( – promoted by Sue Prent)

This week the Vermont House of Representatives voted unanimously to concur with the Senate proposal of Amendment of H.225 – the Taser bill.

Barring any technical problems that might pop up during vetting of the bill by his staff (which is a common disclaimer with any bill that hits his desk), it was reported by his staff that Governor Peter Shumlin intends to sign the bill into law.

H.225 came about and was introduced after the 2012 death of MacAdam Lee Mason, who died as a result of being shot in the chest with a Taser used by a Vermont State Police trooper.

Read news articles concerning these matters, here (via Times Argus; 5/9/2014), and, here (via vtdigger; 5/9/2014). Read an ACLU Vermont blog post on the subject (5/8/2014), here.

Upon receiving news about the passage of H.225 by the state legislature, Mr. Mason’s mother, Rhonda Taylor, penned and shared the following statement intended for publication (posted with direct permission):

I would like to thank so many, and find it difficult to know where to begin. I am grateful to the legislative committees in Vermont for their hard work and dedication in developing a bill (H225) that sets the standard of Electronic Control Device, e.g.Taser use in Vermont. Many advocates for civil, disability and human rights, legislators, LEAB and concerned citizens came together, working relentlessly over many months, to create this meaningful bill. Thank you! I also want to thank all Senators and House Representatives for recognizing the need for and their final approval of this bill on May 8th, 2014.

The H225 Bill defines specific guidelines for use, while also requiring and providing the training needed for all officers in the State when dealing with those in crisis or confronting persons with disabilities; in ways that will deescalate many situations.

Had the standards and training been in place in June of 2012, my son MacAdam Lee Mason would not have been killed by an unwarranted police tasering.

I am looking forward to the Governor signing this most welcome legislation into law! Vermont will soon set a precedent that I feel sure other states will follow.

Sincerely,

Rhonda L Taylor

Related:

Law Enforcement Advisory Board (LEAB)

( – promoted by Jack McCullough)

(cross-posted to iBrattleboro, here; original version posted to Vermont Watch, here)

It was recently learned that Pathways Vermont, a housing first program currently serving six different regions within the state, is pursuing Specialized Service Agency (SSA) Medicaid funding designation status as a way to replace the federal grant funds the housing first program will be losing later this year, to the tune of $600,000.

Read the Pathways Vermont SSA designation application letter, here.

It is my understanding that this SSA designation status, if granted, would permit Pathways Vermont to receive medicaid funding the program currently does not have access to and of which the Designated Agencies (DA’s: i.e., Community Mental Health Centers: CMHC’s) basically have enjoyed what amounts to a virtual monopoly when it comes to these type of program and service funds.

Some of the DA’s are greatly opposing this application. Read written comments in the form of opposition letters some of the DA’s had submitted as part of the process (batch of five letters), here and (single letter), here.

Read the letter to Department of Mental Health (DMH) Commissioner Paul Dupre from the Vermont Council of Developmental and Mental Health Services, here.

There is a public hearing being held on Monday, April 14th, from 3:30pm to 5:00pm, at Department of Mental Health (DMH) headquarters in Montpelier. In addition, there is also a written comment submission period, which began on Monday, April 7th and ends on Friday, April 18th. More information on both, here.

Learn more about Pathways Vermont housing first program, including concerning its SSA application, provided within its recent newsletter (Spring 2014), here.

Read related commentary of mine concerning what works best to end homelessness, including about why it is my opinion that Pathways Vermont does an excellent job in doing so (via vtdigger; 8/6/2013), here.

Related information: Administrative Rules on Agency Designation (circa: June 1, 2003; updated link), here.

(Good one! – promoted by Sue Prent)

(cross-posted from Vermont Watch, here; also cross-posted to iBrattleboro, here)

Although one is left to wonder about whether or not it is merely fool’s gold or the real thing, there have been recent rumors about how, on condition of anonymity, a top administration official is reported to have disclosed that Governor Peter Shumlin‘s plan to fund his single payer health care initiative could potentially include instituting taxes on what currently is non-taxable food and clothing purchases.

