Sonia Silbert

Human services spending is a core government function

BRATTLEBORO-Like many of you, I have been outraged by the actions of the Trump administration, especially the massive gutting of USAID and potentially freezing of all federal funding for some of our most urgent needs, like food shelves and homeless shelters.

At the same time, the Trumpers are blaming the fiscal crises they are causing through terrible economic decisions on those already marginalized and often struggling - migrants, brown people, poor people, and others.

What is especially heartbreaking is that I see echoes of these actions here at home, in the community I love.

The Brattleboro Selectboard has explicitly said that their Community Safety Plan - which is costing taxpayers an additional $1.5 million - is dependent on the cops being able to refer people in crisis to local human services agencies, all of which were at capacity with months-long waiting lists even before the federal funding cuts.

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We’ve had huge mobilizations. You don’t know because the news media won’t cover them.

I appreciate that Arlene Distler is supportive of the movement for Palestinian liberation and wants to see wider and more vibrant protests, but I think she's pointing her finger at the wrong culprit. We have had huge mobilizations in Washington, D.C. over the past few months for Palestine. There...

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A matter of access and inclusion

The low compensation for a sizable and growing workload makes it near impossible for many to participate on Brattleboro’s Selectboard. A vote to raise these stipends could let more people serve our town.

This Saturday at Annual Representative Town Meeting (ARTM), town reps will have a chance to take a simple step to make our town government more inclusive and accessible. Will we take that opportunity? The Selectboard is a powerful body that makes important decisions which impact everyone who lives, works,

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