Dear Editor,
I’m in accordance with Melinda Moulton in her belief the Church Street merchants are having great difficulties. And one can attribute their problems to Covid if they want. I view it quite differently.
Let me say my tax bill here in Burlington is more than $20,000 annually. I have a stake in the city and badly want it to succeed for everyone.
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But the city started a plummet downward when the then popular “defund the police” became an oft-heard refrain. And we went ahead with the destruction of the police department and started a spiral not yet checked.
In the last year there has been a concerted effort by the city administration to give the city police commission expanded powers to review police incidents. Presumably to spot transgressions. Well yes, you destroy the police department and then kick it while it’s down. That will draw more cops to work in Burlington.
At the same time, the city allowed 500 people, homeless and otherwise impacted people, to be the sole target of empathy. The other 45,000 people of Burlington, especially Church Street merchants, fell into the no empathy zone.
Who would wonder at the result? Well, the whole city leadership for one. They brought this entire result on to Burlington. I guess the primary puzzle is why these people are still in power. They show little understanding on how to end this destruction. They’ve dug a deep hole and the shovels continue, never stopping. Last merchants out, turn off the lights.
Martin V. (Marty) Lavin
Burlington
Read the story on VTDigger here: Martin V. Lavin: Who brought on the difficulties for Church Street merchants?.