With Burlington being such a small metropolis, a higher emphasis is placed on community driven by the work environments that carry the city’s success on their backs. Increasingly, the often-difficult conditions of such work have been publicly acknowledged as in urgent need of reform. An investigation into the reality of the life of a typical Burlington employee of such establishments reveals that inappropriate management and a focus on profit over all other considerations, in combination with poor pay and a disregard for the rights of employees, are to blame.

While they pine for your shopping dollars during peak consumer spending season, it’s clear these business owners still can’t help themselves and wish to continue playing the victim, never acknowledging the role they’ve played in creating a narrative of an unsafe downtown Burlington, one that trades in crime wave fearmongering and a disdain for vulnerable populations in the city.

Political life in the city of Burlington leaves a lot to be desired. The forces of big money are laying siege to our homes, schools, hospitals, public spaces, and social expression. Like vampires, the insular cliques of entrepreneur groups intrude into our communities and suck out the social surplus. They monopolize every aspect of our lives and raise the rent. They attack us with their ideology to sanctify their exploitation.