Party Politics

Earlier this month we saw party politics in action as both Shumlin and Leahy endorsed Clinton as the Democratic nominee. I am not surprised and neither should you be surprised.

Senator Leahy has long been an elder. As long as Senator Leahy has been representing Vermont, he will not be our Senator for another lifetime. That is a good thing. Lifetime service as a politician cannot, in this climate, be given the respect it deserves. Too many lifetime politicians have spent too long bilking the public while enriching their own pockets, Wall St and their corporate masters. This has led to deserved skepticism as people begin to equate a lifetime in politics with corruption and lying. Unfortunately, guilt by association harms Senator Leahy’s legacy, as the American public’s approval rating of the Congress and Senate continue to plummet. Yet his reputation at home is intact and well deserved. But he is a party man. The Democratic Party, and all of its financial donors, have benefited Sen. Leahy and he is obliged, as all those who take the money are obliged, to toe the party line; regardless of the appropriateness or benefit to their constituents.

Shumlin must wonder if his days as Governor are numbered. His dismal showing in the election in November had to have given him pause. Shumlin has been involved in Vermont politics at the state level since 1990, always a Democrat. With the possibility of losing the Governor’s seat a reality, Shumlin should be able to expect the help of his party. If Bernie wins (J) or if Leahy decides to retire, Shumlin could look to replace Welsh as he moves into a Senate seat. All conjecture, of course. Letting my imagination play. But not out of the question.

The underlying problem is that these guys rely on money from the national party which, as we all know, takes its money and marching orders from the same leaders as the Republican Party and for the same reasons. Access to influence can be, and has been, purchased by lobbyists for giant corporations, banks, and investment firms, most of which are not from Vermont and are not concerned with Vermont.

No matter how good or honorable a person is, the people who pay them have an expectation of service. Quite frankly, despite the fact they the taxpayers shell out large salary and benefit packages for representation, it is paltry compared to what Monsanto or Cargill or Caterpillar can afford. We can pretend all we want that it is different here, but we know better don’t we? Dirty money taints all who come into contact with it. So while we may believe that our representatives are good and honest men, we cannot discount the fact that they all take money from businesses and interests outside of Vermont, beyond their salaries and beyond the donations of their constituents, to do a job that we are paying them to do. If you took money from a supplier to influence your boss’s selection of vendors and the supplier was paying you twice as much as your employer, where would your loyalties lie? Would you be tempted to make certain that the supplier who was giving you the bulk of your income stayed happy? Even if it meant doing something that wasn’t in the best interest of your boss? It is true that one cannot serve two masters. 

All of this has led to the rise of the ultra-wealthy and an imbalance in the distribution of resources greater than the world has ever seen before. People are suffering the effects including stagnating wages, anemic job growth, and an economy flirting with another recession. Perhaps we have finally reached that tipping point, that moment when the forces of nature that rule us all assert their ultimate authority. History has shown us time and again that wealth inequality ends. It always ends. Because it is not sustainable. Once one group has all the wealth, the game is over. History has also shown a propensity for ending resource imbalance and wealth inequality in 3 common ways: War, Taxes, or Revolution.

There is a fourth way available, but I am not convinced that it is feasible in this culture. The fourth way is that the side with all the wealth realizes that the game is about to end, and in the time honored tradition of children everywhere, gives some back so that the game can continue. That would actually mean that the wealthiest 1% would voluntarily redistribute the resources by utilizing a combination of paying higher taxes, raising the minimum wage, revising the current tax code, expanding Medicare, and feeding and educating the workforce that it wants available to utilize in the next round of the game. This would allow the game to begin anew. The economy would grow, the rich would get richer and they would be supported in this by a vibrant and healthy middle class. There would be a safety net to protect the most vulnerable citizens and guaranteed healthcare and food and education so that all can contribute to their best ability. You know this can happen. Unfortunately greed has trumped common sense and it seems that the 1% would like to squeeze every drop out. So, given the circumstances, I chose Bernie’s “Political Revolution” over the other options.

These are also the reasons that it bums me out, Bernie running as a Democrat. Even though I understand the strategy, it leaves a bad taste. Yet, if one looks at the glass in a half full reality, Bernie could be the catalyst for disruption of the two party system. That would be a very good thing. I'm going to lend my energy to that end.

Oh, and as to Peter Shumlin’s decision to attempt and steal Bernie’s thunder, subtle Gov. Nobody thinks it was intentional and we all believe it just happened that way.

Party Politics. Pathetic.

