Burlington, Vermont has long been celebrated for its vibrant arts scene, stunning natural beauty, and progressive spirit. Although, as I’ve come to learn since moving here from Toronto in 2012 – that last point isn’t the advantage it may sound like. Because Burlington makes Toronto look like Birmingham, Alabama. In 1963.
It hasn’t earned its “People’s Republic of Burlington” nickname due to the cuisine.
The city is a bit of a paradox right now. A paradox smelling strongly of pee. Surrounding all the new tech companies, and a digital marketing agency (or 20) who sprung up beside them, are significant and self-inflicted challenges related to homelessness, crime, and drug addiction.
And I genuinely like it here. But I do mean surrounding.
That Escalated… Immediately
In the last 5 years, the city has seen record levels of homelessness, with hundreds of unhoused individuals in the area, many of whom are battling severe addiction issues fueled by drugs like your fentanyls and your xylazines. Overdoses have surged, straining emergency services and leaving many without access to long-term treatment.
Simultaneously, crime rates have risen sharply – gunfire incidents increased nearly 300% (not a typo) in recent years, and aggravated assaults are up 40% – making residents feel unsafe, and definitely resentful of the progressive politicians who got us into this mess.
A Soft Target for Treachery
We’ll get back to the tech and the marketing, but you may be wondering how this happened, and why so quickly? When people ask me, I typically say something along the lines of: “That’s easy. Burlington has become a soft target, and we the marks who live there.
A target for dirtbags looking to sell their wares to vulnerable citizens. And the word is out – all along the drug corridor which starts in Montreal, runs straight through Burlington, and carries on down to Springfield MA, Boston, New York City and beyond. Why do we now find ourselves in this predicament?
A Case Study in Stupidity
Existing issues were immediately exacerbated by the city’s decision in 2020 to defund our police force by 30%, reducing the number of active-duty officers from 95 to – whatever number they’ve managed to crawl back up to. Not many people want to be a cop these days. Between early retirement as soon as they’re pension eligible, and a lot of 1/4 full police academies around the country, the decision made by the Burlington progressives in power right before Covid hit were an unnecessary, virtue-signaling, recipe for disaster.
That’s right, folks. Our fearless leaders at the time decided that, when not even Minneapolis followed through with their threats, “we” decided to do it right here. In Burlington fucking Vermont. Their lack of forethought, and obsession with an ideology, has turned this once into a hellscape of unintended consequences.
In fact, so few cities ever let the insanity get as far as we did here, that Burlington quickly became, and remains, one of the only “Here’s What Happens When You Defund the Police” case studies in existence! Let’s put that on the tourism pamphlets.
Weren’t You Going to Talk About the Hub Stuff?
That doesn’t sound like any kind of progress I’ve ever heard described. I wouldn’t have let the last Ward 3 councilperson I met warm up a bowl of soup. But, hey, at least for one happy decade the tech startups flocked here in droves. There, happy now?
Jokes (and angst) aside, it’s still been fascinating to watch, and be part of, Burlington’s transformation into the cute little tech hublet it’s become. With a growing number of startups, innovative companies, and a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, Burlington now attracts tech talent from across the country. At least the talent that doesn’t spend a lot of time researching before relocating.
And, yes, this era has naturally paved the way for a solid Burlington, VT digital marketing, SEM, SEO, content strategy and reputation management presence. Look, Burlington is a great place to live, maybe 4 days out of 7 on average. And, while not even a $30K signing bonus has been able to lure enough police officers here to make a difference, the Universe has a way of correcting itself, and eventually the old gal is sure to make a comeback.
Did I mention Ted Bundy was born like a block from my house? So, we’ve got that going for us, too.
Nah. Better not.