A Welcome From John

John Taylor - Progressive Candidate for the Vermont Legislature from Orange-1

I'm John Taylor and I'm running for the Orange-1 State Representative seat on the Progressive ticket. The Orange-1 District covers the towns of Chelsea, Corinth, Orange, Vershire, Washington, and Williamstown. I am proud to be running on the same ticket with three-term Progressive incumbent Susan Hatch Davis.

I ran as a write-in candidate in 2008 and on this same ticket two years ago. The issues I was concerned about two years ago are still current.

I've been a resident of Central Vermont for over 25 years. A resident of Williamstown, he has held several local offices having been lister for six years and have served on the planning commission, cemetery commission and as Town Agent. I've lived and worked in various parts of the state including the Brattleboro area and the Northeast Kingdom, so I have a good feel for Vermont.

Jobs, wages, and housing are priority issues in addition to getting the State's financial picture in shape in the wake of Irene and the recession. I think affordability starts with an economy that is built on more than attracting big box stores or chasing after manufacturers to relocate here. We need to encourage home-grown 21^st century employment options that reflect our children’s education and that will allow them to stay and prosper here.

The Internet makes it possible to work globally but live in this special corner of the globe.  To assure that's possible we need to push for high-speed connections to "the last mile." I don't believe in this current 'can't do' attitude that has been coming from some quarters.  We've always moved forward and we've done it by working together and that's the essence of  a progressive frame of mind.

My work in the tourism industry for twelve years has given him a renewed appreciation for his native state's beauty. "That scenic beauty is our heart and soul. People from all over the world rave about it, and national organizations like the National Trust, are worried about its future. I think we need to get serious about preserving our ridge lines and making sure our family farms don't go the way of the catamount."

Taylor sees the next few years as pivotal. "Reading the book The Vermont Century really brought home to me how much Vermont has changed in the last 50 years. The next 50 could bring just as much change. I think we need to move forward but we shouldn't lose what we love about this place in the process."

Affordable housing is about more than mortgage payments and rents; it's also about not over-taxing homeowners.”

 

When it comes to education I'd like to see some real, creative thinking from the State level with more local input on how education is delivered in Vermont – not just a shuffling of administrative nobodies. I think it's outrageous that highly paid professionals can't come up with something better than this. It doesn't speak well for the benefits of an advanced education.

I'm very concerned about the professionalizing of local governments. The legislature in recent years has passed an ever increasing workload onto local governments without any money following it. Towns have had to hire high priced accountants and appraisers to do what locals used to do just to comply with those demands. The problem is that, unlike school funding, the legislature isn’t sending any money along and the local taxpayer is seeing the payrolls in town halls going ever upward. We need to put the brakes on that.

You can find out more about me on my "About Me" page. You'll find my background as well as my approach to government.

Contacting Me

Feel free to comment on one of my positions - like I said I'm hoping this will become a conversation. Or, if you want to ask a question  just send me an email at John@JT4VT.org. If you spot a spelling mistake or such email it to Webmaster@JT4VT.org.

John