Editor’s note: This commentary is by William Graham, a poet, novelist and travel writer who lives in Stowe. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in literature and communications from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He is a member of the Vermont Chapter of the Sierra Club.
[S]ix years ago, my wife, son and I moved to Vermont from Chicago. Like many new residents, we were attracted to the natural beauty of the state as well as to its progressive political tradition and civic activism. As these six years have flown by, I, like many Vermonters, have become increasingly concerned about how this small state can maintain its rural charm but not be mired in the past. Vermont needs to create a more vibrant and diverse economy. Such an approach will help transform Vermont into something more than a quaint rural haven where tourists and second homeowners come for a few days and then leave. While Vermont can retain much of its 19th-century charm, for the state to survive and keep people living here, it must not look backward, but charge ahead fearlessly into the 21st century. This requires, however, leaders who don’t want to conserve but to progress. It requires leaders who don’t have a “horse and buggy” mentality and long for the so-called “good old days.” We need leaders who want to propel us into the good new days.
Wisdom can be defined in many ways. For me, a wise person is someone who sees connections when others do not. Similarly, leadership can manifest itself in many forms. For me, being a leader is skillfully articulating and then courageously acting on opportunities that benefit the most people in an organization, a state or country. The questions we as Vermonters all need to ask are these: Is Gov. Phil Scott merely a politician or a leader? Is he a wise man who looks forward, or a timid man who won’t embrace the future?
Scott has an opportunity to answer those questions based on if he supports a carbon tax in Vermont. In the upcoming legislative session, several carbon tax proposals will be debated. Does Scott want Vermonters to spend increasing amounts on fossil fuels (over $2 billion annually) that benefit outside special interests? Or does he want some of that money returning to Vermonters through revenue generated via a carbon tax? Every Vermonter should understand this: A carbon tax has been successfully implemented by dozens of governments around the globe, for example, in British Columbia, Japan and Ireland. Carbon taxes would raise revenue for the state and would reduce taxes for many Vermonters who could use a tax break.
Supporting a carbon tax is a tangible action that Scott can take to show he is indeed a leader in a broader effort to ensure that Vermont is creating a clean energy economy. The price of falling behind the clean energy curve is higher energy costs and fewer good jobs. The tangible reward is showing that our small state can make a big statement regarding clean energy policy, which will create jobs and keep workers (our family and neighbors) in the state. Policies can be implemented and technologies leveraged to make Vermont a leader in clean energy. I urge Scott to lead us in that direction. History will judge him harshly if he does not exhibit the courage and foresight of a real leader.