This would be in addition to considering the potential legalization and taxation of marijuana distribution and sales within the state.

While it is true that, no matter how great or noble the cause might have been in need of state funding, Governor Shumlin has usually been sternly opposed to raising what he terms as being broad-based taxes; it has been noted by others on occasion about how, nonetheless, he has in certain cases previously supported what could easily be termed broad-based taxes.

The same unnamed administration official is said to have reported that, if need be however, the Governor is also open to funding his single payer health care initiative partially through the creation of a state bank as well as further requesting the state legislature consider granting the State of Vermont authority to print and issue its own financial currency (read: money).

Having the ability to print and issue its own financial currency would provide the state with the added benefit of helping to pay for the various elements of the state’s ambitious mental health plan and its several progressive initiatives (per Act 79; circa: 2012), including those costs associated with both building as well as the annual operation of the Shumlin State Hospital in Berlin, which the administration hopes to have opened and operating sometime during the coming Summer months.

While meetings concerning these as well as related matters are more than likely being held in strictest secrecy, as appears to be all too commonplace for this administration and then only at the highest levels of state government, discussions are rumored to have already been well underway about whose faces would adorn the various denominations for paper currency and coinage.

Among the steps reported to be required prior to Vermont being legally allowed to print and issue its own financial currency is for the state to secede from its union with the United States of America and once again become an independent republic (in becoming its own freestanding nation, it is possible this might even make Vermont eligible to receive foreign aid from the U.S.A. as well as Canada and so on).

One of the problems with these type of scenarios, however, is the fact that many of those known to be most fervently in favor of secession are said to also be strongly opposed to most, if not all, government taxation, or at least when it comes to using tax revenues for certain purposes; especially for funding any programs or services and the like that they believe should be funded through either the engines of a free market economic system or private charitable efforts instead, not through public funding (read: taxpayer funded) sources whatsoever.

This could therefore prove to be just one of many stumbling blocks in going forward in these regards.

In other news, a proclamation was said to have recently been signed by Governor Shumlin declaring April 1st to, henceforth, be an official state holiday.

Afterwards, a joint resolution was reported to have been adopted by both bodies of the Vermont General Assembly that named this new holiday Peter Shumlin Day.

Happy Peter Shumlin er, April Fools Day!

(originally posted to Vermont Watch, here; and, cross-posted to iBrattleboro, here)

*Note*: Morgan W. Brown is a recently appointed member of the Vermont Council on Homelessness. The opinions expressed below are solely his own and represent none other.

Several years ago I advocated that courses in the humanities be offered and taught to those within Vermont who might have otherwise gone without the opportunities and benefits of these. For example: people living in poverty; people living homeless; persons incarcerated in jails, prisons or other institutions; people living in the throes of drug or alcohol addiction.

What I had been urging be established was for programs along the lines of the Clemente Course in the Humanities model (clementecourse.org).

The Clemente Course in the Humanities was the brainchild of Earl Shorris, who died in 2012 at the age of 75. The title of his obituary within the New York Times mentioned that he had fought poverty with knowledge (NYT; New York edition; page A24; June 3, 2012; link).

His obituary read, in part, about how he was ” …, a social critic and author whose interviews with prison inmates for a book inspired him to start a now nationally recognized educational program that introduces the poor and the unschooled to Plato, Kant and Tolstoy, … “.

Given the needs and resulting consequences at stake, as well as the current focus these days about doing something more meaningful and lasting to help address drug addiction, crime, incarceration rates, poverty as well as homelessness and the like, it would appear to be high time to finally consider offering courses in the humanities to all of those whose quality of life could well be improved.

The cost of not doing so is being borne out day after day, year after year. Programs and courses like these work and have been proven successful.

One does not have to look very far for examples of these type of programs and how beneficial they are either. An example is the program offered to female prisoners in the state by the name of writing inside Vermont (writinginsidevt.com). According to its Website, “[s]ince 2010, writing inside VT has forged trusting, pro-social relationships with more than 200 of Vermont’s incarcerated women.”

