Poor America

Poor America.  Look how starving they are for Bernie Sanders.  We are so lucky to have had him in town for the last 35 years or so.  I like him so much I have had virtually nothing to say to him for the last twenty years, if that makes any sense.  There's nothing to say except "hi." or the occasional "thank you."  More recently "Good luck" but what do I need to engage in a discussion with Bernie for?  He does everything I want him to in congress and I know what he would say to just about anything I could ask him so I really have no desire to take his time.  That and he's not very friendly.  But we love him for that.  Who needs friendly?  Grow up.  Right now it looks like "Saunnerz" (as my dad would say)  has a pretty good shot at being president, and that would obviously change the country.  But whether he wins and he's 83 after two terms as president or doesn't win and he's 83 after three terms in the senate... Bernie *may* retire in the next ten years or so... what's going to happen to the progressive coalition in Burlington?

Artist: Anna Pierattini

What's happening now?  I have no idea.  I don't even know how the city council works anymore.  I mean... I have a vague idea that I have less representation in Ward 7 than I used to, and this is somehow attributable to Daniel Fogel, UVM's former president who built lots of housing in Ward 1... and that there are councilors who represent districts larger than wards with one vote each... but I'm having a hard time looking directly at it.  Councilors having one vote each on the council should represent about the same number of people each.  I *think* right now in Burlington we have two councilors whose votes carry the same weight as the others' but who are elected from and represent larger constituencies than their cohorts.  I can't face that if it's true.  That's just wrong.  I don't want to know.