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GU.AllD
OB..HOW
~ A BADICAL MAYOB.
====he Democratic "old
guard" was still in
shock three days
after the election.
Huddled around the
center table in Nee-
tor's Restaurant, less
than a block from
City Hall, Mayor Gordon Paquette and
somekeysupporters lookedgrimasthey
shared worries.
By early April, barring yet another
upset 8S a result of a recount, Paquette
wouldnolonger beBurlington's mayor.
He'dheld onto thejobfor 10years, and
had been an alderman for 13years be-
fore that. But on April 6a new "radical"
mayor, Bernard Sanders, would formal-
ly begin to work with the board of al-
dermen and city administration.
Most city officials hadn't even met
him.
The64-year-oldPaquette, cynical and
angry, prophesied that Vermont'slarg-
est city would"godown thetubes" with
Mayor Sanders. His friends around the
table weremore uncertain. Howwould
they farewithachief executivewhowas
a long-time leftist, a politician whose
campaign had been, in essence, a
broadside attack on their policies? Pa-
quette was considering retirement, per-
haps in Florida; City Clerk Frank
Wagner and Treaaurer Lee Austin
meanwhile wondered whether the new
mayor wouldreappoint them.
"I don't even know the man," said
aldermanic President J oyce Deaautels.
She had already decided, nonetheless,
to step down from her presidency and
hoped that Alderman William Blan-
chard, seated beside her, would take
over.
As perplexed as the rest, Blanchard
explained that "we're used to knowing
our elected officials - growing up to-
gether and raising families." Mayor-
elect Sanders was a stranger to him,
too.
Marian Fisher was also there. The
Democratic stalwart, an incumbent,
former School Board member, and
mother of a past aldermanic president,
lost her seat ontheboard of aldermen to
ayoungCitizensParty candidate, Terry
Bouricius. She was philosophical, but
had noanswer towhysheand Paquette
were defeated, except to say that "the
world ischanging."
The Democrats did "agree, however,
that they weren't about to hand over
Burlington just becauseoftheseelection
upsets.
They had just finished a Finance
Board meeting, for instance, at which a
hiring freezewas pro.posed.Along with
Paquette, a10percent increase in local
property taxes went down to defeat.
Without the tax hike $1.4 million in
budget cuts loomahead; when munici-
pal employees request raises there may
beno funds tooffer.
HIt's his budget now," Paquette said.
Anchoring hisownre-electiontothetax
hike, hehad drowned along withit. But
Blanchard and Desautels alsosit onthe
Finance Board, along with the city
treasurer and aloneRepublican, Robert
Paterson. They know that they must
decide whether or not to return to the
CHICKBn 0lJ'.r
voters for a smalJertax increase. IIRight
now I can't see how we can do that,"
said Desautels.
Whilethe "old guard" considered op-
tions, some of the people who helped
39-year-old Bernard Sanders to his 22
votevictory gathered in City Hall. The
moodwascelebratory. Spokesman Gene
Bergman, a local organizer for over five
years, called the election "just the be-
ginning of the efforts to bring the long
neglected and exploited working class
toits rightful placein the city."
Withhimwashousing organizer Seth
Lipschutz, part of thecoregroup which
advised Sanders during the early days
of his campaign. Lipschutz displayed a
stack of petitions withover 2,700signa-
tures. They call for aspecial election to
create a Fair Housing Commission. Pa-
quette had criticized the plan; Sanders
enthusiastically backed it.
Inaddition tojubilance intheSanders
camp and shock running tbrough the
city establishment and business com-
munity, there were some common ques-
tions. What wouldtheelectionof aleftist
mayor bodefor the commercial hub of
Vermont's most economically dynamic
county?
AndwhoisMayor-electSanders, any-
way?
Bynowmost residents knowat least
that heisaBrooklyn-born radical who
helped build the anti-war, anti-
capitalist Liberty Union Party of Ver
mont about 10years ago. fn1977heleft
Liberty Union indisgust, yet in1980he
backedtheSocialist WorkersParty pres-
idential candidate.
