Read Our Lips - NO NEW TAXES ! 
By Rob Skinner

And when you think there's not a thing left to tax - along comes  House Bill 399 proposed by two Democrats - "An act [tax] relating to the establishment of a vehicle miles traveled fee [tax]." This is yet another financial burden to be leveled against all Vermonters that will again lessen their, and particularly middle to low income citizens, quality of life. 

It's apparent now to a majority of Vermonters, and the numbers grow, that legislative Democrats are not focused on tax thrift and seem all too easily led, even lock stepping, by tax and spend artist House Speaker Shap Smith and Senate Pro Temp Peter Shumlin.  Democrats as a whole seem bent on avoiding any honest consideration of downsizing  government commitments, as advocated by Governor Douglas and conservatives, and are keen to move forward with more taxation. 

Please put the brakes on such a regressive tax that will surely more hurt middle and lower class people than the affluent who flinch not at the recent spike of $4.00 a gallon gas which, by the way,  will be back soon enough.  Look, President Obama has targeted the rich so if you are so determined on more taxes then do as Obama has said and will do - narrow your tax focus on high income workers.  Stay clear of the far less fortunate who struggle and suffer enough with rising energy prices. 

But of course, the real long term solution to declining revenues that beckon government to reverse its expansion, is to take a serious analysis of the scope, effectiveness and necessity of the far too many social programs that serve to strengthen the entitlement mentality.   Such programs may seem well meaning but they thwart the notion, the initiative of people needing to  "reach beyond grasp" in their personal goals to be more financially sound. 

You should take your eye from the Washington allure of the billion dollar IOU bailout as the obligations, the allegiance to that money is a mere  stop gap that is unsustainable in two years or less.  This bailout, this handout from federal Democrat leadership is a temptation that is not in any way a  viable solution.  It is more trap than treasure and in two years when the voters understand that taking the billions with strings attached will only delay the inevitable - a more expensive and expansive bureaucracy where more taxes will have to be raised and more suffering will have to be endured.  Politically, this is a near perfect scenario for Democrat legislators to be ousted because finally the people will understand the foolishness of failing to take real, open and honest  responsibility for  putting one's financial home in order. 

Listen - I know thousands of Vermonters have been speaking up and trying to get the Democrat leadership, Shap and Shumlin, to listen to us but they appear deaf to downsizing the scope and power of the government.  So I suggest this - if you have the chance to come face to face with any Democrat who will likely vote for more taxes, or fees - probably 95% of them -  tell them, because they are not listening,  to "Read Our Lips - No NEW TAXES !! "  And I guess to avoid confusing them we should add to that - "And, Read Our Lips - NO NEW FEES !"   Sure, Vice President Biden recently said its patriotic to pay more taxes, but I say that those in power should be focused on being extremely conservative, radically careful about spending our hard earned money (no bonuses to loser CEO's) which would be far more patriotic as it would make the country all the more stable and respected around the world. 

Sadly, our Vermont Democrats are rather busy with gay marriage and demeaning Entergy (VT Yankee)  to seriously focus on reducing our tax burden with downsizing the state work force managing all too expansive social entitlement and education programs. But I urge all Vermonters who are getting "mad as hell and don't want to take it anymore"  to get very active with emails (go to the The Vermont Legislature Legislative Directory for contact info) or phone calls, or visiting them in person to demand they crash H.399.  We are paying plenty for gas (going up now) with it's gas tax, and of course, the ever rising property tax thanks to Act 68 which was a Democrat tax scheme gone wild. 

It's time for Vermont Democrats to listen to Governor Douglas, and not hold out for millions of federal bailout dollars that "the children" and "the grandchildren" will be in debt for all their lives !   It's time for Democrats to come to grips that big government, as Ronald Reagan often said, "is not the solution but the problem."  And these days with this terrible recession, we have clearly seen that big, expanding government become all the more unfocused and incompetent making the problem for all Americans much worse. 

It's about attitude my fellow citizens. It's time Democrats put their interests and their quest for more power aside and embrace  the character of self determination, and of independence and of sacrifice that made this country the economic power that it once was.  A country that for decades and decades made it possible for one adult in the family to provide for the entire family.  With fiscally conservative politicians in place its an America that could be again.  We can do it - we can change it -  "Yes we can."
 

Rob Skinner lives in Grand Isle.