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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: The Bernie Sanders Accomplishment Challenge [View all]GitRDun
(1,846 posts)34. I can respect you may not like Bernie, but this is a completely unfair assessment
Doing your job is being a decent mayor. Here's a few quotes from an article about BS time as mayor:
Under Sanders, Burlington became a magnet for attracting and incubating locally owned businesses, many of which expanded into large enterprises.
CEDO, Sanderss development agency, helped arrange the purchase of the area and provided the capital for irrigation systems, farm vehicles, and washing stations for vegetables. By the end of the 1990s, it was home to a dozen urban farms, annually producing over 500,000 pounds of food for local homes and stores. Today it generates over 10 percent of the food sold in Burlington.
The first key move was support for the Burlington Community Land Trust with an initial $200,000 grant. Now named the Champlain Housing Trust, the nonprofit has over $290 million in assets; manages a portfolio of 2,800 price-controlled houses, condos, co-ops, and rentals; and owns over 120,000 square feet of commercial space and nonprofit facilities.
The coalition that coalesced around Sanders in 1981 governed Burlington for all but two of the next 31 years.
Burlingtonians give Sanders credit for steering the city in a new direction that, despite early skepticism, proved to be broadly popular with voters.
CEDO, Sanderss development agency, helped arrange the purchase of the area and provided the capital for irrigation systems, farm vehicles, and washing stations for vegetables. By the end of the 1990s, it was home to a dozen urban farms, annually producing over 500,000 pounds of food for local homes and stores. Today it generates over 10 percent of the food sold in Burlington.
The first key move was support for the Burlington Community Land Trust with an initial $200,000 grant. Now named the Champlain Housing Trust, the nonprofit has over $290 million in assets; manages a portfolio of 2,800 price-controlled houses, condos, co-ops, and rentals; and owns over 120,000 square feet of commercial space and nonprofit facilities.
The coalition that coalesced around Sanders in 1981 governed Burlington for all but two of the next 31 years.
Burlingtonians give Sanders credit for steering the city in a new direction that, despite early skepticism, proved to be broadly popular with voters.
http://www.thenation.com/article/bernies-burlington-city-sustainable-future/
Burlington won most livable city near the end of Sanders tenure. He wasn't just "doing his job as you say". He took an ordinary city with a disgusting waterfront and steered it into being one of the best places to live in the country. In the process he created tools like land trusts that have become main stream for major cities to use in the fight for affordable housing. Of all his accomplishments, it's my opinion that what Bernie did as mayor is a blue print for what he'll try to do as President.
I don't post this as a committed Sanders voter. These are facts that can be read in multiple places. I'll do another search in the next week or so for HRC. I'm sure her accomplishments are impressive as well.
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As a Hillary supporter let me be the first to say, this is a fabulous list of accomplishments.
leftofcool
Sep 2015
#2
Just because someone says they are a Hillary supporter or even a Bernie supporter doesn't mean they
kelliekat44
Sep 2015
#15
Yes, I am fairly certain that many of us would have supported Jackson in 1988 mainly
sabrina 1
Sep 2015
#27
Thanks. He not only founded the CPC, but was elected its chair for its first 8 years.
merrily
Sep 2015
#24
Yes, and so is having the members elect you chair for the first 8 consecutive years. That speaks
merrily
Sep 2015
#36
I sure appreciate the Lake Champlain deal. I am a fisherman first. There is nothing worse
Enthusiast
Sep 2015
#25
I call people for Bernie events, and without exception any well read, informed person I call,
orpupilofnature57
Sep 2015
#26
Excellent, thank you. Notably absent from his list of accomplishments, and another
sabrina 1
Sep 2015
#28
I can respect you may not like Bernie, but this is a completely unfair assessment
GitRDun
Sep 2015
#34