by Guy Page
In the final days of the 2024 Supermajority Legislature, the chair of a House Committee declared all bills worth considering had been considered. Their work was done. 

“Waitaminute,” one of three Republicans on the nine-member committee asked the chair. “How about we consider one of the bills I’ve introduced?”

Mr. Chairman replied: “Elections have consequences.”

Prophetic words. Voters tossed Mr. Chairman out of office this week in favor of someone who would vote for lower property taxes and against carbon taxes. 

On our live coverage Election Night, VDC Social Media Director Paul Bean and I watched and reported the election returns with a growing sense that something seismic had happened. Like all tsunamis, the Red Tsunami (term coined by VP reporter Peter Hirschfeld Wednesday) began with an underground tectonic shift. In this case, the first big rumblings were heard at Town Meeting in March. Then came the aftershocks. Town after town voted no, no, no on their school budgets. 

To give them credit, the Supermajority leaders felt the electoral earthquake tremors. To their debit, they failed to respond in time with the sandbag equivalent of spending cuts and tax relief.

I once heard Lorlei Campbell, the daughter of Maria Von Trapp, pray for legislators determined to represent special interests: “Lord, change them, or exchange them.”

You might say that prayer was answered Tuesday as many legislators who refused to change were exchanged. The Supermajority was wiped away. The jobs of existing Senate and House leadership may be in jeopardy. Whether survivors of what some Vermont Democrats called a “bloodbath” will get religion and shun the Blob education establishment and the renewable powercrats remains to be seen. If they don’t – 2026 is just two years away. Citizen candidates, start your engines. 

The Big Wave wouldn’t have happened without thousands of tax-paying voters telling thousands of others they were fed up, already. In this, Vermont’s new media helped. More than a decade ago established news media eliminated reader comments. Way to diss your readers! By contrast new online media like Rob Roper’s Behind the Lines Substack column, John Klar’s Small Farm Republic, Dave Soulia’s FYIVT.com and of course Vermont Daily Chronicle welcome comments. The comments aren’t always pretty or even accurate but they do inform and stimulate debate. 

One of VDC’s most faithful, generous Sustaining Subscribers spoke for many readers with this October 27 note, accompanied by a check: “We especially like the option for comments. Often find more information from the people who make comments.”

Information. And affirmation, connection, and correction, too. 

A Heard Public is the life blood of both media and politics. As opposed to the Herd Public. Legacy media seem content to cull and direct their audience. By contrast, interactive talk radio/podcasts like WVMT’s Morning Drive, WDEV’s morning lineup including Bill Sayre’s Common Sense Radio, Bill Huff and Mike Tagliavia’s Right Side Up, and VDC-TV’s Friday at Four have grown in importance. 

It’s no coincidence that two new Republican members of the House of Representatives are radio show hosts: Tagliavia of Corinth and Barre Beat host Michael Boutin. Decades ago Sen. Dick Mazza and his successor Rep. Pat Brennan won their first elections because they operated Malletts Bay grocery stores, listening to hundreds of people a day. Today’s grocery store counter counterpart is the local radio show/podcast microphone. 

And like a local country store, local media survives and thrives on the patronage of its customers! All of the media above welcome whatever help you can offer. As for VDC – If you believe in our mission and wish to help Vermont Daily Chronicle defray our considerable software, mailing and website expenses, please become a valued Sustaining Subscriber.

To contribute $9 monthly on a recurring basis, please click here.

To contribute $108 for one annual Sustaining Subscription, please click here.

To contribute $216 for two annual Sustaining Subscriptions, please click here.

Checks in any amount (suggested annual contribution of $108) may be mailed to: Vermont Daily Chronicle, P.O. Box 1547, Montpelier, Vermont, 05601. Your support is not tax-deductible.