by Rep. Charles Wilson
Why do we allow people who come into our state and then change everything?
In 1986, the year I moved to Vermont, I fit right in as a hard worker and started my own business with no aid or support from the state government. For much of those 38 years, Vermont has not been perfect but has been a much more enjoyable place to live. Now the tide has turned to what is now a social welfare state, implementing similar programs that have been a failure in California, and closer to home, in Burlington. Tyrannical governments!
People are free in the United States of America to do what they want under the law, but not to twist our Constitution. This has produced our welfare state. A “new” Democracy does not protect individual or property rights anymore, as our Constitutional Republic was created and guaranteed to do in Article 4 – Sec.4. If Constitutional law is not kept, then we have no binding law and division will persist as it does in Vermont today.
The Democratic/Progressive majority rules, but that does not make it right. We now face awful legislation such as the Affordable Heating Act, built upon the fear of the Global Warming hoax. How many of us have researched this issue, or do we just believe everything we are told? Scientists cannot agree on what to do about it, but special interest groups use politicians and the news media to sell an agenda of fear.
Universal School Meals will not be sustainable, and will be another huge burden on our taxpayers. We must wake up: more taxes will lead to more inflation and more division, with no way out.
Again – if we love Vermont so much, why do we want to change everything?
The author, a Lyndon resident and Republican, is the House member for Caledonia-2 district. Contact: cwilson@leg.state.vt.us or 802-730-6564.
Categories: Commentary
Great question…id like to know the answer. We too moved here from away 17 years ago. Take nothing, invested all we had made up to that point in our own small business, working hard, all on our own and now sadly are wishing we chose a different state because Vermont is definitely not the state with pride and a backbone we thought it was. Why cant these people see the damage they are causing? And special interest groups be damned. As far as the ridiculous school lunch situation…i have volunteered at the schools in our area. They have NO IDEA that 75 plus% of those school lunches go in the trash. How about identifying the children…quietly … Who actually need a lunch and would eat it. I noticed a few kids yearning for the good things going into the garbage, not hard to figure out. Or even make it an ok thing to ask for it. Ask the staff…i did…they said its always that way. Sadly for us to leave at this stage of the game would would lose most of our lifes work. Smarten up people!!!
I share the concern for the future of Vermont along with Charles. What has for a number of years been a slow erosion of the Vermont values that we once knew has recently accelerated exponentially into more of a socialist state. With the super majority now enjoyed by the Democratic/Progressive majority, it will only continue.
However, there is a check on absolute power and this check comes from the power of the people. That said, the people have to exercise that power. The first thing that is needed is knowledge of the issues and the legislation coming from these issues. Charles asks: “How many of us have researched this issue, or do we just believe everything we are told?” That is the crux of the matter. The average Vermonter has not, or will not, make themselves knowledgeable about the issues and resulting legislation. And unfortunately many do believe what the media tells them.
As one Vermont legislator told me last year when I voiced my concerns about the Clean Heat Standard, now called S.5 the AHA, and what it will do to the average Vermonter, he said that unfortunately the average Vermonter doesn’t stand up and holler until it hits them in their wallet. Well get ready to hear a lot of hollering, after it is too late!
Knowledge is power. “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life”—Confucius. Unless Vermonters endeavor to learn about the life changing legislation and regulations that the Vermont legislature is about to impose on us and exert our power to stop it, we will prove Confucius right.
Currently leaning toward New Hampshire, as I love the general local natural environment, but I’m starting to think New England is a lost cause entirely. Never imagined I’d even consider moving though.
As a true Vermonter-who has lived here all my life- I have asked that question many, many times. yes we have become a welfare state.Years ago if you lost your job you had to take ANY job that was available , if you didn’t you got no unemployment. This unaffordable heat act is a disaster .My husband and I are in our 80’s, we cannot afford to pay for all the changes the dems want,as many other Seniors and others can’t either. We are lucky we have been able to stay in our home which is heated with oil.What do we and others do? Freeze to death? when a 100 gallons of oil has a 3or 4 dollar tax per gallon on top of the price? Seems they are not thinking of the hardship they will place on the people and they don’t care- must be they all have plenty of money to make all the changes. They are going crazy up there pushing through all the things they want.How do they expect people to pay for them? Vermont is 70% trees which take care of the carbon in the air.Vermont has one of the lowest emissions because off the trees AND no one in the legislature can be held responsible for this disastrous act!! What an underhanded way to get what they want.
If we took a half a dozen of the bills or proposals these radicals are pushing which we consider vacuous, potentially unconstitutional, and inevitably injurious to the general public – and stop 100 Vermont voters arbitrarily on the street and ask them to impart to us their general knowledge on these bills and how they might impact quality of life, alter Vermont’s culture & “brand”, the impact upon our taxes, etc. ———- I GUARANTEE that the VAST majority of voters wouldn’t have a clue.
Vermont’s legislators rely on the ignorance, the apathy, & the inattention of voters to pass whatever manner of insane laws without nary an objection. This is sadly how this government of, by, and for the people presently operates and has operated for over half a century at the very least.
Vermonters go to the polls with no idea of what they are voting for in actuality and instead “party line” vote still believing that the democrat party remains the same party who once purportedly possessed that “social conscience” their grandparents spoke of – a group of “benevolent” and “charitable” individuals who simply want for the greater good & who seek little in return for their grand philanthropy.
And the disgraceful Unfree press in this state very easily leads them over the cliff by lying through omission and manipulating facts and reality. It’s fairly easy to lead. And it’s even easier to be led.
True. I was at a diner telling several people of the gun control bills being floated and they weren’t even aware that the bills were in legislation.
Another thing, Plenty of people who are pushing this unaffordable heat act are making big money when it goes through. This is not right! They’re making the laws and making money from the laws they’re making! This is called conflicts of interest and is against the law ! SO where is the Vermont conflict of interests law?
This is so crooked!!
I don’t think there is any saving Vermont; it’s a lost cause. We’ve been taken over by leftists with their own ideology and agenda, intent on forcing it down our throats. And as the Republican Party is very weak and runs a lot of unelectable candidates, we are where we are now with our heavily Democratic legislature. And as like attracts like, more leftists are flocking here all the time. I’m planning on selling and leaving for a red state. Farewell VT.
The core issue is, the Vermont Republican Committee is not recruiting electable candidates. Each election cycle it becomes a choice between the lesser of two evils. Almost no, working class, resident is a fan of their Democrat or Progressive legislators. Yet they can not accept a pro life candidate. Time to embrace freedom of choice for all Vermonters. Be it home schooling, marriage, career, piston vs elec automobiles, paper vs. plastic, sports team names, and family planning.
Eastern Oregon counties are seceding to Idaho and the Idaho legislature just opened the door to allow it to happen. Can Eastern Vermont counties annex the CT River and join the live free or die State of New Hampshire? Worth looking into in my opinion. I, for one, am willing to move over one county to join the United States. Not so long ago, one county was looking to become Canada and one southern town wanted to rejoin New Hamsphire. Go back to splitting Vermont down the middle as it originally was – it’s a failed State anyway.