Editor’s note: This commentary is by Deb Billado, chairwoman of the Vermont GOP.
In a recent statement intended to misinform Vermonters and score partisan political points, Speaker of the Vermont House Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) demonstrated just how out of the loop she is with Vermont’s handling of COVID-19. Krowinski’s statement was filled with misleading information, baseless claims, and inherent contradictions that undermine the state’s efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, all so she can benefit her own party.
Krowinski attempts to compare Vermont to states implementing limited mask mandates (Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon), even though these states vary wildly from Vermont’s own experience. Calling it a comparison of apples to oranges would be an understatement. Ironically, Krowinski also accuses the Governor of waiting for infections to rise before he acts–she must have forgotten her admission just a few paragraphs later that ‘our case rate is declining’.
Krowinski bemoans the administration for letting school districts choose on mask policy as it relates to COVID-19. Let me be clear: the Governor is right to leave this up to school boards and not mandate it from Montpelier.
However, if Krowinski really wanted to change policy, she should be consulting with the Vermont-NEA, which has not only failed to express calls for such a strategy, but whose President both praised the work of and defended the position of Governor Scott’s administration on COVID-19 earlier this month. Perhaps Krowinski is simply doing the dirty-work for the Vermont-NEA, which would be unsurprising considering the thousands the Vermont-NEA has donated to Democrat politicians’ campaigns in Vermont–including to Krowinski directly.
Finally, Krowinski yet again jumps to a false comparison, referencing the ‘cities’ and ‘towns’ across the country requiring all public education employees to be vaccinated. While it is understandable that Krowinski would apparently be confused since she only represents the City of Burlington, Vermont is a state–not a municipality.
In short, Speaker Krowinski’s latest P.R. stunt is nothing more than a desperate political maneuver to insert partisanship into a conversation about public health and elevate her own profile at the expense of misleading the public on COVID-19 through inaccurate comparisons and omitted information. Krowinski would be better served sticking to what she is good at, like kicking the state’s unfunded pension crisis down the road and skirting state rules so she can fund-raise with lobbyists.
Another drive-by shooting. Mr Eshelman predictably slams Debs Op-Ed using typical lazy unsubstantive and insulting drivel. Please point out exactly what was said and why it is worthy of now-routine condemnation.
And no – it’s not just someones silly opinion but a pattern of attacks via the same usual suspect(s) directed at one of the most conservative, well said and well written GOP Chair in memory. And I might add a solid Trump supporter. This is what happens when authoritarianism and it’s children are challenged.
Expecting the rest of the thumbsucking flying monkeys at any moment.
Re: “Please point out exactly what was said and why it is worthy of now-routine condemnation.”
I’m just waiting for someone to offer tangible remedies to this ‘now-routine’ misinformation.
Guess I have to keep waiting.
The opportunity for an unlikely remedy will present itself, first Tuesday in November 2022. Until then, we have the ability to speak and write with the possibility of changing the opinions and votes of our friends and neighbors. The Liberal left, Democrat and Progressive have done this for decades while Conservatives, being as conservatives are stay out of other folks business.
I’d expect no miracles November of 2022, however the alternative is continuing to live in Vermont as an unrepresented tax source- or leave.
I think there is an alternative, one that I continue to promote as I ‘egg on’ the Republican mainstream to at least come up with something… anything, but the continued attempts to dislodge progressive leftists at the polls – a fool’s errand when we have an ‘indoctrinated’ and dysfunctional voting majority.
So, what is that we should do? Stop the ‘indoctrination’. If we don’t convince our children and their parents to leave the public education monopoly, there is no chance in hell Republicans will ever win another election by nominating a true conservative. I can’t emphasize this enough. Start from the ground up.
If Deb Billado really wants her Republican ticket to succeed, she should assign resources to supporting the ongoing court litigations based on the unconstitutionality of allowing only a select few parents to have School Choice Tuition Vouchers. Sue the bast – – ards.
You need a counter culture to get going Jay.. and it needs to be a big one to create a tidal wave right across the state that then changes the politics and hopefully a big cleanout follows.
I believe that John Klar will lead it. He seems to be rising up and trying to do this.
At least someone is..it all begins with one person.
This does not all start in the schools. While as a parent I agree with your point. But understand that we have an older population up here in New England, a ton of outta staters that wind up here as residents and retirees.. many people up here have nothing to do with Education. People that don’t have kids simply don’t think about that. Right or wrong, that is the Reality.
Next up I’d replace Deb Billado with John Klar.
