Daily Archives: March 22, 2024

Welp, I Guess We’re Going to Try Doing Nothing

3 Replies

A not-so-fond farewell to Winters Hall, a.k.a. Governor Phil Scott’s crappy shelter down an industrial side road near Montpelier, pictured above. The Scott administration announced this morning — well, they slipped it out in a routine statistical report, if that counts as an “announcement” — that the governor’s four temporary shelters, including this lovely little number, were closing down as of today.

Every morning, since the shelters opened, the state has reported the nightly census at each location. Today’s count was topped by the following sentence, and I quote: “All shelter are now closed.” Did anybody proofread this thing before it went out?

The closures come despite Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger’s call for the state to keep open the Queen City shelter, which has seen by far the most use. But he’s a Democrat, so screw him, right?

More good news: Vermont Legal Aid lost its attempt to get a court order forcing the administration to reopen the wintertime Adverse Weather Conditions program, so we get no relief there. Written statement from VLA attorney Maryellen Griffin:

This is terrible news for the hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in Vermont including people with disabilities, families with children, people who are elderly, and people who are low-income and unable to find housing. It is unconscionable that they will be facing unsheltered homelessness. It is particularly concerning now when it is still very much winter in Vermont. Housing is a human right and no one should ever be forced to live outside.

Oh, did I mention that we’re facing a truly fearsome weather forecast for this weekend?

Continue reading →

Come On Down to Big Phil’s Policy Lot!

4 Replies

Automotive metaphors are always a temptation when writing about the man behind the wheel of #14, Gov. Phil Scott, but sometimes you gotta go with it. Now, the governor doesn’t look like a used car salesman when he’s holding court in his ceremonial office. He can sound convincing when he tells you about this sweet little number, low mileage, owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sunday. You’ll look great behind the wheel of this baby!

But if you drive it off the lot, pretty soon it’s leaking fluids and making funny sounds and belching smoke out the tailpipe.

Which brings us to, you guessed it, the governor’s shambolic temporary shelter “plan.” He calls it “a successful mission” and gives himself top marks: “I think we did a good job.” His sales associate, Human Services Secretary Jenney Samuelson, is effusive about how her people were all over the state, keeping in close contact with those about to lose their motel rooms, “actively communicating, going door to door last week,” and being “really flexible” about helping folks fill out the necessary waivers to achieve eligibility for continued motel vouchers.

Get into the real world, though, and this thing starts looking like a complete lemon.

Continue reading →