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By Robert Roper
Forgive me if you feel like you’ve heard this before in these pages, but it needs to be said again on this eve of election day: Democrat/Progressive/Bernie-Socialist politicians have ruled Vermont virtually unchecked for decades, and the results have been nothing short of disastrous.
In Vermont, the only way to pass partisan legislation unchecked is with a trifecta (majorities in both the house and senate plus the governor), or with supermajorities in both chambers regardless of which party controls the governorship. Vermont Republicans have not been in such a position to put any policy into practice since – I cannot find records that go back that far. Best guess, briefly during the mid 1980s during the Snelling administration over 40 years ago.
This political culture and the policy choices it has resulted in — since a lot of voters out there seem to need a reminder — not provided Vermonters with “equity,” opportunity, and prosperity, but rather with… well, let’s look at the record:
The highest property taxes in the nation.
The most expensive health insurance premiums in the nation.
The most expensive prescription drug costs in the nation.
The third highest overall tax burden in the nation
The highest business taxes in the nation.
A housing affordability and accessibility crisis.
Some of the highest electricity costs in the nation at 30 percent higher than the national average.
And all of this has led to….
Vermont being the only state losing population to both birth/death rates and in/outmigration.
A public education system that has dropped from a top 5 performer to near the bottom of the pack, while losing around 25,000 students.
Rising crime rates in what used to be the safest state in the union.
A labor shortage not helped by the fact that 64 percent of young people aged 18-34 are actively planning to flee the state.
The fastest rising homeless population in the country.
An economic momentum ranking of 51st (worst) in the nation, behind all other states plus Washington DC.
Vermonters – or at least those who haven’t already voted absentee — have a choice to make tomorrow, November 3rd: do we really want to continue down this path of giving more and more of our money to people who have a demonstrable record of wasting it on socialist utopian fantasies that only result in making the problems they ostensibly want to solve even worse? Or not that.
Do we really want to pour gasoline on the unaffordability crisis by ushering in another wave of higher taxes, more complicated regulations, and less accountability? Or not that.
Let’s not forget that it was just a few years ago, 2018-2024, that Democrats/Progressives enjoyed their last supermajority, and they acted like hokey gameshow contestant winners whose prize is 60 seconds to fill a shopping cart with everything they can grab off the shelves. That included passing the Global Warming Solutions Act over the governor’s veto, the Clean Heat Standard tax on home heating fuels, the Renewable Energy Standard driving up electric bills, property taxes rose roughly 30 percent between 2020-2024, including a 14% increase in 2024 alone. They passed a $100 million plus per year payroll tax, created a 6 percent sales tax on internet-based services, increased DMV fees by over 20 percent despite the Transportation department saying they didn’t need the money, and, of course, passed Act 181 robbing rural Vermonters of their property rights.
Are Vermont voters really going to drop trou, bend over and shout, “Thank you, sir (or in the case of Amanda Janoo, ma’am), may I have another?” I sincerely hope not. So please, folks, get out there and vote. It’s a lot easier than packing up your house, stuffing it all in a U-Haul, and moving to another state that isn’t politically suicidal.
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.
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Categories: Commentary
Aww Nuts, Rob- Everyone that will take the time to read this has or will vote by tomorrow!
It’s tha apathetic and agnostic Vermont voter that needs a kick to get to the polls.
Probably we all know at least 5 people that might trouble themselves to vote, if contacted and reminded- or badgered to get to the polls. Show them Rob’s piece, here and explain what’s at stake- It matters like never before.
Geez Rob, it’s beginning to sound like you’re losing faith in the good folks in the legislature who are just doing what’s best for Vermonters. And judging by the polls I’d say most of the voters agree with me. All of the so called “issues” you complain about are really just “old Republican talking points. Enough with the negativity! The majority in the legislature and their NGO friends have had enough. Time to let go of your white privilege and bourgeois attitude. The obvious path forward is for everyone to just chill out, smoke some good pot, attend a few Ice protests and No Kings rallies, get a few more piercings and tattoos, hang out on TikTok and Instagram so we don’t miss the latest news and flash mob signal and, for all you greedy capitalists out there – just pay your damn fair share and STFU. It’s only money.
Steve are you not seeing the same world im living in. Or are you just not ever going to admit that democrats = Marxist?
Legislative supermajority is one thing, but we better hope that the polls in the governor’s race are seriously flawed for whatever reason because Gov. Janoo would be their rubber stamp, no veto over-rides necessary.
Why does a vote for Scott help the Democrats the most?
It does, and it has, let me explain.
There is no accountability in Vermont, and every single year for 2 decades we’ve gotten run over and taxed and regulated. S
Scott wins. We have higher taxes by 13% next year and then there will be tax revolution and who will be at the helm, who will have had a track record for 10+ year of increased taxes? The will absolutely roast us, Trump will be out of office and if he hasn’t been able to reach his goals, what then happens to Vermont, it will be even worse.
Janoo wins, we still get the massive tax increases and every other crazy thing they can thing of AND WHO GETS THE ACCOUNTABILITY????? THE DEMS!! AND RIGHTFULLY SO.
Warren Buffet said some leadership teams of companies need to be brought behind the barn and shot, there is no saving them. This is a crass way of saying they need accountability they need to go bankrupt, this is the case of the current VTGOP…..The team had 10 years and what have we gotten? ONLY closer to maxist utopia.
We can do better, we need accountability and those who have created this mess need to be held accountable…..Janoo needs to be held accountable and a new VTGOP needs to emerge.
Exactly, Neil. Spot on.
To take it a step further; IMHO, VT GOP’s current composition is actually COMPLICIT in the destruction of the state.
As long as the Republican and Democrat parties do nothing to reverse the condition of extreme wealth inequality in this country you can expect more unusual candidates getting elected to office. As long as a majority of people no longer have any hope of being able to improve their economic situation for themselves or their descendants we will continue along this path of chaos and decline.
communism and Marxism solve no problems, money only magnifies who or what you are. Somebody having more money than me does not harm me what so ever. Ms 13 with a billion dollar drug cartel does. A man making billions on producing desk top computers does not hurt me. A corrupt government hurts me, that why we have 2@, a just government allows me to thrive.
Neither candidate campaigned north of St. Johnsbury and east of Newport. I guess that Essex county doesn’t matter to them. Maybe I missed them but t don’t think so.
There were too many happy leftists and huge voter turnout in my neck of the woods, having to sign an affidavit that I haven’t already voted????? How is that a secure election?
I think the VTGOP soccer team will be really sad today, maybe not. Having a great goalie to prevent a super majority doesn’t make for good offense. We needed a bigger team, we needed a team! Many spots where I could ONLY vote dem or dem/prog. Very sad day for Vermont.