 Green Mountain Support Services of Vermont, Washington County Mental Health, Israe, Israel. Major media sponsors for Abledon on Air include Park Chester Times, Muslim Community Report, www.thisisthebronx.info, Associated Press Media Editors, U.S. Press Court, Domestic and International. Anchor FL and Spotify. Hello and welcome to this edition of Abledon on Air, the one and only program that focuses on the needs, concerns, and achievements of the differently abled. I've always been your host, Laura Seiler. And Arlene is here today. Say hi, Arlene. Okay. And on this show, before we get to our topic today, we would like to thank Green Mountain Support Services, Washington County Mental Health, and many, many, many others. With us to discuss this important topic of politics and running for City Council on the ticket for City Council of District 3 is Alice Goltz of Montpelier. Welcome, Alice, to Abledon on Air. How you doing? Yeah, on your show. Okay. Alice, let's get to the show ahead. Well, obviously, you've been a guest on Abledon on Air in the past. I would like to point out that there's a big article in the Montpelier Brits. For more information on that, you can go and just Google the bridge, Montpelier, and you'll see the article. Richardson Faces Challenge for District 3. You're running up against Dan Richardson. And Alice Goltz is also a crossing guard for the City of Montpelier, for the School District of Montpelier. And Alice, why don't you tell us a little bit about your story and why you've decided to run for City Council? One of my friends is running for City Council down New York and he mentioned to me, why don't I run for City Council to make a difference in my community? Okay. Now, Alice has been on this show numerous times talking about parenting and people with disabilities. More often in the past, Alice has been on Altegera Media, Altegera America, talking about parenting and people with disabilities. And she had a case with DCF and DCF deemed her not appropriate parent to have her child. But Alice never gives up. And she will never give up being an advocate. Alice, why don't you tell us a little bit more about your stance on advocacy and what you are trying to accomplish in District 3? District 3 is, I have seen in the community a lot of different issues, like with the police and mental health. What type of issues, what type of other things with mental health would you like to accomplish being in City Council? I spoke to somebody in Washington County, one of the case workers, people on the crisis line, then I would talk to them, they were willing to hear me. I feel that the police are going to be sent down on these mental people with mental health. There should be a crisis worker alongside of them. Not a police officer trying to tease them or shoot them. That makes that situation even worse. Yeah, but you have to know now, not too long ago, we had a topic. Washington County has a division called Team 2. And what Team 2 does, not necessarily taze. I think that's the wrong word you're using. But a lot of different states do that. Not necessarily Vermont. The former police chief that was on our show, what Washington County does with Team 2, they bring in a crisis worker and a police officer. The police officer, what they do is they talk the person down. They try to extinguish, if I'm saying this correctly, they try to extinguish the problem before it really becomes a problem. So the police officer is there just to talk and counsel the person before, and the person is yelling, the person is screaming and stuff like that. They bring in a crisis intervention team. Those are the words I'm looking for. Vermont is much better, I feel, with certain things. New York, the police shoot first and then ask questions later. Here in Vermont, they don't do that. However, there was that one instance with Mark Johnson. Now, like I said, I have to be impartial here. I think, personally, I think what happened was the wrong way. Hello? Yes. It could have been done a little... Mark Johnson's case could have been done a little bit better. Maybe. Okay. It could have been done in a better fashion. So it wouldn't have... Mark Johnson's case wouldn't have had to come to a horrible conclusion of him dying. You say that? Yeah. So, yes. Police, in my opinion, and Abel Denner's opinion, police in certain instances are too quick to do things. They should be more reasonable, but hopefully... But that's why Washington County is in place and team two is in place to help more of the situation. You say that? Right. Go ahead. Go ahead. What were you saying, Al? About... Not a question. Go ahead, Al. What do you tackle in the city council? I would talk about homelessness and housing. So what in housing? With homelessness, I see a place for homeless people. I have seen him remind a woman homeless, sleeping in front of a storefront, that she had a library that was homeless that was escorted by the library. Where was he taken? Do you know where he was taken? Go ahead. Disabilities, ultimate types of disabilities. Disabilities situation. Go ahead. I have been passed in legislation. Tenders came on this conference from Oregon on December. But there was a map that showed about passing legislation. And they showed what states had passed it. Pass pending. And our state had passed it. And so what I did was I contacted and paid went from disability