He appears to me to be rising up and trying to lead a movement and that right there is what needs to happen. He might be more effective in that role than as the governor anyway. He could do far greater there… a shakeup and some new blood is needed sometimes to bring more and a different kind of person into the fold.
Perhaps she’s done all she can do and that does happen.
When someone is not getting the job done and not getting things where they need to be, you replace them. It’s really that simple.
You can’t keep doing what you are doing with the same players and then expecting a different result.
So there are some ideas to ponder.
We can sue them Laura. I think the odds of success are better in court than in the voting booth. I’m not saying John Klar, or someone else, shouldn’t take a shot at being elected. But consider that a majority of sympathetic politicians must be elected to have the desired effect. And the courts have already forced Vermont to provide vouchers to religious schools. Now the State has to be forced to provide vouchers to all parents, not just the ones in tuitioning school districts.
https://ij.org/press-release/vermont-parents-sue-state-over-unconstitutional-school-choice-policy/
In each Op-Ed Deb does present solutions so there goes that excuse for bullying. May I suggest you come up with some yourself – offer some realistic suggestions or kindly su – what you say re Debs offerings could be said of any Op-Ed here including your own comments and postings iow another suicide-bombing which is your jihad.
And, further suggest a Magic 8 Ball if you need a steady stream of instant answers as Deb is not God and neither are you lol – expecting Deb – or anyone for that matter – to solve the states problems is not possible but you didn’t know that did you?
What solutions? Name one.
And no, electing a conservative isn’t option. It can’t be done in a rigged political arena. Maybe one day you, too, might figure this out.
No – you do your own damn homework, pick them out and declare why they are invlid sir
You are obviously a leftist political plant/troll. You never offer anything contructive. And when I do so, you ignore it.
Busted!
Project much Eshelman lol…happen to display behavior of quintessential troll…when unable to prove points resort to attacking and namecalling…what an accomplishment sir and sad legacy lol
That this ‘misinformation’ persists is not news, nor even relevant commentary. But if someone would come up with a feasible remedy to this tyranny, other than jousting with windmills in our less than reliable voting booths, I’d be all ears.
…has become…
The Krow is more Marxist then even Putin who just banned any company or entity from requiring the
JAB or firing anyone for not getting the JAB…I’m starting to wish Putin would replace the applesauce
brain dead idjit in the White House, at least with Putin we wouldn’t be the laughing stock of the world.
Maybe we can trade the Krow for a New Zealand rep who wishes they hadn’t lost their medical/2a freedoms….
Firstly, Putin is the furthest thing from a Marxist that an intelligent observer would surmise. 2ndly, your post scares the hell out of me because if you are speaking for a large number of the conservative right, you are saying that you all want a dictator which Putin have become to a legitimate democracy. My only question is “what part of the Hitlers’ Brown Shirts don’t you understand”?
Gary, Hitler’s Brown Shirts are here now, today they are called Antifa, BLM, The Media, Teachers, Doctors. “Big” everything is loaded with them. The Left side of the spectrum has been largely taken over by them and it’s certainly not a new thing. They get bolder and bolder by the week it appears.
Now there are people on the Left that are actually saying that unvaccinated people should not even be allowed to grocery shop.. so what should they do? starve their family and die? Does this sound normal to you Gary?
People are being forced to quit jobs because they refuse to be vaccinated with experimental drugs for a virus with a 99.7% survival rate.
We are soon going to not have adequate numbers of staff working in our hospitals and many other vital places. Where the behavior of the American Left is today is what is going to cause the true emergency. Do you understand how short staffed many hospitals are NOW as informed staffs walk out the door rather than be force vaccinated and required to spread lies. Businesses are closing now because they have no staffs. And you know how this happened, because of the bullies on the Left pushing this Covid Propaganda. People are done with this and walking away, but consider where that leaves society.
Putin is thinking of Russia and Russians First, as he should. This is correct of him.
Every leader of every country should think of their own first.
And I ask you, what part of Brown Shirts don’t YOU Understand?
Do you not see any? because most of us sure do.
Oh, and why is medical community refusing vax? Not a trick question lol – bc they’re caring for the cardiac arrest patients, sudden deaths, myriad side effects – recognizing that many hospitals were near empty during the plandemic. Plus rumor had it that medical personnel was preemptively taking HCQ D3 Zinc regimen
Last I checked DBean speaks for self like the rest of TNR commenters as only collectivists need to validate selves by hiding in the safety of “we”.
Failure to detect hyperbole and context as well as the inherent wisdom reveals – liek Seargent Shultz – “you know nothing” lol