By Todd Smith | The Caledonian Record
We noticed the Vermont State Police launched an “Executive Order Reporting Tool,” asking Vermonters to tell the government if their neighbors aren’t “complying” with the governor’s orders to shutter business and stay home.
The Kafkaesque web form asks the nature of the “violation,” offering some choices: Non-Compliance Lodging Property; Non-Compliance Visiting from Hot Spots; Non-Compliance On-line reservation suspension; Non-Compliance In-person business operation; Non-Compliance Restaurant On-Premise Consumption of Food Or Drink; Non-Compliance Scheduled Gatherings of 10 or more people.
Todd M. Smith is the publisher of the Caledonian Record.
“It’s just for education,” they say.
Sure it is.
A system that sends armed police to someone’s property, based on a vague and anonymous complaint, seems neither educational nor innocuous. Particularly when paired with Attorney General T.J. Donovan’s press conference last week in which he detailed the enormous civil fines, criminal charges, and imprisonment in his tool belt for Executive Order scofflaws.
No matter what they say, rat-line investigation and enforcement falls on police and the attorney general. That makes it an offshoot of criminal justice.
Even if you unquestioningly appreciate forced closures and mandatory isolation, you can’t help but notice the government presumption that everyone is carrying the virus. Not only is that unscientific, it betrays two sacred underpinnings of jurisprudence – due process and the presumption of innocence.
For making those historic constitutional sacrifices, the public should start demanding something in return.
We don’t think it’s too much to ask, months into the pandemic, for some standard and reliable method for testing affliction and recovery. To date, all government-sanctioned testing efforts have failed quite spectacularly. So their answer is to spray and pray.
That’s devastating because an actual infection might give the government some better, justifiable basis for lording over our lives. Rather than precision containment, based on quality data, they have a single nuclear option that slows transmission but collaterally killed the economy and personal freedom.
Without any quality data, their distancing systems require universal buy-in from the masses. These are the same masses that lost their jobs and don’t like being cooped up. They’re understandably antsy and want to get back to it.
So what happens if a government can’t provide scientific solutions and loses voluntary compliance with its orders? Historically the only thing left in the arsenal is force. As in, armed police at your door on suspicion of executive order non-compliance.
A website that borrows directly from the Gestapo playbook will prey on people’s worst instincts and ooze abuse. We call on the governor to take it down immediately.
Todd M. Smith is the publisher of the Caledonian Record, where this editorial first appeared. He lives in St. Johnsbury.
Has Vermont turned into a police state??? Neighbor turning on neighbor??? For those of you born after the end of WW II, this is what a fellow named HITLE had folks doing!!! Bad move!!!!
Make s**t up and submit the form.
This is just the start
Protesters in opposition of stay-home order gather at Michigan capitol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdkauH6NBzE&feature=emb_logo (12:39)
Interesting that a protester on the MI Capitol steps held a sign saying “Live Free Or Die”. Sound familiar? It was in the segment with the reporter.
Heil, mein Führer Donovan
This is what gov. Benedict Scott and VSP are looking for. Remember in November
This Social Distancing Snitch Is the Hero We Deserve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=2x1PIRVHJd4&feature=emb_title
I doubt that several of these governors, AJs or mayors (democrats) would venture to do these drastic measures without pressure from the not-so-grand senior senior citizen Pelosi. Schumer would follow her orders and ‘advice’ to their Party members to keep things shut down – not necessarily for the good of the population, but rather to damage our President’s fabulous economy that we had been enjoying!
Remember that the Nazis were only about 10% of the German population. Evil, lies, and bullying can be used by control seekers, and we must fight this battle come November – by voting IN PERSON!
The most effective defense against this, based on the information listed on that Office document (it’s not a police report), would be: use the form, many times per day, by many people (until it’s taken down), to submit many reports and flood the inbox with reports against THEM for using the form. Then you’re not supplying false information… you’re just using an alternate contact method to inform them of your distaste for this new injustice.
You’ve got to be kidding!!!! Pitting neighbors against neighbors???? Sorry, whoever dreamed this one up should be deported to Russia or China where this kind of thinking would get them a promotion. As for the US and more specifically Vermont, NO WAY!!! Come November, you’ll find out just how stupid this idea is.
This is what your urging has produced. And now you’re astonished.
Governor Phil Scott has taken our arms.
