By Rob Roper
PJ O’Rourke famously wrote, giving money and power to politicians is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. Well, if only PJ had lived to see that the Vermont legislature has done him one better by giving to those very same liquored-up teenage boys — and girls — access to actual money and political power.
Yes, the town of Brattleboro decided it might be a good idea to let sixteen and seventeen-year-olds vote in local elections and even hold public office. You know, those lovable scamps skipping class to make out in the band room or sneak puffs off a joint behind the dumpsters in the high school parking lot. The one’s who’s mothers need to remind them to make their beds and clean their rooms at least once a year. The one’s who’ve most likely never held a full-time job, let alone made a mortgage payment, or cut a check to cover their local property taxes. Yes, them.
And we’re talking about Brattleboro teenagers no less — who last made national news when they thought it would be a good idea to start wandering around town naked just to see how people would react. These are the thought processes you want on your city council answering questions about how to handle the Agricultural Advisory Committee’s recommendation regarding the Ag Land Preservation Fund? Okay.
Certainly, saner heads would prevail in the Capitol when Brattleboro’s request for a charter change allowing this foolishness reached the General Assembly for approval. For one thing, the idea is blatantly unconstitutional. Section 42 of the Vermont Constitution, Voter’s qualifications and oath, reads, “Every person of the full age of eighteen years who is a citizen of the United States,… shall be entitled to all the privileges of a voter of this state.” If common sense weren’t enough, you’d think at least that would be the end of it.
Oh, but you would be wrong. Things like the constitution don’t matter to this crowd. H.386 amending the town charter of Brattleboro to allow “youth voters” to vote for local offices and serve as members of Representative Town Meeting and the Select Board passed 103 to 33 on a largely party-line vote (Democrats and Progressives in favor, Republicans opposed.) That is a veto-proof majority.
This is similar to the 102-47 vote taken a year ago on the same request. The House overrode the governor’s veto, but the bill ended up dying in the Senate despite having passed with a seemingly veto proof majority of 20-9 in that equally goofy body. So here we go again.
In registering her objections to this insanity a year ago, House Minority Leader Pattie McCoy (R-Poultney) noted,
According to the framework Democrats have structured, those same 16-year-olds would have to wait two years before they could play the lottery or join the military; 6 years before they could purchase alcohol or tobacco; and 7 years before they could be considered an adult for criminal proceedings…. In fact, when Vermont Democrats recently worked to raise the age of “youthful offenders” through age 22, they cited research indicating that these younger individuals take more risks, are more prone to peer pressure, and are less future oriented.”
Brilliant! Give kids access to the town coffers, while making it impossible to charge them as adults if they embezzle every last penny to spend on bubble gum flavored vape juice. Or are they too young to buy that?
But here’s where Rep. McCoy misses the mark. It is precisely because these politicians know that inexperienced, developing, often confused young people are more prone to peer pressure, are more likely to do stupid things, and care less about future consequences that they can be easily manipulated. And manipulate them for their own political purposes is exactly what they intend to do.
The truly sad part in all of this is that we can see how the increased politicization of school and school children is leading to increased levels of anxiety and mental health issues — and all that comes with that — among adolescents. Let kids be kids.
Rob Roper is a freelance writer who has been involved with Vermont politics and policy for over 20 years. This article reprinted with permission from Behind the Lines: Rob Roper on Vermont Politics, robertroper.substack.com
bad idea, all they know is pokemon and cell phones, most can’t make change for a buck, can’t read a hand clock and NONE have worked and paid into the taxes we so love here in this state,,,not. I view it as the “silent majority” using thier confusion to get what they are actually after, votes, to change what’s been working for over 200 years.
So the legislature has 133 children and just 33 adults in it. There is no hope left for this state to survive, if the courts up hold this. — Its unconstitutional and if it survives, why should any of us obey any law?
This is a terrible idea for all the reasons stated above!
Until you pay to play you should get no vote.. ALL voters should be paying some tax in my estimation. Until there’s responsibility attached to your vote we will continue to get half azz legislation. How about just leave the kids alone to grow up and enjoy life before throwing them in mist of political hacks after their 18th birthday. We have too many voters getting a free ride to vote benefits for them selves now, lets not add to that.
