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By Paul Bean
Since Thursday afternoon, there’s been spirited pushback against a legislative plan to separate non-homestead property owners into nine separate categoaries – and even more spirited pushback against a Barre legislator who explained that it’s the government’s job to pick taxpayer winners and losers.
On Thursday, March 27 the House Committee on Ways and Means heard testimony on the committee’s proposal to segregate the non-homestead property tax into nine classes of property taxpayers, each with its own tax rate.
Right now Vermont has two rates, homestead (primary residences) and non-homestead (commercial, secondary residences, apartment buildings etc).
Committee members assured concerned listeners that the nine categories would be used to set separate tax rates for one or more of the categories.
At least one State House observer wasn’t buying it. “They must either think we’re too stupid to believe them, or they are too stupid to realize we don’t,” he said (withholding his name).
The 9 classes are: Residential, Public, Resort, Affordable housing, Residential A, Residential B, Industrial, Commercial, and Undeveloped. Residential B are non-homesteads valued at over a million dollars.
Barre Rep. Teddy Waszazak (D) explained that the complicated tax code is necessary to ensure the “right people are winning.”
“The market picks winners and losers. And it’s the job of the Government to right size that. So yes we are picking winners and losers, because the market is already starting that dynamic for us, and it’s our job to make sure the right people are winning.”
After VDC posted on X the video of Waszazek making these statements, several readers took exception, responding with the following:
“It is NEVER. I repeat NEVER the government’s place to decide who the “right people” are, for any reason.”
“I never want the government deciding who the “right people” are.”
“This is just a poorly thought out attempt to increase their options for raising revenue in the future. It will never pass given the complexity. The law makers putting it forward should be spending their time on more pressing matters.”
Former House member Heidi Scheuermann of Stowe commented: “Is this a JOKE?!? 9 different classes of non-homestead property taxpayers?!? What a boneheaded idea … but who’s surprised when it comes to our elected leaders’ efforts at education funding reform and property tax relief.”
Date notwithstanding, this is no joke, Heidi.
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Categories: State House Spotlight
What a joke and it has to be the April fools joke of the year. These idiots need to go home now.
in montpelier its april 1st. every day.
It is this exact mindset of Representative Waszazak that is at the root of the criminal enterprise that is the Federal government and the Vermont government. It is the recipe for poverty and debt slavery for the forgotten working men and women and wealth and abundance for the political elites. Teddy and his economic illiterate colleagues would benefit from reading “Economics in one Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt. tps://youtu.be/ghQ5uHb-UNg?si=byhBFpHC-b49ogEC
“Economics in one Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt
Teddy is a proud woke activist from Massachusetts. He landed in Barre 2017, promptly got a seat on City council, advocated for BLM and interverted rainbow flags be raised and flown in the city park. He was one of others who put up a major stink and “resistance” when a veteran wanted to fly our 9/11 commerative flag over North Main St.
All you need to know: grifters gotta grift and create multi-layered bureaucratic lawfare warfare BS. The incentive is to tax, fee, and bind taxpayers into shackled indebted servitude, funnel our money to their NGO’s and non-profiteer buddies, then steal whatever percentage get’s tossed back into their campaign coffers. Collusion, coercion, and conspiracies to commit fraud – that is how they roll. The training facilities are City Councils in Barre City, Burlington, Montpelier, Brattleboro, et, al.
There is no honor among thieves and reprobates.
“The real motives of liberals have nothing to do with the welfare of other people.
Instead, they have two related goals- to establish themselves as morally and intellectually superior to the rather distasteful population of common people, and to gather as much power as possible to tell those distasteful common people how they must live their lives”
Thos. Sowell
Vermont legislature should meet every other year. Term limits.
I’ve been saying this for several years now!!! Back to meeting every other year AND A VERY VERY SHORT Session!!! They just keep harming Vermonters.
Barre Rep. Teddy Waszazak (D) epitomizes a misunderstanding of free market economics permutating the majority of our Vermont legislature. And understandably so. He’s a college theater major with limited business experience, and then only in the realm of non-profit NGOs – together, with our crony legislators, creating the dystopia of Vermont’s current economic tyranny.
Sowell Schools AOC on Capitalism vs Socialism
https://www.youtube.com/live/ZqylROx2n3M
“A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it … gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.” ― Milton Friedman
Hopefully the loser I hear on or before November 3rd 2026 is that Swamp Rat Teddy guy, If that’s what you want to call him ??🤯🥸👺
When do we get to start taxing non-profits?
Teddy sees himself as a professional activist. He proved that as a member of the Barre city council. Extremely discouraging that Barre City voters would vote for this guy for any government position. Barre is another Vermont dying city because of it’s old democratic politics. The problem is that the old democrats refuse to see that their party was stolen by these far left, anti-freedom progressive. The arrogance of these so-called public servants is astounding. Teddy already knows everything, if you don’t believe me just ask him. He’s been in Vermont for 7 years and he’s here to control you, another Taxachusettes grifter supported by voters who have no idea who he is where he’s from or what his plans are.
As a life-long resident of Barre, I’ll tell you what happened here – infiltration, followed by an invasion. The Young Turks, such as Teddy, are part of a “movement,” supported and encouraged on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. “Orange Man Bad” became their rallying cry. The Truth is “Grifting is Good!” As Barre lost most, if it not all of it’s good paying jobs (Bombardier, Granite Trade, Malden Mills, etc,) what was left and filled the void is non-profiteers and NGO’s. Having a district court, probation and parole houses, and numerous other State agencies pop up like weeds in the City sealed the deal with the devils.
Also, Governor Phil Scott layed out $10K bonuses in 2018 for Blue State grifters to come pouring in like rats on a fresh pile of compost. After that, the entire City filled with Progressive liberals and ignorant brain-washed Democrats from every Blue State cesspool across the nation. They are now burrowed in like ticks on a dog’s hindend and as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.
Barre was once a decent, livable city with a scrappy reputation. Now it is just a disgrace and a haven for drug addicts, cartels, and perverts. Sad, but true.
For those of you who believe in the free and fair democratic election of our Representatives, consider what his viewpoint means: followers of his ideology genuinely think the government should select the winners and losers of elections. They know best, after all, and will stop at nothing to ensure the “right” candidates are elected to office.
This ideology extends to monitoring how you vote: those unique QR codes on your ballots last fall were not an accident. Now, they know precisely who are faithful to their party and who to promote and who to demote. If you can find some spare time, please subscribe. we need volunteers to take action, not just talk.
Again, the Vermont Republicans have blown it.
Most ran on cut spending and taxes. And, as usual, they have nothing. No results. No way forward. No projected spending savings. No cojones. Zilch.
Talk about a blown opportunity.
Just another liberal political gambit to confuse citizens and taxpayers, all with the idea they will be able to covertly bleed the working stiff out of more of their hard earned monies! Most of the people coming up with this B.S. don’t work a regular job to begin with. This is a sport under the DOME.
It is like the clean heat legislation; “so it will cost $2000 more to fill your oil tank… just suck it up and save the planet and keep you mouth shut!” Sickening!
Picking winners and losers and choosing the “right people” is antithetical to the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
Government lets drug dealers and thieves do business without permits or issues.
Government stops Amazon from doing business.
Government impedes Costco from installing gas pumps for ten years.
When government works for lobbyists, NGO’s, nonprofits, WEF, United Nations, allows non citizens to vote, allows an invasion, you have what is known in the military as a subversion.
They are purposely ruining a perfectly good republic and replacing it with a temporary democracy leading to a planned economy, which is the favorite of marxists, they get to pick the winners and losers.
Knowledge is power.