Thanks for Visiting

John Taylor - Candidate for the Vermont Legislature representing Orange-1 including the towns of Chelsea, Corinth, Orange, Vershire, Washington and Williamstown.

Thank you for visiting my campaign Website. Hopefully it means we met somewhere and/or you got one of my flyers. Or perhaps you saw an article mentioning the site and you were interested enough to come here and find out more about me and what I hope to do as your representative.

I've lived in Central Vermont for 30 years but grew up in Rutland. I've also lived in Putney, St. Johnsbury and Newport so I know most parts of Vermont.

I have worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, education consultant, in human services and now as a Internet communications specialist with the Vermont Department of Tourism.

I'm an avid motorcyclist and would rather be riding my Goldwing.

Here's something you should know about my approach to government. First, I don't think government should encroach on individual liberty. Second, government's first duty is to provide law and order. Third, government's role is to level the playing field so that everyone has a chance at the American dream - not just the privileged few. That third role must always refer back to the first two.

In a campaign you only get a few minutes with folks and you can only put a little bit of information in a handout. On this site I hope I can expand on the issues and you can get to know me better.

John

Open Government and the Legislature

I'm really surprised that more candidates have spoken up and more letters-to-the-editor haven't been written about the legislative secrecy stories. If they are what the press stories say they are then this is troubling.

If you didn't see them, the story is that a teacher wanted to see the communications to and from the teachers' union and the legislature on a piece of legislation. He was told that those were all destroyed.

I've been concerned for some time that the legislature, while mouthing that it's a “citizen” body, is becoming more and more removed from the public. See my "Citizens Voice" statement below.

I'm deeply disturbed at press reports that legislative emails are routinely destroyed. But I'm most amazed and distressed at the reported response from the head of Legislative Council, Emily Berquist, that this is acceptable. This is the type of response I'd expect from someone the caliber of Alberto Gonzales.

I guess to Ms. Berquist, and legislative leaders, the idea of an open government in Vermont is a 'quaint concept.' If the report of her response is accurate I have doubts that Legislative Council, which advises the legislatures on drafting laws, has a full grasp of the constitution.

Where I work, and across State government, employees are routinely reminded by their legal counsel about the importance of retaining emails and correspondence related to decisions. Every employee from commissioners on down knows that an email is no different than any other written communication. That the legislature doesn't know or feel this is a true double standard and should outrage every citizen who believes in this democracy.

There are reports that Sarah Palin gamed the system as governor in Alaska by using her personal email to escape the glare of the spotlight on certain issues. I'm sure this is not a one party practice and just shows how the electronic age, which was supposed to open the flow of communications, is just allowing elected officials to hide better. And the loser, as always, is the American public, and its right to know.

I think the legislature has fallen into some easy, but unacceptable ways of conducting the public's business. One of my goals, if elected, will be to push for more openness and an examination of the ethics of how the legislature does business.

Strengthening Local Economies

In the last 50 years of the 20th Century Vermont changed from a very rural state to a kind of hybrid. Most of it "just happened." We are likely to see more such changes in the next 50 years. The question is will we let it just happen or will we try to be the masters of our own destiny.

For too long, Vermont's economic development strategy has been focused on attracting outside businesses to this state. The true economic future of Vermont lies in helping local businesses to thrive and expand.

Vermont businesses have shown that they can compete on a national and even a world stage. Furthermore, Vermont businesses have a vested interest in their communities and are less likely to head out of state the first time they are offered a better deal.

How can we do this? By encouraging, as part of a comprehensive economic development strategy, the growth of environmental goods and services -- the so-called EGS sector of the economy. By building on the well established image of Vermont as a clean and environmentally conscious state, and by capitalizing on the state's existing talent pool, we have a golden opportunity to attract real investment in the state in technologies like renewable energy, waste management and water quality improvement.

The Internet has made it possible for us to live locally but work globally. The legislature needs to do more to prod the expansion of high speed internet to all corners of the state. They need to keep the pressure on both the private sector, regulators and others to make this happen.

We also need more organization making "micro investments" into Vermont-based businesses. These type of investments have proven successful in other parts of the world and I think they would work here.

We need to encourage more funds like Community Capital of Vermont that is investing in the dreams of Vermonters. Between guidance through the Small Business Development Corp., Vermont-based investing and incubator spaces we could spur a new era of locally owned and operated business meeting the needs of Vermonters and the world.

At the same time we would also be helping to preserve all that is special about Vermont. Regional planning calls for compact villages separated by a country landscape. What fueled that open landscape was farm land.