rights a lot. And it took him a long time. But he had found it. And he was like, he said, how did you find this? A lot of these things that go on are slipped on the rug. Nobody knows about it. How do you foresee now? Do you? Okay. So why are you saying that things are slipped under the rug? How so? How so? Who is the police? There's like an issue and they draw the picture in family support. What support do we have for families? Guys, guys, guys. Can we talk one person at a time? Because what's happening is that the interference is It is overbearing. Go ahead. Go ahead. Yeah, I think that they should put more lights. That's one time. Yeah, they should put more lights. New York City puts lights on, at least you can see. But you know, they need to put better lighting because you can't even see where you're going. Especially people that are blind, that can't see very well. Yeah, people who are walking at night, you know, they're in a trip. They don't see where they're going to the car. They have to carry a flashlight. It's not good. Okay, so what else do you think should be worked in in the city of Monterey? Would people are struggling? Well, living paycheck to paycheck. That's going to be for a while. You might take longer than two years to fix that. You probably won't even... Yes, but at least I'm going to be willing to bring it to the table. Yeah, that's true. But food insecurity is the biggest, is a big issue. There needs to be more food than the food planteries. Yes. There's not enough of that. And the problem with, the biggest problem with food planteries, I think, that needs to be fixed is this. Now, a donation is a donation, which is important. You know, food is food. However, the food planteries, and my wife and I have had experience in Monterey with this, you know, because we've used a food planteries from time to time ourselves. There's nothing wrong with using one. But, you know, if you need it, you need it. One of the biggest problems in the food planteries, I think, that City Council should concentrate on, is food planteries need to check the dates of food. Now, hear me out. Okay, it's fine. If you're going to eat a piece of meat that's maybe a day over, you know, let's say something on February 15th, the end, you know, you can still eat it February 17th, but you can't wait any longer than that. I think, and you know, otherwise things are going to spoil, especially milk, especially cheese. Now, I think, you know, food planteries shouldn't give products a month's expired. I think that they should throw out these things, because then otherwise people are going to start to get sick. Yeah, that's true. You know, so what is your... Go ahead. Because they should check because people are sick and they get food poisoning, God forbid. So what is your take on that, Alice, with the food planteries and different stuff? Yeah, because a lot of these politicians... A lot of these politicians... Yeah, a lot of these politicians, here's what happens. A lot of the politicians say they're doing something and they don't end up doing it. It's basically hearsay, okay? Example, if a politician is having problems with housing, if someone is saying, for example, one of the biggest things... I'm really glad Vermont doesn't have this problem. At least I haven't run into it. Not too long ago, Ableton on there, a couple of years ago, Ableton on there had a wonderful conversation with the Montpelier Housing Authority. And the Montpelier Housing Authority does an excellent job in keeping things neat, keeping things clean. Yes, it might be the same pot, but the smaller the housing authority, the better service you're going to get. Here's the biggest problem in New York. I bring them up because they need to learn from other states. They need to learn from Vermont. The New York Housing Authority is horrible. New York Housing Authority, they have a huge rat problem. They have a huge bug problem. And children are being bitten by rats. One of the articles I did for the protest at times some time ago, I talked about the rat problem in the New York City Housing. If you're bringing up a small child now, I'm bringing this up so people can learn from these issues. If you're bringing up a small child, or you have small children in your apartment visiting, let's say you're a grandmother or grandfather, or you're having kids visiting. Do you want to serve your family food that a rat just ate from the plate? News is reporting this stuff. New York and America is supposed to be the richest country in the world. We're supposed to help people. You're not helping people if people are living in filth and squalor. That's another word for that. Years ago, back in the 1800s, when the New York City Sanitation Department first became, that's the history of the Sanitation Department. They first started in the 1800s. If you have what we call standing water, filthy water in the street, filthy water has disease. Every time, for example, Montpelier has a water main break, or Vermont has a water main break, you have to clean that up right away. If you don't clean it up right away, you're going to have bugs going everywhere. It's not going to be good. Plus, Vermont for a long time, I'm not saying now, they might have curbed it, but Vermont for a long time had a bed bug problem. These are the things that we as people and advocates have to, especially with people with