by Bill Huff
Our state is facing multiple crises, mostly self-inflicted, the result of policies enacted by a Democrat supermajority made up of activists who are either out of touch with the real needs of Vermonters or are too wrapped up in their own ideology to care.
But we all need to get real about putting positive solutions in place – now — or we are doomed as citizens individually and as a state collectively.
This is the reality:
We cannot afford the crushing tax burden the majority is placing on our household incomes. State spending is out of control, and despite unprecedented amounts of money flowing into programs, it is not working to solve the real problems Vermonters are dealing with every day.
On top of the $200 million-plus property tax increase ushered in by Act 127, etc., since obtaining their veto-proof supermajority in 2022, Vermont Democrats have rammed through in just 2023 a new $120 million payroll tax that will take effect this July. They imposed $20 million in higher DMV fees for driver’s licenses and vehicle registration. They passed the Clean Heat Carbon Tax, which is estimated to add 70 cents to every gallon of home heating fuel Vermonters need to buy to keep warm in winter over an unprecedented outcry of citizens. They didn’t care.
This year, 2024, they are poised to pass a Renewable Energy Standard bill estimated to add $1 billion to the cost of our electricity bills. They are looking at increasing the sales tax by as much as $271 million by including groceries, medical products, residential energy, clothing and footwear, and/or expanding coverage to include services. They are looking at a $15-$30 million sweetened beverage tax. New taxes on downloaded software: $20 million. A new 5 percent gross receipts tax on television streaming services on top of the sales tax: $7-8 million. And a Clean Transportation Carbon Tax on gasoline and diesel on par with the one on heating fuels.
Despite all this taxing and spending, misplaced priorities left many of our homes and businesses vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as the July and December flooding, because Vermont Democrats diverted hundreds of millions of dollars away from investing in preventative adaptation measures and into unrealistic – and unbearably expensive — schemes to change the weather by “lowering our carbon footprint.”
Crime in our once uniquely safe state is now a top issue because of the supermajority’s unrealistic belief that defunding our police, allowing criminals to shoplift and commit other crimes without consequence, and fostering a permissive drug culture would somehow make our communities safer. The opposite is true.
Housing is unaffordable because the supermajority piles regulation upon regulation, making it literally impossible to build new housing at an affordable price.
Our schools, despite record spending on a declining student population and an ever-increasing property tax burden, are failing to educate our children. Test scores are dropping, classroom safety is suffering, mental health issues are rising because of the supermajority’s proclivity to adopt every progressive educational fad and to use our classrooms as indoctrination camps instead of focusing on real skills like reading, writing, math, science, and critical thinking.
These are just a few of the biggest issues we face – and must solve. To do so, we must “G.E.T. R.E.A.L” about what’s happening, who is responsible, and who is really willing to do what needs to be done to keep our ship of state afloat.
G.E.T. R.E.A.L. is a solemn promise and a positive path forward for our state by Vermont Republicans focused on improving the quality of life of our people. It is a prescription of policy proposals that includes: G.lobal Warming Solutions Act reform, recalibrating the law to reflect realistic and affordable goals; E.ducation reform, refocusing our schools’ mission back to excellence in core subjects; T.ransportation and infrastructure with a priority for fixing our roads; R.egulatory reform to lower the cost of housing; E.nvironmental protection initiatives focused on protecting and preserving our natural resources and landscapes; A.ffordability and tax reform to lower costs for working Vermonters; and restoring L.aw and order in our communities.
We encourage Vermonters who see the need for a new and more affordable direction for our state to learn more about the G.E.T. R.E.A.L program and the candidates who support it in the months between now and November 5. It’s time to get involved. The future of Vermont – and your future in it — is at stake.
Bill Huff, Orange County Republican Committee chair, on behalf of all the Republican County Committee chairs.
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Categories: Commentary, State Government
It is refreshing to read a positive approach to advancing those conservative issues which the vast majority of Vermonters likely identify with as their chief concerns. Now the challenge is to identify GOP candidates who can articulate that message in a way that attracts voters. Nice beginning Bill.
Has anyone heard of Kevin Hoyt? If not then look him up. I want to see him have a debate that is televised with Scott.
Scott republicans or Trump republicans..
I’m going with Trump republicans cuz Scott is still voting for Biden and the CCP
Leadership in the Republican ranks is sorely gone astray. Start with Dame, and go from there. It can be done, but there are some critters who need to step aside and let new faces, and new approaches be tried.
