by Guy Page

An exchange between a Vermonter and a state senator illustrates citizen frustration with lawmakers giving themselves a large pay raise, and Democrat lawmakers’ low opinion of conservative-leaning Vermont news outlet True North Reports.

On Tuesday April 11, after reading in True North about the Vermont Senate committee approval of a significant hike in legislative pay and benefits and creation of a committee to study extending the legislative session, Karen Rowell of Burlington wrote this email to all Vermont senators and several House members:

“How is it legal for you to give yourselves an undeserved raise and benefits? When you make it so that so many of your constituents can’t afford them! Oh my gosh – We’d be better off if the dems and progs did nothing! Do not give yourselves a raise or more work time. I do not want to pay for more of your incompetency!”

On Wednesday, April 12 at 09:11 AM, Sen. Becca White (D-Windsor) on her Senate email account wrote in response:

Hi Karen,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your perspective.

One important note is that S.39 would not give the current legislature a compensation reset, rather it goes into effect over time starting the next session. Meaning anyone currently serving would need to be re-elected.

I would be happy to connect over the phone to talk about the bill and why S.39 makes public service possible for Vermonters of all income levels. My personal cell phone number is [withheld by editor], and while you are not in the district I serve I’d be glad to talk through what the bill does.

I don’t recommend True North Reports as a source for journalistic integrity, so I would implore you to review the following report which was commissioned and completed by the Snelling Center, and this article on the financial barriers to public service in our state.

I’m not aware of any proponents of the bill looking to make legislating a full-time job or a career, rather hoping to be able to afford the cost of taking months off from other careers to do public service. Unfortunately, the low pay and lack of benefits have led to a recruitment and retention problem and have limited the ability of Vermonters who are not retired or independently wealthy from serving.

Best, Senator Becca White

Rowell responded:

Future legislatures need to meet LESS not more.  Rob is right,  We are a state of only 650K.  More people would be able to serve with a smaller time commitment and retain their jobs.  The need of your party to control every minutiae of our lives would then be eliminated and work on real issues would then take center stage. Housing, bringing business’ to the state to retain our youth, lowering the cost of living and taxes, teaching prisoners the trades, designing mentoring programs, etc  Your climate cult which does nothing to help the environment but ruins our economy (and ruins the land of those forced into slave labor to bring these toxic batteries to fruition which are going to end up poisoning our water)  would be dismantled.   It would be great.

I’ve learned that studies from dems/progs are designed to say what you want them to say.  Just look to Miro Weinberger who never met a false stat he didn’t like.  He uses false, made up stats to lie about everything.  I like the idea of someone making a financial sacrifice to serve.  It means they are serious about serving.  And look at your own example in your article.  NY pays it’s legislatures well and they are ruining that state.  More people are leaving that state than most other places, except CA which VT stupidly blindly follows in policy even though that state is going down the toilet.  And NH pays less and has better policy for it’s population.  Huh.

As for your True North dis.  I would refer you to our local crappy news outlets WPTZ WCAX and 22 VT Digger and 7 Days – all who lied for TWO YEARS about Trumps Russia hoax and many other issues throughout the pandemic etc., Perhaps you should evaluate using broadcasts who continually lied to you before lecturing me on going to True North who did not lie to me for two years or throughout the pandemic.

Here are some other things that can be worked on [followed by link to Vermont Daily Chronicle op-ed].

Publisher’s note: Vermont Daily Chronicle is not affiliated with True North Reports. Some VDC news stories are re-published in True North.