Supportive Government

Imagine if every time you encountered a State employee, you were greeted with: “How may I help you?”

There is a clear split in attitude amongst State employees between one of service and one of State control. The former attitude is one of “we are all on the same team”, while the latter is one of “us versus them”. Fostering the attitude of service and team effort throughout State government results in a government that is supportive.

How would a supportive government respond to a problem? A supportive government would identify the problem, bring the problem to the attention of the person(s) causing it, directly assist the person(s) in solving the problem and providing follow-up to ensure that the problem remains resolved. Of course there are life threatening, serious criminal activity and certain other instances where this approach is not warranted. But so many times an opportunity to correct a problem in the spirit of support and human kindness is lost to a legal action or punishment that results in greater costs to society.

The same can be said for our legislature. We often see the legislature pass new laws that impose restrictions on all persons in a knee-jerk reaction to a small number of unfortunate incidents. The laws restrict the freedom and liberty of all, but the bad actors continue to act badly. Little or nothing is accomplished by such legislative action. New legislation should be minima. Supportive actions and initiatives are a positive way to correct problems in our community. As much as possible, these actions should be promoted at the local level.

Government has a public relations problem today, Our federal government has especially lost the confidence of the people. State government is in a similar position that is obscured by the gross imbalance in Washington. The national dilemma dominates the mass media. So, what's going on in Montpelier is largely unknown to most Vermonters. A government that is supportive and empowers individuals and local government to progressively deal with contemporary issues will be seen in a positive light by its citizens.