Children learn how to be human from the behaviors modeled by their parents. Overstressed or disengaged parents typically raise overstressed children who, in turn, are likely to become overstressed or disengaged adults. The cycle is likely to continue from generation to generation unless purposeful interventions are made to redirect these patterns.
As a young man, Bernie Sanders worked for Head Start. He saw the truth that research has since confirmed: children from low-income families benefit from early intervention, healthy nutrition and learning enrichment. Bernie has been consistent in his support for low income children and families ever since.
Bernie's commitment to healthy child development was shaped by his experience as a Head Start teacher
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Bernie understands a deep and basic truth about the human condition: the way we live in our society has profound effects on our health and happiness. As a result, he has always been deeply committed to breaking poverty cycles by enhancing prosperity for all economic classes. When he proposed his exciting plans in 1981 for revitalizing the city, I was inspired to campaign for him.
Bernie won that four-way race by only 10 votes and "business-as-usual" was over in Burlington's City Hall. Burlington later re-elected him to three more terms because we saw and benefited from his passion, pragmatism, innovation and commitment to fiscal responsibility as he went to bat for us.
However, a huge obstacle confronted Bernie when he first took office.
The old guard members of the Board of Aldermen who wielded enormous power in running the city were in shock that he'd won the election. Fully expecting that Bernie would last just one term, they considered him an unwanted anomaly and were determined to make it so. Just like Congressional Republicans in their treatment of President Obama, the Aldermen obstructed and undermined Bernie's administration in every possible way.
Despite their hostilities, Bernie found ways to work with a few of the Aldermen when he could, and worked around them when he couldn't. This experience helped him in building creative and prodigious skills as a strategist and a negotiator.
Today, these hard-won skills enable him to work with people in Congress who appear to be at cross-purposes with his goals and objectives. For example, working with Republicans in the House and the Senate last year, he got The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act through Congress. It was one of the few bipartisan pieces of legislation passed in 2014. The bill did not have all of what he wanted for our veterans, but Bernie is a pragmatist. While he may not be able to get all of what he wants for his constituents, Bernie will continually do his best to get as much for them as he can.
One of Bernie's first actions as the new mayor was to audit the city's finances. And, sure enough, the auditors not only found the waste, they stopped it. For example, David Clavelle, Bernie's choice for civil defense director (who later became Burlington's mayor in the 1990's), saved the city an estimated $20,000 annually just by centralizing big purchases.
Elsewhere, the treasurer's office found $200,000 in forgotten accounts. Bernie insisted on using that found money to seed a fund for a community land trust so that the city's poorest residents could benefit from affordable housing. This innovative housing concept would be among the first of its kind in the nation.
A Community Land Trust property - an example of Bernie's vision for affordable housing
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On taxes, Bernie's administration sought to prevent tax increases through the use of fees and other innovative cost-saving measures. Bernie was so committed to fiscal thrift that he "out-Republicaned" the Republicans.
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