Does it take much more than simply providing courses in the humanities and the like in order to break the cycle(s) of poverty, homelessness, drug or alcohol addiction as well as crime and so on; yes, indeed, it does.

However, one of the longstanding missing components of all of our collective efforts thus far with which to address these and related matters in a meaningful fashion has been the lack of certain educational opportunities being made more available, including the humanities.

If the state were to help invest in providing greatly expanded access to programs along these lines on a much grander scale than might already currently exist to those willing to partake of opportunities for higher learning, including by networking and working with educational institutions across Vermont with which to do so, those participating would not only be gaining knowledge, but also the potential this could afford in terms of greater personal, social, economic and civic power as well.

Whatever the financial investment and other resources that might be needed and involved in order to help provide programs and classes along these lines would be well worth it. Society at large would benefit as well. If we as a society hope to sow and impart knowledge as well as aiding in the growing of wisdom, and then collectively reap the results, we have to be willing to do what is required to plant the seeds and fertilize the process in a fashion that benefits as many as possible.

If we do not, then the underlying causes as well as the ongoing cycle(s) of poverty, addiction, crime, homelessness and hopelessness will never be effectively dealt with and eventually broken, no matter how much funding and other assistance programs are made available in an attempt to do so.

It has been my observation over the years that when there are others who believe in the future of those most in need and also have faith in them, including that their hopes can be realized and their dreams achieved, such persons are in a much better position to be able to begin to do so as well.

Although those previous advocacy efforts of mine a decade or so ago were not successful, it is still my hope that collegiate-level courses in the humanities will eventually be offered, whether in classroom settings or online when and where feasible (or both), on a voluntary and free basis to those who could greatly benefit from these.

Morgan W. Brown is a recently appointed member of the Vermont Council on Homelessness. The opinions expressed above are solely his own and represent none other.

If one is in need of a good laugh, check out the caption under the overlaid image of Governor Peter Shumlin reportedly aired recently on WPTZ – Channel 5 – News (Burlington, VT/Plattsburgh, NY: i.e., “Shumlin on Heroin”), via Haik Bedrosian, here.

Either the folks at WPTZ must know something the rest of us don’t or they’re just plain dopey.

(smile)

in case you missed it (icymi), fyi:

16th Annual Homelessness Marathon Consciousness-Raising Radio Broadcast Live from Brattleboro, VT:

Wednesday, February 19th

Press Release (via Homelessness Marathon):

http://news.homelessnessmarath…

The 2014 Homelessness Marathon –

Wednesday February 19, 2014

The 16th Homelessness Marathon will originate from Brattleboro, VT on the night of Wednesday, February 19th. With this broadcast, we will be returning to our original nighttime format, airing a six hour broadcast from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., EST.

CURRENT PRESS RELEASE 2014

For immediate release:

Contact: Jeremy Alderson

LIVE FROM BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT –

THE 16TH ANNUAL HOMELESSNESS MARATHON

The Homelessness Marathon will once again bring the voices of homeless people into America’s homes. “I wish we could get their bodies inside too,” comments Jeremy Weir Alderson, the broadcast’s founder, “but we’re doing the best thing we can, by showing America why this problem should be, can be and must be solved.”

The broadcast, which has previously originated from Detroit, Kansas City, and Katrina-ravaged Mississippi, among other places, features live discussions with homeless people. It is a rare opportunity to see life through their eyes. The broadcast even takes calls, so people in their homes can talk with homeless people on the streets.

The 16th Annual Homelessness Marathon will start at 7 p.m., EST. Wednesday, February 19, 2014 and will run for six hours until 1:00 a.m. Its audio signal will be available for free to all radio stations over the Public Radio Satellite System, the Pacifica Ku-band and Pacifica’s Audioport. Live video of the broadcast will be carried by Free Speech Television (FSTV), starting at 8:00 p.m., EST on Feb. 19th. FSTV has channel 9415 on the Dish Network and channel 348 on DirecTV as well as a webcast.

