The Bernie Buzz

I always enjoy meeting with Vermont seniors. Pre-COVID, we used to do that on a pretty regular basis. Recently, we were able to pick up where we left off with wonderful senior town meetings in Bennington, Rutland, Brattleboro, Barre, and Burlington

While the path forward to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future will not be easy, and mistakes will certainly be made, the choice we face is pretty clear. Either we maintain the status quo and continue to see more drought, floods and extreme weather disturbances or we move away from fossil fuels and do our best to make sure that the planet we leave our kids and future generations is healthy and habitable. Frankly. That’s not much of a choice. That’s our moral responsibility.

Now, more than ever, it is important to bring people together. And to my mind, there is no better way to do that than through the arts. That is why I hope you will join me, Grace Potter, and young Vermont artists for music and conversations on Saturday, August 5 at Lyman Point Park in White River Junction at 12 P.M. and at Veterans’ Memorial Park in South Burlington at 4:00 P.M.

This is an extremely difficult time. It is heartbreaking to know that thousands of our friends and neighbors have been impacted by last week’s disastrous flooding. We are also seeing terrible damage to our roads, bridges, homes, farms, and small businesses. Senator Welch, Representative Balint, and I want you know what federal resources are available and how to access them. Please join us on Wednesday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m. for a statewide telephone town meeting to provide information on the assistance available to individuals, homeowners, farms, displaced employees, and small businesses.

As we enter week two of this disaster, it goes without saying that this is an extremely difficult and stressful time for thousands of Vermonters. For those of you who have experienced damage to your homes, businesses, or farms, there are some important steps that you can take right now to help provide you with the support you might need. Please read on below for more details about what resources may be available.

I very much appreciate that, today, President Biden signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Vermont. This means that FEMA and other agencies can become fully engaged in assisting Vermont, including the Department of Transportation, the Agriculture Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Small Business Administration. Please read on for more details about what resources may be available to homeowners and individuals.