Post Script: I just realized that I haven't heard Peter Welsh offer an endorsement yet. I must have missed it. I'll look it up tonight on the interwebs.

"A New England Food Vision" is a must read

Recently, in my search about a topic that had come up on my podcast (foodscenevermont.blogspot.com) I came across the website www.foodsolutionsne.org and downloaded A New England Food Vision. This is a fascinating document that lays out a plan for New England to provide for half of its food by 2060. The thing I found most interesting were the maps that laid out proposed land use throughout the region. In each scenario the Champlain Valley provides the lion’s share of the crops.

Now I don’t intend for anyone to take this out of context, you should really read the plan. It is well written and well thought out. But what tweaked my nosey Nellie is the thought of what that actually represents. Think about it. The Champlain Valley is an important resource not only for Vermont, but for the whole region. As we plan our land use and develop our rules and regulations, we would do well to think ahead to what the future of our food systems will realistically entail. While food should be a basic human right in an advanced society, the types and amounts of foods we consume as a regular part of our diet will, in many ways, be dictated by the trade agreements the state and region enter into with other states and other regions. The better the agreements, the greater the availability of sustenance beyond mere survival.

Vermont would do well to take a proactive approach to agriculture and begin to consider the ramifications of what we grow and raise and how we do so as an integral part of our future planning. Encouraging the types of agriculture that will make Vermont stronger both as a society and as an economic trade partner is in the best interest of the citizens. So the discussions should be open, transparent and public.

Artisan industries and small farms are vital to Vermont and our way of life. Making sure that a market exists for our products means making sure that our products are attractive to the market. By careful analysis, like that done in the aforementioned plan, Vermont can plan it’s economic and agricultural future and Vermonters can take their rightful place in the discussion about where we are headed and how we intend to get there.

It isn’t just for politicians any more.

Run Bernie, run!

There are several reasons that I am excited about a Bernie Sanders campaign for President. I first became aware of Bernie Sanders when I moved to Vermont in 2000. A friend was working his campaign and so I went to one of his town hall meetings. Really good chicken and biscuits, hot coffee and tea, cookies. A whole heap of straight talk about what he was focused on that year. Strangest campaigning I'd even seen.

I've never seen a negative Bernie campaign in the 15 years I've been in Vermont. He just doesn't roll that way. He tells you what he thinks and he votes that way and you can look it up. He is the rarest of all species.........an honest politician. He believes. He believes in this country. He believes that we should fulfill our promises to our elders and our veterans. He believes that kids should go to college for free so that we can compete on a global scale and he believes that the wealthy whose businesses stand to gather the most profit should pay for it. He believes that the system is corrupt. He believes he will not take PAC money. He believes that I will give him $5. And he believes that all of those $5 represent the will of the people and that they are powerful enough to drive out the Kochs and all the other billionaire handlers that have invaded our political system. But probably most importantly, Bernie believes that he can win. Or should I say WE can win? Because he believes that he is part of a grassroots team. Just listen to him speak and hear the wewewewewe drumbeat. It may be the only time you will hear a politician mean it.

I love the fact that Bernie has been an independent for so long. I think it took a real love of country to decide to run as a Democrat. Choosing to use the opportunity to present his opinions in a way that, while challenging the status quo, will not end up "splitting the vote" in the general election. I would have preferred that he run as an independent if only because it is important to break the two party strangle-hold on our political system. The American people are smart enough to choose from more than 2 pre-ordained candidates and a planned coronation. They have a right to hear from more than corporate interests.

 Bernie is not a young man. At 73, there is a fair chance that, were he to win, he would only serve a single term. But that just might be enough time to shake the electorate out of it's stupor, it might be enough to interest the millennial generation, who is going to inherit this mess, enough to see real change come to our system of governance.

I don't agree with everything that Bernie believes. But I believe that this year, for the first time, I will vote in the primary.....

Agriculture

I am not a farmer, though I have friends that farm. So I don't pretend to understand the business end of farming. What I do know is that our food chain has been irreparably altered over the last decade. Whether you "believe in" global warming or not, changes in our atmosphere have led to larger and more violent storms, drought, flooding, and a host of other issues which have changed temperatures on both land and in the sea. Warm "blobs" spreading through the Pacific Ocean may turn out to be one of the causes, along with over fishing, of the collapse of the sardine and anchovy populations. Droughts are causing difficulty in growing water heavy crops such as avocados. Beef supplies are expected to decline by over a billion pounds this year. That is on top of last year's decline. Avian flu is decimating poultry flocks in 12 states as you read this. The world is losing one food species every 6 minutes right now. And let us not forget the colony collapse disaster facing our pollinators.

