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Kill bipartisan bill in favor of special interests.
by Rob Roper
Last week, Senate President Pro Tem, Philip Baruth (D/P-Chittenden Central) decided to pull the education reform bill, H.454, off of the calendar where it was scheduled for a floor vote. He did this not because it wasn’t going to pass, but because it was – but with both Republican and Democrat votes. That was too much for the far-Left members of his caucus (which, who are we kidding, is pretty much all of them), so basically a years’ worth of work got flushed down the toilet and what we the citizens are going to get as a result is an educrat special interest wish-list – more spending, less accountability, and higher taxes — slapped together in less than a week by the fringiest elements of the already fringie majority party.
According to Vermont Public, formerly known as VPR and futurely known as Where Did My Public Funding Go Radio, Baruth explained that he would not move forward with anything that required Republican votes to pass the 17-13 majority Democrat body. “I made a promise to people in the caucus that I wouldn’t bring a bill that had a little bit of Democratic support and a lot of Republican support.” Translation: I’m just a partisan hack.
Senate Majority Leader, Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden Southeast) went into even more detail on the partisan hackery on WDEVs Vermont Viewpoint. Hinsdale described how the reality dawned on her that “an unexpected Republican wave” occurring last November meant that she and her party might have to, Heaven forfend, work with Republicans to pass legislation, but, nope, not going to happen on her watch. (Side note: the Republican wave in 2024 was only unexpected for those too blinded by arrogance and partisan ideology to see the massive voter dissatisfaction with the Democrats’ policy priorities and decisions, including their mishandling public education that led to a 14 percent property tax increase.)
Hinsdale explained, “As the Pro Tem, Phil Baruth, and I started to see the writing on the wall that we were not just moving a bill forward that represented compromise, we were starting to move a bill through our committees that are pretty much evenly Democrat and Republican that was going to compromise our values as Democrats.” In other words, working in a bipartisan fashion to honor clear message sent by the voters was just too icky for these clowns.
“So,” she goes on, “in making this pivot to try and keep the Democratic Caucus together on a bill that we can all [all Democrats that is and screw the Republicans as well as the taxpayers] support and feel heard in, there is simply no room for someone to get off the bus and say this just doesn’t feel right for me.” In other other words, not only is what Democrats are doing totally partisan, they are pressuring their own members who have moral or practical objections to voting for this inevitable crap sandwich to do so anyway – never mind your constituents let alone your conscience – in the name of pure partisanship. Real responsible way to govern! And shame on any remaining sane Democrat if you cave to this bullying.
Hinsdale’s objective, she states, is “an education finance reform package that Democrats can be proud of.” Not all Vermonters. Just Democrats. And let me remind everyone here that the policies proudly passed by Democrats over the past several decades – Act 60, Act 46, Act 127, etc. — are what got us into this fiscal fiasco sprinkled with falling test scores, undisciplined classrooms, and students brimming with mental health issues to begin with.
So, you know what…. Fine. If the Democrats want to own this product, I say “all yours!”
Republicans should wash their hands of the whole thing. You tried. The Republican Governor put forward a plan at the beginning of the session. Republicans in the House and Senate worked and made compromises to move the process forward toward a bipartisan conclusion with “something in it for everyone to hate” at the end of this session. The Democrats kicked over the table in the final week like spoiled children wanting all the toys for themselves and not having to share. You don’t want Republican help? Go for it. You own it now, property tax increases and all. Enjoy.
As for Governor Scott, he should rescind his threat to call the legislature back into session if they fail to deliver an acceptable bill to his desk – one that LOWERS property taxes. At this point, such a threat only gives the Democrats leverage. Instead tell Baruth and Hinsdale NOT TO COME BACK until they grow up and are willing to work on a truly bipartisan solution that delivers the tax relief Vermont voters screamed for in November 2024. There is no sense wasting time and taxpayer money extending the session if a “Democrat values only” attitude is what the Democrats are copping. And if they can’t or won’t negotiate in a bipartisan fashion, the voters will just have to resolve the impasse in November 2026.
Author is a freelance writer with 20 years of experience in Vermont politics including three years service as chair of the Vermont Republican Party and nine years as President of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont’s free market think tank.
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Categories: Commentary, Education, Legislation
Just let them do as they want. Then the blame can fall rightfully on their shoulders.
Vtgop has no plan anyway, same for governor.
Vermonters have not felt enough pain yet to rightfully want a change, in both parties. Sometimes bankruptcy is the very best solution. Vtgop refuses to believe they are bankrupt and the vtdems refuse to believe their ideas are bankrupt, and since they haven’t run out of other peoples money yet, they don’t think they are bankrupt.
Two more years of tax increases and the public will vote out the schools.
All our
Governor would have to say is vote down every school budget until the taxes are lowered 10% and things would happen in Vermont.
Hopefully he doesn’t waste his leadership in suggesting another vote for war monger Nikki Haley.
Speaking for myself and at least some others I have felt more than enough pain associated with (1) the education taxes on my property tax bill ($5500) (2) the sales tax I pay on any and all Vermont purchases ($600 million dollars of sales taxes last year: 100% goes to Education Fund, and (3) my income taxes that go into the General Fund and this year $200 million of General Fund (GF) dollars goes to VSTRS, the teachers retirement fund which is grossly underfunded and its current assets are not enough to meet its fiscal responsibility…thus funds from the General fund must move into VSTRS. This state of affairs-transferring money from the GF to VSTRS will continue to 2038-“hopefully”. When my fiscal contribution is juxtaposed against the very very high percentage of Vermont students scoring below proficient on national NAEP-2024 tests (4th and 8th grade reading and math) AND the very high percentage of Vermont public school students scoring below proficient on in-state standardized (VT-CAP-2024) tests (ELA, math, and science)….I feel GREATLY the pain of an educational system (2nd most expensive of all 50 states) that is wildly expensive and generates unacceptably low learning outcomes. Anyone who does not understand the “crisis” state of affairs in Vermont’s public school system simply has not looked at the data…also known as facts or objective truths. The bottom line is Vermont is running faster and faster in reverse in the arena of public school education. When someone or some system has a problem the next step is to address the problem. Unfortunately that is something Vermont, at local and statewide levels, categorically refuses to do.