About the Homelessness Marathon:

http://news.homelessnessmarath…

A brief history of the Homelessness Marathon

I founded The Homelessness Marathon in 1998 as an offshoot of, “The Nobody Show,” which I then broadcast weekly on WEOS, an NPR and Pacifica affiliate in Geneva, NY. That first year, I was thinking of it purely as a matter of conscience. I was born and raised in New York City. There was no problem with homelessness there when I was growing up, and I was heartsick to see what was happening. So I basically just wanted to get on the air and say, “This isn’t right, and I want no part of it.”

Of course, I did whatever I could to make it a good broadcast. I tried to bolster my argument with the opinions of experts and the voices of homeless people. And I got the idea to broadcast from outdoors in the dead of winter, because I thought it might be a way to dramatize the plight of people with nowhere to go in the cold. But it never occurred to me that this was something I’d ever do again. So I liken this to falling in love with a poor girl and then discovering that she’s rich. I was really surprised by the reaction I got.

People brought me coffee throughout the night, without my even having asked for it. And when I got off the air, people dug into their pockets for crumpled up bills to help defray my expenses. I really don’t think this was because the broadcast, itself, was so good (believe me, we’ve gotten a lot better since). But it was obvious that the concept had seized people’s imaginations, and how often does that happen?

So I decided to put the Marathon up on the NPR satellite, and we’ve just grown every year since. More and more volunteers have come on board, and more and more radio stations too. The 7th Marathon (in 2004) was carried on 80 stations with another 30 in Canada carrying a parallel Canadian Homelessness Marathon.

As the Marathon has grown, its philosophy has evolved. When I started, I thought I had to scold people and tell them why they ought to care, but now I know that Americans really do care, and that no matter how grave the failings of our society may be, homeless people aren’t on the streets because that’s where we, as a people, want them to be. So I’ve backed off a lot. I now mostly look at the Marathon as giving people the reasons for what they already know in their hearts.

Jeremy Weir Alderson

aka “Nobody”

Director, Homelessness Marathon

For more information, visit the Homelessness Marathon Website:

http://news.homelessnessmarath…

(originally posted to Vermont Watch, here)

Received the following information from a legislative council staff member this morning in response to an inquiry of mine from earlier this month that included questions concerning legislative pay and the like for members of the Vermont Legislature:

Member’s salary for 2014 will be $660.06 per week, last year it was $647.12. In addition, pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 1052(b), all members are entitled to an allowance for meals and, if they rent a room, for lodging. In addition, members who drive to the State House are entitled to reimbursement for mileage. The amounts are established by the federal government’s General Service Administration. For 2014 they will be:

• Meals: $61.00 per day
• Lodging: $107.00 per night
• Mileage: 56.00 cents per mile

During the interim members may receive $118 per day for their salary, and actual expenses.

The Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, receive $730.66 per week during the session, and a Biweekly Salary of $434.47 annually.

(​originally included within a blog post on the subject matter posted to Vermont Watch, here; as well as since cross-posted to iBrattleboro, here)

For the sake of full disclosure: Morgan W. Brown is a newly appointed member of the Vermont Council on Homelessness, however the opinions expressed within this particular commentary are solely his own and represent none other.

What people living in poverty truly need most is real political power.

​This means, as well as begins with, being allowed to speak for and represent themselves as well as have ample opportunities afforded in order to meaningfully participate in any policy making and other decisions made about them at various levels, whether political or otherwise, and, either as individuals or as a group.

What people living in poverty do not need any more of is having others speak and making decisions for them, most especially not those who have their own or an organization’s agenda and interests at stake.

Regrettably, Governor Peter Shumlin’s newly established “Pathways Out of Poverty” initiative falls seriously short of what is in fact required and, additionally, has all the appearances of merely being a new version of the same old thing and not much else.

This is yet another well-meaning initiative and council that, as usual, has more to do with funding programs as well as aiding certain political agendas and interests than it has to do with helping people most in need.

Rather than being “pathways out of poverty” as is purported, this will likely only lead to additional dead ends and could be just another setup for failure, ironically, of which the person living in poverty will typically be found to blame.