He has taken our businesses.
He as taken our our jobs.
He has taken our freedom to walk freely.
He has taken our Constitutional protections handed from Ethan Allen himself.
It’s not the website that has to go, it’s Governor Scott. Resign Please.
I agree fully he needs to resign cant wait til.voting time to get him out of there what a joke he is
I am 100% wholeheartedly with you!!
#HOYT4VTGOV2020
#ISTAND
#TakeBackVtFreedoms
#KEVINHOYT4VTGOV2020❤
Vermont state police are over armed and under trained.. I have first hand experience from January 10 I can give you case number.. my wife and I had disagreement she was worried and called for wellness check they showed up and held me at gun point with assault rifles and were laughing about it.. even after I had talked to someone from their barracks and they could tell it was a misunderstanding I was still menaced buy trooper Farmer from the barracks and when I wanted tho get reports and file complaints against them they gave me the run around.. their lack of communication because of faulty equipment that doesn’t work in rural areas caused me to go thru the most traumatic thing in my life and has completely changed my opinion of them.. I have no criminal record so they have never met me so this is why they responded they way they did.. they definitely violated my civil rights and the bane verdict on civil rights violations
Here’s the MOST alarming thing about all of this.
All of the people involved in creating and signing these state executive orders and those who are enforcing them, like these cops,
every one of them,
TOOK AN OATH TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE U S Constitution and the Vermont Constitution.
Think about that. They swore (probably on a Bible, dressed in nice clothing while their family members looked on with pride and admiration) that their volitionally-taken oath meant something.
WOW!!!
SNITCHES GET STICHES !
…AND WIND UP IN DITCHES
Good reporting and commentary Todd. It is refreshing to find someone actually doing a good job at their craft. You have common sense – a trait sorely lacking in commentary today.
…and all the SHEEPLE happily go along with whatever the Government tells them. Stay home, you don’t need to buy this, stay away from people, shut your business down, you can’t work. The list goes on & on. Is this 1935 Nazi Germany or is this 2020 Vermont? Seems to be the same right now. Adolf has risen from the grave in the guise of Phil Scott (& many other Governors) with the Police being used as the “Brown Shirts”….wake up people, your Constitutional rights are being tested and you have FAILED.
Very well said. I agree all the way with this comment. this is bull. about to leave vermont for good. screw vsp and their tickets. not like I havent paid the state 30k in fines in 15 years cause these corrupt pigs and he allows everything that goes on in this state. everything here wrong with Vermont is his fault.
Actually Chris…the fault lies squarely on the shoulders of voters who have failed to participate in voting, who have failed to stop the Progressive movement in it’s tracks and have allowed Government cronies (like Shumlin & Scott) to completely control our lives. Not enough people have stood up to them.
Nazi tactics from the fascist left, who’d a thunk…..
Those who invalidate reason ought seriously to consider whether they argue against reason with reason with or without reason.
Ethan Allen
Keep up the good work Todd.
Neil, To answer all your concerns and why the state can’t turn the corner,
it’s called a ” Liberal Politicians ” that we have in Montpelier.
It’s Vermont’s very own ” Virus ” not a pandemic, but it’s just as deadly !!
Interesting developments. Now if we report people from out of state, bringing in some nasty drugs into our state our police are ordered to do nothing. If our police do arrest somebody, who say took a cab to enjoy Chinese food in Vermont, at a known drug hang out, with a taxi cab full of drugs……our courts will let them off because we are “profiling”. Huh…
Now the police have a job and their bosses are telling them what to do. This was probably not their idea, most police officers have more common sense than this.
Perhaps the solution to Vermont’s drug problem, is to report drug dealers for not keeping the social distances and in compliance with the stay at home orders???? That will be a slight short circuit in the NWO mind for sure.
Let me ask this question. Why does our state of puritanical pride and a tax everything that moves attitude, not tax pornography? Our legislators turn a blind eye to all the sex trafficking, all the legalized prostitution, but they weren’t afraid to go after Norm McAllister, several times with all the state has to offer only to find that perhaps there was more to the story and couldn’t find him guilty of the charges.
These are not accidents nor are the oversights. Kinda begs the question doesn’t it? What is their goal? Why are they acting the way they are? Why? Who’s pulling the strings? Most Vermonters would question what is going on and take a different path, suggest a different path if they were in a responsible role running the state? I mean like 400k of our people would do something different and not think twice.
