H. Paige

Healthcare Replace Vermont Health Connect (VHC) with an open marketplace operated by the state Insurance Department to provide information on available commercial policies allowing side-by-side comparison of rates, coverage, deductibility, co-pays, limits and exclusions. Taxes / Budget Vermont currently relies on the Federal Government to pay for nearly three quarters of the state’s expenditures, in fact Vermont receives 4.3B annually from the Washington more than all taxes collected from Vermonters by the Federal Govt. (4.01B) - It is understood that the Federal Government cannot continue on its spending spree and when the “cash flow’ to the states is cut down or cut off Vermont will be unable to increase taxes by 200%or cut expenditures by 75%. Education Support and Protect Local Control and Locally Based Schools. Environment / Energy Restrain the expansion of expensive and unreliable “Industrial Wind” \projects. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Develop Effective Protections for spousal and child abuse victims. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Investigate and Prosecute Fraud and Corruption in State Government. · Increase Law Enforcement efforts to reduce drug trafficking. Healthcare Reform or discontinue Certificates of Need (CON) process which will increase competition, availability of services and reduce healthcare costs. Education Improve Educational Experience by restoring traditional subjects.· Support Teacher’s innovative and creative efforts. Drug Policy Legalize and Commercialize Marijuana ending the last vestiges of prohibition, removing the profits from the criminal marketplace, while assuring that products allowed create no heightened danger to our citizens and allowing Law Enforcement to concentrating on eliminating “hard drugs” and their criminal purveyors. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Work to Prevent Judicial Activism. · Establish Uniform Sentencing and Incarceration Guidelines. Environment / Energy Continue Support for “Vermont Made” and “Farm-to-Table” promotion efforts. Education Allow Communities to decide when and if to combine schools without State interference. Taxes / Budget Vermont is rapidly gaining the reputation of being the “Land of Endless Taxes” raising and extending collections in nearly every area. Income Taxes, Property Taxes, Sales Tax, Motor Vehicle Fees/Taxes, Cigarette/Tobacco Taxes, Liquor Tax - almost everything is fair game. We must bring expenses and expenditures under control to allow us to reduce tax demands. Environment / Energy Develop Affordable Energy Resources (biomass, solar, hydro and small scale wind). Economy · Make Vermont “Business Friendly” while protecting citizens from unfair or predatory business practices. Environment / Energy Provide Financial Support to Improve Control of Fertilizer Run-off to Reduce and Eliminate Water Pollution. Healthcare Implement Tort Reform to Protect Providers from artificial and frivolous lawsuits, reduce liability insurance costs and ultimately reduce healthcare costs. Environment / Energy Support Energy Efficiency and Conservation Efforts. Education Reject “Common Core” curriculum and its mandatory “teaching to the test.”. Education Insure that High School students possess the necessary knowledge and skills to flourish after graduation. Taxes / Budget Amend Inheritance Tax Law to provide exemptions for closely held and family owned farms and businesses. Taxes / Budget Provide Tax Incentives for hiring and training veterans and the long term unemployed. Taxes / Budget Provide resolution to the competitive inequity brick-and-mortar businesses suffer by state’s tax accommodations to competitors operating in “the cloud.”. Infrastructure / Transportation Streamline Regulatory Process to reduce time and expense for current and future businesses.