Sanders publicizes book through actions, if not visit

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history, represents something different in politics. For many Vermonters in the Middlebury community and in Addison County, Sanders understands local needs better than anyone else.
“We have just one congressman and he has a lot of influence in Washington because of his position on things,” said Becky Dayton, owner of Vermont Book Shop. “He’s so different.”
Sanders was forced to cancel a book signing event at the store scheduled for Thursday, April 28, as he was not able to leave Washington, D.C. due to storms on the East coast. Though disappointed, Dayton was still happy she was able to help the senator sell his recently published book, The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of the Middle Class. Sanders seeks to call the store and get the names and addresses of those who planned to attend the book signing, so he can send each a signed bookplate. Dayton said Sanders had intended to speak for a few minutes at the store before signing copies of his book. At 6 p.m. he was to go to the Middlebury Union High School for a town hall meeting about children and family in current economic hardships; Sanders was able to hold the meeting and take questions from locals over the phone.
“We know that the senator understands these issues probably more than most other congressmen and senators,” said Donna Bailey, co-director of the Addison County Parent Child Center, which was to co-sponsor the town meeting with the Senator.
Bailey, who has been director for the past 11 years, stressed that Sanders connects with his constituents across the state. Here, the Parent Child Center has been working hard to provide all with child-care from an early age.
“Here in Addison County, we have a long history of high quality early childhood education, as well as working with parents,” said Bailey.
Compared to most other counties in Vermont, Bailey said that Addison County boasted the lowest teen pregnancy rate, the lowest youth adjudication rate and scored high in indicators of well-being.
“That’s not an accident,” said Bailey, who believes the center and other local programs have saved the state and federal governments money by working on prevention. “We have incredible resources in terms of how we all work together.”
An unwavering supporter of the center’s efforts is Sanders.
“The hardest working person I know other than single working moms is Bernie,” said Bailey. “He works really hard making sure we have a safety net for folks who are trying to get by.”
Paul Behrman, director of Champlain Valley Head Start (CVHS), also participated in the town meeting. As Head Start and Early Head Start are federally funded, national programs that provide a range of education, health and social services for low-income families, Behrman understands the need to help those struggling in difficult economic times. He values the importance of providing early quality care for all children.
“These programs are absolutely critical for the populations we serve,” said Behrman, who runs programs for Franklin, Grandile, Chittenden and Addison counties. “It’s really just a function of there isn’t adequate funding.”
Behrman is keenly aware of the ongoing budget debate in Washington, D.C., and thinks it is “pretty unconscionable” that plans include significant cuts to programs for low and middle-income populations. Like Sanders, Behrman strongly opposes tax cuts for the “ultra-rich” in exchange for diminished funding for programs like Head Start and Early Head Start. He appreciates the Vermont senator’s understanding on these issues.
“[Sanders] is a champion for our population of communities generally, whether it is education, health, infrastructure or jobs,” said Behrman. “He is very invested in the well being of our population and our communities. He wants to see the program being expanded, not being cut.”
Behrman notes that as cuts have been proposed in Congress, Sanders has remained connected to his constituents, often asking Behrman for information and statistics about the program to “get the word out.”
“I think one of the important things with respect to the way Bernie goes about his role as a senator is really connecting with communities and really listening to citizens and representing their needs and really advocating within the Senate in terms of the needs of our population,” said Behrman.
Though he would have liked the senator to have attended the meeting in person, Behrman said the fact that he was able to speak with constituents over the phone was beneficial.
Even those not involved with programs being hotly debated in the capital, like Dayton, feel a connection to the senator.
“Vermont is a very small state and our representatives are very willing to talk to people,” said Dayton, who has spoken with Sanders on a variety of occasions. “Bernie especially makes himself very available.”
In perhaps the most notable demonstration of Sanders’ commitment to the average citizen, the senator spoke on December 10 for over eight and a half hours on the Senate floor in opposition to President Obama’s tax deal with the Republicans, which sought to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for all classes, including the wealthy. Sanders’ speech — expressing his firm belief that the middle class is declining at the expense of the rich few and that the country needs to take action — was so popular that the Senate’s server crashed. Many began to follow the senator on Twitter after this speech.
Sanders, who did not know how long he would be talking before he launched into his speech, said the response was “very positive in Vermont and throughout the country.”
“It’s something people care about deeply,” he said.
Sanders’ book is a re-print of the speech he gave that day with an added introduction. Given the overwhelming response to the speech, Sanders felt it necessary for the book to be published relatively quickly.
“We worked hard because we thought it was important to get it out as quickly as possible,” said Sanders, who noted that his publisher, Nation Books, did a particularly good job at getting the book out in an expeditious manner.
Despite the eventual passage of the tax bill that the senator vehemently opposed, Sanders remains confident that change is to come, especially with the help of younger generations.
“It is very important for young people in general to be active in the political process,” said Sanders. “If they’re concerned about women’s rights, if they’re concerned about getting decent jobs, if they’re concerned about the environment, they have to be concerned about politics.”
Sanders’ message also extends to students at the College, whom he hopes will read and enjoy the book.
“Whether they stay in Vermont or go back to their home towns they need to be politically active,” he said.
He stressed that the issues addressed deserve attention, not only in the capital.
“In all modesty it’s a good book,” said Sanders. “There is a lot of information in that book that is not talked about terribly much in the media or in the classrooms, a lot to do with growing income and wealth inequality in America.”
Bailey, who has worked at the center for 13 years, sees the reality of social and economic inequities on a daily basis.
“Vermont is a small state in a big county whose priorities really aren’t in favor of poor people and working families,” she said. “We should be ashamed to live in a land of plenty and not have everyone have at least healthcare.”
The director also stressed how much she appreciates Sanders’ support.
“The senator has been an integral part of understanding the needs of common people,” said Bailey. “He is a standout in the Senate and in the country, and for calling things for how they are. Thank goodness for Bernie; I wish we could clone him.”