Grand Isle
What does Vermont mean to you?:
As a native Vermonter, I do not want the state to lose the rural character and sense of community I experienced growing up here. I think we are experiencing more urban problems (like drugs and gangs), and that's too bad. Also, we are becoming a State of the very rich and the poor. I feel the middle class is shrinking. We are being taxed to death.
What common values do Vermonters share?:
We used to be a hard working, ethical, conservative people. There are still many hard-working and ethical people here, but we are now one of the more leftist/ liberal states in the nation. Socialism (read Progressiveism)is a bad form of government for freedom-loving people, and we are creeping toward it here.
What challenges and opportunities do we see for our communities and state?:
Our taxes are too high. We have too many people who work for the State here. We need to encourage a more private-business-friendly and lower-tax environment. We must grow private business, and discourage government dependency. No nation (read State) ever taxed itself into prosperity.
What should our priorities be as we work together to prepare Vermont for the future?:
Lower taxes. Reform school funding. Shrink the size of state government. Encourage the growth of private businesses and jobs. Reform the cumbersome permit and regulatory process. Remember the strong conservative and religious roots of the State. We are drifting away from all of these.
How do your thoughts about Vermont's values, future challenges and priority issues apply to YOUR community?:
I think we are moving into a one-party system of government in this state: socialism. I do not recognize the Democrat party I was a member of growing up. It is now hard-left-socialist, and even the Republicans are moving left. This bodes ill for the future prosperity of our state. We need a balance, and we no longer have that.
