by Guy Page
A densely packed crowd of Vermonters gathered in the Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont State House Thursday, April 25 to protest a slew of bills and policies now working through the Legislature.
They were there for a ‘Vermont Values Under ATAX’ rally today, sponsored by the Vermont Traditions Coalition and other grassroots groups.
Taxation, especially of the property tax variety, the unattainable cost of housing, and attacks on the freedom to hunt were among the concerns expressed as people sat in the cafeteria, waiting for a noontime press conference to start.
“Politicians threaten our food, water, and shelter. Vermonters rally,” said a notice published by Mike Covey of the Vermont Traditions Coalition.
The rally drew a diversity of Vermonters threatened by what Covey called undemocratic political initiatives. He and other planners – including VDC columnist Alison Despathy, clean water activist James Ehlers, former state senator John Rodgers, Suzanna Jones, Meghan Wayland had in mind “a protest/rally that cannot be ignored by politicians and media.”
Covey explained the purpose of the rally: “To voice our displeasure with the direction of political leadership forsaking Vermont’s marginalized voices–working Vermonters and our children, those living with the land, our natural communities, and those seeking independence from the taxing and controlling interests currently dominating Vermont politics.”
The rally occurred as the Senate takes up a House bill that ‘reforms’ school funding with two new taxes and a 15-18% statewide property tax, but offers no short-term or long-range cost containment or budget cuts. Also, a Senate housing bill is stalled in the House Environment and Energy Committee, whose leadership want a slowly phased-in, tightly controlled reform of Act 250 oversight of new housing development.
VDC will publish more news about the rally tomorrow.
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Categories: Legislation
i can not afford the gas to go to the rally///////////
I would love to be there but I can’t afford the gas for the long trip down to Montpelier. I hope you have a good turnout and good news coverage.
I wish I could attend, but I am not available during the work week. Please consider attaching these events on the weekend for maximum participation. I hope the event is productive.
Attention All Vermonters: No one’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session. That will remain true as long as we have a Dem-Prog Groupthink sitting there.
If we exercised our power to become an independent republic again the-powers-that-want to-be would be able to control our politics from wash. #2VR #vermontindependent #onceandfuturevermontrepublic
The monsters are waking up to the pressures of higher taxes and fewer choices however at This point The knowledge Isn’t the problem?
Complacency is
How do we get people to run for office, support people who will run for office or even just get out and vote. Staying home because you don’t like who’s running merely casts another vote to the Representative, we are unhappy with.
Engagement is the key. We can’t look to someone else to change it for us.
VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!
I ran for a House seat in ’22. Until there are fair elections–no machines or mail-in ballets–and equal access as I was (originally) excluded from the debate on local news–things will not change.
Thank you for the people that went .I was out of town .
Thank you. Further, embrace to include marginalized voices to embrace and our Elders voices, loud and clear.
Great!! Wish a working stiff like me could have attended. The question that remains is…is it bad enough yet for all those who voted for these communists in to vote them out????
Here’s a link to a full video of the press conference. Power to the people! Free Vermont! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCLZ1ETndEQ
People… it is time to consider change IF the voting integrity “returns”.
None of the media, including this one will interview or take a Press Release from Kevin Hoyt. Same crap as 2022.
Please take a minute and listen.
https://rumble.com/v4kk9t0-michelle-moorekevin-hoyt-2024-candiadate-policies-for-vermont.html
I agree. Big rally yesterday in Montpelier! Wish I had known. We need to pay more attention to those we apparently elected. There seems to be a growing gap between WTP and those under the golden dome. Everyone should have the right to run and the right to be heard. I wanted to hear what Kevin has to say last election and I want to now. What’s going on here?
Kevin Hoyt has gonads enough to stop the corruption
I think the problem in Montpelier is the lack of balance and the inability of both parties to work together for the good of all Vermonters. Our representatives in Montpelier are currently 75% Democratic and 25% Republican. Since all representatives are up for reelection in November, Vermonters have a chance to create a balanced government. Then these people need to work together using a common sense approach which will work for the people of this state. In November please strongly consider voting in person.