Why is it our leadership can’t address ANY of this? Affordability, Good Jobs, Great Environment, Great Educational system that pays our teachers well and has a reasonable funding mechanism.
Why can’t our little state turn the corner? Why, why why? Interesting times.
May grace and mercy befall us and we allow a spirit of love, joy and peace into our hearts.
Neil, To answer all your concerns and why the state can’t turn the corner,
it’s called a ” Liberal Politicians ” that we have in Montpelier.
It’s Vermont’s very own ” Virus ” not a pandemic, but it’s just as deadly !!
I disagree. People can govern themselves, that is what is set up,for our country.
We have to come together. We have to stop falling for the narrative traps set by the NWO order types. We have to stop fighting and labeling all those who vote democrat in the same camp as the NWO people. They purposely want us fighting and calling each other names, which gives THEM all the power.
Vermont could easily be changed, because in so many ways we all agree, believe it or not. We all want a good environment, we all want good jobs, to afford to live here, to curb our drug problem and get our education night mare resolved.
As you well know the conversation, but for this site is scripted, censored and mostly false. With a new heart, a new spirit, Vermomt could right itself with a campaign of truth, love and intelligence. It would there by lead the nation out of this self destructing quagmire of fighting and propaganda.
That would be a great first for us to have.
They removed the second and last ones, so far. They are all creepy, though.
Got a link?
Is this all the State & Local police have to do, how about doing real policing !!
The “violation,” offering some choices: Non-Compliance Lodging Property;
Non-Compliance Visiting from Hot Spots; Non-Compliance On-line reservation
suspension; Non-Compliance In-person business operation; Non-Compliance
Restaurant On-Premise Consumption of Food Or Drink; Non-Compliance Scheduled
Gatherings of 10 or more people.
We have drug problems, vandalism and other issues like Domestic Violence, oh that
one is covered under the ” Red Flag ” liberal nonsense.
I have to admit the longer I live in this state, the more foolishness comes out of our
elected officials simple minds, wake up people, we deserve better !!!
Oh gee I’m surprised that the Vermont State Gestapo is operating a soviet style,rat out your family and friends program under Benedict Scott’s soft Martial law regime.
Anyone that would avail themselves of this program is at the very least unAmerican,a mental case or your average totalitarian Leftist. Welcome to the so called new world order.
Wake the hell up much? It’s here – martialized law – complete w/shiny boots and army of brownshirted goons sowing division and distrust. No amount of rationalization, prevarication or equivocation can justify the taking of our rights and fiat command from nazified TJ and his gestapoed shiny boot club armed w/beleif that all are presumed guilty.
Brought to you by Comrade Scott, TJ Donovan, those tasked and sworn to protect and serve, complicit legislators operating in darkness whre democracy dies…coincidence? Uh huh…shame on you all!
Also serves to cause fear amongst populace as we never know if, when or why armed LE will show up @ our door on the advice of a ‘rat’…oh yeah…“It’s just for education,” they say…oof, silly me…sorry officer.
I will not answer nor am I required to…option will be to splinter my door or leave.
Splinter would result in a volley of 7.62 x 39 projectiles IMO.
?
“?”
AK-47 ammo
Thanks for FYI DBean not well versed in AK47ism
Not intending to stand in front of door or tell them I’m refusing to let them in – just not answering the door. Unloading shooting-iron @ my door for doing nothing is not a good look imho. Publicity a worse look.
Further, I urge all Vermonters who cherish liberty and the Constitutions to network with others of like mind and communicate frequently, forming a collective of citizens who are ready to support each other as need arises. Then, be there for each other as the redcoats and Yorker jackboots threaten. The Eichmanns in law enforcement will hesitate when faced with numbers of determined resisters. We can put them on the run!
If you are communicating with others of like mind, find other avenues than email, cellphone or landline. Shortwave radio can be listened to but not tracked. I’m not suggesting anything nefarious here but this thread is about reporting activity. There is no shortage of people here now who would make up stories to get authorities interested in anything. If we live on the verge of a police state all methods of security must be adhered to. Our legislators pass by the statue of Ethan Allan when entering the state house. It would be interesting to know how many of them know who the statue is seeing as a large percentage of them are from out of state.
a study of the French underground during WW2 could be beneficial.