All of this indicates that food, along with clean water, will become priorities for all communities over the next decade. Vermont is uniquely situated to provide for her people, but only if we act with clear intent as we craft laws that define and make profitable the agricultural industry in Vermont. We can create an agri"culture" in Vermont by making the industry a priority in planning and funding. Giant factory farms will not increase tourism, as smaller family farms could. Factory farms are not focused on the people of Vermont, as family farms are, they are focused on profit and their goods most often leave the state. A strong farming community will be vital to Vermont's future both as a secure food source for our population and as a draw to tourists. Along with deliberate, thoughtful action developing Vermont as a destination, agriculture is one of our most valuable resources.

Supporting a strong farming community should be a priority for the state. Legislators, farmers, and citizens should be invited to develop plans detailing a vision for the future of Vermont agriculture in light of the now present food security issues developing around the globe, mindful of Vermont's tourist industry and the balance required to maintain both.

Vermont has a small population. Small enough that we should be able to come together and plan our own future. We can, and should, feed ourselves. If we can grow 75% of the average Vermonters diet, then we should and we should encourage Vermonters to buy that local food. We should serve it in our schools, hospitals, prisons, and government offices. There are many ways to accomplish such a goal. Let's explore them. Let's not hand control of our resources over to those who are selling their influence and selling us out.

Which brings us to the minimum wage...

I am so torn about this topic. On the one hand, I think that government should stay out of business as much as possible. On the other hand, when business runs out of control and its actions are bad for the people of the country then something must be done. If we were operating under a system of true laissez faire capitalism it might be possible to let the market work itself out. But we are not. We operate under a system whereby the deepest pockets are able to purchase laws and ordinances that favor them and injure the public. You will hear complaining about government interference in business....its because corporations purchase politicians and then the politicians vote in favor of rules and regulations that favor the corporation that is paying them. Mind you, this is not mom and pop stores, this is not small businesses. They are as screwed as the rest of us, in spite of the fact that they have a prominent position as a economic force. They aren't collective and independently cannot spend the same amounts of cash that Monsanto or CAT can spend.

After giving it a lot of thought, I think that Vermont should set a rate of $16.82 per hour as the minimum wage. This is not a lot of money, $35,000 a year for a full time 40 hour a week position. This is right around what I make now. It is never going to make me rich and I have to watch every penny I spend. But I'm not destitute. I own my house. I have a car and a motorcycle. Mind you, I don't have a Lexus and a Harley, I have a Subaru and a Ural. Still, gets me to work. My house will always need work but hey, idle hands and all, it's probably a good thing I have something to do. So $16.82 is not going to make anyone rich, but it is not going to break the bank either. The cost to companies could be offset by the reduced needs for social safety benefits in the state and by increased spending on the part of consumers.

The best course of action, in my opinion, is the implementation of the Fair Tax Act on the federal level, removing the onus of income tax collection from businesses. This, in addition to a livable minimum wage, would jump start a true economic recovery. Not to be confused with the "economic recovery" whereby Wall Street is getting richer and the rest of us are getting poorer.

Let's talk about welfare...

I have heard people talk about the bums collecting welfare, no jobs, kids running wild, etc etc
Hear's the thing, most of that crap is just not true. And I'm not saying that there aren't people who game the system, there are, but they represent a very small percentage of welfare recipients. I can't speak to any experiences but my own. So I'm going to talk about the food service industry. Food service employees, industry-wide, collect around $9 BILLION dollars in welfare benefits a year. That is about $197,000 a year per Olive Garden location. Why? They have jobs. They work, often far beyond 40 hours a week.

Here's why. A corporation exists to produce profit. If they hire full time workers and pay them good benefits they might save money on turn-over and training. But they WILL save money if they hire all part-time workers and give them no benefits. Although the rate of attrition is high, the overall savings is higher. As a food service worker I have often found myself in a position, mostly when I was a young single parent, of having two and three part time jobs in order to pay the bills. But I lived in fear of someone getting sick or having an accident. I raised my kids hand to mouth and it sucked. Yet here we are, 25 years later, corporations posting record profits, CEO's making obscene salaries 300 times the pay of their average employee, and still, still we blame the worker who, trying to put food on the table, turns to welfare.

