Interesting session tonight in Essex Junction, where about 50 people turned out to Burlington resident Tom Licata's presentation on taxes and the economy. He attracted a bunch of angry people and they had a few showdowns with some of the legislators who showed up.
One of the interesting things about Licata's approach was that he did not get political, and that seemed to help. Without naming names, he pointed out that the federal government is helping the state less, that private-sector job growth in Vermont in the last seven years is zilch and that there is a pile of debt the state is facing. There are culprits in there of all political persuasion. His target, really, was government in general, of whatever party.
As a result, he had officials of all stripes trying to defend government. Mike Quinn, the commissioner of economic development, was there standing up for the administration's efforts to create jobs. So too were Republican state Sen. Diane Snelling and Democratic state Sen. Hinda Miller.
One of Licata's main points is that politicians respond to special interests, rather than to Vermont's interests. Snelling, particularly, argued that the citizen Legislature is quite accessible and listens to real people all the time.
A good many lobbyists would probably argue that they are looking out for the interests of real people.
Are they? Or do special interests generate an inordinate amount of power? Ponder that one for a bit.
- Terri Hallenbeck
