Instead of raising the fees on every Vermonter, why don’t state lawmakers draw their wanted revenue from their political paymasters?
by Kolby LaMarche
Our ever-so-helpful state legislature is set to give Vermonters a special New Year’s present: increased fees at the DMV.
Starting on January 1st, 2024, fees to register, inspect, and operate a car will increase.
A driver’s license, which once cost $32, will now increase to $39. Registration was $76, now you can expect to pay nearly $100.
To some, these fees may seem miniscule; just a few more bucks out of the bloated bank accounts of wealthier Vermonters. But for poor and low-income Vermonters – all 194,000 of us – these heightened fees not only signal further economic hardship but also serve as a stark reminder that our legislature exercises limited concern for us.
2023 was already a bad enough year for struggling Vermonters. For example, take the increased taxes on home heating through the Clean Heat Standard set to hit economically disadvantaged families who are unable to afford a completely new home heating system.
Or the Democratic supermajority’s ejection of hundreds of homeless Vermont families from their shelters without a safety net or any plan, while all campaigning on protecting “vulnerable” Vermonters as they actively harm them.
In 2024, legislators seem bound to compound their gross mistreatment of poor and low-income Vermonters – hell, any Vermonter at all.
Despite numerous warnings from individuals and organizations across Vermont regarding inequities within the Clean Heat Standard, the state legislature nonetheless steamrolled ahead, declaring those in opposition to the “climate-conscious” legislation – those who genuinely cared about low-income Vermonters – mouthpieces for Big Oil.
Furthermore, Jay Green, the state’s own “Racial Equity Policy Analyst” was scolded by Rep. Laura Sibilia for stating concerns over the bill’s impact on poor Vermonters.
The DMV fee increases followed a somewhat similar process.
Earlier in March of this year, Vermont’s Commissioner of Finance and Management, Adam Greshin, warned that the fee increases weren’t necessary.
In an interview with VTDigger, Grenshin said that in recent decades, DMV fees have increased “far faster than inflation.” Greshin continued, saying “This is a fee increase on virtually every Vermonter who drives…this is a big deal.”
Democratic legislators, clearly, ignored Greshin’s informed warning. In fact, House Democrats, according to Republican lawmakers, acted with some haste to pass the increased fees just before the end of the session, leaving some important voices absent.
“Talk about lack of transparency on the part of this Legislature,” Rep. Pattie McCoy, R-Poultney, told VTDigger.
Rep. Carl Demrow, proponent of the fee increase, said the bill kept up with inflation and would bring in an additional $20 million to the Transportation Fund to help offset lost revenues due to cars becoming more fuel efficient.
“I think that we need to focus on sustainability, and that is key to the policies we are enacting, they are sustainable,” Rep. Theresa Wood told NBC 5.
Instead of raising the fees on every Vermonter – which will impact the finances of poor and low-income people, why don’t state fee-makers draw their revenue from their cohort of paymasters?
Don’t tax the single mother with an ageing car, tax those with three or four cars, those with second, even third homes in Vermont, or those with $200k worth of metal floating in Lake Champlain.
So, when you’re puttering around Vermont in your car – after the costly and over-critical vehicle inspection, after you’ve paid almost $100 to register it for a year, and after you’ve finally been mailed your license plate – you will probably pop a tire on one of Vermont’s many, many potholes.
When you go to the mechanic and realize you cannot afford the repair because the mechanic’s rate is $105 an hour and you’ve just spent all your money on fees to get the car, just remember: that is your representative’s version of “stability”.
And soon begins the another VT legislative session.
Burning Sky is dedicated to providing critique and commentary on the issues of the day from an unapologetic perspective, fueling change in the heart of Vermont. Authored by Kolby LaMarche every Saturday.
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Categories: Commentary, State Government
“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.” Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell is the best!
At this point, anytime i see the word “sustainable” in a government (or UN, or WEF) press release I just replace it with communism or communist. Go ahead and give it a try.
“I think that we need to focus on sustainability, and that is key to the policies we are enacting, they are sustainable,” Rep. Theresa Wood told NBC 5.
Only free markets are sustainable… until they are outlawed by centralized governments.
can not pay more fees
profanity/// try not offend any one/// let them grind you down///
demeaning language/// please do not use a part of the human body to describe them/// very rude/// but some times its true///
These increases are what you get when liberals need more money to waste, and they will and then fund some foolishness !!
If you own a home or a vehicle, yup you are going to get nailed, you are the captured class, wake up people, and send these fools packing, you live within your means so should the Government……………………………
You are so right, and then there is never an end to the crisis mode. It goes from one to the next, to the next so there is never a break in the action, and never a break in paying the bill these knot-heads incur. It is time to replace them, actually way passed time.
The liberal hate us and want us dead. How can it be any simpler.
They claim they are losing revenue due to more fuel efficient cars and electric cars pay $0 to support roads. Why not eliminate the gas tax and go to a per mileage fee? Calculated at the yearly inspection.
mileage fee /// a very bad idea///electric cars pay your share// they will not be around must longer /// another con job/// sexually demeaning language/// the other way to spell …vmont
Love the pic. Though I presume the deteriorated roadway as depicted was LONG ago repaired through the massive $$$ funded to all the states for “infrastruction” by the Feds, correct Governor?
After all, that money was “free”, “free”, “free” – paid for via you and “me”, “me”, “me”.
That’s “infrastructure”. Obviously.
Liberals hate this one trick!
The beatings will continue until moral improves.
The Dept of Motor Vehicles did not want or need the increase in fees, but the legislature raised them anyways. Fuel efficient and electric cars are not generating as much gas taxes, so all others without those resources must pay to subsidize them. Why don’t they create a tax on electric vehicles who are not paying gas taxes but are still using our same roadways.
It’s how Vermont and socialism do things. The less necessities you use due to tightening your belt, the more you have to pay for them b/c someone else is getting a govt subsidy. And the govt workers and managers of these projects have to stay employed. What good are they at anything else? I mean, they’re all managers and paper shufflers and pencil pushers. What would humanity, and all their equitably important freeloading flunkies and junkies, do without them?
The buying of votes by VT give away programs and supplementing the leisure class is the current modality of this legislation. Those of us who have broken our backs trying to make a decent living here are being denied our freedoms our rights and our lifesavings by the pipe dream policies developed by politicians who are self interested, financially invested in their “sustainable” projects to make them all richer and more powerful. Multiple heat systems and cooking implements are needed for survival in a State where people can be without electricity for extended periods of time. Go to a shelter they say…..as my home is robbed by some mollycoddled miscreants…NO!
The only way we can get this state back on track for ALL CITIZENS not the chosen followers, is to get them out of political office and other positions where they can continue to destroy our lives.