Sanders is also an elusive media wiz-
ard, a writer and filmstrip producer
who, during his own past campaigns
for national and statewide office, effec-
tivelypressedforequal time.Experience
with the media and residual name re-
cognition contributed to his win. So did
his ability to garner union backing -
hehad oldcontacts withseveral unions
and was willing tolisten tocomplaints
from the patrolmen's union.
TheDemocrats also helped. "Wehave
toadmit that wedidn't lift afinger for
Gordie," said one party worker. "Arie
Rothenberg(city Democraticchairman)
d.idn't even have campaign buttons,"
noted Alderman Maurice Mahoney.
Some people, like Mahoney, insist
that Sanders' election won't much alter
the political landscape. "The city will
continue to function," he said. And al-
though Sanders hasclaimedthat hecan
work with Mahoney, ayoung Democrat
who has often dissented on the board,
thealderman says hehardly knows the
mayor-elect and doesn't know what
their relationship will be.
Republicans, meanwhile, are regret-
ting their failure to even nominate a
candidate. And media workers are more
curious than shocked. "This is going to
be at least three months of exciting
news:' quippedTV newscaster Bill Fel-
ling.
At his post-victory press conference,
Sanders supported that diagnosis with
a promise that "there will b e no more
boring meetings."
FewBurlingtonians doubt that.
Continued. on page 10
Hestill assumed Paquette couldn't lose)
ground mall, hotel and office.building
to which the mayor'pointed WIth pnde.
The tax base appeared stable. And every
two years Paq uette reminded the voters
inre-election ads that "he kept the tax~s
down." Hehad to delete the slogan this
time around.
But Burlington's rapidly changing
downtown scene produced ripple effects.
Speculation dro,:,e up land values and
rents, resulting Ina housing shortag~
that was particularly painful for fami-
lies and the elderly. A restless youth
culture evolved. Despite commercial
growth, in addition! tax. re~enues
couldn't keep pace WIth spiraling ex-
penses.
Many residents - tenants, the elder-
Iy, long-time inhabitants of the inner
city - came to believe that CIty Hall
had forgotten them. .
And led by Paquette, the Democratic
Party failed to attract many new
workers, personalities. or ideas. It de-
pended instead on a core of hard~co.re
followers, electoral apathy among dIS-
organized critics, and a secure censer-
vative base. Paquette was especially
strong in Ward 4, a-giant-sized neigh-
borhood in the city's north end.
Bernie Sanders didn't win in Ward 4.
But he came close enough (within 325
votes) to erase the mayor's built-in edge.
Other aspects of political life in this
small city of 40,000 changed during the
C GIl\TG
OF THE GUARD
Paquette years. Advocacy organiza- at his restaurant to understand city proj-
tiona, such as the housing-oriented ects,
People Acting for Change Together When Sanders and Paquette debated
Z (PACT), and community groups like the at the local Unitarian Church, most of
~ King Street Area Youth Program devel- the audience was out for blood. And
~ oped networks in low-income neighbor- Sanders egged them on by linking the
hoods. Community newspapers created mayor with developer Antonio Pomer-
greater awareness of local controver- leau, who wants to build a condo/com-
sies. Toward the decade's end, neigh- mercial haven on the waterfront.
borhood organizations proliferated in HI'm not with the big money men,"
almost every ward. They concentrated Paquette protested angrily. "He's trying
on special concerns such as police pro- to put me with them." Grasping for a
tection, housing density, tenants' rights, counterattack, he warned that if Sand-
sewer inadequacy, traffic and construe. ers was elected, the Queen City would
tion plans. end up like Brooklyn.
