Editor’s note: This commentary is by Arthur Hendrickson, of Moretown, who is a retired concerned citizen.
[R]ecently during the national shutdown of government it became clear that a great share of Americans, even those with good paying jobs, are living day to day. In Vermont, these are the same people that are continually being taxed in regressive manners to fund things such as Efficiency Vermont, Washington Electric’s Button-Up program, or the recently voted tax on fossil fuels. This is wringing money out of the population for programs from which most will never see any meaningful benefit. Taxing in this manner is only a nuisance to the rich and burden to the rest. But, it never seems to end. These hidden fees accumulate. For an example, Efficiency Vermont now gets enough in a year from us that could have paid for any one of our three lowest monthly electric bills.
The tax on fuel recently voted on supposedly will “only” cost about fifteen dollars a year for the purpose to weatherize low income homes. However, this is just additional money added to a fuel tax program that has existed for years. All these programs and ones similar have qualifications, restrictions, hoops to jump through, and some that require large personal investment to participate. This results in many of the state’s largest programs being nothing more than “welfare for the rich.” There is something fundamentally wrong with our state that has so many incentive programs where the poor and those with little wealth are subsidizing those that have wealth. Statewide regressive programs to winterize a select few thousand homes a year is not fair to the multitude of taxpayers and is not currently getting the job done. There are programs that need to be eliminated and some restructured to put money back in the hands of the taxpayers and leveling of the playing field.
If they want to there is a way our state government could provide everyone a way to increase the efficiency of their homes, a little at a time, in a fair way, without a lot of bureaucracy, or large investments to participate.
Vermont could have a Weatherization For All Program. This would be accomplished by putting a line item on the Vermont Income Tax form that allows those filing to deduct up to $200 a year for insulation purposes. The claimant would only have to show a proof of purchase. This would be funded out of the General Fund in a progressive manner rather than the regressive hidden way things are currently done.
If the state advertised the $200 tax deductible Weatherization For All program every fall before the heating season begins it is likely that those that normally would not spend on weatherization might. The participants would save in cost of fuel, get their money back in refunds, and it would reduce fuel consumption throughout Vermont. This makes economic sense. So, why not Weatherization For All?
The carbon study the Legislature paid for came back that Vermont is not the cause of global warming nor can we solve global warming. I am sure most people would love to have an electric car, heat pumps for heat, and solar panels on the roof to run them, but, sadly, they have no possible way to pay for any one of them. What Vermonters don’t need is to be handicapped with carbon taxes or anything that resembles them. The solution to global warming will not be by creating more poverty.
