The following commentary is by Paul Dame, chair of the Vermont GOP.
The word “progressive” used to conjure up positive feelings about the turn of the 19th century and a strong and vibrant America growing and improving in all its internal affairs. But today Progressives in Vermont have completely destroyed all of the good associations that their party once had. Progressive used to mean a desire to move forward — and yet now under the leadership of the Progressive Party, many Vermonters feel that things are perhaps as bad as they have ever been when it comes to public safety.
Paul Dame, chairman of the Vermont GOP
The central complaint against Progressives on the Burlington City Council is that they have become completely unreasonable, which is making the city unsafe. It was reported months ago that due to their efforts to defund the Burlington Police Department, many of the honest downtown shopkeepers were banding together to pay for security detail to protect their employees who walked the streets at night with reduced police coverage. Despite paying taxes for this protection service, it is being denied by Progressive City Councilors.
And Democrats have been completely impotent to stop them. For too long the Democratic Party has become largely consumed by the army of Progressive activists who have filled their ranks, and overtaken their elected officials and party leadership roles. Democrats have made an unstable alliance with Progressives that has left them unable to oppose them when it matters most. It’s hard to tell what the difference is anymore.
Not only are the Progressives making Burlington unsafe for both residents and any other Vermonter who might otherwise want to visit the once inviting downtown, but Progressives have taken on a new kind of arrogance and stubbornness that comes with the kind of immature leadership that the majority of their city councilors have demonstrated.
The mayor conducted a search for a police chief and came back to the city council to report that he either needed to go with the current candidate, the acting interim chief, or they need to increase the salary to get more candidates to apply. Progressives did neither! With this action they demonstrated that their party is not ready to govern responsibly. It’s all utopian ideology and wishful thinking — but there’s no reasonable engagement, no compromise, no government. Are they Progressives, or anarchists?
If they don’t like this chief fine — but you need to find someone, and not enough people applied. The only reason to deny the mayor the ability to hire the right person for more money, or hire the best person for the money they have, would be if the Progressives don’t actually want anyone to be their police chief. It’s almost as if they are purposely trying to create an environment to discourage police officers from joining their force, and even preventing any kind of leadership of the force by a fellow officer.
This is what Progressives consider progress? Rising concerns about employee safety, a major retailer leaving downtown due to organized theft, and now a hamstrung police force from bottom to top? It sounds like the wild west in all the worst ways. Progressives are robbing Vermont of the idyllic safety the rest of the state has come to expect and taken for granted.
But Republicans in Burlington are working toward rebuilding the party downtown. Things didn’t get this bad in just one election, and it’s going to take several to turn things around. If you want to join the Burlington Republicans, or the Republican committee in YOUR town or village, click this link and we will connect you with your town and/or county leaders.
All it takes for unreasonable and unsafe evil to triumph is for good people do nothing. Are you ready to do something? Then come and get involved with your local town committee, and work with us to make Burlington reasonable and safe for the people who live there, and the people who visit.
Ultimately it is the voters who have asked for this, even in the anonymity of the voting booth. The public safety issues in Burlington can be turned around in a single election but the voting base is increasingly made up of renters, students and deadbeats who have little skin in the game. What a shame what has become of Burlington.
The appointment of a permanent Police Chief would go far in restoring confidence in the department and in boosting morale among it’s ranks. Acting Chief Murad has an exemplary record as an officer of the law and is a class act in his official dealings with the public. He would be an asset to any law enforcement agency in the free world and Burlington has so far passed up the opportunity to name him as permanent Chief. Unfortunately, some members of the City Council harbor an innate and systemic bias against this man due to a hereditary condition he suffers from known as MDS, Melanin Deficiency Syndrome, also known as Honkie Syndrome. If it were not for this affliction, which he has endured his entire life, he would otherwise be considered completely qualified for the position. I call upon the City Council to re-examine their biases, check their privilege and open their minds to the idea that someone who suffers from MDS can be a fully functioning and contributing member of society.
Do the math!
Democrat=Progressive=Socialist=Communist=Democrat.
Establishment Republicans=0s
If so, why do we have a progressive at the top of the VERMONT Government with an R, beside them?
If so, then why do we have a progessive running for lt Governor (Benning) on the VTGOP ticket?
What is the litmus test test for getting the label R and P? What actions?
Does running cover for another progressive qualify? (Benning)
Does locking down businesses across VT qualify as P?
Not following science for simple cost effective cures, instead feeding big Pharma and United Nations protocol qualify as P?
How about just the very simple practice of calling our form of government a “democracy”?
Progressives at their heart want mob rule, which is a democracy at heart. This is also why our founding fathers NEVER used the word in ANY of the founding documents. So when our leaders “defend” democracy, can we agree they are trying to overthrow the republic?
Yeah, Marxists are trouble. Many are wondering why they are allowed to play on what is supposed to be an American team. Please,explain.
How about allowing, the complete censorship of press and commentary? That’s ver soviet and CCP ish, very progressive on all counts. Don’t think I’ve heard any discussions about this! It’s one of the many everybody knows who’s a republican or conservative secret out their, because they are the only ones getting censored!
Our Gov with an R hasn’t said peep about this!
Yeah many of agree Marxist are deluded with grandure of their God like abilities and saving the world, just give me all your money and be slave, own nothing and be happy I believe is sub title of Build Back Better, a slogan used across the world by petty tyrants and pimps for the NWO, so why are they allowed in the VTGOP?
Does voting for progressives qualify? Our Gov declared this to the entire world!
What does it take to outed as a progressive in the VTGOP?
Hi Neil..
Why is the writer surprised by this?
THEY have told us over and over again “The Ends Justify The Means”.
When people tell you who they are: LISTEN.
Paul is the chair of the VTGOP.
And when people lie to you, look at their actions to know their true heart. Know a tree by it’s fruit.
Not sure how if you follow every rule and desire of the NWO you can claim to be an American, a Republican. I know you guys have similar issues with your Governor, but not to our extreme, yet anyway.
We know what a disaster is unfolding in Burlington under Progressive control……The good people of Burlington are ultimately going to regret putting these people in office.
What we need to hear from the Vermont Republican Party are the plans and progress being made to get Republican candidates on the ballot for both local and state offices across the State. Getting common sense Republicans into office is what it’s going to take to avoid what’s happening in Burlington from spreading across the entire State and to provide Gov. Scott protection for his veto’s. Veto’s the will be needed based on what we seeing now developing in the Legislature.
In 2022 the word ” progressive ” is just a polite way of saying we have a ” cancer ” in our
political field and it’s killing the state !!
As far as Burlington and the gaggle of fools ” aka ” City Council, they have in turned downtown
in to a sandpit, and homeless camp and refuse to hire our acting police chief…..why, because
he’s the wrong gender and wrong melanin………how pathetic.
The Citizen’s safety, just isn’t ” woke ” enough, but prostitution is, along with injection sites,
did I mention fools…………………wake up people before it’s too late, vote these clowns out.
The word “progressive” is a polite/politically correct term for un American Marxist,to pretend otherwise is to lie, that or push ones head deeper in the sand.