special needs, people with special needs need adequate housing, need adequate food, need adequate services. If you don't have those things, then no one is going to be good. I don't care where you live. If you don't have good running water, you know how many people in this world, the United States alone, especially in some rural parts, do you know how many people don't have adequate running water and don't have adequate ways of bathing? If you don't have soap, if you don't have shampoo, if you don't have toothpaste, and some of those things, then you're not going to be good to nobody. Some people want to. I don't mean to say that, but you know, Alex, your quote on those things and how you can change stuff. How I can change about the housing? Yeah, housing and other services like maybe providing care packages for people in your district for those who don't have toothpaste, mouthwash, certain other things. Yes, there is. Yeah, well, isn't there support for what I've heard? Well, I know that there's a program called Another Way. Yes. Right. There was, for a long time, wasn't there supposed to be public showers or stuff like that in the city of Montpelier? Okay. So... But I think with the best of my ability, the best I can for the community because I feel that people are getting taken advantage of. How so? How do you think people with disabilities are being taken advantage of in your district? Okay. Expect? It's not possible. I agree. This place is to be more accessible. And I feel with the COVID, a lot of the people, disabled and not disabled, they're shuggling through the COVID to have a better understanding of what's going on. Not disabled. They're shuggling through the COVID to have mental issues. Yes, I agree to do. Well, one of the things that happened during COVID, that's really important to bring up, services, doctors at first weren't seeing people. They were putting together what they call teller health. What teller health is, if you can't go to a doctor, and you call the doctor or you do a Zoom appointment, now that might not work in a lot of circumstances. What I mean that that might not work, like if someone has some epilepsy like myself that needs to go to a doctor or needs to see a counselor one-on-one, because the teller health doesn't necessarily work for every single circumstance. You know? Disabled person don't have insurance. Where this is supposed to go? What can you do on that, or what can you speak to the city council about possibly helping somebody get Medicare, Medicaid, and other types of insurance? Open up these free clinics like they have in New York, the city MDs. Where are they here? I'm not sure I think it's called wellness. I can't remember. Talk to somebody and see what services we can get here. We need people like us to be in New York so we don't have to worry. It's no big deal. It's kind of like it. I don't see that here. Arlene, can you speak a little bit closer to the phone, please? I should have that here because making an appointment here is also making an appointment in these places. You just go. Now, Alice, I would like to bring up your opponent. Your opponent, Dan Richardson, right? Right now, Richardson said that he wants to focus on more infrastructure and groundwork for mixed use and development, coming to the eastern end of Barra Street. He suggested that such development include a mix of housing and retail businesses that would serve the local neighborhood with the use of amenities already there, such as the bike path. He also mentions that human services agencies are regional and people who without housing are not from Montpelier and two affordable housing projects located near downtown Down Street housing. He wants to create more of a path for the homelessness issue. However, one of the biggest things with the homelessness issue is there's not enough places for them to go. For example, without COVID, there was another way and there was, do you think there should be a drop-in center or some other type of place for people to go to take a shower or use the bathroom? Because at one point, City Hall was opening its doors for people to use the bathroom. But I don't think there's doing that. Now, since you're bringing the topic of my opponent, Dan Richardson, this is what he's talking about, what he wants to do. He's been in office for a whole year. What has he done? It's not saying what he has done. It's saying what he has wanted, what he wants to do. That's what a lot of politicians say, what they're going to do. I'll give you another example. I was here in Mount Pilion with Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders came and gave his speech and just walked and then he was talking to people. You're here for the people. You want the people to vote for you. But why would people vote for you when you don't care about the people? You walk away from them. It's just like this damage. Since you're bringing it up, like I said, we've got to be impartial, but I've got to bring up your opponent. Say again, I'm sorry. So what you're saying, now one last issue that we're going to bring up because we've got a couple of minutes left. On the other end, by Shaw's supermarket, there's been a couple of accidents, not mentioning names, but I know people that have gotten it and I'm sure my wife and I have also known people that have gotten hurt on that corner. You know, New York has