This is corporate welfare folks. This is the taxpayer subsidizing the income and benefits of the worker while Wall Street reaps the profits. So, they build companies utilizing publicly funded infrastructure, like roads and the power grid which taxpayers paid for, then they screw the taxpayer again by forcing them to subsidize the wages of their employees. To top it off, they use their welfare check to purchase favors and influence from the public officials that WE PAY.


Thing is, both political parties are taking the payola. If they weren't there would be no such a job as lobbyist. Both parties work diligently to convince you that they are looking out for your interests and both are lying. Listen, everyone knows you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

I wish Elizabeth Warren would run for President.

Hillary ate at a Chipotle in Iowa. No tip.

The Hillary video

Did anyone see Hillary's "I'm running for President" video.

This thing embodies all that is wrong with our political system. It assumes the audience is stupid, that we can't tell that the diner is fake and the logo is corporate. Rehash of the same old crap. She may well be a wonderful person, but we will never know it. Because it is damn near impossible to have both the people and the corporations like you at the same time......their needs are too different.

People need decent wages, affordable medical care and medications, healthy food and enough of it. We need good schools where our children can learn how to read and write and complete mathematical formulas. We need teachers who are competent and well paid to do the VERY IMPORTANT WORK of educating the next generation......who will be caring for us in our decrepitude. We need medications that have been tested and that we can trust are safe and not just profitable. We need a smaller government and a larger vision.

Corporations need    PROFIT.

That's it. Profit. When they make money they can pay decent wages and work to maintain a healthy, educated, productive workforce. ROFLMAO!!! Like that has happened at any point in the last quarter of a century.

Listen, corporations are not inherently bad. Neither is capitalism as a system. Pretending that corporations are people. Abusing your workers. Buying politicians and selling lies and poison. Destroying our planet for a buck. Those things are bad. But they were done by the collective decisions of people. Because corporations cannot make decisions. They are not people. In spite of what the folks running these corporations work hard to make us believe. Capitalism, like religion, is easy to twist and distort.

These are real people that make the decisions that are hurting the little guy. They make those decisions so that they can maintain the privilege we have allowed them to assume. Until we say no, they, like children, will continue to push the boundaries. Because in capitalism, as in life, rules are needed to help shape our choices and decisions. It is no more wrong to expect a livable wage than it is to expect your child to say please and thank you.

Look, the simple truth is that we really don't know what we would do if we were given the keys to the kingdom and no rules to follow. But like Lord of the Flies, the results would probably be ugly. We, as citizens, have failed to maintain control of our society and it has become something very ugly. We can either take it back, set some boundaries, and get to the task of building a great town, state, and country or we can say screw it. The choice is ours to make.

Cannabis legalization and regulation.

People smoke pot, regardless of its legality. They have been doing so for thousands of years. The prohibition on marijuana began as a strategic political maneuver. There has never been a valid medical, scientific, or moral argument against research and use. Especially not when we encourage, regulate and tax alcohol and tobacco. Adults should have the choice of marijuana both medically and recreational.
We already have in place laws that regulate the sale of alcohol and tobacco. Those same laws should be adequate to the task of regulating marijuana. Marijuana is a valuable cash crop for Vermont. Quite frankly, you can bet your boots that "Big Tobacco" has already planned and strategized how they are going to approach the sale, regulation and advertising of marijuana. They probably already have ready-to-be patented strains.
I believe that Vermont should not only tax and regulate marijuana, but that it should also take into consideration the "Vermont" brand and tourist trade in developing those regulations. Before corporations have the chance to dump chemical laden, nasty weed on our state, start now to develop a Vermont artisan marijuana movement and take control of how it will be seen and treated here at home.
Rather than simply legalize, encourage acceptance. Be the first state to embrace the business opportunities that marijuana represents. Consider not only the number of jobs that could be created by encouraging cannabis entrepreneurship, not just the revenue, but also the draw of young business people back to Vermont. We are getting old. the average age in Vermont continues to climb as our young people leave. As a state we missed the boat on both tech and alternative energy. But we have an opportunity to position the state to be in on the ground floor of the cannabis legalization movement, the Silicon Valley of cannabis.
I know that not everyone agrees. there are people who will never see cannabis as anything other than a horrible drug. But, as we saw with civil unions and then same sex marriage, not everyone is going to agree. But when it comes down to it, I'd rather benefit from it than waste resources fighting the inevitable. We can legalize, tax, regulate, and promote now. Or we will deal with decisions made by others 10 years from now. I believe that Vermont has enough common sense to tackle this issue and create from it a cultural shift.
There are strains of cannabis created here in Vermont that are to connoisseurs what Boucher Blue is to cheese, what Lincoln Peak is to wine, what  Vermont Smoke and Cure is to meat, what Phish is to music, what Burton is to snowboards........quintessential Vermont. Why lose that?

