This commentary is by Keith Stern, of North Springfield. He is a businessman and former gubernatorial candidate. He also ran for election to the Vermont Senate to represent the Windsor district in 2020.
I see Peter Welch has started his television campaign advertising, and demonstrates just how insincere he is. He talks about his concern for Vermonters and that he listens to Vermonters in one ad. He talks about the Supreme Court decision in another. In a third ad he talks about military burn pits.
Keith Stern
Let’s start with the Supreme Court decision, as he misrepresents the truth on it.
First, he knows the leaked document is a draft of the decision and not the final decision at all. To use that is disingenuous at best. Misrepresenting what the draft says is incredibly dishonest and inflammatory. The draft’s stated decision does not make abortion illegal; it says that it isn’t up to judges to decide but rather elected legislators in each state. Vermont legislators have already voted to keep abortion legal and it will be on the ballot. So why as a representative for Vermont is he making it an issue?
Now if Peter Welch really cared about Vermonters, why didn’t he try to stop the state legislators from passing the Global Warming Solutions Act, which will negatively affect Vermont’s lifestyle and economy when the truth is Vermont is already carbon neutral? Further why does he support destroying America’s economy and inflicting economic hardship on Americans as we see playing out before our eyes?
He supports the open border fiasco with drugs flowing freely over the border. How many of these drugs are ending up in Vermonters? You can’t care about people and favor allowing the free flow of drugs into the country.
He supported the ill-advised bill that flooded the country with government money adding massive debt while fueling massive inflation. If he didn’t understand that would occur then he isn’t qualified to be in office anyway. As for the debt, when he first took office the debt was at $9 trillion; now it’s over $30 trillion. That’s $91,480 per person, $242,985 per taxpayer. That is just the tip of the iceberg: The U.S. government’s unfunded liabilities are over $62 Trillion! Is it all Peter’s fault? Of course not, but how many times did he try to keep the debt from rising? The likely answer is zero. He is a part of the problem, a problem that must be fixed.
Some other sad statistics: Over 39.9 million living in poverty, 27 million without health insurance, and over 40 million using food stamps. Why aren’t these the issues Peter is talking about? The misguided notion of simply raising the minimum wage to solve the problem shows a complete lack of understanding of how things work.
In 2006, Peter’s initial win of the House seat, I decided I would get on the ballot as an independent. I had no desire to win or illusion that I could. I was running my business, but I had ideas that I felt people should hear, so I chose running to have a platform. At the first “conversation on the green” that Peter had arranged I spoke about several of my primary issues: Revamping Social Security so the help goes to the people who actually need it the most and making it fiscally sound into the future; revamping the corporate income tax to give businesses with American roots and employees a level playing field and encouraging employers to keep and bring back their labor force. It would end the multinational companies paying very little to none of the taxes on American profits; revamping the personal income tax so it is much simplified and eliminates shelters and loopholes to greatly reduce or eliminate taxes for the wealthy; a plan for tort reform so it is a fair and equitable system that would protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits reducing massive insurance costs, lower health costs, weed out incompetent professionals, and give harmed persons a fairer and less costly way to recover damages; and a Treaty of Non-aggression that by now would have ended wars if it was implemented.
It is very simple, but it would take a lot of work and time to have implemented, but the results would be world changing. After I finished I sat down next to Peter and he leaned over to me and said my ideas were very good and we needed to talk. I was so happy that the potentially next congressman from Vermont wanted to actually look at my ideas further. I gave him my phone number and told him to call anytime. As the expression goes, ‘when the phone didn’t ring, I knew it was Peter.’ So it is now, 15 years later, and all of these issues still exist while we’re watching a country being decimated. He wasn’t obligated to use my ideas, but they are issues that he should be looking for solutions to — so when Peter is advertising that he listens to Vermonters, I know it’s a lie. My solutions may or may not work, but they should be looked at. As a hockey great once said, “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.”
Three times Welch voted to defund the police and twice to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement. How does that help to protect citizens?
In his burn pit ad, whose idea was it to go to a grieving family member and record it to exploit the situation for his benefit? That to me is the epitome of callousness and exploitation.
Finally, Peter believes that the dumb rubes in Vermont aren’t capable of voting for the presidency. He believes that the election should be determined by the large urban centers and lower populated areas should not count. That is what Peter really feels about Vermonters.
The majority of Democrats in Vermont will vote for him because they choose ideology over results — and that is very sad.
“The majority of Democrats in Vermont will vote for him because they choose ideology over results…” about says it all. Dems are willing to use any opportunity to purport their ‘rights’ agenda under the guise of ‘equity’ when it’s really disrespectful of the traditional social structure and values.”Build Back Better’ was concocted by neuro-linguists for hire.
If Peter Welch is elevated to the office of Senator, that will be the textbook example of “The Peter Principal” and should be taught at every Vermont school, so it is never repeated again.
