Chancellor Jeb Spaulding thought he could get away with closing three of Vermont’s six state colleges. His proposal would have had a devastating impact on working class people; it would have slashed hundreds of jobs from the state colleges, destroyed the economies of whole sections of the state, especially the Northeast Kingdom, and foreclosed opportunities for young people to get education for skilled high paying jobs like nursing.

But professors, staff, and the communities that depend on the colleges rose up and stopped Spaulding in his tracks. Over 37,000 people signed a petition demanding that the proposal be withdrawn, thousands called their state legislators, and hundreds of cars turned out to a massive parade that shut down Montpelier in a concert of honking horns. Faced with this outpouring of anger, the proposed vote was delayed and then withdrawn in a humiliating setback for Spaulding.

The working class of Vermont has scored an initial victory against a tidal wave of austerity measures that Governor Phil Scott is threatening. But no one should be under any illusions that the state colleges are safe; the Governor made clear that he wants the legislature to pass a budget with devastating cuts to our public institutions.

The movement spearheaded by unions, students, and communities must prepare for the next phase of the struggle. We should demand that the state fully fund public education at all levels, using money from the federal bailout, cuts in corporate welfare, and taxes on the rich.

We must reject the entire case that Spaulding and the Governor are making that they have no alternative but to cut education spending given the budgetary constraints imposed on them by the coronavirus and recession. In reality, this is a manufactured crisis, and one that can be easily solved.

It is the product of several decades of neoliberal cuts to public funding of education. The Democrats and Republicans have level-funded state appropriations for higher education for decades, dropping Vermont from 3rd in per capita spending in the country in 1989 to 49th today. Both parties are responsible for setting the state colleges up to fail amidst this crisis.

While we have stopped the closures for now, it is clear that the Governor is still determined to force through cuts, and we must be prepared to mobilize again to stop him. In these efforts, we must not fall for any of the Governor’s tricks. One that he floated is pitting state colleges against K through 12 education, saying that if we cannot pay for both, we have to cut one.

We know that he’s been angling to slash funding for primary and secondary education as part of his plan for school consolidation. We must reject Scott’s divide and rule tactic; working class people should have the right to high quality education with well-paid union teachers and staff from pre-kindergarten through college.

There is plenty of money to pay for all of this. It is merely a question of priorities. If the federal government can bailout the big corporations and banks with trillions of dollars, it and the state can find the money to meet Vermont workers’ need for education.

We should demand that the Governor and legislature generate the money in the following ways. First, they should take $25 million from $1.25 billion from Washington to cover the immediate shortfall in funding for the state colleges. Second, they should raise taxes on the rich, which they have cut for decades, to bankroll education for the future.

And, third, if they have to cut anything, they should cut corporate welfare schemes like the Remote Worker Program, Vermont Training Program, and the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive. However rhetorically innocuous in name, these programs are frankly just giveaways to the bosses and rich.

It will take a fight to win these demands, because they challenge the neoliberal logic accepted by most of the political class in Montpelier and Washington. Save for a few exceptions like Progressive Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman and Progressive Senator Anthony Pollina, and members of the Vermont Worker’s Caucus, most of the politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, were slow to respond and only agreed to delay and then withdraw the proposed cuts, when the petitions, calls, and car protest forced them to.

But if we stay united, if we reject Governors divide and conquer strategy, if we maintain pressure on our elected officials through a diversity of tactics, we can win. We must build on our initial victory of stopping the closures and intensify our organizing, mobilizing, and protesting until we have secured education at every level as fully funded public right for all working class people.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

We are very thankful and impressed by this community’s response to the current pandemic we are facing. As closures and social distancing set in, we are seeing the most vulnerable in our community be deeply affected by the loss of income and access to resources.