A vocal anui-n uclear and peace The mayor looked honestly surprised
movement developed during the same as people hissed him.
period. Burlington had attracted young, When Sanders addressed the crowd,
educated and socially conscious people. 200 people from almost a dozen neigh-
Soon they were merging with indigen- borhoods, the response was warm, vir-
ous groups. tually electric. If the game had been
The various factions might not agree football, the audience might have car-
a "Republic-at," oneofthree Democrat- about the "Soviet threat" or increasing ried the challenger out on their
icaldermen whooftenjoined forces with the size of the. police force. But most shoulders.
the four Republicans to control ap- found the city administration rigid and During the final days a wave of hope
pointments. The other Republicrats unresponsive. The central targetoftheir engulfed the Sanders camp. Endorse
were Ray Wheel, who ultimately became anger became Gordie Paquette. ments came in from the patrolmen,
health and safety administrator under PACT, some university professors, and
Paquette, and Henry Allard, who died the Citizens Party. Election Dayesti
the day before Paquette's defeat. mates of Sanders' vote ranged from25
The Republicrats complained that aquette was still es- percent to victory.
they had little voicein Democratic Party sentially a Republi- Both candidates roamed the ward.
decisions, so they coalesced with the crat in 1981. Even throughout March 3. When I saw Pe-
GOP to become, for a while, the city's after the mayor alien- quette at midday he still maintained he
dominant political force. They under- ated some members would win with 70 percent and prove
mined a Democratic mayor, James of his own party _ that Burlington won't be going to tax
Fitzpatrick, to the point where he was two Democrats ran exempt institutions for contributions, as
defeated by Republican Robert Bing. against him _ Re- Sanders suggests, with "a tin cup."
Within a few years, nonetheless, Pa- publican leaders expected that GOP Other Democrats did admit that Gor-
quette shifted his role. The Burlington votes would once again elect him. die and they were worried.
Free Press touted him as "a man who Many Vermont towns were slated to When the Ward 6 returns were tabU;
can bring unity to the two major war- vote on repeal of the inventory tax, a lated after 7 p.m. Wadhams and I too
ring factions of Burlington Democrats" proposal promoted by the Lake Cham- notes. The machines showed Wadha~~
- the French and Irish. Paquette be plain Chamber of Commerce. But so with an edge, but he was upset. He
came city Democratic Party chairman certain was the chamber that Paquette expected much more. d
in 1964, yet it would bea longtime before would serve an unprecedented sixth Mayoral tallies showed Paquette ~~J
some Dems, especially the Irish forgave term that they cancelled their petition Sanders neck and neck. Wadhams nO","
the RepubJicrats. ' drive in Burlington, planning to nego- that a good showing for Sanders 10
Int~a.party squabbling didn't stop tiate with the mayor after re-election. "Republican country" could mean.~
Gordie Paquette fromconsolidating his On election day, while I stood outside citywide upset. "I'll have to work WI
power. Often heran unopposed; in 1966 the polling place for Ward 6, the city's this guy for two years," he said, fesr
he hecame aldermanic president, a post most consistently Republican. area, flashing across his face. n
he held for five years. When three term Richard Wadhams Jr. explained why Within two hours it was official: eVpe
Democratic Mayor Frank Cain retired he hadn't run for mayor. The two-term with th b te b II ts favoring s
in 1971,Paquette was the logical inheri- I e a sen e a 0 2 teB
alderman, who is city Republican quette he had been defeated by 2 vo
ll1l
:
tor. Hewon the Democratic nomination chairman, explained that running The tax hike was rejected overWhead
without a fight. against Paquette wasn't worth disrupt- ingly, an outcome almost everyone h
As the 70s proceeded Paquette came 109his law practice since the mayor and predicted. SO
to beviewed as invulnerable to election he agreed on most points. The defeat of Gordon Paquette wassJI
challenge. Urban renewal resulted in I was running against Wadhams and unexpected, however, that when I \)eg hI
the demolition of a low income neigh- asked whether he thought the ab;ence to spread the news some people thoug
borhood; It was replaced by an under- ofaGOPcandidatewasa tactical error. for sure I was joking.
10 - THE VERMONT V~A~N~G~U~A~R~D~P~R~E~S~S~/~M~A:R~C~H:;13~_2~O~, ~J9~8~1 ================~~=::::~=~~~:~=:===="'~
The B:lse and Fall of Gordon Paquette
Thepeopleshould be informed of our needs and invitedto
cometo d1scussthem...Inother words, wemust counteract
the problemof big,1mpersonal government with itstenden-
cry to growaway fromthe people.