If not familiar with The Principal, it’s a theory of people being elevated to a job that they are or will be incompetent at. The name fits but the man should never be senator, what has he done to deserve it?
Can anyone thnk of any legislation that Peter Welch introducedhimeself? Any bill? Big or small? I can’t….Anything innovative, worthy??? He’s a “nothingburger”….he’s soley in Congress (and soon the Senate) elected to ….rubber stamp any legislation Liberals present (he doesn’t even need to read the bill!)….and to rubber stamp & vote “no” any legislation seen as conservative. That’s Peter Welch in a nutshell.
Leftists lie, constantly. Our “president” lies continually about everything. The problem is, half of our population is intellectually lazy and quite literally, believes everything their side says. The press promotes it as fact and that’s how we operate. Welch will probably win and Vermont will continue to be an embarrassment for those of us with intergrity.
Mr. Stern,
The points you raise about Peter Welch’s lackluster political fumblings are spot on. I’m particularly offended by his recent burn pit TV ad where he interviews the widow of Brigadier General Michael Heston, because I served with Mike Heston for years in the Vermont Army National Guard and he was a personal friend. What a pathetic attempt to garner Veteran support for his feeble senatorial campaign by trying to associate himself with the courage and honor of BG Heston. Welch knows next to nothing about the military he claims to support but adroitly avoided serving in. Ironically, from conversations I had over the years with Mike Heston, I know he didn’t like Peter Welch for the same reasons so many other Vermonters don’t like Peter Welch–he’s shallow, arrogant, and self centered. Peter’s personal integrity leaves much to be desired, and Vermont deserve much better representation…
Mr. Stern, thank you for your article on who Peter Welch actually is, “Insincere, Disingenuous, Dishonest.”
Mr. Mark, thank you for calling out Peter Welch on his attempt to suck up to the Veterans during this election season. He has done nothing for the Veterans, and as you note, he has never served himself. A number of years ago, I took him to task through back and forth emails with him, as to why he would not support or back any legislative efforts to protect the American Flag. His response was that the 1st Amendment allowed the American Flag to be burned or otherwise damaged. Yet you see him going on paid Legislative Junkets to visit the Troops in various locations they are stationed around the world. You will also see him hipocritically marching in Memorial Day, 4th of July, and other parades giving the impression he supports the Troops, or he will show up to be seen when our National Guard members are deployed. Peter Welch is a fraud, does what he is told by the Democrat leadership in Wash. D.C. and no longer should be allowed to represent Vermont in any capacity. It is time for this phony to retire to a rocking chair.
No to Peter Welch!
Peter Welch is a very wealthy man thanks to Nancy Pelosi’s stock tips. As Senator, his windfall could double, even triple! The man obviously needs more money and a vote for Peter Welch is more money for him and even less for you.
Of course he is,Leftist’s don’t have a issue with lying or and other ethical violation to further the agenda if as their fellow Marxist’s say if it benefits the many.
Hopefully Vermont will do better in the future when electing it’s supposed representatives.
Sad to say, but Representative Welch is a charlatan. He does NOT represent people like me. In fact, he has reveled in his efforts to make me and many others his enemy. The man is so sure about his view of the world that he actually wants to HURT people now to try to save us from a future hurt. THAT is not his job description. As with any legislator, his job is to work towards making life better for ALL, not his preferred constituents.
Mr. Peter Welch is a subscriber to the politics of revenge and vindictiveness, like many of his colleagues.
Peter ” The Follower ” Welch, a leader he is not, but he is a snake in the grass !!
Welch with his lackluster performance with all the years, he spent in the house,
and he feels he’s entitled to the senate seat ……… wake up people !!
IMO, The Supreme Courtt has always wanted the right abortion case…one which can give them the Consitution to decide once and for all….and they throw it all back to the LEGISLATURES. The Supreme Court deals only with “constitutional” issues. Abortion is not written in it…so how can they make a “constitutional” ruling….then, this Misisspii case came to them & this was their chance to do it. State legislatures will decide and I’d bet that it remains legal in most of the States. Ones that ban will see large boycotts by many businesses & empolyers…and citizens.. So, the Supreme Court ruling is not a “ban” by the Court….as so many Libs spout to their gullible & ignorant. But in the end, somehow, Peter Welch will find a way to blame it on Exxon & Global Warming…….because, according to Dems… Exxon is at the root of all evil. …It will be very amusing to see Peter Welch squirm, twist and blame (exxon) this winter when heating oil will be over $6.00 a gallon (and gasoline maybe around $5?). But don’t worry! Feel better…because it’s Exxon’s fault :)….Did you know that most of the heating oil in New England is not domestic?? It largely is shipped over from Europe, not Exxon’s oil from our West. 🙂