|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Inspired by questionnaire cancelled by Front Porch Forum
By Guy Page
Rare is the public citizen who will take the time to pen questions for candidates for the Legislature. Editors and candidates usually reward these efforts with publication and thoughtful responses, respectively.
Usually, but not always. Sometimes all that effort just gets you cancelled.
As reported last week by VDC, Abby Crosby of the Windham County Massachusetts border town of Jacksonville authored a slate of questions and asked to post them on her neighborhood Front Porch Forum. FPF refused her post because it construed her preference for ‘meritocracy’ over DEI in schools as a ‘personal attack.’
A day later FPF deactivated her account. “I submitted [another] post to FPF yesterday,” Crosby told VDC Thursday, July 25. “They did not publish it, but deactivated my account overnight instead. Zero communication from them regarding this or explaining the meritocracy dispute.”
Once a legislator is elected, citizens – as individuals and in groups – have relatively little influence. Citizen power is greatest before they are elected. But to exercise the power of the ballot, voters need information. That information was denied not only to Crosby, but to the other citizens who might have benefited from her thought-provoking questions and candidates’ answers.
In appreciation for Crosby’s efforts, VDC promised her last week we would include her questions in our August 13 Primary candidate questionnaire. That questionnaire appears below. Our questions read somewhat differently from Crosby’s original version. Editors edit. It’s what we do. Nonetheless we appreciate her laying the groundwork and believe the spirit behind them represents her hard work on behalf of representative democracy.
VDC will send these questions by tomorrow to every candidate appearing on, or announced as a write-in for, the official ballot. And there’s nothing stopping YOU, Citizen Reader, from sending these questions (with your own edits) to candidates, whose email addresses all appear on the Secretary of State’s listing of all primary election candidates.
Our questions seek to focus on issues that seem of greatest interest to Vermonters in general and our readers in particular.
Housing
How should the Vermont Legislature alleviate the state’s housing crisis?
Do you support the ‘Housing First’ policy of providing housing for homeless people without requiring them to address the root causes of their homelessness?
Climate change policy
Do you support implementing the Clean Heat Standard now in development by state regulators?
Please explain how the carbon credit system created by the Clean Heat Standard works and how it will affect Vermonters.
Do you support Vermont banning all sales of non-EV cars by 2035, in compliance with California regulations?
Education
Please explain why you support:
- school vouchers and school choice so that “the money follows the child,” or
- The status quo in which revenue is assigned to school districts, or
- an alternative to public school funding.
Do you support Diversity/Equity/Inclusion public school instruction and state government policy based on Critical Race Theory? If not, what should take its place?
How can Vermont public schools improve student test scores?
Do you support Vermont continuing as a ‘sanctuary state’ prohibiting state and local law enforcement participation with federal authorities apprehending immigrants who entered the United States illegally?
Elections
Do you support non-citizen voting in local and/or state elections?
Do you support legislation requiring voter identification for Federal, State and Local elections?
Drug crime
Please explain how best to reduce Vermont’s drug crime, drug abuse and drug overdose problem.
Land conservation
Do you support the current state law mandating conservation of 30% of all land in Vermont by 2030 and 50% by 2050?
Firearms restrictions
What further restrictions on firearms ownership and operation would you support?
Committee assignments
If elected, what committee(s) would you prefer to sit on, and why?
Other
Please address below any other legislative issues.
Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
How do Legislators justify their obvious attempt to break Vermont taxpayer’s ability to live comfortably, by imposing outragious taxes on allready over taxed citizens ?
Your firearms question, “What further restrictions on firearms ownership and operation would you support?” sounds more like what a Democrat would ask. A better question would be: What current firearms laws would you repeal or loosen if elected?
I agree. Thank you!
Thank you Abby and Guy. Your efforts toward helping voters find candidates with election integrity are greatly appreciated.
No strings attached welfare has proved to be terrible public policy. Do you support reforming welfare so folks can transition to be self sufficient.
MVRA Make Vermont Real Again Term limits?
These questions and others must be put to the incumbants and candidates. We need a change in Montpelier because if they are not voted out they will take it as tacit approval of their policies and will again raise taxes next year and for every year after.
I would like to know if our “Vermont Housing Burden” can be reduced by not taking in illegal immigrants and raising the bar to qualify for public assistance programs for ANY non-Vermont citizens.
