Category — Patrick Leahy

Just Say No?

Jeffrey Wennberg on Crime, Drugs, and Vermont’s quality of life

(Wennberg is a former mayor of Rutland)

On Monday, March 24th, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing in Rutland to look into the explosion of violent crime and drug offenses in Vermont. Sen. Patrick Leahy, who chairs the panel, notes that while violent crime is growing at 1 percent nationally, it is growing at ten times that rate in Vermont. Meanwhile Governor Douglas and law enforcement leaders have recently made page-one news with statewide drug busts netting crack cocaine, heroin and a significant number of big-city drug entrepreneurs.

And yet, just weeks ago, the Vermont Senate voted 22 to 7 to approve the bill that would give those caught with small amounts of marijuana the choice of participating in the Diversion program, and by so doing avoid a criminal record. Public opinion polls indicate a solid majority of Vermonters support the measure.

So why are they so upset with the burgeoning community dope market in Rutland and Barre, which merely supplies the adjunct desires? They believe a little bit of dope is just the thing to start the day.
Sensitive Vermonters wish to rehabilitate, not incarcerate, to prevent damage to tender psyches. Wagging fingers, wrist slaps and court diversion are the chastisements of preference.

Now that some of the capitalists wish to practice horizontal integration to corner the market, the locals become upset. Is something wrong with their laissez-faire policy that heretofore was undiscovered?
Purveyors of recreational drugs no longer are welcome in town. Now what to do. Since all these interlopers have poor self-esteem from bad potty training, hearing the word no spoken harshly, or poor schooling, Vermonters wished not to further ding their mellow. They simply asked them to go elsewhere.
Via incarceration and labeling, elsewhere however rejected them. The return hegira to Rutland, which holds self-esteem and image paramount produces quandary. For the prodigals are violent, bringing big city solutions to little city Vermont.

Stay tuned; let us see what actually happens after the legislative hand wringing phase. You know the good Senator Leahy has all the answers

Leahy: REAL ID Won’t Improve Security

Further proof that the Pompous Pat had a common sense by-pass operation back in 1974.

WASHINGTON — Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy said the Department of Homeland Security’s plan for secure driver’s licenses won’t improve the nation’s security.

Leahy said the REAL ID program will result in resentment, litigation and enormous costs that states will be forced to absorb. [snip]

Tell the Senator that open borders and half a state of illegals “won’t improve the nation’s security” either.
Leahy has done nothing good for this country, but he certainly porked up Vermont. He excels in cozying up to lobbyists and leaking information to prove how important he is.

As Vermont dug out from the season’s first major winter snow storm and temperatures plunged below freezing, emergency legislation to provide $1 billion for home heating assistance was introduced today in the Senate by Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and in the House of Representatives by Congressman Peter Welch.

Showtime!

Stage far left is Rep. Clarabell, shooting himself with seltzer. In the harlequin suits, providing comic relief from that clown are Vermont Sens. Jester and Fool. This misbegotten trio now engages in hand wringing and teeth gnashing over the cost of oil, the effect on Vermonters and of course, Bush did it!

Some quotes:

Sanders–“Skyrocketing home heating bills already are stretching household budgets.”…”Congress must act now to deal with this national emergency.”
Leahy–“The Bush administration is turning a blind eye… His veto has contributed to the looming emergency that this bill addresses.”
Welch—“ It is critical that we provide this emergency assistance to Vermonters facing these exorbitant fuel costs.”

The usual gang of suspects signed on to Sanders bill, a total o 23 out of 100, 18 Donks and 5 RINOs. Out of 435 members, Welch lined up 12 cosponsors including Donna Christensen, D-Virgin Islands who thinks cold is in her refrigerator.

Worse, these fiscal hooligans are the ones who voted against any American self-sufficiency in oil and energy. On drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, or the coasts, each cast a NO vote; they have blocked new refineries. Furthermore, each wishes to tax Big Oil, which will raise your energy costs even higher than present.

Remember, corporations do not pay taxes. They pass all cost of business through to the consumer.

Given that most moonbat Vermonters believe in global warming/climate change perhaps they will explain why the cost of heating is going up. Perhaps they would explain why we shouldn’t drill of oil. Is coal the answer?

Finally, why should taxpayers in the rest of the country pay for their idiocy? Vermont moonbats voted for these misfits; let the moonbats pay for their votes.