Mr. Huff
Aside from the many problems our aging population is confronted, there is a regional problem that needs your attention as well.
ISO-New England is experiencing demand growth and realistically will serve that load with gas-fired generation because it understands renewables are not at scale and too intermittent until offshore wind matures.
As Vermont constructs compliance with the GWSA by shifting away from fuels and towards electrification that new load will become a more expensive import.
Vermont commercial and industrial customers should take this challenge as a priority. They and the Republican legislators can compel the Department of Public Service to look at how the parts may not fit as they are anticipated. The New England electricity generation and distribution system will be operating a an entirely new environment and the energy choices we make today will have to fit into this rapidly changing electric power industry.
The issue of aging and declining populations or population collapse is well documented. The United Nations proposed a solution in 2001 discussed in UN document about Replacement Migration being a Solution to Aging and Declining Populations at https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/unpd-egm_200010_un_2001_replacementmigration.pdf
The United Nations and the Biden Administration support migration as a solution to population collapse. This is why our boarder is open and the New American Offices are being set up across the nation to welcome the new citizens, including Vermont. Biden is implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, along with the Vermont legislature and our governor. One goal requires member nations to facilitate safe and orderly migration among countries. The solution is already determined by supranational powers and not open for public debate. Vermont even set up the Human Rights Council, aligned to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which will also protect migrants.
Who are the Conservatives Running for all the offices, including the Governor seat,
it’s time for the VT-GOP to get some fighters, we need some courage to put the heat on the cancerous progressives, who are killing our state and suffocating our citizens with taxes…………………….
Real Vermonters will step up when we have fighters for our State and stop all the only things progressives know Tax, Tax, Tax !!
Wake up people, let’s save the state.
Bill Huff seems to be a nice enough Vermont conservative who has opined and run for political office here in Vermont for several years. But as the chair of Vermont’s Orange County Republican Committee, I find it odd (if not predictable) that Mr. Huff, like everyone else in Vermont’s GOP establishment, merely rehashes the many obvious failures of Vermont’s overly centralized government control. Perhaps it’s time for him to ‘get real’ and offer up some ‘real’ solutions.
For example, back in 2022, Mr. Huff recommended changing Vermont’s ‘defined benefit’ government retirement system to a ‘defined contribution’ plan. And I agree. Making this change is one of the most important, effective, and reasonably fair modifications Vermonters should be considering. So, let’s hear more about the details of this tangible next step instead of just joining the chorus of general complainers.
Yes, and if conservatives are serious about containing education spending instead of complaining about it they’ll support ending local choice and start closing inefficient small schools in the state’s rural communities. I’ll believe it when I see it.
“Perhaps it’s time for him to ‘get real’ and offer up some ‘real’ solutions.” Too often, the ‘real’ solutions the Republicans offer is a Democrat lite version of their proposals. Most of what Mr. Huff lists should be stopped and/or not done at all.
Mark: How do you know small schools are inefficient? What criteria do you use to make this assessment?
Paul: Do you disagree that government pension plans are better structured as ‘defined contribution plans’, as opposed to ‘defined benefit plans’? If so, why?
Thank you Mr. Huff, and friends, for standing up for traditional Vermont values and being a watch guard for the public purse(s). We do need to get real Vermonters into the statehouse. Americans and Vermonters have long desired self-governance from before the Revolutionary War. Back then, they wanted to get real self-government and participated in town, county, and state government.
Over time, Americans in every state decided to get real about a different kind of self government, the kind where self interest takes over. Now, we Americans are waking up to our self created disaster thats happening here in the Green Mountain state, and nationally. Dondey Pocks is not a long term sustainable solution to anything; it’s very good at destruction.
Lets all get real excited about removing some or all of those Ds, and Ps behind our elected servants names on the legislative roll call. Lets get real concerned about our future state. Let’s get real tactical about our civics.
Right. So clean up the voter rolls, for a start. Best wishes.
Even more important is to get rid of the rinos that are completely destroying our beautiful state.
I keep hearing that vermonters don’t want Trump however I am one that would do anything to have Trump back.
Our traitorous governor Scott was pulling for Nikki Haley in the primary only to keep Trump out.
We know he will go on to vote for the Biden crime family and the destruction that we are living under and have been living under for the past three and a half years.