Is a pigs butt pork?
Then why are you all lined up at the troth ,sopping up the public gravy, like taxpayer dollars grows on trees, while the common man struggles???
Why do you call that progress, as in progressive polices?
Given the problems statewide, wouldn’t the citizenry be better off if you labeled those policies for what they truly are…REGRESSIVE POLICIES?
Who is lining up at the troth, as you put it? I for one do not line up at anyones troth. The less government in my life the better. I am much more self reliant than those who so so. So speak for yourself.
To Gfon,The elected Left and progressives in Montpelier for the most part and I am sure I speak for many.Why do you hide behind a fake name? Do you fear the act of freely speaking your mind? A man stands up for when he believes, in my book, so your input does not count, if you say it hidden. No guts…no glory.
” Housing”,
How should the Vermont Legislature alleviate the state’s housing crisis?
Find out where they are from and give them a bus ticket back to their home state,
problem solved !!
” Climate change policy “,
Do you support implementing the Clean Heat Standard now in development by state regulators? ” No ” this is just agenda-driven nonsense, it’s a look-at-me boondoggle
this will only financially strap citizens, for an agenda !!……… no real science, just smoke, and mirrors
Do you support Vermont banning all sales of non-EV cars by 2035, in compliance with California regulations? ” NO ”
We are not California and look at the condition of that cesspool and our left-leaning
legislators ” stupid majority ” want to follow that …………… fools in charge !!
” Education”,
Do you support Diversity/Equity/Inclusion public school instruction and state government policy based on Critical Race Theory? “NO”
DEI / CRT is pure nonsense, we need to educate not indoctrinate our children !!
” Elections”,
Do you support non-citizen voting in local and/or state elections? ” NO”
Do you support legislation requiring voter identification for Federal, State, and Local elections? ” YES ”
” Drug crime”
Please explain how best to reduce Vermont’s drug crime, drug abuse, and drug overdose problem. ” lock them up and no Narcan ” stop the stupid injection sites
promoted by our legislators, I guess ” Illegal Drugs ” means nothing
” Land conservation”
Do you support the current state law mandating conservation of 30% of all land in Vermont by 2030 and 50% by 2050? ” NO ”
” Firearms restrictions”
What further restrictions on firearms ownership and operation would you support?
NO restriction, try eliminating those stupid ” red flag ” laws they do nothing !!
” Committee assignments ”
I’m too old, and I have no patience for fools, and we have the “stupid majority” so
I wouldn’t play well with them……………………………………
I’ll vote for you.
Here’s a question for em, Will you uphold your oath of office under penalty of purjury as per THE VERMONT CONSTITUTION
Text of Section 56:
Oaths of Allegiance and Office
Every officer, whether judicial, executive, or military, in authority under this State, before entering upon the execution of office, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation of allegiance to this State, (unless the officer shall produce evidence that the officer has before taken the same) and also the following oath or affirmation of office, except military officers, and such as shall be exempted by the Legislature.
The Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance
You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will be true and faithful to the State of Vermont and that you will not, directly or indirectly, do any act or thing injurious to the Constitution or Government thereof. (If an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.
The Oath or Affirmation of Office
You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will faithfully execute the office of ____ for the ____ of ____ and will therein do equal right and justice to all persons, to the best of your judgment and ability, according to law. (If an oath) So help you God. (If an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.
It’s a simple Yes or No.
LOVE IT James!! Many don’t know how important the Constitution Is!
There is a greatly ignored penalty and fine in Vermont Law for perjury concerning Oaths.
Not taking their Oaths of Office seriously is the Real Big Problem!! We have to send People of Character and Conviction to be our Representatives who will serve their constituents.
For the past many years, the Lobbyists, Elitists and Special Interests are being served as the majority of the Vermont General Assembly Vote in lockstep as they are told.
We have seen for many years what the Dems and Progs do when they are in the majority. How about giving Republicans a chance for the 2024 Primary and General Elections in Vermont?
I say Give Vermont a Chance to Survive! Vote Republican in 2024!
Most of them have already proven they do not respect the oaths that each and everyone of them swore to uphold, and given that fact should be impeached, but tell me again, who is charged with conducting impeachment trials ?