It doesn’t seem fair that minor children (under the age of 18) will be permitted to vote on issues that they will not be resonsible for paying for.
Liberals think that 18 year olds are not mature enough to own an AR 15, to buy tobacco or alcohol but are mature enough to make decisions that will impact their entire communtiy or state. Very interesting.
16? 17? Really? At 16, I couldn’t even decide whether I wanted to sleep in on Saturday morning or get up and watch Looney Tunes let alone decide who to vote for. People don’t think Democrats aren’t Communists? One pillar of Communism is to control the educational establishment. In doing so, if I can indoctrinate children into those ideals and have them vote for it, that mission is accomplished.
Why are we surprised that our state legislature is behaving more and more like teenagers who think that their parents know nothing. They don’t give a damn about the ways and means of their constituents. Their approach towards governance is a combination of following in the loathsome steps of a dictator like Putin who does whatever he wants, to hell with his constituents, and the assumptions that those constituents are, and always shall continue to be, just ignorant tramps who will accept whatever their elected representatives tell them is good for them.
One way to achieve that goal is to allow inexperienced teenagers to stuff the legislature with friends who also have limited experience with the legislative process. Their proposal to allow sixteen-year and seventeen-year old adolescents to vote is carefully concocted. And given the fact that the profile of the of the current Legislature is so heavily leaning to the side of one party, they would like to maintain that feature permanently. These folks are not stupid; just penurious.
But they have to be18 to get married and 21 to drink and buy cigarettes. Wth! How stupid are these people making these laws!!!
Well, a 1 year old has the constitutional power to decide they want to transition to a differnt sex.
So,they are pretty stupid, and even more evil.
You must lower the age to 1 or 2 years old, otherwise it’s ageism.
Children 1 or 2 years old can make the life determining decision of their sex, gender and whom they identify as, clearly demonstrating they are able to make complex decisions, fully mature.
These young people need to also be allowed the following.
ability to get married
hold a job
join the military
make all decisions for themselves
take on debt
have sex with whom they choose
start a family
enter into legal contracts
run for political office
be able to run for President of the United States!
Anything else is pure ageism, as defined by our new amended Vermont constitution!
I forgot…drive a car, heavy equipment, operate nuclear power plants etc, etc….
And don’t forget drink alcohol. I mean, if they can do all you mentioned, give them a beer especially when they have been made old enough to die for their country.
How could I forget?
At three yrs of age, putting a new spin terrible toddlers, smokin’ weed, drinkin’ whiskey and having a great time with some paid for sex worker, staying up all night and being miserable to their parents all day long, eatin’ all the Cheetos in the house and demanding they get them some Ben And Jerrys for lunch.
We don’t need to fight anyone, we only need to expose how stupid their ideas are to the public.
Republicans should call their bluff and expose how utterly outrageous this constitutional change truly is. Course some were dumb enough to vote for it, so there is that.
Vermonters, here your sign, Montpelier doesn’t represent you.
Thank you Rob!
You’re absolutely right that the true intent of the Democratic/Progressive uniparty is to enlist idealistic, easily-manipulated, young minds to reap ever more (an more long-lasting) political power.
They’re doing the same in Vermont’s K-12 schools with their upcoming updates to the state-wide Education Quality Standards which are designed to turn our children into an army global neo-Marxist (wokeish) activists.
It’s essentially the same gameplan that the Chinese Communist Party under Mao Zedong used to create its Red Guard and launch its Cultural Revolution in 1966. Lovely, eh?
Really? It’s so obvious…get 16 & 17 year olds vote because they are still in high school & under 100% indoctrinated/brainwashed control of all the teacher/Union/DEA fed Liberal agenda…That is step #1 (brainwash)…Step #2 to is to make sure you can get them vote.. for progressive & liberal 🙂
So logic it out. If these 16 and 17 year olds are mature & smart enough to vote…then ask why do they have to wait until they are 21 to buy a cigarette or a beer…because the LEGISLATURE made law saying that they are NOT mature enough yet, to be able “maturely” handle a cig and beer – if they are not 21?