This commentary is by state Rep. Charles Wilson, R-Lyndon.
If a state (Vermont) or a nation (USA) forsakes God and their constitutions or overburdens its people with oppressive power of the mind of mankind, especially oppressive power exerted by government or rigorous conditions imposed by some outside agency or force, they eventually fail to prosper.
This deception all can be accomplished by changing words to another new meaning, as has been done from “constitutional republic” to “democracy,” therefore with a total disregard of the Pledge of Allegiance and article 4. section 4 of our Constitution guaranteeing a republic. Yet now, it is common practice in the federal and state governments to refer to these as “democracy.” So what is the problem?
Democracy was never written into both our state and federal constitutions, and with good reason. A democracy is majority rules — right or wrong. There exists no protection of individual or property rights and always ends in turbulence, and at times violence, because the operation of a democracy is socialism and tyranny, negating the law of our constitutions and the entire premise of “we the people.”
A constitutional republic as guaranteed in our Constitution, Article 4 Section 4, is governed by elected representatives and governed by an established set of laws. There is protection of individual and property rights and is indeed ideal for large, diverse populations. There is no need for “equity” for we are not all the same, but endowed by our Creator to be equal and have the right to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The loss of “we the people” quietly remaining silent and allowing outside forces, often with lots of money, to do whatever they want has changed the integrity and unique culture of our state and nation. The Democratic/Progressive parties have created a lawless (anything is OK), unsustainable and unaffordable mess. Believe me, as I am a witness. The state of Vermont is broke.
Listed below are some of what has been raised in the 2023 legislative and veto sessions. The final budget is blatantly and openly irresponsible and will hurt low-income Vermonters, seniors on fixed incomes, the homeless, small businesses and, really, all working taxpayers.
—Universal school meals. Our underprivileged need help, but not everyone, and this bill is financially unsustainable. State public school administrations and our Legislature have attacked private and Christian schools, or what is called school choice.
—Public schools are overly weighted with special education costs, unsustainable union budgets, political and social indoctrination of students using humanist and often immoral methods of ignoring parental rights, which has ruined Vermont. Home-schooling by parents will always be the best in educating our youth. Vermont is trying to change this under the guise of streamlining.
—There will be lots of new taxes. A payroll tax for a program called “Vermont Saves” (5% taken automatically for this questionable retirement scheme), payroll taxes for child care and family leave, also a new 1% tax in Stowe for businesses, and taxes to be collected in the whole state to pay for Burlington’s new high school! The Vermont Legislature broke the state child care system with unnecessary regulations and criteria for small, independent child care providers. Now the same Legislature wants $125 million per year to start, via a new payroll tax, to fix the problems the same Legislature created!
—Then we have the “Affordable Heat Act.” Our Legislature handed over control of this horrific bill to the Public Utility Commission for a so-called “S.5 study” which has already started to hire people to implement the bill. The Global Warming Solutions Act with the U.N./ Paris Accord-driven coalition has no power over our constitutional laws to the hype of total electrification of the world, which will do nothing to lower the Earth’s temperature, and remember, Vermont’s carbon footprint is less than one-tenth of 1%. The next thing will be to tax according to your personal vehicle mileage.
—The new Cannabis Control Board needs more “staff “(bureaucrats) but who in Vermont will bear the cost to our youth and citizens’ health for drug dependency, which we have sadly seen change to many deaths from fentanyl and suicides.
—Our farms are now so regulated where only the very large can make it. We are dumping milk and many are switching to cannabis crops. Many family farms are being sold to developers, solar and wind farm sites, and the wealthy wanting to either have a second home or an income rental for tourism.
—We now have illegal aliens moving in, and if they are illegal, that is against our Constitution, therefore against the law and if we do not keep the law, there is no law. We now see 50% taxpayer-funded money to support 50% of people capable, but not working.
—Has anyone noticed the price of everything is skyrocketing and the worst is yet to come, we are told. H.480 is a property reassessment and reappraisal bill. With big-box stores moving out, lack of workers is leading to closures of small businesses and restaurants. Vermont is an unfriendly business state. More Vermonters are moving out as we have been led into California Dreamin’.
This is not a negative report, but serves notice that Vermont is heading into a mess because “we the people” allowed the government to rule over us, instead of adhering to constitutional law.
I hope in the next election we elect true conservative patriots with backbones to stand up to the heartless Democratic/Progressives and remove this tyranny that is invading our life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
