Dear Editor, I am honestly astonished that Burlington, our former Queen City, is now demanding help from the state to clean up its own mess. What went wrong? Too many bad decisions by local government, driven by ideology rather than common sense. I’ve lived in the Burlington area severa l times and worked on Church Street. It was once a great city — a wonderful place to people-watch, shop and eat. Vermont has always been expensive, and I don’t begrudge anyone who wants to move here. But as an independent voter, I’ve watched an influx of people pushing policies so far left that they seem more interested in proving Vermont is “different” than in preserving what made it work. That is not the Vermont way. READ MORE I remember Burlington’s knee-jerk reaction after George Floyd’s death, when the city dismantled much of its police force. I’ve read proposals to build facilities where drug users can inject safely. Are we serious? We should be helping people get off drugs, not enabling addiction. Anyone paying attention could see the increase in drug problems coming, especially after expanded rail connections brought new traffic into the city. City leaders now claim people avoid Church Street because of construction. That’s not true. People stay away because of unchecked drug use, aggressive panhandling and a growing homeless population that local services cannot manage. I have friends who lived downtown for decades and no longer go there. They want to support local businesses, but not at the expense of their own safety. I care deeply about helping Vermonters, especially families and seniors who have lost housing through no fault of their own. But it is neither fair nor sustainable to ask taxpayers to support everyone who arrives expecting open-ended social services. At some point, people should have to prove residency, contribute and work toward self-sufficiency. Cities rise and fall. But it is a real loss to see Burlington fall this far. I miss the city it used to be. Carolyn Van Vleck Brandon, Vermont Read the story on VTDigger here: Carolyn Van Vleck: How ideology helped derail Burlington. ...read more read less