Editor’s note: This commentary is by Paul Ralston, a small business entrepreneur from Middlebury. He is a Democrat who served in the Vermont Legislature from 2011-2014. He is the creator and host of “The Reluctant Politician,” a weekly one-hour news show.
[A]s kids we always wanted our dessert. On those nights when dessert was waiting, we clamored at the kitchen table eager to get to our sweet treat.
But, moms across the land were united in their admonition: “You have to eat your vegetables first.”
Our moms knew the importance of getting basic sustenance into our growing bodies – even when we were distracted by leftover cake or apple crisp. Candidates elected to the next Vermont Legislature would do well to follow this advice when confronted with proposed new social and environmental experiments for Vermont. Before we get distracted by issues like marijuana or a carbon tax, let’s focus on the large, persistent problems confronting Vermonters.
There isn’t a single Vermonter who is in dire need of legalized marijuana. Not one.
Vermont’s politicians need to check their hubris and do the work of humble Vermonters.
By contrast, there are many – too many – Vermonters who are in dire need of affordable housing. Vermonters struggling with a long commute to a job need expanded public transportation. And Vermont will never take its place in the new economy until we finally fix our mobile and broadband communications.
Progress in these three policy areas – housing, transportation, communications – must be driven by government; the private sector just can’t solve these problems in a rural state. The halo effect of our inattention to these areas is profound and disturbing. Homelessness, multi-generational poverty, and hopelessness follow unaffordable rents, inability to access better jobs and education, and social isolation. The deeper these problems get, the more vulnerable people are to alcohol and substance abuse and domestic violence. The demographic challenge facing Vermont is directly related to these three issues, and that demographic imbalance has a very high cost to the economy and the community.
You will hear candidates say they can pursue marijuana legalization and still tackle other issues. Recent evidence shows that confidence to be false.
In the last legislative session, a workforce affordable housing bill (H.865) was introduced in the House. The bill attracted strong interest across party lines, and marched steadily through the committee process. Speaker Shap Smith gave the bill his support, and Appropriations Chair Mitzi Johnson and her committee included a $1 million appropriation for the measure – a major endorsement in these difficult budgetary times. The bill passed the House with a tri-partisan majority of 139-3.
The bill was sent to the Senate one full month before adjournment. By then, the Senate was deep down the rabbit hole of marijuana. So, there the bill died.
Vermont doesn’t need more “big ideas.” We are awash in big ideas – in fact, we are drowning in big ideas. Vermont’s politicians need to check their hubris and do the work of humble Vermonters. Vermonters need a government that will focus our limited resources on fixing the basics.
No dessert until you eat your vegetables.
