Thank You for Helping Those Experiencing Homelessness
Editor,
As you can imagine, the past year has been an exceptionally challenging one for anyone experiencing homelessness. Right now, Good Sam (the Good Samaritan Haven Homeless Shelter and programs) is providing services to more people than ever before. Approximately 300 guests per night stay in motel rooms, our shelter facilities in Barre and Montpelier, on the streets, and in the woods. With so much need, you can be sure that the appropriations from each and every town will be put to immediate use keeping our guests sheltered, fed, and provided with basics. They will also receive the help they need to transition to permanent housing.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the voters from every one of the donating towns: Orange, East Montpelier, Montpelier, Middlesex, Calais, Chelsea, Barre City, Northfield, Roxbury, Waitsfield, Stowe, and Berlin.
Rick DeAngelis, executive director, Good Samaritan Haven, Montpelier
Energy Cost Disclosure Would Harm Homeowners
Editor,
The self-appointed energy czar, Montpelier’s Mayor Anne Watson, is at it again with the proposed energy cost disclosure the council wants to impose when selling your home. This would create an unfair advantage benefiting only those who could afford to do energy upgrades before selling their home. Many residents grew up here, worked here, retired, and still own their homes. Lack of compassion about what the selling of a home can be to obtain enough money to downsize or leave their home for a facility is evident. Our treasured elders often live on very low fixed incomes. The self-appointed energy czar, Montpelier’s Mayor Watson, wants to impose a costly ordinance on the city’s homeowners. Even with energy efficiency improvement offers, they cannot afford them. Should they suffer at the time of trying to sell their home because of this proposed disclosure? It is an infringement on people. This is going way beyond a city’s reach into the private property of residents.
People buy homes with their own vision of a dream, which includes what kind of energy-saving improvements they would “choose” to use.
The council spends money on things that are not “needs,” such as bike paths and parks that only a small portion of residents use. All residents endure street water pipes breaking, potholes that can swallow cars, parks that lure illegal activity. Perhaps the city should have to disclose at the selling of a home the bad conditions of our streets and large development that is destroying the very quaintness that attracted buyers and tourists.
Unfair to have the public hearings on Zoom. Older homeowners likely will not have the capability to view and participate in it. Sneaky!
Brian Resnick
UNDERWRITING SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