Many of the rinos signed on with Scott and Patty McCoy and Tom Burditt and Butch Shaw in the host of others to remove Trump from office early so they could get on with their participation in the destruction of vermont and the united states of America.
I pray every night for candidates that will not be afraid to say they support Trump because of all the good things he does and none for every American and speaks out bravely about the Biden crime family and the destruction in America today..
We will never take for my back if we keep voting in the same old rhinos that keeps sticking the knife in our backs after we vote for them…
Richard, I think Tyler’s point is in line with yours. The first step in ‘getting rid of RINOs’ (depending on what you mean by RINO), is to clean up the voter rolls and verify voter registration signatures. It’s one thing to say that we should get rid of someone. It’s another thing entirely to explain how that should be done. Tyler’s point is an exemplary tangible next step.
picture of that car reminds me of the loggers protest in front of the state house many years ago/// question/// do you remember the state rept. that owned the car the loggers smashed///
ops i forgot/// until you find another group of loggers, you will keep blowing smoke and never see any fire///
Well said and well written, Bill. Such a clear summary of what is happening right in front of us and why. Let’s hope Vermonters rally behind the GET REAL campaign with You.
Why are our academic outcomes suffering? It’s not all a lack of resources. It’s not all Covid.
My school district made an unforced error with proficiency grading. We started it before Covid. Where are the data to see what’s happened with this experiment we did on the “kiddos”? It’s education malpractice not to study results.
Homework doesn’t count. Deadlines don’t matter. Tests and quizzes have unlimited redos. Kids are fine with 2.5 or 3. We haven’t addressed curricular gaps and redundancies, which I’ve urged. We could be assessing a particular proficiency over and over. And then there can be proficiencies we aren’t assessing at all. With our computer grading system, this would be easy to track.
We don’t require a minimum number of proficiencies to graduate. What do we expect from this system? Certainly not academic excellence.
Vermont Republicans are effectively invisible in the presidential elections. Obsessing over Trump, who is thoroughly detested by the vast majority of Vermont voters (2020 results: Trump 30.38%, 2016: Trump 30.3%), is a colossal waste of time and only serves to sabotage local Republican candidates (e.g., Malloy 2022: 27.56%).
Enough with the absurdity—redirect your efforts to areas where you might actually make a difference: local elections.
For those oblivious to the current state of affairs, here’s a wake-up call regarding the VT House composition:
Democrat, 103; Democrat/Progressive, 2; Independent, 3; Libertarian, 1; Progressive/Democrat, 5; **Republican, 37; **Republican/Democrat, 1
And the VT Senate:
Democrat, 19; Democrat/Progressive, 3; Progressive/Democrat, 1; **Republican, 7
The party is in shambles, plagued by decades of dysfunction, a dearth of genuine supporters and donors, rampant internal squabbles, and a platform overwhelmingly rejected by Vermont’s electorate. There’s an evident lack of candidates who could be competitive in a general election and an utter absence of organizational infrastructure.
End this self-imposed victimhood!
Trump’s victories elsewhere don’t change the fact that Vermont Republicans are floundering.
To claw back some semblance of relevance and influence, the Vermont Republican Party MUST:
* Pivot its focus to LOCAL issues and policies that align with the interests of the majority of Vermonters.
* Recognize that failing to align with the state electorate’s preferences will cement its irrelevance.
* Place a higher priority on winning elections and gaining the majority’s support rather than clinging to outdated and unpopular ideologies.
The party faces a stark choice: represent something meaningful to most Vermont voters or continue to stand for nothing and fade into political oblivion.
Vermont Republican Catastrophic STRATEGY of Failure:
Trump – Riding Trump’s dwindling support is a surefire path to defeat in any Vermont General Election.
Wall – Advocating for migration control and wall construction is a lost cause in Vermont General Elections.
Abortion – Pushing against abortion rights when the issue is already decided in the state’s constitution is self-destructive for any Vermont General Election candidate.
Transgender Issues & BLM – These are not pressing concerns for the majority of Vermont voters. It’s time to move on.
Stolen Election & Anti-Governor Scott Rhetoric – The majority of Vermonters see through the stolen election lies.
It’s a dead end.
Agreed. Thanks, Tom.
In other words – we need to become Democrats.
Good thinking.
Yes Brian most Republicans are actually Democrats, but no Democrats are ever Republicans. Unless they have been red pilled.
