This commentary was written by Bob Stannard of Manchester, writer, musician and former state legislator and lobbyist.
Come collect across the folks
the place you go
And admit that the waters
Round you you grew
And settle for that quickly
You can be soaked to the bone
In case your time for you is value saving
So that you higher begin swimming otherwise you’ll sink like a stone
For the instances they alter
-Bob Dylan
What a distinction a day makes. I keep in mind about two weeks, just like the day earlier than the midterm elections, when Republican candidates proclaimed that inflation, crime and financial prudence had been their main issues.
In much less time than it took Rep. Kevin McCarthy to go from chastising the twice-impeached former president for his position within the Jan. 6 rebellion to flying to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring, the brand new Republican-led Congress has modified course.
Their false considerations have been shattered and now it is all about Hunter Biden. Hunter is the Benghazi of in the present day. You might recall that the final time the GOP took management of the Home, it spent two years and $7 million to search out out if Hillary Clinton was responsible of, nicely, one thing.
It turned out she wasn’t, and their premises had been completely debunked earlier than the GOP even began, however they selected to not let the info get in the way in which of the chance to discredit Clinton. The purpose was merely to make her so poisonous that nobody might vote for her for president.
Quick ahead. Beginning in January, we’ll be handled to extra conspiracy theories and misinformation or outright lies in regards to the life and instances of somebody who, the truth is, is irrelevant. Certain, Hunter is the president’s son, however already Representatives Jim Comer and Jim Jordan are making statements to attempt to hyperlink President Biden to a toddler trafficking ring.
In fact, identical to the Benghazi hearings, these new hearings will not go anyplace both, however that is irrelevant. The purpose is to strengthen their base, which consists of a few of the most annoying QAnon believers in our society.
These crooked legislators would a lot reasonably spend your tax {dollars} on ineffective issues like this than attempt to examine the foundation causes of lots of the severe points that have an effect on you and me daily. One want solely go searching to find the trouble of the yeoman to assist our neighbors in want – and there are various neighbors in want.
This Manchester Journal article clearly underlines the magnitude of the issue of poor and deprived kids proper right here in our area. Some Vermont youngsters at the moment are so poor they’ve to stay a flip-flop on the underside of their sneakers to get a little bit extra out of their sneakers, whereas newcomers are spending thousands and thousands renovating properties residents can not afford. ‘to purchase. There’s something flawed.
When folks have to show to fentanyl-containing heroin for solace after the storm of their lives, as a result of they appear to have no method out, there’s something flawed.
There’s a story within the Bennington Banner of an area man whose life obtained worse. To deal with the ache, he resorted to the ample provide of drugs circulating round us. Heroin gave him short-term reduction from his issues, however, predictably, did little to handle his core points.
What are these basic issues? Challenge #1 is revenue inequality and the way the tax insurance policies of the previous 40 years have been extra useful to the wealthiest amongst us. The folks operating hedge funds could not outnumber these on the backside of our society, however they’ll purchase them out.
In my lifetime, employees have been in a position to purchase land, construct a home, and lift a household, often on one revenue. At present, our good jobs are exported whereas heroin is imported.
The quick story is that persons are extra seemingly to not flip to heroin for ache reduction if high-paying careers are a viable different. No, minimal wage jobs are usually not the answer. Folks need assistance, and extra folks need assistance in the present day than ever earlier than.
To compound our basic issues, we realized final week that the world’s inhabitants has exceeded 8 billion folks. Of those 8 billion, 1.2 billion folks stay in abject poverty. In America, 42 million folks stay in poverty. In Vermont, 10% of the inhabitants lives in poverty.
We’re not speaking in regards to the working poor or the struggling center class. We’re speaking about beneath the poverty line. We’re speaking a few household of 4 attempting to outlive on $26,500 a 12 months. That quantity would not pay for kitchen cupboards in a home beneath building in the present day.
What’s the newly elected GOP Congress’s plan to handle these points? Crickets. Will they work to advance healthcare for all? Will they work to carry those that tried to overthrow our democracy accountable? Will they work to create extra jobs? (Our present president has created probably the most jobs in historical past). Will they work to cut back inflation and/or fuel costs? No. Their mission is to research Hunter Biden.
As for folks, nicely, they simply recycle their outdated flip flops and you will be tremendous.
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