Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Don Keelan, a certified public accountant and resident of Arlington. The piece first appeared in the Bennington Banner.
Most Vermonters would rather not acknowledge that we have become increasingly dependent on aid from others. It raises a serious question: When the current Greek government crisis arrives on our shores, and it is inevitable, will Vermont feel it first and hardest?
Here are three small but telling examples as to why I believe Vermont has become so overtly dependent on outside help:
The Burlington Free Press recently noted “Federal funding cuts hampers Vermont’s response to the EEE outbreak — the amount the state receives from federal source to monitor mosquito-borne diseases is a quarter of what it once was.”
A recent posting on VTDigger.org, noted the following from the executive directors of Hunger Free Vermont and Voices for Vermont’s Children: “… (T)here is a proposal in the House that would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), locally known as 3SquaresVT (Food Stamps) by $16.5 billion over the next 10 years. Cuts like this would mean that tens of thousands of Vermonters would lose eligibility and benefits and, as a result, hunger and poverty would increase in Vermont….”
Last week the Rutland Herald noted that approximately 90,000 Vermonters will be feeling the impact of the large decline in the annual heating fuel allowance from Washington, from $900 to $500 for the average benefit.
As to whether we are too dependent on others, these three examples are not earth shattering, nevertheless relevant. One would have hoped that after 225 years, Vermont could take care of some bugs, feed 97,000 residents and provide heating assistance, without being dependent on Washington? How did we ever allow for this to occur?
However, a greater reason for concern was how dependent we in Vermont were for aid as a result from the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.
So many of the programs that Montpelier “funds” are directly related to the amount of aid channeled to Montpelier from Washington — our roads, libraries, mental health, Medicaid, school lunches, crime prevention — the list is almost endless.
Without the aid of the National Guard from a number of other states, the skills provided by many utility companies from beyond Vermont as well as a half billion dollars in aid from Washington, we would not be in the state of recovery that we are in today.
For sure we are “Vermont Strong” but our financial strength is not as strong or as deep as our elected officials would lead us to believe. So many of the programs that Montpelier “funds” are directly related to the amount of aid channeled to Montpelier from Washington — our roads, libraries, mental health, Medicaid, school lunches, crime prevention — the list is almost endless. Whether we agree or disagree, Washington funding is being ratcheted down — and then what?
Over the last quarter century or so Vermont has become increasingly dependent on the efforts of nonprofit organizations to carry out social works — no wonder there has been a geometric growth in nonprofit organizations — all serving the less fortunate while at the same time competing for the limited federal (state) grants and food and energy donations for their constituents.
Vermont was somewhat protected from the 2008 financial storm — there was not a collapse of its banking or housing industry. The state with some agonizing budget cuts did manage to get through the past several years. However, this was not the devastating storm that is now on the horizon and on its way here.
The “storm’s” attraction to Vermont is due to our deep dependence on sources that are out of Montpelier’s hands. California, New York and Ohio today are in deeper trouble than Vermont. But these states have a much wider tax base upon which to buffer their state financial crisis. Vermont does not have such a luxury and worse, Gov. Shumlin and Sen. Sanders have encouraged Vermonters’ to become ever more dependent on the government and the state’s nonprofit organizations for their food, fuel, health care and social well-being.
State government should look to regain its financial independence and so should we. Otherwise get ready to mirror a Greek tragedy.
