Dear Editor,
It is obvious to most that children are essential to our state’s future well-being. Children will become the future workforce, paying taxes and contributing in myriad ways to build and guide our communities. They will also be the next generation of parents.
In contrast, imported oil drains a ridiculous amount of money out of the Vermont economy because we have no petroleum resources here. Money spent on oil leaves the state. So why does our governor go to the mat to protect the home heating oil industry while apparently turning his back on supporting family health services?
Affordability is not just about the cost of things; it is about the viability of our communities. Saying that Vermont moms can simply drive over to New Hampshire or Massachusetts ignores the financial and staffing pressures in those states. Massachusetts and New Hampshire are closing birthing centers, too.
The clean heat standard, which Vermont abandoned this year after Gov. Phil Scott vetoed it and lawmakers later let it die, was designed to steer Vermont toward a better long-term economy. Closing schools and reducing health services seem designed to diminish the future self-reliance of our communities.
Currently, the most profitable parts of the U.S. healthcare system are pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, specialty surgery and insurance. Where do people fit into this? While billions are made by cherry-picking the profit points, we are starving resources for primary care. And what is more primary than healthy births and healthy moms? Meanwhile, we spend millions on imported oil wasted on heating under-winterized buildings and driving at excessive and horribly inefficient speeds on our roads.
It is time for new ideas that will do more than just reduce the rate of downward trends. Invest in Vermont’s birth centers and stop wasting resources on yesterday’s energy systems.
Andy Davis
Brattleboro, Vt.
