by Rep. Charles Wilson
This report is not on bills in committee, but in part the talk and spirit of what is happening in committee. There is always speech of climate change. We all realize this is the actual result of world deforestation, industrial air pollution, overproduction of plastics and a worldwide abundance of waste. Vermont has very clean air and a very low carbon footprint and yet Vermont’s solution to climate change and global warming, is to follow California’s world fix. The result of this model has led to a culture of the rich… and the very rich, and on the bottom massive poverty, homelessness, and no real working middle class.
Many Vermonters have left the state leaving us with a critical work force shortage. We are now even paying people with our tax dollars to move to Vermont as a result of this. Many have been professional people as Vermont is not business friendly due to high taxes and burdensome regulations.
Long time over-regulation of dairy farms and failures has left our forests, land and homes open to a real estate market of out-of-state buyers, very ready to cash buy farms that can no longer operate. Large swaths of land are now being purchased for unsightly wind and solar farm sites which are ruining our precious landscape. The state encourages “Agri-tourism” and now, more cannabis production instead of food.
Many farms are using out of state, and often times, illegal workers as laborers. The state has a huge strategic plan to build housing, provide food and health care, transportation to these workers at an enormous tax expenditure. “Smart Growth Housing” has now started to construct cluster buildings in our towns which will keep people controlled in municipalities with local, public transportation (no need for a car!) to shop and get to work. The wealthy will then be able to enjoy our country farmlands and forests while the working class will be a new “servant class.”
Effective solutions to climate change are to plant more replacement “carbon eating “trees, address air pollution from autos and industry better and educate citizens more effectively about plastics and excessive waste. Carbon sequestration or capture is not a viable solution. It is an expensive failure, energy intensive, increases emissions and land storage presents significant risks, as leaks ruin ground water.
In committee, it is obvious that the State of Vermont will continue to over-regulate in an invasive manner, with more expensive studies and data collection. The State is the largest employer in the state with a very massive $8.4 billion-plus budget and getting bigger. There is a false hope that this “once in a lifetime millions” we have been awarded by the Federal government, will be able to set in motion all manner of new bills and programs which are unsustainable in the future. We are ruining our children’s and our children’s children future by a debt, so large, that it will never be paid but will overtax them for generations.
It is time that “We the People” speak up for our Constitutional Republic, which gives our government power from the people, and whose job it is to protect them.
If we love Vermont so much, why are we trying to change everything?
The author is the House representative for Caledonia-3 – Lyndon, Wheelock, Sheffield, Sutton and Newark. Contact: cwilson@leg.state.vt.us or 802-730-6564.
Categories: Commentary
Interesting comments, all of which I agree with in contrast to Darryl Benjamin a recent Vermonter who fled to Florida and now complains incessantly about living in a ” Red ” state. See his recent column in VTdigger, enough to make one wonder why anyone is left in Vermont?
I would urge everyone to read the commentary by Darryl Benjamin recommended by sebastianiam. It is a window into the seething hatred and incoherance of the Left. His commentary is rife with derision, slander, and contempt.
First, I find his claimed iteractions with neighbors suspect given his “sense of violation”.
He repeats proven falshoods about mask mandates and CRT and is appalled at the supposed ignorance of his neighbors that don’t belive it.
He says they suffer from “invincible ignorance” no doubt because you would never “catch these people reading The Washington Post, The New York Times, or listening to NPR”. I would bet Mr. Benjamin has never been exposed to or considered any Conservative thought, while we have been drowning in Leftist thought and somehow have still remained sane.
“Neither of us like being micromanaged, which is exactly the purpose of HOAs” he says. This is the modus oprendi of the Left! All they do is seek to micro-manage every aspect of our lives!
There will never be a “coming together” or reconciliation with people like Mr. Benjamin. It’s going to be winner take all with one side or the other.
The irony of those making decisions on their own accord and then blame anyone or anything for not conforming to their reality. Yet, in other parts of the world, they would be made to conform or face banishment, imprisonment or death. Testiment that America is indeed great regardless of thier lack of insight and self-reflection.
Wow that Darryl person is such an annoying little twat! Moves to Florida and then complains it’s not Vermont. Threatens to call the police on people for trying to educate him. Complains his raised bed is removed from a rented property when he didn’t get permission to put it in. Maybe he shouldn’t have moved?!
for anyone who wants to read……..I just did, HOw VERY Rude of him to bash the one state in the country taking steps to take care of its citizens……talking about those not seeing “his side”…….how bout the other way around mister…….and i have to wonder what his mom thinks of florida since she has been living there longer………
https://vtdigger.org/2023/01/27/darryl-benjamin-what-its-like-to-move-to-florida-as-a-liberal/
Excellent article ! Right on the nose of what is happening in this state. Not all people can afford to move or are to old to move. How can people afford all this green climate rules– they can’t – so what happens to them when the law changes and they can’t make changes ? They can’t afford a terrific light bill? They freeze to death ? Why do out of staters always have LOTS of money to buy our land and do what they want -change our beautiful state to panels all over the place to send electricity OUT of state and we’re left looking at those ugly panels and wind mills that Don’t breakdown in the land fill. We have vast forests which take care of the carbon SO why change? Because it’s a big money making deal for the ” Haves ” who are just frothing at the mouth counting the money already that they’re going to make.
“If we love Vermont so much, why are we trying to change everything?” Good question! I’ve been pondering exactly that for decades.
Rep. Wilson, I hope that you are not including me in your use of the word “we”. I suspect that your soul sucking, flatlander compatriots under the “Golden Dumb” have seized what they view as their opportunity to turn Vermont into the socialist nirvana that they seek. They have ruined the Vermont of my youth that my ancestors bequeathed me. Ah for the good old days when there were consequences for such charlatans.
What we are seeing in Vermont are the symptoms of the rejection of God in our families, businesses, schools, communities, local governments and our federal government. This is a spiritual battle, good vs. evil. We need to put God First. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The hippies came to Vermont in the sixties because it was cheap to live and no one told them how to live. Now the same hippies have “grown up” and had children and they run the legislature and they have driven the cost of living in Vermont out of control and they tell everyone how to live…
What we are seeing in Vermont is our progressive and social justice polititians and advocates imementing the Paris Accord and the United Nations Agenda 2030. Social Justice, Social Emotional Learning, equity, sustainability, queer theory, gender theory and Common Core were all the brain children of the United Nations, and other stakeholders to include the World Bank, WEF, UNESCO, as well as others.
“The result of this model has led to a culture of the rich… and the very rich, and on the bottom massive poverty, homelessness, and no real working middle class.”
What’s funny is whenever I mention I need something done for my home, or for healthcare, or about worrying over food or utilities, every person I talk to joyfully tells me there’s a program for that.
Do people hear themselves when they point to yet another program instead of saying, instead, “I can help you with that?”
Vermont is being used as the training ground for the Progressive cabal.
Everywhere I go lately people are complaining, there’s no happiness and nothing to look forward to. So, we can’t vote our way out, they fixed the elections, There’s no authority to charge them with crimes, because they control all authority. We can’t get them to listen to anything we disagree with, because they have locked us out. There are thousands of us that are not happy with the grifting of our state, out of state money, an out of state legislature, constitutional violations from legislators and violations of their oaths of office. Complaining is a relief but gets us nothing. Short of moving out, what can we do? When they came for us there was no one left to fight for me! That’s where we are, a parallel 1984 on tap for the near future!
Orwell’s 1984…written as a cautionary tale, but used as an instruction manual by the left…
Well said, Charles. Unfortunately, there is no way Vermont can be saved – it is long past the point of no return. I do admire your tenacity.