Lawmakers to the Homeless: Let them eat cake!

• OPINION – KURT STAUDTER –

While We Were Sleeping

(notes from the state of Vermont from a lifetime Vermonter)

“There is nothing in here that guarantees those people will be sheltered… This continues to be an abject failure of our state government to prevent a preventable humanitarian crisis.” Brenda Siegel, a homeless advocate who was the 2022 Democratic candidate for governor in VTDigger

There are those of us that come from a school of thought that concludes that the role of government is to make life better for their constituents. Like I told you a couple of weeks back, my personal philosophy is I believe that we should all strive to leave (this world – this state – this town) better than we found it. Since the beginning, government acting on behalf of We the People has done some things for which we should be ashamed. Bad things for which you’d be appalled! Just consider the genocide of Native Americans – Or the American invention of for-profit healthcare, both crimes against humanity. Oops, I probably just woke up the Woke Police.

While I’m very proud to be an American, being from this country we all carry a burden of shame. Yet, in our little corner of the world, Vermonters have always seemed to occupy the higher ground. That is until now. On June 1the state began to end a pandemic era program than used unoccupied hotel and motel rooms to house the homeless. To date around 700 Vermonters, many women and children, have been thrown out of the room they’ve been using. Now with the social safety net stretched to the breaking point, services for these now newly homeless citizens are increasingly unavailable. Oh, and in July there’ll be more evictions for total of around 3,000 homeless removed from the state program.

Meanwhile, what is it that the Freshman Senator from Windsor County, Becca White thinks is the biggest issue covered during the session? She was given around 900 words in this paper to explain why lawmakers need to double their compensation and get incredibly generous benefits. Considering what she and other lawmakers are putting the homeless through, isn’t arguing about increasing goodies for lawmakers kind of like complaining about dinner while your mouth is full of prime rib? The Dems have one chance to save face: Vote to sustain the veto.

The homeless and the lack of affordable housing in the state are not new problems. I’ve lived here since the early 1980s and all throughout the years lawmakers have been nibbling at the edges and kicking the can down the road. Over, and over again we hear the complaints about the environmental law Act 250 standing in the way of new housing. Even tiny tweaks to the law take almost an act of god. Yet, we see all sorts of mansions and other development, so there must be some way that housing, development and Act 250 can coexist. There’s proof!

For the first couple of days of June the weather was not bad for those newly put out on the street, but with storms headed into the region, those that didn’t find shelter probably lost all of their meager belongings to be ruined in the rain. The expression, for each step forward we take three steps back, comes to mind. Adding to the misery of the homeless shouldn’t be part of the job description of lawmakers (with or without a raise,) and as the homeless leave the motels we will see unsanitary encampments all over the state for the summer.

As the homelessness grows in the state, so do the frustrations of the homeless, and some are acting out. So far there have been just a few acts of vandalism directed at lawmakers and government officials, and while we shouldn’t support violence or the destruction of property, it has gotten their attention. Not to worry, Speaker Jill Krowinski has the Capital Police investigating, and told lawmakers, “I want to express my sympathies to the members and their families who were targeted and extend my support. Our shared commitment to public service should never be overshadowed by fear or intimidation.” I know she’s talking about the lawmakers, but perhaps Speaker Antoinette should express her sympathies extend her support to the hundreds she just made homeless. The fear and intimidation of the newly homeless again should outweigh the petty complaints of lawmakers about graffiti.

Around $120 million has been set aside for affordable housing projects: $50 million for mixed-income housing, $20 million to fix rentals, $20 million for middle income homes, $2 million for first time homeowners, a half million for mobile home parks. Another expression comes to mind: Too little too late.

I’m appalled at what has been done to the homeless in the name of we the people. This has never been an issue that I’ve been passionate about until now. This is not the way of Vermonters, and as this unfolds with the misery increasing daily, we should all be somewhat ashamed. By the grace of god go I with a roof over my head! Imagine tomorrow comes, and you have nowhere to go.

Let’s help those that need it – It’s the Vermont way.