This commentary is by Gregory Thayer of Rutland. He is a candidate for lieutenant governor.
Now that I have announced my candidacy for lieutenant governor as a Republican for our great and beautiful state of Vermont, I have many questions for the current leadership of our Legislature. We need to learn from those missteps from this session and the past. We need to do a better job for the future of our great state for our children and our children’s children.
I believe that many of the people serving in this Legislature are not representing you and your family. I’ve heard many times around the state: “What are they doing? They are growing government to a level that government is going to control every movement of We The People. You are drowning us in statutes, regulations, and government control!” This must stop now.
My fellow Vermonters, these people are piling laws on top on laws. Our Vermont Statutes Annotated (VSA) have grown substantially in the past 15 to 20 years. This practice must stop.
Case in point: Take the right to bear/carry arms bill working its way through the House now. It’s called S.20 and is supposedly about no guns in hospitals. We have state statutes to remedy this if there is a problem. We have trespassing laws that work well, they have teeth. Plus there are federal laws that could be used. S.30 is not needed; it’s simple overreaching.
Why are our state legislators working practically full time? Let’s look at two states, our small Vermont and the huge state of Texas.
Texas is massive. About 29 million people call the Lone Star state home. Its annual budget is $110 billion, the 10th largest economy in the world. It shares over 1,250 miles of border with Mexico. The Texas State Legislature meets every two years. That’s right every two years, and only for a maximum of 140 days.
Here in our beloved Green Mountain state, we have just over 634,000 inhabitants, an annual budget of $7.7 billion (and that is overinflated, thanks to nonprofits) and a whopping 90-mile border with Canada. Our Vermont legislators meet every year, January to June, and then they set up “special” study committees studying their special interest groups’ plan for more legislation during the regular session.
That is crazy, and a waste of both taxpayer money and time for such a small state.
I understand that is “how it has worked for years.” But never to this level, this long, and with all these “special” study committees and continuing so late into the year. I remember 20-25 years ago when the state’s annual budget was roughly $650 million. The Legislature was only in session until mid to late May in an off-election year and maybe until mid April in the election year. Because they didn’t want to go overboard, costing taxpayers more money, so they’d gavel down the second year of the biennial so they wouldn’t anger voters.
The management of both Houses and Senate in Montpelier must be revamped and discussed with Vermont voters. I believe many of the bills that are introduced are special interest projects. They are overreaching, smothering our citizens, and working to destroy our republic, our Vermont Constitution and the great everyday people of our state. Many are duplicates that are not needed.
Look at the statutes that are in the VSAs. Are the Progressives working for what is best for the people or towards total control of the people?
As your lieutenant governor, I will ask and address these and many other questions. Please watch closely throughout this election cycle so you will elect the person who will listen to you and do what is in your best interest, not in the interest of the special interest groups currently running Montpelier.
Love the comments from those who give up without trying, and those who say this is only a Title and not a real job.
What Gregory will bring to the State is someone that will listen to Vermonters, traveling all over the State to make sure their voice is heard.
Gregory has proven he is the real deal. He has spent a great deal of time. effort and his own money traveling the State to hold Town Halls. Bringing with him other Patriots to share information on CRT, the Constitutions of Vt and America and our Civil Rights.
Step up or step out. Gregory is stepping up.
Many people in this Legislature are not representing us, now that’s an understatement,
progressive democRATs are only interested in one thing ” agenda politics ” at any cost
to taxpayers ……………. how pathetic.
Gregory Thayer, thanks for running for Lt. Gov, for all the Nah-sayers that feel the Lt.Gov
has no power, that may be so but we need to take back one seat at a time if we want to
save the state from all the liberal nonsense !!
I would but i dont believe the elections have any integrity anymore. If a radicalist like Condos unconstitutionally changes voting laws without state legislation, anything can happen.
Thank you.
You are RIGHT ON Greg! Thank you for running! You have my vote!
Governments are established to protect the Rights and Freedoms of THE PEOPLE. Instead, many Vermont Legislators are working to oppress and control THE PEOPLE. If the Federal Money Gravy Train were stopped and Vermont had to survive on its own revenues, we would be in serious trouble.
Many of the Legislators are proud to take all the Federal Monies they can get, even knowing the US Deficit is out of control and they are stealing from future generations. This goes along with their immoral and Barbaric view on murdering unborn human beings and calling it “a health choice.”
What is really sad is these people are voted into office. VOTE THEM OUT!
Anybody who’s read Molly Ivins knows what a disaster the government of Texas is– a legislature that meets for two months every two years to oversee the affairs of what was in her day the world’s twelfth largest economic power. Moreover, the people who run for office are, in her very-well-qualified opinion, for the most part dunces with an axe to grind rather than citizens with an electorate to serve. They are the ones who set the conditions for hundreds of their fellow Texans to die in last winter’s freeze.
If you want some real power as Lt. Governor, Mr. Thayer, I suggest you move to Texas, where the position is the most powerful one in the state.
That’s quite a rant. Do you understand that the Lt. Gov. has next to no power?
Here is an example of American representing Americans
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/02/rand-paul-shows-support-to-bar-shutting-down-over-vaccine-mandates/
Best of luck, we need many more people like you in office, in the VTGOP too!