I would like to add one additional though. If the Republican party is to move on from Trump, how can this occur with the endless media propaganda broadcasted 24×7 on national and local legacy media. It is impossible to have a sincere and honest conversation with anyone in this state. As soon as I say that I am a Republican, I am verbally attacked. No one cares what I stand for or considers that Douglas and Scott are well liked and respected Republicans. According to political scientists and commentators, the definition of a Republican has changed. Republican politics resemble that of slightly watered down progressives with a fiscal conservative side, like our governor or Liz Chaney and Mit Romney, both neocons. This is an honest statement about politics in America. The democractic party of my parents’ generation is dead, replaced by socialist democratic values and politics focused on social justice and equity, which is rebranded socialism. The sooner people acknowledge this and stop gaslighting the population the better.
Re: “It is impossible to have a sincere and honest conversation with anyone in this state.”
Well, Christine – I think I can be included as ‘anyone’. I asked two questions in the above thread.
How do you (Mark) know small schools are inefficient? What criteria do you use to make this assessment?
And,
Do you (Paul) disagree that government pension plans are better structured as ‘defined contribution plans’, as opposed to ‘defined benefit plans’? If so, why?
I don’t attack you for being a Republican, Christine. But I am interested in your opinion on these issues. After all, how can voters make reasonable decisions if they base them on party affiliation as opposed to the details of the issues at hand?
I find your line of questioning intentionally confrontational, as I am making a general statement about the political shifts in America and the media’s influence, not addressing any one specific policy. I have not researched the benefits of small schools versus big schools, and I am not sure why you associate my comment with “Mark”. These are extremely complex issues which require people to come together collaboratively. This can only occur if the nation wasn’t polarized. My recommendation is cutting down of beurocracy in education from the federal to the local level. The US Department of Education comes at an extreme expense to taxpayers, who pay for education at the federal and state tax levels. This would save taxpayers significant money and return control of education to communicatees. I personally do not care if the school is large or small. Although, small schools may have a better chance of maintaining local control.
Well, Christine, I suppose my line of questioning *is* ‘confrontational’, from a certain point of view. It’s an attempt to direct the discussion to specifics and away from those generalized complaints that are directed at everyone… or no one at all, as the case may be.
And I get it. You’re right. ‘The sooner people acknowledge this and stop gaslighting the population the better.’ That’s why I ask specific questions – questions no one will address with any specificity. After all, if we can’t make specific recommendations here on this forum, how can we expect our representatives to consider changing their points of view and destructive actions?
To your point that these are complex issues… well, yes, in some cases. Isn’t that what commenting here is all about? That’s why those issues should be discussed.
I think jousting with the US Department of Education windmill is complex and not as effective a strategy as explaining to VDC readers that Vermont’s small schools are often more economically and academically efficient than large schools, and that the ‘defined benefits’ aspect of government retirement plans are bankrupting our future. It’s one thing to change the federal government. But cleaning up our own back yard isn’t that complicated and it’s more doable.
How can you or anyone else understand that changing these two issues alone would go a long way to repairing Vermont’s current malaise if we don’t discuss them? Notice that neither you, nor Mark, nor Paul, nor anyone else is taking the time to understand what ails us.
Is it any wonder then that the typical retort is to attack the messenger? Yes, I’m being confrontational, in asking that you and everyone else stop being confrontational and address these specific issues.
Again, back in 2022, Bill Huff (who recently posted here on VDC) recommended changing Vermont’s ‘defined benefit’ government retirement system to a ‘defined contribution’ plan. This is important stuff.
And again, why aren’t we discussing the legislature’s attack on homeschooling and school choice? If we would at least allow an education free market to exist, the benefits to all Vermonters would be awesome.
Affecting our Vermont legislature is tough enough. But focusing on the US Department of Education is a folly in comparison.
I look forward to more specific, tangible-next-step, discussions.
One of my daughters moved to rural Wisconsin. Property taxes are minimal and the schools are decent. My other daughter is looking at New Hampshire or rural Maine..Not Vermont. They realized it’s unaffordable here. This state has become a destination for the rich. Blue collar Vermonters are leaving for greener pastures and are being replaced by wealthy city dwellers. The first move is to post their land. Then comes the McMansion. Then comes the activism and the push to do away with our lifestyle. They overwhelmingly vote Democrat..so for our liberal lawmakers it’s working out just fine. Talk about a vicious cycle.. The TAKE BACK VERMONT movement needs to kick in again or the state will fail like every other place run by socialists.