This commentary is by Ron Jacobs of Winooski.
As is all too often the case across our nation, Vermont’s governor is joining the chorus of those calling for more people to be put in prison because the media and various conservative groups are exaggerating the crime situation in Vermont. The question is how many liberal legislators will go along with the governor’s alarmist and reactionary rhetoric. Already, the rise in illegal activity in Burlington is becoming a major election issue in the contest between the candidates.
It is clear to most people that illegal drug use is up in Vermont. The drugs being used are addictive and potentially fatal. Many of those using them are often without a place to stay. Many are also without much of an income beyond what they can raise through various, usually petty, criminal activities. These factors are what the law-and-order folks point to when they call for more police, harsher penalties and more incarceration. While this response might seem reasonable on an emotional level, it does little to nothing to actually address the problems drug addiction and the associated crime are the symptoms of.
An essential fact that is true across the United States is that houselessness is increasing and the cost of housing is beyond the reach of many U.S. residents. Here in Vermont, apartments that rented for a thousand dollars a decade ago are now costing tenants close to twice as much if not more. Meanwhile, while wages have increased, so has the cost of almost everything else including food, fuel and clothing. Consequently and in relative terms, those increased wages often buy less than lower wages bought in 2010. There’s a reason for this. It begins in Washington, D.C.
Tax cuts to the rich and an ever-increasing military/war budget are decisions reflecting the priorities of those who rule and the people who fund those who end up in office. Some of us put all the blame for this on one of the two major parties or the other. An unfortunate truth, though, is that both parties represent the interests of the wealthy — the war and fossil fuel industries and the financial houses — more than they represent workers, students, retired folks or any other segment of the U.S. population.
Each party’s candidates may get more funding from one or another PAC, foundation, industry or wealthy individual, but almost all of them get most of their money from the ruling elites in this country. Yes, there are some exceptions to that general rule — and those candidates deserve acknowledgment for their attempt to remain untainted. However, the numbers of the “untainted” are so small the only role they can play is one of a voice crying in the wilderness.
We do need to address the epidemic of addiction across Vermont. We also need to address the growing poverty, cost of housing and the rising rate of food insecurity. While we’re at it, we should address the need for affordable education and training opportunities for those without income but wanting to work.
These issues will not be solved by locking up more people and building more prisons. They won’t be solved by cutting education budgets and closing down affordable colleges. They won’t be solved by throwing people off of food subsidies like EBT or by taking away their Medicaid. Hiring more police will not solve these problems. Sure, locking people up might clear the streets of the poor that seem to make some non-poor folks uncomfortable. It might even help some people kick their addiction.
However, as a general rule, investing in incarceration and having police clean up those left by the wayside in an incredibly unequal and harsh economy solves nothing. Long-term investing in low-income housing, education and social services can and usually does.
The legislature needs to reject the governor’s requests to use law enforcement to solve problems whose root cause is economic inequality. I hope they have the courage to do so.
