Herbert: Letters From Vermont (To Sen. Bernie Sanders from suffering constituents)

[RamboLiberal]

Despite the focus on the housing crisis, gasoline prices and the economy in general, the press has not done a good job capturing the intense economic anxiety — and even dread, in some cases — that has gripped tens of millions of working Americans, including many who consider themselves solidly middle class.

Working families are not just changing their travel plans and tightening up on purchases at the mall. There is real fear and a great deal of suffering out there.

A man who described himself as a conscientious worker who has always pinched his pennies wrote the following to Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont:

“This winter, after keeping the heat just high enough to keep my pipes from bursting (the bedrooms are not heated and never got above 30 degrees) I began selling off my woodworking tools, snowblower, (pennies on the dollar) and furniture that had been handed down in my family from the early 1800s, just to keep the heat on.

“Today I am sad, broken, and very discouraged. I am thankful that the winter cold is behind us for a while, but now gas prices are rising yet again. I just can’t keep up.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/opinion/14herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

From The Nation: One Simple Question

A mother and father in rural Vermont: "Due to increasing fuel prices we have at times had to choose between baby food/diapers and heating fuel. We've run out of heating fuel three times…. The baby has ended up in the hospital with pneumonia two of the times."

A man in north central Vermont: "As bad as our situation is, I know many in worse shape. We try to donate food when we do our weekly shopping but now we are not able to even afford to help our neighbors eat. What has this country come to?"

A mother: "By February we ran out of wood and I burned my mother's dining furniture. I have no oil for hot water…. We are certainly a country in distress."

A 55 year old man: "I have worked since age 16. I don't live paycheck to paycheck, I live day to day…. I can see myself working until the day I die…. I work 12 to 14 hours daily and it just doesn't help…. I am just tired, the harder that I work, the harder it gets."

A working mother of two: "I spend around $150 per week at the grocery store and trust me when I say I don't buy prime rib…. Some nights we eat cereal and toast for dinner because that's all I have. My family has had to cancel our annual trip to the zoo, and we make less trips to see our families in another town due to the increase of gas."

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/329713

[DeepModem Mom]

1. Reality from real Vermonters. K&R

[diane in sf]

2. It's another depression that they're not calling a depression, and it will probably get worse

before it gets better.

[OneBlueSky]

3. damn . . . this one really got to me . . .

"I began selling off my woodworking tools, snowblower (pennies on the dollar), and furniture that had been handed down in my family from the early 1800s, just to keep the heat on. Today I am sad, broken, and very discouraged."

as a sometime woodworker, I can tell you how painful parting with your tools can be . . . and to have to sell off family heirlooms to make ends meet is just really, really sad . . .

[dmr]

4. I've always like Senator Sanders

Here's a Senator who not only cares about his constituents, but solicits feedback from them on hardships they are enduring. Sadly, too many in public office concern themselves with how big business is faring.

Reading the feedback must be incredibly hard for Senator Sanders and his staff.

Thank you for posting this. I tried to recommend your thread, but it's too late.