Vermont State House District Caledonia-3
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How would you propose updating land-use rules and state zoning laws to spur affordable housing development while preserving Vermont’s landscapes and environment?
Campaign Phone
(802)535-5042
Candidate For Office
Bill Coleman
I have had extensive interactions with people of low and moderate income through my 30 years of work in human services. My 4 years of volunteer work in Vermont prisons is also very illuminating. I have accumulated nearly 34 years of continuous and sustained recovery from alcohol and other substance abuse, enjoying a recovery since December of 1992. My work in counseling includes deep interactions with people who have experienced severe brain injuries. I have worked also with a number of people diagnosed with various types of schizophrenia. Mental health needs are vast and not always well recognized in terms of prioritizing funds. When ignored, outcomes can get far more costly! Many legislators have had minimal contact with deep poverty.
Tax reform is desperately needed. Wealthy people must be required to pay a higher portion of their income to help provide equitable opportunities for all. In the 1960s the richest were taxed at close to 90% by the feds, while today they get away with being taxed in the high 30% range. Republicans try to scare us into believing that rich people are creating the most jobs, but often they just pocket whatever they can and build up extreme wealth that does little for anyone not in their families. Stowe, Waitsfield and Killington will not become ghost towns if we tax them a bit more heavily. Second and third homes must also be taxed at higher rates than currently given that most of our young workers cannot begin to afford to one own one home.
Increasing our housing stock need not be overly reliant upon simply easing and use rules. Trump's One Big Beautiful bill Act reduced taxes on the top 5% of Vt. taxpayers by $440 million dollars. Let's add that same amount to their Vermont state taxes. That can provide an extraordinary boost to available housing funds. If we go too far with creating less tightly regulated land use policies we risk doing severe damage to our tourism driven economy by making us look more like New Hampshire. Over the years the federal government has given up on providing for the basics of human needs subtly shifting to "blame the victims;" towards those who are receiving services. Their ideology of a meritocracy is false. ACT 181 is anti-rural though.
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