A historic opportunity not to be squandered

BY GOV. PHIL SCOTT

In January, I presented my budget to the Legislature and my priorities haven’t changed. In fact, they haven’t changed much at all since I first ran for governor. I still believe it’s important to focus on the fundamentals, work together to find practical solutions, and follow through to finish what we started.

One thing that has changed over the last three years is the billions in federal recovery aid we’re receiving. This — coupled with historic state surpluses due to responsible budgeting — has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fund our obligations and invest in addressing challenges we’ve faced for decades. If we do this right, we’ll restore the vitality of left-behind communities, help people get ahead and let them keep more of what they earn.

But we know the federal money won’t last forever, and when it does dry up, even the Legislature’s economist predicts a downturn. So instead of spending on programs we won’t be able to afford in the years ahead, we must invest in initiatives that put us in a stronger economic and fiscal position to generate more dollars in the future, rather than raise taxes.

After last year’s election, there was a lot of talk about a super majority of Democrats and Progressives in the Legislature, but this is nothing new. What’s been overlooked is the real majority: More than half the Legislature serves towns with less than 1,000 people — small, underserved communities that desperately need our help. And as Governor, I represent all of them. So regardless of party, they should be our priority.

Real transformation requires us to lift up the regions that have been left behind. That’s why the budget I proposed would expand economic growth to more areas of the state and strengthen our very foundation. We’re focused on the basics — housing; water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure; high-speed internet; small businesses; the workforce; and health and safety — because these are the sparks that ignite revitalization. We’ve invested historic amounts in these areas, and the budget I proposed this year follows through on this strategic approach.

Right now, there’s still a lot of common ground. But there are also storm clouds on the horizon.

Before leaving for Town Meeting break, the Legislature passed the Budget Adjustment Act, which is supposed to take care of things that can’t wait until the next fiscal year. In this one bill, they spent about $50 million more than I proposed. This is concerning because they haven’t told us what they’ll cut in the full budget to pay for it.

The Legislature is also considering bills — many cited as top priorities — that could add hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for everyday Vermonters. This includes adding a payroll tax for paid leave that may cost workers and employers about $100 million a year. They’re also considering increasing a whole host of taxes to pay for a childcare proposal advocates say requires $279 million a year. Then there’s the socalled “Affordable Heat Act,” which just passed the Senate and we estimate could cost $2 billion in total, with Vermonters seeing heating bills rise by at least 70 cents per gallon and/ or needing to pay thousands in upfront costs to transition to cleaner heat.

I’ve proposed alternatives to each of these priorities without raising taxes and fees, including a voluntary family leave program; tripling the state’s annual investment in childcare to help thousands more families; and a more effective way to plan for a transition to cleaner heat. We can do all of this without asking those who can least afford it to pay more.

Elected officials need to remember that the decisions we make during these volatile and inflationary times have real life consequences on people who can’t carry more financial burden. And because the silent majority are at work, trying to make ends meet, they’re counting on us to protect them and their pocketbooks.

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EDITOR

Jason Starr editor@willistonobserver.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Jan Kenney jan@willistonobserver.com

PUBLISHER

Susan T. Cote susan@willistonobserver.com

Michael McCaffrey office@willistonobserver.com

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MEMBER:

St. Hilaire

continued from page 7

With his guilty plea, St. Hilaire admitted to an account of events presented by police and Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George describing how he repeatedly deflated the victim’s car tire outside her work and home. He was caught by police in November outside her workplace carrying three cartons of eggs and quoted by police as saying he was there to “do some not good things.”

“(He) admitted that he and (the victim) had broken up, and that he had been letting the air out of her tires,” George said during Monday’s hearing. “He said he did it because he was devastated by their breakup and wanted her to call him for help, but these incidents and his conduct made (her) so fearful and emotionally distressed that she called out of work and ultimately reported this conduct to police out of fear for her own safety.”

Seeking to confirm the veracity of St. Hilaire’s guilty plea, Judge Thomas Carlson asked him: “Did you let air out of her tires.”

“Yes sir,” St. Hilaire said.

“I thought maybe she might reach out because she needed help with something,” he added. “I know it sounds like kind of an odd way to look at it, but that was my thinking.”

In a statement during the hearing, the victim described how distressed and fearful the repeated incidents made her feel. She referred to St. Hilaire as “a good person (who) made very bad decisions.”

“Not knowing if my vehicle would be OK to drive after working two jobs is a terrifying feeling,” she said. “Not knowing if I could get my kids where they needed to be is a terrifying feeling. Being a single woman, late at night, not knowing what to do with flat tire after flat tire is very scary.

“Driving down the road having to pull over because the tire pressure in my tire was down to 8 PSI (is) another scary feeling,” she continued. “Every night when I walk to my vehicle I am still on edge with fear and anxiety not knowing if my tires will be flat … I no longer feel safe. I live with worry daily hoping that this will never happen again.”

St. Hilaire remains a Justice of the Peace in Williston, elected last November. The remaining year on his selectboard term will be filled by Mike Isham, who won election to the seat during Town Meeting Day last Tuesday.

Thank you Williston

I’m still filled with gratitude as I reflect on the last two months.

To the 769 residents who voted for me, thank you so much for coming out and showing your support. While it was a chilly and long day out there, every thumbs up and kind word made it worth it.

Throughout the campaign, it was difficult to know if anything I said was resonating. On Tuesday, it became apparent that there were many Willistonians who liked what I brought to the table, and next time (because there will be a next time) I won’t let you down!

To the 772 residents who voted for Mike, thank you for voting. I’m glad you take your civic duty seriously, and I respect your choice. I hope I can continue to serve Willis-

Letters To The Editor

ton in other capacities, get to know you and show you how much I love our town. Maybe next time, under different circumstances or against a different opponent, I’ll have some of you in my corner.

To Willistonians who didn’t vote, if you didn’t come out because you didn’t think your vote could make a difference, I hope this race illustrated that truly, Every. Single. Vote. Matters.

This result could have been different if literally one more household came out or one had stayed in. While local politics might not be particularly exciting all the time, local decision-making is important and can have a much bigger impact on our day-to-day lives than anything going on in Washington D.C., or even Montpelier.

Thank you again. Williston is a special place. I am lucky it was the place I got to grow up, and it is very deliberately the place I want to grow old.

Ellie Beckett Williston

Echoing praise for Korner Kwik Stop

I fully endorse Jack Price’s comments in the March 2 issue of the Observer (“Appreciation for Korner Kwik Stop”).

Villages tend to have a center or a heart. In the case of Williston, it is the Korner Kwik Stop, and in particular it is Bernie. He knows everybody, he remembers your name, he is consistently helpful and organized, and he is always kind and friendly.

Without him, Williston would not quite be the nice place it is.

I do hope that he continues to do what he is doing now and for many years to come.

Lutz Muller Williston

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