- Gordon Paquette, 1971,
onw1nning the mayoral nomination
Continued from the cover
BirthoftheCoalition
"1amextremely concerned aboutthecurrent trend of
urbaIl development1ntheCityofBurl1ngton.Itismybelief
that, jfpresent trends continue, theCityofBurl1ngtonwill
beconverted1ntoanareainwhichonlythewealthy and
upper-middleclass will beabletoatrordtolive."
- BernardSanders
~~'"ichard SarteiIe stood
close behind Bernie
Sanders during his
post-victory press
conference, held at
the Franklin Square
~~~public housing proj-
'" ect. The mayor-elect
promised "chan~e~, in the Burlington
Housing Authority - morerespect for
tenants and an elected tenant represen-
tative onthe authority board.
For Sartelle that statement marked
theculmination of along quest towin
some influence in City Hall. His Own
campaign for alderman fizzled, yet Sar-
tellehelped Sanders make a stronger
showing in the city's conservative De-
mocratic north end than anyone im-
sgined possible. The new mayor didn't
intend toforget his ally.
Themeeting place was also symbolic.
Inasense, theSanders campaign began
at Franklin Square, siteof chronic con-
frontations between tenants and the
housing authority. A tenant himself,
Sartelle runs Green Mountain Com-
munity Services, Inc., an advoca~y
group which Sanders and several of his
advisors helped form.
With Franklin Square as a base,
Sanders convened acoregroup last Oc-
tober toassess theprospects for aMarch
mayoral fight. His most ardent backer
was University of Vermont Religion
Professor Richard Sugarman, who is
credited by Public Defender J ohn Fran-
co, another Sanders advisor. with orig-
inating theidea.
"Hethought that someone - not nec-
essarily Bernie - could win this year,"
announced Franco during theSanders
victory bash. " .
"I have only one thing toadd, said
Sugarman. "Ithad tobeBernie."
More than a few people had doubts
about that at first. Some local organiz-
ers were skeptical that Sanders would
honeinonlocal issues. Hehad his own
doubts at thebeginning, admitting that
"national and state issues aremoremy
thing!' .
But hespent hours with commumty
organizers, raised about $3,000 and,
after aslow start, seized this opportum-
tywithavigor that drew press attention
snd community kudos.
"I had tobeimpressed," said Henry
Frankel acommunity newspaper editor
Whohad also been on the Burlington
School Board. Sanders consulted him
about south end problems. According to
Frsnkel he'd received the runaround
regularl~ from Paquette's administra-
tion.
Sanders claimed he would recruit a
'late of candidates, but that never
materialized. Instead hedeveloped an
Independent Coalition which included
many of the disenchanted, including
Ward 3's feisty Democrat, Sadie White.
Denied her seat in the state legislature
last fall and the Democratic nod for al-
derman inJ anuary, theelderly woma.n
ran as aTaxpayer's Advocate. Berme
backed her rather than the Citizens
Party candidate, and she returned the
favor.
As an Independent with radical cre-
dentials Sanders made some conserva
tivecon'nections. For instance, White
had alienated fellow Democrats by op-
POsingtheChurch Street marketplace.
Sanders argued that local merchants
should repay the construction costs.
At several points hemeshed radical
and conservative sentiments - when
supporting the needs of the police, de-
crying the escalation of aimlessness
and delinquency among theyoung, and
when opposing Paquette's tax hike
proposal.
Sanders' austere ads, placed in the
Burlington Free Press, offered a new
twist onatested political ploy:
"Bernard Sanders believes that: We
need tosay notothe proposed 65 cent
property tax rate increase, and devise a
progressive tax approach which will
take the burden of theproperty tax, as
much as possible, offthe low and mod-
erate income homeowners and place it
on those individuals and institutions
who can better absorb it."
