This letter is by Zeesy Raskin, of Burlington.
I thought it would be important to share the following.
A couple of weeks ago we were walking with several grandchildren in Burlington in the area of Summit and Main Streets.
Without us noticing, our 3-year-old granddaughter picked up a used needle and mistakenly poked a family member with it. Because of the “unknown,” the family member needed to undergo blood tests and now needs to take antiviral meds for a month’s time. In addition, two doses of hepatitis vaccine was recommended. Follow up blood tests will be necessary too!
After speaking to several people about this I was told that, lately, there are used needles on the ground throughout our beautiful city. They are not being disposed of properly. I called the Burlington Police Department to tell them and they replied that they are lucky if they have two people on call during the day.
If it happens again I should take a photo and send it to them and they’ll send someone to collect it, or I can pick it up and dispose of it properly. This is mind boggling!
So many children are playing on our streets. They can step on these needles or pick one up as our granddaughter did, thinking it’s a toy and not knowing how dangerous it is.
What can we do as a community to stop this danger on our streets?
Mrs. Zeesy Raskin
Chabad of Vermont
Here’s a good analogy of the progressive cesspool BTV has become. Do ya’ remember when Trump was campaigning for president? He stopped in BTV and spoke at Flynn Theater? It was a sellout crowd. Republican attendee’s were calm, polite, orderly, respectful as they waitied patiently in a ling line to get in. Once in, the gatheriong was peaceful and quiet,,,and when over, all calmly left. On the OTHER side of the street?….the Park across from Flynn? There was mass protest, near violence, anger, hatred, screaming, yeling…nasty people. They represented all that describes BTV & Liberals….BLM types, Antifa types, LGBTGXBW-whatever, types, Enviro angry type…you name it.. They \were so out of control in vicious chants that extra police had to be called in, and many then had large overtime to quell the near violence by Libs. As the night came to end, they left. In the morning was a large amount of trash and destruction of the BTV park 9but NOT the Flynn Theater!)…all by these liberal progressives. THEN! BTV later demanded that TRUMP’s campaign PAY FOR THE DAMAGES and large $ police overtime…which was ALL CAUSED by – liberal progressive activists who were very nasty . Somehow all the mayhem of the protesters against Trump…mean Trump is thus .,iable to pay for them? This made BIG nationwide media headlines, that the evil Trump campaign stiffed poor Bernie-Land BTV. It’s soooo….Saul Alinsky :)….so lemme’ guess…..discarded needles all over BTV are…..Trumps fault :)….same analogy!
Witnessed that myself. Coming down main street looked like Beruit under fire, lights flashing everywhere. When I asked, “where does the line start?” that said around the block. When I walked around there was a line of people 1/2 mile long patiently, quietly waiting in line.
When we were campaigning, we met people across the state. Spoke with some Vtrans people, they said be careful around rest areas, don’t walk in the woods, too many needles. They are picking up 5-gallon buckets worth of needles from the roadside in Randolph.
Peter Shumlin did focus on one thing, we’ve got a serious drug problem, and it’s being imported into our state. This is not a home grown.
Not hearing much about EB-5 are we? Biggest scandal in the nation and it’s quietly being swept under the rug. Vermont is so corrupt and most people don’t even know it.
Elections – or in Vermont’s case – Selections have consequences. Used needles littering the streets, bullets in the air, break-ins, thefts, arson, vandalism, assaults…it’s the Dem/Prog policies doing exactly as intended. What can a community do? Isn’t that the equivalent of saying close the barn door after the horse ran away? Enjoy the Marxist/Socialist agenda and life behind the iron curtain. We have a belligerent, criminal, demonic takeover in this State and DC. No one cares until it comes upon their doorstep. Awake yet?
Diversity isn’t it lovely. Not only talking on color but caricature of types of people
welcomed in the queenie city.. I gave up on the slum town 20 years ago and never looked back.. Only go to the hospital there now.
Burlington’s big-city liberal mentality, junkies need help and we can help them by giving them
needles …………. what genius thought this was a good idea.
The Citizens ” Home Owners ” in these neighborhoods need to stand up and yes if you do
find needles gear up ” gloves & googles ” and drop them off at City Hall, it’s their process
and their problem………………. Fools in charge !!
Junkies, crooks, and criminals welcome to Burlington, yup you voted these fools in !!
Pick up a pile of needles (safely with a grabber, not your hands) put them in a bucket and leave them in front of the mayor’s office. Do that enough and you might get his attention.
This scenario was inevitable and took place because of the folks that proposed and implemented needle “exchange” programs. The needle programs were marketed to the public emphasizing the word “exchange” and argued that junkies could bring in their old needles and “exchange” them for new ones, one for one. Surprise, surprise, these programs turned out to be simply needle GIVEAWAY programs, and make no such demand that you bring in old ones. And their “harm reduction” strategy in the name of “public health” has resulted in many more blood-tainted syringes disposed of improperly in public places where children and pets are at risk of contacting them. That is a “public health” disaster that shifts the risk of HIV and hepatitis infection from the junkies who make the CONSCIOUS CHOICE to engage in the risky behavior onto innocent, unsuspecting bystanders in public spaces.
We have too many junkie advocates in Vermont who are blinded by empathy and completely overlook the collateral damage done to innocent people poked with needles, victimized by drug-finance property crimes and violent disputes between “street pharmacists”. Improper disposal of biohazardous sharps should be vigorously prosecuted as a CRIME, with NO deference for the “poor addict”. An innocent person has had go through anti-viral prophylaxis and subjected to unnecessary medical risk because of a careless and inconsiderate junkie and the only reason it is publicized is because a caring person has brought attention to it. Thank you Mrs. Raskin for sharing this. Public officials who bend over backwards to enable and coddle junkies are on notice…you bear responsibility for this public health calamity.