a situation where almost every street corner now, I think some agencies for the blind help with it. But the situation is that they, New York has the money for these traffic lights. You push the button and it speaks to you. Now, several places in Montpelier, you push the button and it does speak to you, but it's not loud enough. And on the corner where Shaw's is, it's not loud enough either. Yellow light that you can see, but it's supposed to say, you know, cross or don't cross and stuff like that. What are you doing? Sweetie, can you try not to eat while you're eating? Okay. Is there anything that you can do or say to city council to try to get more money for better traffic lights, better lighting, maybe providing the city of Montpelier with free colored vests for those that want to walk around at night so they don't get hit by a car. The vests that I see you wear, that my wife and I see you wear when you are crossing guard, the green coat, people should have something similar to that, like knocking on people's doors. Here's something to help you cross the street better. I think that there needs to be, if city council uses money or gets money, I understand because I understand that Montpelier took a big hit during COVID and let people go and they don't have enough money, but they're trying to get more from the federal government or city government federal government. I think city council and the city of Montpelier needs to figure out how best to use that money. So A, people don't get hurt when crossing the street. B, shovel better when it comes to snow and snow removal so people are not getting hurt. C, having more lighting so people don't get hurt. Fix the cracks. When you say they're going to fix every crack, you can't just fix one side. It's like doing a half a job. If I have a construction company or if my father-in-law was still alive and had his own electrical company because he was an electrician and helped people with electric. An electrician can't go and do a half job. Okay, today I'm going to put half the lights in the building or I'm going to put half the circuit breakers in the building and then next year I'll put the other half. Does that make sense? No. Thank you. Thank you. So city of Montpelier needs to figure out and this is freedom of speech. They won't come shoot me or shoot us but city of Montpelier needs to figure out what money is there for infrastructure. If you say you're going to do something, do it. There's going to be a lot more people hurt when they cross the street and they don't have an adequate traffic light or during a blackout and there's been plenty of blackouts where the traffic lights are not working. That's another thing. Okay, I have to look at that. But yeah, they need to figure out where they're putting their money instead of saying they're going to do it. Yes, they are too. Yeah, they just approve. According to the thank you, thank you. According to this it says the cities fall 2021 barely passed by the city council and they had to shrink it due to cover a shortfall that resulted from lost revenue such as virtual economic shutdown. Likewise, the 2022 budget that voters will decide March 2nd is far from aspirational. So there goes to show you they got to put their money where their mouth is. But we hope that people with disabilities will be treated better in the city because you got to put more money into infrastructure to help people with special needs. That's true. Alice, your last comments. People, we need all to come together. I agree. But like, I will take that into consideration and I will, and then I go up to bring all these issues up. Alice, your, I mean, Arlene, your last comments before we end. We should have housing for the blind. Well, maybe that's one thing we can bring up. That's a good idea. We have something like that here because this sort of blind can help. Anyway, Alice, I would like to thank you. Hey, Alice, I would like to thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. Okay. Again, this puts an end to this addition of Ableton and before we go, we would like to say, please look at the bridge and read all about the candidates for city council and district three. And don't forget to vote. March 2nd on town meetings. If you need to pick up a ballot, you can go to city hall or call city hall. You can find the number to call them and get a ballot sent to your house. And then because I don't think they're doing in-person balloting. This puts an end to this addition of Ableton and also before we go, I would like to thank you for joining us and also before we go, starting in March, we are going to be airing Ableton on air. We'll be airing on KATV in St. John'sbury as well. So that's www.KATV.org where airing in St. John'sbury will bring you the times as they come forth. And also for more information on Orca media and its programs and what Ableton on air does, you can go to www.Orcamedia.net and again, this puts an end to this addition of Ableton on air. I'm Lauren Seiler. I'm Lauren Seiler. See you next time on the next assigning edition of Ableton on air. Green Mountain Support Services of Vermont, Washington County Mental Health, Israel. Major media sponsors for Ableton on air include Park Chester Times, Muslim Community Report, www.thisisabronx.info, Associated Press Media Editors, U.S. Press Court, Domestic and International. Anchor FL and Spotify.