We still need open land and can keep it through diverse agriculture and recreational uses. We need to really start planning for the next 50 years in a regional way, not merely give it lip service.

Protecting our Landscape

Do you know why so many people live in Chittenden County? Answer: They like living so close to Vermont.

That joke used to be funny but development is threatening the way of life we all love. A friend of mine suggested that all of Vermont should be declared a national park to stop development. If only it were that simple.

Preserving our ridgelines and keeping our open lands open are two of my biggest priorities. Now is the time to get serious about regional planning or the Vermont you see right now will be gone within our lifetimes. Williston stands as the biggest example of planned development gone bad. Williston -- the town that once told a mall to get lost -- now has something ten times worse -- "Big Box" Mall Sprawl. But even worse are the houses with no visual barriers increasingly lining our hillsides. This is a vision of Vermont's future, unless we act soon and act decisively.

This kind of junk development can be stopped with local ordinances saying that the tops of buildings cannot exceed the top of ridge lines and that houses built on exposed hillsides must retain trees as visual barriers. I will work toward providing local communities with technical assistance on identifying areas at risk for such development and in drafting these ordinances protecting the communities natural assets

Our open lands must also be preserved which is best done through supporting a viable agricultural economy in Vermont. To do this we must work with other state Legislatures and Congressional delegations to help bring stable and predictable prices to our dairy farmers. We must also do everything we can to encourage diversity in the Vermont agricultural economy which is the most single-commodity dependent in the country. Farmers options for viability should extend beyond selling the development rights for their property in perpetuity and mortgaging their children's futures.

Cooperative businesses and sustainable agriculture/ business relationships such as the "Farmers Diner" model are a part of the answer. Agritourism is another piece of the puzzle as is diversifying our farm products. Wineries are springing up in various places. We need to support all these efforts, and more if we are to retain Vermont's rural character.

The Citizens' Voice

Bringing the Citizen's Voice to Montpelier

I will take the title of "Representative" very seriously. In Montpelier my job will be to give voice to the concerns of the residents of Orange County and to keep their interest foremost in my mind as new proposals come forward. I'm concerned that real Vermonters aren't found very often in the halls of the Statehouse. Too often legislators are only hearing from the various lobbyists and the Vermonters they bring in to testify on bills. I want to get real people and their perspective back into the legislative process.

Orange County has a lot of smart people with some great ideas. I've heard them as I travel around and I want to be sure that I continue to hear from you - that's what this blog is all about.

So many times you only hear from legislators during a campaign - and maybe that's the way you like it. But I want to keep in touch after the campaign. Before and during the legislative session I will provide town "cracker barrel" discussions to talk about the bills, big issues and how to make things right.

But, it's more than staying in touch. If you want to speak up on an issue I'll be your guide to meeting the right people, getting to a hearing and even presenting or writing in with some testimony on a bill or issue. I'm here to be sure you're heard in Montpelier.

Health Care: It's about Affordability

There has been all sorts of talk about making Vermont more affordable and about what to do about health care. For me they are intertwined you can't talk about one without the other.

Did you know that many people are one accident or health care emergency away from bankruptcy? It's true, a large number of bankruptcies in this country are brought on by by either large health care debt or the loss of one income in the household. Yes, I said one income. Frequently the family still has money coming in but just not enough. Combine the two and you've got real problems.

I'll talk about Vermont incomes, debt and making Vermont more affordable in another posting. right now I'll focus on health care.

At a rally I saw a sign that said "Make it better - not just different" that affected the whole way I view this concern. For me it's about equal access to needed health care - not about providing "universal coverage."

Thinking in terms of "coverage" makes this an insurance issue. When you think about it in terms of "access" it's a health care issue. I'd like to know how it became an insurance issue rather than about health care.

I think you and I both want access to the care we need - when we need it. But we don't want to lose the house getting it. We don't want adequate health care to be something only the rich can afford. If this involves insurance then so be it.

One approach I think makes sense is declaring Vermonters one big insurance pool - excluding the Medicare and Medicaid recipients. We then invite companies to put together insurance plans to cover us all.

These would be reviewed and the most appropriate and affordable would become Vermont preferred providers. You would be able to choose which plan and which insurer you want to go with.

Funding This
Companies, including the State of Vermont, would pool what they now pay for health care as a base for funding this.

We would have to pay a modest premium and a co-pay on visits both of which would cap at $1,000 per year.

Other Solutions
This is just one idea; another is to learn from our neighbor across the border, take what works, and have universal care.

What do you think?