For this reason, we request that not only the governor’s executive order N-28-20 be respected, but that there be an additional suspension of rent given how many renters in this city are hourly service workers who no longer have a safe source of income while performing social distancing. We request as well that empty hotel/motel rooms be immediately offered to houseless community members who cannot self-quarantine without a space to do it in. It is vital emergency shelters be provided immediately.

As per the latest executive orders, we further recommend the city guarantee continued publicly-provided water and trash service regardless of payment.

We request that you do not fail your earlier promise to provide free tests to all who qualify and furthermore that these tests are provided regardless of doctor’s note—putting such a roadblock on students and those without insurance or local doctors will keep us from having the knowledge we need to keep our county safe.

Lastly, we ask that as per executive order N-26-20, you ensure state funds are allocated and properly used within our school systems. Parents deserve daytime childcare and school lunches need to continue to be provided.

We also ask the state for paid sick leave for those workers who have no source of income while following health directives. Flattening the curve necessitates avoiding public interactions for longer than those 14 days; disability and unemployment are not an adequate response.

In solidarity,
The Steering Committee of DSA SLO

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

Today the people of North Carolina, 14 other states, and American Samoa will likely decide the Democratic nominee who will face Trump in the general election in November of 2020. Alongside chapters nationwide, the members of Charlotte Metro DSA have texted and called and knocked on doors in an effort to make sure that person is Senator Bernie Sanders. Since the chapter formally endorsed his candidacy in January , our small group has knocked on 1500 doors - going into neighborhoods every weekend to talk with community members about their struggles and the need for transformative change.

We asked several of our members to reflect on their experience with our local DSA for Bernie campaign, to share what they heard, and discuss why we need to elect Bernie Sanders.

“A woman told us she felt bad about the fact that she had to use her niece's insulin. Her niece was also on dialysis. After her insurance lapsed, she couldn't afford the insulin anymore. I've had several friends that have thousands of dollars worth of medical debt from needing to go to the emergency room, but none of them have needed something so crucial on a daily basis. This is why we need Medicare for All and Sanders is the only candidate truly standing up for it.”

— Corey

“Back in January we met a man who told us his 19 year old sister had just joined the military. Trump had just assassinated Soleimani and he was terrified that she would be deployed to Iran. He said Bernie is the only candidate he trusts to finally end the wars in the Middle East. Medicare for All and Bernie’s plan to make public colleges and universities tuition free also removes the coercive incentives that force poor kids to enlist just to get access to healthcare and education.

In the heavily gentrifying Belmont neighborhood we met a woman who said all but three families on her street had been pushed out of the neighborhood by new luxury development and rising rents. Charlotte at large also has a massive homelessness problem and an affordable housing shortage of 34,000 units. Bernie’s housing plan includes national rent control standards that would fight gentrification, protect tenants against rising rents, and invest $2.5 trillion into new affordable housing.”

— Dallin

“Only Bernie’s policies address the concerns of the American working class - this was made abundantly clear when I talked to people while canvassing. I talked to someone paying $200+ per month for medication, to someone afraid that their sister would be deployed and would die in another pointless war, to young and old people alike concerned that no one seems to be taking climate change seriously. Bernie is the only one prepared to face these issues, and who is tackling them head-on.”

— Morgan

“I felt encouraged this past weekend during our final canvassing push in the neighborhoods off Beatties Ford Rd. We spoke with several people who were excited and eager to let us know they had already voted for Bernie and others who are planning to do so on Tuesday. We also had some good conversations with undecided folks. After we spoke with with one undecided voter about Bernie's platform and asked what he thought, he responded with, ‘Sounds like a winner to me!’ There was even someone in a car honking, cheering and yelling ‘Bernie!’ at us at one point. Days like that just continue to push against the ‘Bernie Bro’ narrative that some are still trying to use to discredit this movement. Feeling good about Tuesday!”

— Allison

We are grateful to everyone who has come out to canvass or phone bank with us over the past few months! And special shout out to Dallin, who stepped up to lead our DSA for Bernie Working Group - thank you for all of your hard work!