Hewas appealing topeople whohad
recently responded toReagan's tax rhet-
oric, reaching out tobeleaguered home-
owners whilesimultaneously urging re-
forms aimed at the wealthy and tax-
exempt institutions. Always the
outsider, Sanders articulated the rage
of everyone Paquette and thealdermen
had neglected or snubbed.
A related assault was directed against
Pomerleau's waterfront plan. Pomer-
leau became the local example of con-
centrated economic power (in past
campaigns Sanders had frequently at-
tacked the Rockefellers). Even though
Paquette often clashed withPomerleau,
Sanders effectively labeled Paquette as
thedeveloper's accomplice.
The timing was perfect. In the fall
elections, Burlington had registered a
solid 3,000 voteopposi tiontothepolicies
of Republicans and Democrats through
votes for Citizens Party congressional
and state senate candidates. The area
was on edge after Reagan's victory.
Groups wererallying, and peace activ-
ists managed toget anuclear weapons
freezereferendum ontheMarch ballot.
Itpassed overwhelmingly. .
The final ingredient was media ac-
cess. Sanders had fought hard for itdur-
ing Liberty Union years. Still, if Pa-
quettehad faced aRepublic~n themedia
coverage might have been limited, As It
was, WCAX-TV, radio stations, and the
Free Press provided Sanders with the
best showcase he'd ever had.
WCAX-TV News Director Richard
Gallagher proved generous withairtime
because "Gordie thinks he owns CIty
Hal!." Gallagher also thought that the
mayor was stretching thetruth when he
claimed never tohave asked for atax
increase before. Conservative and skep-
tical hefeltthat Paquette liked big gov-
ernrnent and federal grants when he
controlled both.
Gallagher alsoadmitted that Sanders
had "matured over theyears." Itwasn't
only his salt and pepper hair. Thecan-
didate appeared more8ec~reand m?re
human than inthepast. Stili aggressive
and rhetorical, Sanders had learned
how tomake his point - and then stop.
In contrast, Paquette was often rude
and came across as contemptuous of
anyone who Questioned him. Sanders
exploited themayor's mistakes, admon-
ishing him tothecheers of thecrowds.
The day after his victory, however,
Bernie Sanders was very lo,,;;keyed. ~e
. ded the media that one voice
remm .. th the
can't doit," readily admlttmg. a
isn't ready for "specific econonu~ q~es-
f Sll and warning that there 18 no
':':~ic formula for dealing withtheeco-
nomic crisis 'I Heasked for tIme toe: -
plain his pr~gram, and hoped that ~~
media would play a'~e active ro~
inhel ing the"comm'unity toseewhat s
. p " Th,'s could take theform of
gomg on. d
broadcasted me~tings, heo~er~. h'
Sanders wants toaccomp .1S mue.
n government involVIng large
~~:;'bers of people, tax reform,. a. dra-
matic change indevelopment PrIO!I~I~~,
d"the rebirth of thehuman spmt.
an
To
doall this, hewill have tobeco
h
:
ffective as amayor than
even moree
was as acandidate.
BegjDDtng the~ition
Even dissenting Democrats are now
expecting tostick with thepack. J oyce
Desautels, who has sometimes voted
independently, says thepressure tojoin
aunited front is building. But Maurice
Mahoney argues that, in spite of this,
the party must reevaluate its philo-
sophy and attract new leaders. Former
Democratic governor Phil Hoff, aBur-
lington resident, was aliberal critic of
Paquette. Now that the conservative
wing has been dealt aserious blow, the
liberal sidemay rally torecast theDem-
ocratic ideal.
And with onealderman and increas-
ing electoral strength - 38 percent in
wards wherecandidates werefielded-
theCitizens Party faces organizational
challenges and an undefined relation-
ship with theSanders administration.
Beyond pragmatic political consider-
ations, though, areother possiblities: a
new municipalism and unity among
progressive groups. According tohisto-
rian and philosopher Murray Bookchin,
another Burlington resident, such a
movement would require popular as-
semblies and eventual links between
these groups and between various
communities. Bookchin takes the idea
evenfurther - tomunicipalizing indU84
tries, land, and outlets, and ultimately
tosupplanting of "the national institu-
s president of the
board of aldermen in
1966, Gordon Pa-
quette opposed a
movs toward a
"atrong mayor" form
of government. Sub-
sequently hewielded
considerable power inthat post, yet the
position remains limited in official
scopetothis day.
