Homelessness Advocates to Guv-Hopefuls: Can You Spare $50,000 Dimes?
Two nights ago, if you drove by Burlington's Waterfront Theatre before the first of this year's gubernatorial debates, you probably saw a bunch of colorful signs hyping Republican Gov. Jim Douglas and his major campaign rivals, Democrat Gaye Symington and Progressive-turned-Independent Anthony Pollina. Here's what you didn't see: More than 60 homelessness advocates rallying outside the building's back entrance.
"Hey, hey, ho ho! We ain't got no place to go!" they yelled. The crowd included residents of a homeless shelter on lower Church Street, as well as the directors of three nonprofits dedicated to serving Vermont's homeless population: The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Burlington, the John W. Graham Emergency Shelter in Vergennes and Samaritan House in St. Albans.
All three directors announced that their shelters are at overflow capacity. Translation: They are turning homeless people out onto the streets for lack of resources. "Hey, Jim, we're in a jam!" said the crowd.
The best short-term fix state officials could provide, the directors said, would be a $500,000 emergency appropriation to Vermont's homeless shelters. Just after 6:30, Anthony Pollina showed up, pledged his support and roundly criticized Jim Douglas' record. After Pollina waved goodbye and entered the Waterfront Theatre, House Speaker and Guv-hopeful Gaye Symington got an earful from COTS Executive Director Rita Markley.
Gov. Jim Douglas used a different entrance.
You missed Ms. Symington's quote "homelesness, bad, um, new kind of governor, stuck in neutral, gak!"
And Jim's response to a question about the cancellation of debates: "Vermonters know me. Vermonters are lucky to be in contact with their elected officials..." Except when they avoid you by taking another entrance.
Posted by: tung | September 26, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Excellent post & back story. Thanks.
Posted by: mwb | September 26, 2008 at 04:25 PM
Too bad COTS treats some people badly.
http://cots-homeless-shelter.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html
Posted by: Homeless | September 28, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Might I add, Governor Douglas helped me when COTS failed.
Posted by: Homeless | September 28, 2008 at 11:49 AM