Because the answer would scare the you-know-what out of voters.

by Rob Roper

Vermont Republicans have a concrete, transparent plan for what they’ll do if they re-take the state senate this November. It’s called Vermont Promise, and you can read all about it on its dedicated website, and learn even more on the Vermont Senate Republican’s Facebook page. Senate Minority Leader, Scott Beck (R-Caledonia), has been all over the airwaves and town halls discussing the details of the plan and how it will work for months. And the math maths, as my kids say.

For example, the Vermont Promise Agenda outlines specifically how a Republican majority would deliver a 35 cent/$100 reduction in property taxes, or $1400 a year savings on a $400,000 home. That impacts affordability in a real way. The platform also addresses healthcare costs, housing costs, crime, infrastructure issues, and more. Check it out!

Compare this to what the Democrats are offering – or not offering as the case happens to be.

Rep. Laurie Houghton (D-Essex Junction), the House Majority leader who has already thrown her hat into the ring to be Speaker of the House should Democrats retain control of that body, was recently on WVMT’s Morning Drive where host Kurt Wright asked her what Democrats would do if they retained control of both chambers of the legislature and won the Governorship with Amanda Janoo. “What can Vermonters expect from the Democrats in the next two years should that happen – you’re in charge of everything. What’s the agenda? What should Vermonters expect,” posed Wright. Here’s Houghton’s (non)answer:

Well, I think Vermonters are continuing to ask us us to look at the cost of living, look at affordability. As I said a couple minutes ago, my philosophy will be everyone has a seat at the table, everyone has an impact. There’s a real need for us to continue bringing in experts and Vermonters who are doing the hard work and make sure they have an opportunity to be heard in testimony. (Awkward pause while the host seemingly waits for the guest to say something – anything – substantive, but alas…) I mean; I think that’s where we would go.

Ummm… that’s not a policy agenda. She did not say what Democrats would do. She didn’t even say they’d address affordability, just that “think[s]” they’ll look at it. Maybe? Who knows? But — if they even look — Democrat leaders have no plan to do anything about it. Her hollow verbiage doesn’t address any inkling about how to make a positive impact on any aspect of our daily lives on any issue of importance to Vermonters. She wants to “continue bringing in experts.” (??!!) That’s her plan? Cuz the ones they’ve brought in so far have given such great advice! What will they do? Fill even more shelves in the State House archives with more dust collecting studies that never get acted upon?

Wright probed a little further and asked Houghton if a Democrat majority would revisit some of the policies Governor Scott vetoed or were sidelined due to threatened vetoes, specifically the Clean Heat Standard or a Cap & Invest carbon tax on home heating fuels, gasoline and diesel.

Here Houghton’s answer is telling – though you have to pay close attention to catch the tell. She said, “It is not something we are working on.” Present tense. Not, “It is not something we will bring back next session – or ever.” Future tense. (My English degree paying off here!) This is the slimy, it-all-depends-upon-what-your-definition-of-“is”-is language of political deception. And it’s not because she doesn’t know what Democrats will do. She does. She’s been there ten years and led her caucus for the last two. She just doesn’t want YOU to know what the Democrats will do because, yes, absolutely they will bring back a Cap & Invest Carbon Tax. And another or expanded payroll tax to pay for taxpayer funded family leave. They will raise income taxes and property taxes… You name it, they’ll tax it! Because they want to spend more money. Your money.

And this cloud of linguistic evasion isn’t limited to Leader Houghton. Amanda Janoo (D-VT) in running her gubernatorial campaign is equally vague as to specifics. For example, as reported in a recent article by VT Digger, Janoo “says some details of her tax proposals will need to be worked out in the future…” Yeah, like we’ll find out how big the tax increases will be and who will pay them when it’s too late. These are details voters deserve to know BEFORE they pull the lever for this loon.

Similarly, regarding her notion about taxing the so-called rich, well, “the details of which services the surcharge would pay for would need to be worked out with legislators after she was elected.” Of course they would… so don’t count on any benefits coming to you as a result. You’re more likely to discover that in Janoo’s eyes you’re rich.

Janoo has also spoken airily about taxing second home owners, but, again according to Digger,

Her platform doesn’t list a specific dollar amount that could be raised from those taxes. In a social media post in May, she cited a figure as high as $1 billion a year, though later told VTDigger and Vermont Public that “was a rough estimate of the potential long-term revenue” and not an amount that the state could immediately count on taking in.

Janoo said in an interview that it was hard to give a solid estimate because so much work would need to be done first to determine which types of properties would be taxed in what way.

As for a second home tax,

Janoo said in an interview that it was hard to give a solid estimate because so much work would need to be done first to determine which types of properties would be taxed in what way.

This woman is a joke. A bad one.

Does anyone else find it weird and seriously suspect that someone who is hyped every time her name is mentioned in the establishment media as “an economist” who’s day job is supposedly consulting with states, countries and municipalities around the world about developing economic plans, has not developed and put forward a detailed plan of her own for the state she hopes to govern? Or run even the most basic numbers on any of her top policy proposals? Yeah. Seriously weird and suspect.

Republicans are offering real solutions that can work on day one. Democrats are offering up a pig in a poke behind door number two. All we know for sure about that pig is it’s one fat, hungry, greedy animal with an endless appetite for what little you have left in your bank accounts after thirty years of Democrat control of the legislature. No wonder they don’t want you to see it.

Rob Roper is a freelance writer with 25 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.