The President's Address

The President had his "State of the Union" address. Some of it I was okay with, some not so much. I don't see a big recovery going on for anyone that I know. Everyone is still struggling, wages are stagnant, and the unemployment figures, for all the "magical mystery math" that is used to calculate it, belie the number of people who have dropped out of the work force, got tired of looking, realized that their skill set just wasn't needed anymore, or just heard "no" one too many times. I think that no amount of good speech writing is going to alter the reality for most Americans, certainly not for most Vermonters.

What irked me the most about this speech is the fact that the President, and all of the politicians in office right now, insist that only two ideologies, two "bought and paid for" parties, the same two groups that have made a disgrace of our republic, are the only two choices that we have. As if there weren't a hundred different ideas out there, as if the common person couldn't possibly figure it all out without the parties telling us what to think. They behave as if we don't know that they are all taking money from the same lobbyists, the same companies.

I believe that the average citizen has a far better understanding of what is needed right now than anyone currently in Washington D.C. I believe that myself, and 675,000+/- other Vermonters know what we need here better than either of the parties. Heck, neither one could even manage a majority of the voters! The pool of participating voters doesn't constitute a majority of citizens by a long shot. So the reality is that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans were able to convince a majority of Vermont citizens that their votes would matter, and neither was able to convince the voters that did turn out to give them a majority. That's too bad!

There are far, far more options available to us than either of the parties would have you believe. The party system itself is an invitation to corruption. Better to choose from among us ones who agree to serve their fellow citizens in their turn. It is not to the advantage of the common citizen to vote in the prescribed manner. The party system insures that no candidate can run without the approval of one of the parties and so they control the flow of ideas. If you are going to vote for someone, you ought to know their name and be able to write it in. If you are simply pulling the party lever, you are granting them control over your life to a degree that is frightening.

Someone in your town, that you know, would be great at representing his or her neighbors. They are smart and level headed. They care about people and are honest and fair. Well, dammit, vote for them! Just because their name isn't printed on the ballot doesn't mean that you can't vote for them. You DO NOT have to vote for anyone printed on the ballot. Sure, those folks pay a lot of money to get printed on the ballot, but their spendthrift ways do not create an obligation on your part. You can vote for who you darn well please. Even if that person doesn't have a flashy TV commercial or big lawn signs or raised a billion dollars from out of state donors who have nothing to do with your county. Just because folks raise and spend money to tell you lies, doesn't mean that you have to believe them. Look around you. Somebody you know would be a wonderful states-person, even if they are not a flashy politician. This time, write them in and the establishment be damned!

Repeat after me: I AM MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!

There, now don't you feel better? I do.

Food Policy

Can anyone really doubt the importance of food? We all depend upon it to live and, here in Vermont, many depend upon it for their livelihood. While we certainly have rules and regulations surrounding the growth, manufacture, sale, and labeling of food, Vermont does NOT have a comprehensive food policy. Neither, in fact, does the federal government. The problem with that is multifaceted. First, only if food is treated as the valuable natural resource that it is can we hope to create an atmosphere in which the impact of laws in one arena is weighed against the impact on agriculture, food production and sales. For example, a policy intended to encourage growth in one industry, say tourism, could have unintended effects on agriculture and so on. By treating food as a natural resource, we can create a food policy that encourages all policy proposals from all industries to consider the impact on food.
Food simply does not grow everywhere. Much of the arable land in this country has been stripped of all of it's natural benefit and ability by the over use of chemicals, poor land management, and a reliance on food mono-cultures. Because the country lacks a food policy, you end up in situation where the first lady is telling us all not to consume high-fructose corn syrup while her husband is signing legislation that subsidizes the production of that very product. A comprehensive food policy would ensure that those types of conundrums would seldom occur.
Vermont, with it's productive and fertile land, history of family farms, brand recognition in many micro-enterprises including beer, cider, cheese, wine, apples, maple syrup, and so much more has the best incentive available to enact a comprehensive food policy: Protection of our agricultural viability. We should lead the country in protecting our ability to feed ourselves.

Religion?

