ISSUES
I am passionate about our preserving Vermont healthy waterways and forestry, keeping our farmers thriving and providing a safe environment with clean water and providing clean, renewable energy for future generations of Vermonters. I will work to continue to pressure legislation to improve our policy making in these areas.
We are lucky to have such vibrant communities within Windham County and the ingenuity of its residents who love their land, makes me even more passionate to put people first in the policy making for our State.
When elected my first priority I will be sponsoring a bill to mandate paid maternity leave for all Vermont Women who are currently not eligible for it because I believe that both Mother and child will benefit from the the bonding time that will provide and that will be a healthy start for both parents, knowing that financially they will be able to afford to spend the critical first weeks with their new born. I will do this because I was fortunate to be in a State that granted this for the birth of my two children and it is something that I know personally will give families that stress free, financial boost which we can do easily.
We must provide the access to both cell service and internet to all of our communities because this is the way that the communication of our generation has become dependent. I will work tirelessly to get competitive companies to bid on additional services which will drive the price of internet and cell service down and make it affordable to all Vermonters.
I do not support school consolidation. I believe that towns have a right to maintain their school systems and that they alone can voice their opinion if they wish to collectively consolidate. I believe that it is vital to our children to have the opportunity to go to a school within their district. Having had to to ride a bus to school 50 miles round trip every day that I went to high school, I am passionate about not having to force children to do that.
When elected I will initiate a bill that will eliminate hunger in Vermont by bringing together industry leaders who will work together to provide the necessary food that we now dispose of every day that could be directed to groups and organizations that serve our residents of all ages. By partnering with purveyors and working with our outstanding food establishments, I know that this is possible. I have worked with Executive Chefs who have formed a system of distribution from their outlets directly to area establishments who daily feed the hungry. It is imperative that this be done through granting tax credits to participating organizations and together we will eradicate hunger.
An area that I feel strongly about that I will work diligently on is providing safe passage on our streets and roadways for pedestrians and bicyclists. My own son was hit by a vehicle and landed in the emergency room. I have been the reader for the Ride for Silence for several year and the number of deaths due to vehicles killing pedestrians and bicyclists is unacceptable in Windham County. I will work with the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Association to form policies that will make stricter provisions in this area. Its is time to address this at the legislative level.
I also will work to make more stringent the Tenant/Landlord relationship with stricter guidelines to help make a very clear the ratio of cost to tenant. I feel strongly that we have gotten so far out of whack with the rental prices that they are comparable to mortgage payments and this is because they are not regulated. I definitely will defend the little guys rights to make sure that affordable housing is a in the forefront of regulations for the State of Vermont Housing policies.
Minimum wage is STILL not high enough to support the average worker, or their family resulting in that individuals have to work two or three jobs just to live in this state. I am specifically talking about our low to middle income individuals. I spoke to a teacher recently who has to work two jobs just because without the second job she can't pay her taxes. Something is wrong with that picture. I know of a fast food worker who has 8 children who has to work two jobs and he is in management which pays far above the minimum wage. We are working out citizens to a point where they will be unable to enjoy their families if they work so much that they can't see them. I believe that our legislature was weak this year and again that is because almost every single one of them has a good paying, high salaried job that they can actually leave for 4 months of the year, to be a legislator. The difference is in bringing to the table and forefront that most of hard working Vermonters can't afford that luxury. Most legislators complain that $11,000 is not enough money for their time, I think $11,000 is a pretty decent pay for a 4 day a week job, which pays for temporary housing, milage and meals, don't you?
I am passionate about our preserving Vermont healthy waterways and forestry, keeping our farmers thriving and providing a safe environment with clean water and providing clean, renewable energy for future generations of Vermonters. I will work to continue to pressure legislation to improve our policy making in these areas.
We are lucky to have such vibrant communities within Windham County and the ingenuity of its residents who love their land, makes me even more passionate to put people first in the policy making for our State.
When elected my first priority I will be sponsoring a bill to mandate paid maternity leave for all Vermont Women who are currently not eligible for it because I believe that both Mother and child will benefit from the the bonding time that will provide and that will be a healthy start for both parents, knowing that financially they will be able to afford to spend the critical first weeks with their new born. I will do this because I was fortunate to be in a State that granted this for the birth of my two children and it is something that I know personally will give families that stress free, financial boost which we can do easily.
We must provide the access to both cell service and internet to all of our communities because this is the way that the communication of our generation has become dependent. I will work tirelessly to get competitive companies to bid on additional services which will drive the price of internet and cell service down and make it affordable to all Vermonters.
I do not support school consolidation. I believe that towns have a right to maintain their school systems and that they alone can voice their opinion if they wish to collectively consolidate. I believe that it is vital to our children to have the opportunity to go to a school within their district. Having had to to ride a bus to school 50 miles round trip every day that I went to high school, I am passionate about not having to force children to do that.
When elected I will initiate a bill that will eliminate hunger in Vermont by bringing together industry leaders who will work together to provide the necessary food that we now dispose of every day that could be directed to groups and organizations that serve our residents of all ages. By partnering with purveyors and working with our outstanding food establishments, I know that this is possible. I have worked with Executive Chefs who have formed a system of distribution from their outlets directly to area establishments who daily feed the hungry. It is imperative that this be done through granting tax credits to participating organizations and together we will eradicate hunger.
An area that I feel strongly about that I will work diligently on is providing safe passage on our streets and roadways for pedestrians and bicyclists. My own son was hit by a vehicle and landed in the emergency room. I have been the reader for the Ride for Silence for several year and the number of deaths due to vehicles killing pedestrians and bicyclists is unacceptable in Windham County. I will work with the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Association to form policies that will make stricter provisions in this area. Its is time to address this at the legislative level.
I also will work to make more stringent the Tenant/Landlord relationship with stricter guidelines to help make a very clear the ratio of cost to tenant. I feel strongly that we have gotten so far out of whack with the rental prices that they are comparable to mortgage payments and this is because they are not regulated. I definitely will defend the little guys rights to make sure that affordable housing is a in the forefront of regulations for the State of Vermont Housing policies.
Minimum wage is STILL not high enough to support the average worker, or their family resulting in that individuals have to work two or three jobs just to live in this state. I am specifically talking about our low to middle income individuals. I spoke to a teacher recently who has to work two jobs just because without the second job she can't pay her taxes. Something is wrong with that picture. I know of a fast food worker who has 8 children who has to work two jobs and he is in management which pays far above the minimum wage. We are working out citizens to a point where they will be unable to enjoy their families if they work so much that they can't see them. I believe that our legislature was weak this year and again that is because almost every single one of them has a good paying, high salaried job that they can actually leave for 4 months of the year, to be a legislator. The difference is in bringing to the table and forefront that most of hard working Vermonters can't afford that luxury. Most legislators complain that $11,000 is not enough money for their time, I think $11,000 is a pretty decent pay for a 4 day a week job, which pays for temporary housing, milage and meals, don't you?