Mountain Times - Volume 48, Number 24: June 12-18, 2019

The Mountain Times • June 12-18, 2019 JUMPS • 33
Veto:
Gov. Scott chooses mental healt services, gun waiting period over gun waiting period
continued from page 6
“I don’t think the governor is going to get back
the well-wishes of the NRA over this one,” Sears said
Monday evening, referring the gun rights supporters
who protested Scott’s signing of firearms restrictions
in April 2018. “I don’t think they’ll jump up and down
given what he signed last year.”
Bill Moore, the firearm policy analyst for the
Vermont Traditions Coalitions, who opposed the
waiting period in the Legislature said Monday
“I AM UPSET,” SAID CLAI LASHER-SOMMERS, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF GUNSENSE VERMONT. “I FEEL LIKE HE
DID NOT LISTEN TO, OR LOOK AT, THE DATA CLEARLY.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT WE WILL STOP.”
evening he agreed with Scott that the waiting period
wasn’t good policy.
“We agree that it’s ineffective … [in addressing]
the questions regarding suicide regarding access to
firearms and means for suicide, that it wouldn’t have
done anything but really restrict people’s access to
self protection,” he said.
But instead of praising the governor for his
decision, he criticized the governor for signing last
year’s sweeping package of gun control bills.
“Where was he last year?” Moore said. “Where was
the governor’s concern for balancing rights vs. good
policy to protect Vermonters last year when he signed
the magazine ban?”
Clai Lasher-Sommers, executive director of
GunSense Vermont, which backed the waiting period
measure, said she was surprised the governor vetoed
the legislation.
“I am upset,” she said. “I feel like he did not listen
to, or look at, the data clearly.”
Lasher-Sommers added, “There is no way that we
will stop.”
The waiting period proposal gained momentum
early this year, after Alyssa and Rob Black, a couple
from Essex, called on the Legislature to enact a
gun purchase waiting period in the obituary they
wrote for their son,
Andrew. Andrew Black died of a self-inflicted
gunshot wound in December.
The Blacks said they were “deeply disappointed”
by the governor’s veto in a statement sent to the
media Monday evening. “We all now understand that
suicide is most often an impulsive act, including the
Governor,” the statement added. “He was provided
with the same information that both the House and
Senate were provided with. They created a thoughtful
compromise. It is disappointing he went political.”
The Blacks also
said they were
grateful for the
support the measure
received in the
Legislature.
“While we know
this bill would not
save everyone, by
disrupting access to the most lethal method, it would
have saved some,” the couple’s statement added.
“This bill would have saved our son, it could have
saved yours.”
The Blacks said they would keep pushing for a
“reasonable” waiting period. “We will continue our
work until Vermont has a Governor that will sign this
measure,” the statement read.
Signs abortion bill
The governor’s decision
to sign H.57 means Vermont
law, currently silent on
abortion, will now have
some of the broadest
protections in the country.
“Like many Vermonters, I
have consistently supported
a woman’s right to choose,
which is why today I signed
H.57 into law,” Scott wrote in Monday’s statement.
“This legislation affirms what is already allowable
in Vermont – protecting reproductive rights and
ensuring those decisions remain between a woman
and her health care provider. I know this issue can
be polarizing, so I appreciate the respectful tone and
civility from all sides throughout this discussion.”
Rep. Pattie McCoy, R-Poultney, the House minority
leader, was among the House Republicans who said
the bill was too expansive because it failed to set any
limits on when an abortion can be carried out or add
extra regulations for teenagers.
“From my take on it, it doesn’t have as many
bumpers as I would have liked to see on the bill,”
McCoy said, adding that many in the Republican
Party would be disappointed.
“I think we have a lot of individuals who are pro
life in the Republican Party so I’m sure it will be
upsetting for some, others would have liked him to
pass without signing, but once again we are not the
governor,” she added. “We voiced our concerns when
we had the bill on the floor.”
The Vermont Right to Life Committee, a leading
anti-abortion group, released a statement Monday
expressing it’s frustration with the governor.
“By putting his signature on H. 57, Gov. Phil
Scott endorses unlimited, unregulated abortion
throughout all nine months of pregnancy,” said
Mary Beerworth, the group’s executive director. “His
signature signals his preference for protecting the
business of abortion over other life-affirming options
in Vermont statute.”
