Well, would you look at that … It’s election season again. Time for everyone to pick teams in shades of red or blue, calling the other side names, and shouting into the void of the interwebs that their team is the bestest. How this is “the most important election of our lifetimes” … until the next one. That “our democracy is at stake” … failing to remember we’re actually a constitutional republic with democratically elected leaders. And that the other team is an “existential threat” … while doing their own foolish things.

It’s frustrating, predictable, and played out.

So, I’m going to try something a little different. I’m going to share a bit of my story along with some experiences I’ve had with one of the many qualified senate candidates … Senator Ruth Hardy. Then each of you can decide for yourself how to vote in November. Fair enough?

The last couple years have tested a lot of people in a myriad of ways. During that time, I found myself in a deep depression (developed over many years), having physical limitations, broke, and homeless during the pandemic. During that time, I experienced many systemic hurdles to receive the assistance that I desperately needed to survive. The good news is that after a lot of patience, persistence, and force of will … I’m a success story, finding housing in September 2023.

During the lengthy journey, I had mentioned to others that someday I should share these experiences with policy makers. That maybe in the sharing of my experiences, it could get some closure, and point out issues to help make the process easier for those seeking help in the future. I had thought I’d wait a year or so before seeking out that opportunity … God, Allah, the Universe (whomever) had other plans for me … essentially telling me to “put up or shut up” by providing me with an opportunity to speak before a joint committee in Montpelier two weeks after moving into my apartment. I believed it was important, so in spite of a healthy dose of “nerves” (fear), I took the opportunity. It was there that I first met with Senator Hardy.

I won’t bore you with the details of my testimony, but I felt it was well received. During the Q&A portion of the hearing, I was caught off guard when legislators had questions directly for me when there were more polished advocates with whom to speak, and Senator Hardy was one of them. She asked her question, and added she would like to speak with me during the lunch break before the afternoon session. The break period was a bit overwhelming. I had spent the last several years trying to hide, so having multiple people come up to speak with me was a bit out of my comfort zone.

Senator Hardy made her way to meet with me, and patiently waited as I wrapped up speaking with someone else. Our exchange was brief, but warm. She provided me with some contact information, and inquired as to whether or not I would be attending (and available to chat) at a ribbon cutting ceremony the following week at my apartment complex. She genuinely seemed interested in hearing more about my experiences.

Indeed, we did meet the following week. After the ceremony, Senator Hardy stopped by, and we met for around 30 minutes. I shared some additional details of my experiences, and we spent some time discussing my troubles with Medicaid, as she was working on a bill to expand the income limits of the service. (After the COVID Emergency Order was ended, many Vermonters, myself included, were dropped from the program.) While the subject matter was difficult, the conversation was warm and engaging. I really got a sense of her authenticity. We kept getting interrupted, sometimes for people wishing to speak with me or her. She was patient through it all, and made introductions to those wishing to get some of her time. We took a picture together, which months later would end up used in an article in the Counterpoint Newsletter. It was a pleasant exchange, one that I assumed would be our last.

Skip ahead a few months, I decided to initiate a little advocacy of my own. A program aimed at helping lower income folks get assistance to pay for internet service was coming to an end, and several of my peers were very concerned about losing this benefit. I thought the least I could do was reach out to our Washington Delegation (Balint, Sanders, & Welch) to raise awareness. After reaching out to each of them, I thought to myself that perhaps if I reached out to the local/state level legislators I had contacted over the last couple months … that maybe the weight of their offices could provide a little “oomph” to at least get my message read.

So I figured it was worth a shot. I messaged 4 local legislators (Bristol/Addison), and our 3 delegates in Washington. I thought if I heard back from at least 1 person, I would consider the effort a success. I was humbled by the response. Two of the 4 local legislators replied (Rep. Elder & Sen. Hardy), all delegates, and several of their staffers. This led to being interviewed by local news, as part of a bigger story. I attribute a lot of this to the assistance of Sen. Hardy.

When I contacted Senator Hardy, I thought there was a good chance she wouldn’t remember me. She’s busy, and meets with a lot of people. To my surprise she responded promptly, directing me towards staffers for Rep. Balint & Sen. Welch … and then included the photo from our patio chat months earlier. She didn’t need to make time to do that for me. Half her peers couldn’t make the time to at least send a polite canned response. (Disappointing, but not unexpected.) I thanked her, and took the cause as far as I could. It’s in the hands of the House & Senate in Washington, D.C. … so who knows what will happen, I did my part. Afterwards, I followed up with Senator Hardy to let her know the impact of her assistance, and how far I was able to get. She shared that it’s not often legislators hear back about the impact of their assistance efforts.

A few months later when I submitted a testimonial for publication, I was asked to provide a photo. After struggling to take or find a decent photo, I remembered the photo Sen. Hardy had sent. I decided to forward it, assuming they might crop the photo… they did not. When the newsletter was published, I reached out to Sen. Hardy as a courtesy to let her know what had occurred. Again, she responded quickly letting me know she had already seen it as she’s on the mailing list, and assured me that there wasn’t an issue using the photo. My email had also included some information on other things I’ve been working on, and acknowledged that it’s campaign season. Sen. Hardy invited me to join her knocking on doors (I am physically unable to commit to the level of that endeavor), that she would be in Bristol in a few weeks, and would try to stop by to catch up. A few weeks go by, and sure enough … on a hot & humid Sunday afternoon, she was on my doorstep. I provided a couple options to have our chat, including going inside where it was way cooler … letting her choose her comfort level. We spent 15-20 minutes catching up, discussing a few issues, and some of the people we knew in common. Once again, she was legitimately authentic, engaged, and remembered details I would have assumed were easily forgotten. Full disclosure, Sen. Hardy did ask me to consider writing a “letter to the editor” for her. I had already planned on doing it, so there was no arm-twisting involved. It’s the least I could do in return for the assistance I’ve received. As she left, as we have said in the past, hopefully our paths cross again.

I have no intention to tell anyone what candidate to vote for this November. I encourage people to vote, and more importantly, do their best to cast an informed ballot. If you choose to abstain, I get it, we’re living through a frustrating era in politics. Constant bombardment of hyperbolic ads that life as we know it will end … No, it won’t. We’ve survived good, bad, and mediocre politicians. Don’t fall for the hype.

What I do want to convey is that based on my experiences with Sen. Ruth Hardy, she is a solid candidate. No candidate is perfect, it’s unlikely to agree 100% with their views … and that’s OK. Sen. Hardy comes across as genuine, relatable, and votes her conscience. I believe that if her constituents overwhelmingly wanted for her to vote in opposition to her position, she would at the very least take it into strong consideration … and be accountable to explain why she voted in a different manner. Knowing the chips will fall where they may.  I don’t think a person could ask too much more than that.

Thanks for listening.

Bryan Plant II

Bristol