There is a bit of a kerfluffle about religion in the current congress, namely those who refuse to list a religious affiliation. In a secular government, should they even be asking about religion? A nation that condemns Islamic based governments but is itself 90% old, white and Christian? Doesn't that really put us on par with, say, Saudi Arabia or Iran? And really, as much as we claim freedom of religion we still penalize those who stray from the judaic/christian/islamic triumvirate. I don't think it should even be asked. If employers are not allowed to discriminate based on religion, shouldn't that also apply to voters, who are the employers if politicians?

Comments?

Anyone?

Governor's Race...

So, Shumlin gets a third term. If each legislator had voted as their district voted, Milne would be Governor. Not that the difference is discernable. They both get their funding from the same out-of-state lobbyists.

2 more years of the same old crap. Too bad.

Consumption Tax

So what, exactly, is a consumption tax?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_tax
http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/ConsumptionTax.html

You can find reasonably easy-to-understand explanations at the above links. But basically a consumption tax taxes what you spend rather than what you earn. Why would that be an advantage to us in Vermont? Well, the easy and most obvious answer is that people don't currently pay taxes on unreported income. So drug dealers, gamblers, prostitutes etc rarely pay income taxes. They would, and do, pay consumption taxes.  Business owners would no longer have to be tax collection agents for the state and get on with growing their business. Finally, workers would get to keep all of their income and decide how much tax they are willing to pay.
There has been a bill before congress, known as the Fair Tax, for years now. Of course the sitting government is so dysfunctional that they can't even consider it. But as voters you should at least know it exists and understand how it would benefit workers and businesses in Vermont. If you are a small business owner, consider what it would be like for you to be able to ignore the income tax hoops that you must currently leap through every pay period. If you are an employee, imagine getting ALL of your earnings and then being able to decide what NEW items you are willing to purchase and pay taxes on.

A link to the federal bill can be found here.

Of course this is something that would have to be developed in cooperation with the legislature and at the pleasure of the citizens, but I believe that Vermont could be in a much better fiscal position if we start implementing ways for workers and businesses alike to increase buying power and choices.

Thoughts?

10 Point Plan

       The following is my 10 point agenda for my first term in office. I will work to address all of these issues, while seeking advice and input from citizens, legislators and business leaders. Together we can create AND fund the type of society in which we want to live and work.

1. Consumption Tax to replace state income, sales and use, alcohol, tobacco, gasoline, all business and property taxes.

2. Creation of a Food Policy that recognizes the importance of our landscape, economy, ecology, land use, health and nutrition, and agricultural uses and resources and works to preserve the same.

3. Legalization and regulation of cannabis use utilizing the system already in place for the sale and regulation of alcohol, restricting sales to currently established state liquor stores and to restaurants and clubs utilizing the same alcohol service regulations currently in place including mandatory training for servers and managers.

4. Set a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour.

5. Tuition free education at Vermont state colleges for all Vermont high school students graduating in the top 10% of their class. Tuition free education at UVM for all Vermont high school students graduating in the top 1% of their class.

6. Student loan forgiveness for graduates in select fields who agree to work in state on a percentage per year basis.

7. Consumption tax on alcohol, cannabis and cannabis enhanced products, tobacco and petroleum products to fund education and healthcare initiatives.

8. Work with interested stakeholders to develop an administrative culture conducive to entrepreneurship and economic growth.

9. Overhaul the social service delivery system in Vermont to reflect present day realities and the need for training and educational opportunities for disadvantaged people.

10. Review current educational spending and reorganize priorities to reflect the growing understanding of pre and post- secondary educational needs and the societal returns on investments generated by such programs.

What if the winner was a write-in candidate?

I think I'll run for Governor.

Of course I have no party, no money, no political machine.

To get my name on the ballot would require more money than I have, and, quite frankly, I am tired of party politics.

So here's the deal. First I'll post a biography. Then I'll post a series of articles outlining what I believe is the right direction for Vermont. Read it, and if you like it, write my name, Patricia R Peters, on the ballot for Governor on November 2, 2016.



Patricia R. Peters
Biography

I was born on Mather Air Force base, in Sacramento California on February 7, 1965.
My wife's name is Valerie.
I have 3 daughters, 3 granddaughters and one grandson.
I have a step-daughter, a step-son and a step-grandson.
My parents are still alive and have been married all of my life.
I have a sister who lives in VA and a brother who is deceased.
I have a BS in Business from the University of Phoenix.
I have an MBA in Finance from Southern New Hampshire University.
I am currently employed as a cook at Middlebury College.
Before that I worked as a baker for American Flatbread.
I live in Middlebury, VT.
I haven't decided how I feel about turning 50.