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
issued a statement praising the actions of the House,
Senate and the governor in supporting the “historic
and common sense” legislation.
“THIS LEGISLATION AFFIRMS WHAT IS ALREADY
ALLOWABLE IN VERMONT – PROTECTING
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND ENSURING THOSE
DECISIONS REMAIN BETWEEN A WOMAN AND
HER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
“Each and every day we see proof that abortion
rights are on the line, and we cannot risk the threats
to abortion access that we’re anticipating at the U.S.
Supreme Court,” said Meagan Gallagher, president
and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern New
England. “We applaud Governor Scott for supporting
reproductive rights and for taking action to preserve
these rights in Vermont law.”
Xander Landen contributed to this report.
MOS: “When life begins” is moot when talking about the soul
continued from page 28
Money Matters: On social security
continued from page 30
that has accumulated in the past lives, and the experiences
that will help it to evolve and grow closer to the Source in
the upcoming incarnation.
We can’t cover this subject in its entirety here, but the 16
charts that precede the moment of birth, include what is
known as a Ties Chart, or the T-Epoch of Ties, which occurs
six-and-a-half months prior to birth. In the role of the eliminator,
Pluto is the planet that governs this epoch. It is at or
near the T-Chart that the Soul elects to stay or go, and where
abortions or miscarriages occur.
At about five months prior to the birth moment there is
a chart for the A-Epoch of Animation. The Buddhists teach
us that this is “The Quickening,” the moment in the gestation
process where the fetal heart starts to beat, or the point
where the soul commences to enter the physical vehicle.
Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that it is in the
fourth month that the baby starts to kick. This ties in with
“The Quickening,” and could be said to be the moment
where the human being actually comes alive.
Given the fact that the first chart in the series of prenatal
charts is erected 11 months prior to the birth chart we
could argue the point. Two months prior to conception
the Soul enters the U-Epoch of Understanding. This marks
the moment in time when the incoming soul portions off a
piece of its psychic energy to form the etheric template for
its lower consciousness in the mother’s womb. This could
definitely be seen as the moment that life begins—but, who
knows? Arguing about things gets us nowhere and becomes
pointless when we are ignorant of the laws that govern life
on Planet Earth.
If the kids that I was eavesdropping upon had been
better informed, instead of hassling each other over the
question of “When is a human being officially considered
to be alive?”, they could have been talking about the physics
of reincarnation or having an interesting discussion
about the complex series of choices that every Soul has to
make before they make their formal entrance into the third
dimension.
It’s too bad none of us are allowed to access the books
that are stored in the Vatican Library – and it’s too bad that
our educational system is not designed to enlighten us
or help us to penetrate the deeper mysteries. But, there is
a ton of research that has gone into the study of prenatal
astrology. If you delve deep enough what you find will blow
your mind. If you are interested in finding out more about
prenatal astrology, Charles Jayne’s “Preface to prenatal
charts” is a good place to start. Let me leave you with that,
pray that all of the above doesn’t rattle your pro life and pro
choice cages too much, and invite you to take what you can
from this week’s ‘scopes.
Ways to stabilize the Social Security system, include:
Increase payroll taxes: An increase in payroll taxes,
depending on the size, could add years of life to the trust
fund.
Raise the retirement age: This has already been done
in past reforms and would save money by paying benefits
to future recipients at a later age.
Tax Benefits of higher earners: By taxing Social Security
income for retirees in higher tax brackets, the tax revenue
could be used to lengthen the life of the trust fund.
Modify inflation adjustments: Rather than raise benefits
in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), policymakers
might elect to tie future benefit increases to the
“chained CPI,” which assumes that individuals move to
cheaper alternatives in the face of rising costs. Using the
“chained CPI” may make cost of living adjustments less
expensive.
Reform is expected to be difficult since it may involve
tough choices—something from which many policymakers
often retreat. However, history has shown that
political leaders tend to act when the consequences
of inaction exceed those that would come from taking
action.
Kevin Theissen is the principal and financial advisor,
of HWC Financial in Ludlow.