MONTPELIER – “I don’t care how you do it, Dave. Just lower our property taxes. They are killing us.” I remember this exchange with a voter on Election Day as if it were yesterday. The desperation was palpable. Others had made similar comments and spoke of how they might be forced to move out of state despite loving Vermont.
Over the last six weeks, while working on education reform, I have reflected often on these comments. What I have learned is people do care, deeply, about how we reduce their taxes. It matters to many if teachers are required to have more students to save money. It matters if small schools are forced to close. It matters if children are riding the bus for too long. It matters if local control calls the shots or whether a five-member board representing 50 towns rules. And finally, it matters if every child has access to a quality education no matter where they live.
All of these issues and more will need to be addressed as attempts to achieve sustainable spending are found. The cost drivers like health insurance premiums and staffing levels will be on the table too.
Some suggest our small schools, including smaller classes, are part of our rural culture and contribute strongly to our educational quality. They argue we should replace the regressive property tax with an income tax or with a broad-based value-added tax that would be paid in part by the estimated 15 million tourists who visit us annually. Governor Scott in his budget address said a different tax source might fix the funding but not fix the underlying cost drivers. As with many things, it may take some of both.
The Green Mountain Care Board, which is independent and does not report to the governor, unlike all the department heads who testify before us, depicted a dismal picture of the state of health care in Vermont. To say that the health care system is unraveling is not an exaggeration.
Our hospitals are failing financially and predictions are several could close unless significant changes are made within the next several years. Home health agencies are fragile, and one closed this past year. Half of all our nursing homes have received extraordinary financial relief to prevent closure in the past year. Physician practices are unstable with several recent closures. Blue Cross-Blue Shield is hemorrhaging cash and top-end family health insurance plans have premiums approaching $50,000 per year.
To characterize the situation as dire may be an understatement. What was most disturbing was the acknowledgment that there is no quick fix coming to solve the problems. It was indicated that investments in primary care physicians are most effective to slow rising costs because research shows without primary care, patients are forced to seek help from more expensive emergency rooms.
The Independent Green Mountain Care Board, unlike conflicted government agencies reporting directly to the governor, are unrestricted with their assessments. One cannot wonder what the picture of government would look like if more governmental units were able to call things as they see them.
Please share your thoughts with me by emailing me at [email protected] or text me at (802) 696-4838.
David Yacavone is a Democrat representing Lamoille-Washington, including the towns of Woodbury, Worcester, Morristown, Elmore and parts of Stowe.
Rep. David Yacavone
Civil authority is the weal of the people, as in of the people for the people by the people; corporate service providers are at the discretion of the people who are the government, the civil authority; let us not play into this artificial intelligence at the expense of our natural intelligence; if you are one of the beings that believe and perpetuate the privately issued money as debt and diminish this infinite life by attaching a number of value to your divine creation, David’s political babble may be your cup of tea;