The mayor, according to the City
Charter, is responsible for city funds
and is expected to"recommend tothe
consideration of theboard of aldermen
whatever measures hemay deem nee-
essary for the prudent and efficient
management of theaffairs of thecity."
In an emergency hecan command the
policeforce. As chief executive his views
can sway theboard.
But themayor cannot make asingle
appointment without theapproval of a
majority ofthealdermen. Hecommands
alarge staff and can recommend about
a dozen key administrators for ap-
pointment annually, yet each selection
undergoes aldermanic review. His in-
f1uence over most commission ap-
pointments is even more constrained:
his is just onevoiceonthecity council,
which selects appointees from an open
fileof applicants.
, t, --iW ; : . --
During his campaign. Sanders. right. joined a march at City Hall protesting
delay in repairing the Lakeside neighborhood's underpass,
lfBernard Sanders, as mayor, doesn't tions ofthestate by thetruly conf~?eral
likean ordinance or appropriation, he institutions of local commumties.
canvetoit. Buthecan beoverruled by a For themoment, however, thejobis to
two-thirds vote. The chance that a turn therejection ofPaquette by almost
Sanders vetowill besustained currently 60percent ofthevoters (fhosewhovoted
looks slim. for all three of his opponents) into an
Even beforehepicks his staff, thenew effective administration. This is more
mayor will face an immediate budget than enough tohandle for Sanders, his
crisis. Hecalled loudly for thedefeat of coalition, and theover 4,000 peoplewho
theproperty tax increase; hecan hardly voted for him.
return tothevoters, even WItha~maller Since March 3, people have been call-
request, without severely cutting the ing Sanders a socialist, even though
budget. This could also remov~ ~an- many supporters knew little about such
euvering room incontract negotiations ideological underpinnings before the
with municipal employees. vote. Sanders says the label is irrele-
And if thetax reform advocate does vant.
ask for ~~ax increase, WIll the voters Irrelevant or not, this isn't th~ first
approve It. nl lidif hi time asocialist has been elected 10 the
Sanders m~~t not 0 v so1 Y IS Green Mountain State. Barre, aworking
electoral coahtIo~ and WInsome c?n- class town built around thegranite in.
verts, hemust rapidly learn towork WIth dustry had twosocialist mayors inthe
aboard of ald~rmen that expects touse early 20th century. The difference this
this opportunity to flex h
"ts
mU~cles. timeis that Burlington has traditional-
Known In th.e past for ~s gru ::,p. I been a"business town" inwhich un-
proach, Berme Sanders WIllh
be
dzm
g
i~ns werefew and themen at theEthan
muchnegotiating - oneveryt 109 rom Allen Club called theshots.
salaries tofederal grants. B . S d '11 b
Not expecting victory until the very As mayorl erme an era WI e-
end, hedidn't plan for it. Now hemust comean hon.orary member of that club.
te ffectively intodozens of ongoing And so, haVlng won an electoral battle
en r e with the developers, merchants and
processes:. . 'h 1 Democratic power brokers
l
hewill now
.. As hedl~s In" Burhngto
h
si~;:~~~s~ have tosit down "cordially" with many
ltlcal partlesthWlll ~dse:a~i~ votes ona of the interests he has vigorously op-
Withamere reea er d fo solonl{
board of 13, Republicans are likely to pose r . .
k I I 'thDemocrats fora while. After thevIctory hesounded hopeful.
wor c oseyWI "Th 'f thO "h 'd b k'
In the long run, they harbor hopes of . eexlcI h
mg
. m~: theStat'h' rea 109
., ff t' ayoral candidate mto a Ig tgnn, IS a ereare no
fleldmg ane ec lYe m d I ..
in 1983. mo es.
\;
MARCH 13-20, 1981f THE VERMONT VAfJCOARD PRF:SS "1