Very well reviewed and discussed Rob. I agree about advising the Governor not to veto it-because>>>>. I just stated on another site that if he does veto and they have to go back they should NOT be financially compensated! If they do ed up having to go back I think that a LOT of us like-minded folks should go there to “meet” with them.
Not only is Baruth a partisan hack, he is the worst liar in the State House. He accurately reflects the values of the demonrat party.
Baruth is one of the worse. He said he is afraid of people that wear hunter orange- or the camouflage when he’s near them, (he had to walk past some guys in a parking lot). He must have shook in his shoes. Suggestion when in conference with Republicans, Republicans should wear a sports jacket with those colors and with a nice shirt and tie. It might upset him so much that he couldn’t think straight. Fun and games under the dome.
The liberal English teacher (in a NY college) that migrated to VT. He would do well teaching at the Middlebury College as an VDC article by John Klar just hit the site. Teach the student body on how to speak and think liberalism and crapology. The kiddies couldn’t get a job, so they’ll have to live in momies basement and eat their food.
Hinsdale, I can hear California calling you back home! Please go! We’ve really reached our limit of patience!
Sorry to repeat what seems obvious to me. But isn’t this just more evidence that our government effort to run a schooling business has been folly…an ever more expensive folly. Doesn’t it occur to us that we could get out of this failed business? Stop collecting obscene amounts of money from the citizens to support this money pit organization. Support learners instead…return the funds to parents to contract with teachers/schools for curriculum and services they want.
Fun facts about Kesha Ram Hinsdale: (Wikipedia) Born to a Jewish mother and Hindu father, Ram grew up in Los Angeles, California, where her parents ran an Irish pub (Irish? being white ain’t so bad in that regard eh?) Sir Ganga Ram, her great-great-grandfather, was a supervising engineer and philanthropist in British India and her aunt is Shreela Flather, a life peer in the British House of Lords. She graduated from Santa Monica High School in 2004. After graduating, she moved from California to Vermont to attend the University of Vermont, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in natural resource planning and a Bachelor of Arts in political science.” The bloodline determines the position – selected and installed.
In review of financial disclosures for selection season 2024, her top donors were the Vermont Democratic Party and NGP VAN. Here is some info on NGP VAN (I thought ActBlue was bad!)
(Wikipedia) “NGP VAN, Inc. is an American privately owned voter database and web hosting service provider used by the Democratic Party, Democratic campaigns, and other non-profit organizations authorized by the Democratic Party. The platform or service is used by political and social campaigns for fundraising, campaign finance compliance, field organizing, and digital organizing. NGP VAN, Inc. was formerly known as Voter Activation Network, Inc. and changed its name to NGP VAN, Inc. in January 2011. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Washington, D.C.
The company was acquired by London-based private equity firm Apax Partners in 2021 (*No longer American!)…and conducted layoffs in 2023. Persistent technical issues have led to concerns from workers and the Democratic party that NGP VAN may be unable or unwilling to meet their needs. In the lead-up to the 2024 elections significant problems with the NGP VAN system led the Kamala Harris campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to intervene by sending full time technical staff to keep it afloat through the election.” In other words, the foreign owned washing machine was breaking down – so they ran in to rescue the operation!
Philip Baruth gets his money from PACs ($9K) and unions, such as VSEA, VTNEA, and renewable energy. You don’t say? Well, we see who greases their palms and who they actually represent. Fraud, collusion and corruption. Our vote counts? If one believes in fairy tales then one will believe that nonsense as well. We see the results – follow the money. The Republic is dead – may it rest in peace.
Members of the House and Senate need to remember that they are above all Vermonters first, not Democrats or Republicans. They all need to work together in the spirit of Tim O’Conner, Speaker of the House of Representatives in the late 70’s. Vermont can only solve it’s problems by working together first and putting politics second. Help Vermonters and not special interest groups!!
The Democrats in Vermont haven’t accepted the message by voters that we are sick and tired of these political hacks pushing their warped agenda on all of us. Baruth and Hinsdale are poster children in an all out war to “get their way”, and to say to hell with (you) Vermonters. Last year we started seeing a change in the make up of the legislature. Just enough to change the tide to more factual content and thoughtful voting versus the same old Democratic narrative of, “we were elected to set the policy and you are where you are and you need to fall in line by adhering with our, warped, extremest, socialistic agenda. WHY? Because WE SAY it is what is best for you!” YOU don’t get to argue against it, you are only allowed to comply!!
Nationally the Democratic party is in ruins with only a 26% favorable rating. Trump won with the most votes in history because of the crooked DEM’s lying, cheating, politicizing and representing themselves as “God Almighty”. And now we are really seeing how the Justice department was politicized and the President 46 was incapable of even doing the basics of leading this country. But as usual, the DEM’s lied about it and tried to crush any push back as to what was happening to our country. Now it looks like a handful of political hacks were covering it all up and making crucial decisions. They need to be investigated and charged criminally if it is proven to be fact.