John” find a church that will help him understand that God loves him, for starters. If you’re not associating yourself with others seeking what is righteous, you might want to try that as well. Seeking the Lord is looking more and more like it will become our last option. Why wait?