Unless and until people living in poverty have a real and meaningful say about any and all policy as well as programs intended to help them out of poverty, nothing will ever truly change, no matter how much funding is found and dedicated to the effort.

Only real political power in the hands of people living in poverty will ever make a difference and create lasting change.

Anything else is a poor substitute. Nothing else should be acceptable. Those in power and authority should know better. As those of my peers within the disAbility community are fond of saying: Nothing about us, without us!

Morgan W. Brown

Montpelier

Sunday, January 5, 2014

For the sake of full disclosure: Morgan W. Brown is a newly appointed member of the Vermont Council on Homelessness, however the opinions expressed within the above commentary are solely his own and represent none other.

The 15th annual Homelessness Marathon national radio broadcast will air live and be streamed online on Sunday, October 21st from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Eastern Time), airing locally within Vermont on WGDR in Plainfield and WVEW in Brattleboro.

via WGDR (here):

This year the Homelessness Marathon will be partnering with seven radio stations around the United States, featuring reports from Illinois, Maine, Indiana, New Mexico, Vermont, New Hampshire, Oregon and New York.

The Vermont programming will originate from WGDR-WGDH, from 2 to 3 pm, hosted by Joseph Gainza.

Topic: When You Are Forced To Leave Home

For more information, see the Homelessness Marathon national broadcast schedule:

http://news.homelessnessmarathon.org/2008/08/broadcast-schedule.html

For additional details, the Homelessness Marathon founder, Jeremy Alderson, sent the following by e-mail this morning:

From: Jeremy Alderson

Date: Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 9:25 AM

Subject: 15th Annual Homelessness Marathon on Sunday!

We are pleased to announce that the 15th Annual Homelessness Marathon will air on Sunday, October 21st, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., eastern time.

This broadcast will be different from any of our previous ones.

In the past we have broadcast overnight.

This year we are broadcasting during the day.

In the past we have broadcast on a weekday.

This year we will broadcast on a weekend.

In the past, we have originated from a central location.

This year, we will originate from all over the country.

Seven different affiliates in seven different cities will be originating an hour each, reflecting local issues where they are.  Our eighth hour will be a “Vice-Presidential Candidates Forum.”  Cheri Honkala, the vice-presidential candidate of the Green Party and Judge Jim Gray, the vice-presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party will answer questions from homeless people on how their tickets, if elected, will address poverty.

It should be interesting.

Our list of affiliates is published on our website.  If you don’t live near a station that will be carrying the broadcast, you can tune in on our computer at:

http://pacifica.org:8000/live.m3u

and if you happen to have an iPhone, you can listen in at:

http://pacifica.org:8000/live

Jeremy Weir Alderson

Founder, Homelessness Marathon

http://www.homelessnessmarathon.org

(cross-posted from Vermont Watch, here; photo omitted)

Below is commentary concerning homelessness within Vermont penned this morning and submitted as a letter to the editor to three local newspapers serving the Montpelier area (since slightly edited for the purposes of clarification and readability).

Growing colder on the streets

It was somewhat chilly out while walking downtown in Montpelier to do a little food shopping and then back home early this morning (Sunday, October 7th). It was colder still for those seen obviously living homeless on the streets.

These same as well as other individuals previously sighted during this year have been living outside for several months now, if not longer, at least in some cases.

How is the State of Vermont doing in terms of helping those living homeless?

From what I have observed over the last year or more, it would appear as if the state is not doing enough to assist those experiencing this type of dire need.

The state could be doing much more as well as a lot better than it currently appears to doing along these lines. Holding summits and meetings concerning homelessness and related matters is certainly not enough, nor are these what it takes to “get tough things done” in these instances either.

What people living homeless have the most need of is permanent, safe, decent, affordable housing (not merely homeless shelters, motel stays or other transitional, short term type of housing) as well as, if they have need of such, access to a variety of robust supports and services offered on a voluntary basis; and, on a case by case basis and if need be, not necessarily tied to accepting and maintaining housing.

This is indeed doable and it works.

Morgan W. Brown

Montpelier