Neil Johnson: ‘Vexit’ the fiscal insanity

By Neil Johnson

It’s time for Vermonters of all stripes to come together. The fiscal self-dealing, irresponsibility, insider trading and waste is too epic to continue ignoring. We need to “Vexit” the fiscal insanity going on in our state.

The United States is having to put up walls to keep people out of country since the economic opportunities are just too great for many to ignore. Yet in Vermont, many people are fleeing the state for other areas of economic opportunity and the population is in decline.

Take Vermont’s latest scheme offering people $5,000 to move to the state — can the problem be any more glaring? Other countries are facing similar population decline, along with outward migration. While their problems exist on a grander scale, the common thread is bad policies.

Vermont does not have to be the Venezuela of New England — we do not have to be the guinea pig for every bad socialist idea on the planet. Yet people have been fleeing our state for decades because we have no economic opportunities and we make life too difficult and expensive.

Our country was formed on the idea that taxation without representation was wrong. At the Boston Tea Party, colonists were upset about high taxation. In Vermont, we have a similar situation, but we don’t even get the tea we’re taxed on. Instead, we give the tax money to the “British” to move to our state.

For one thing, we aren’t addressing underlying problems in our state. Kennedy Democrats understand this because it’s built into their DNA: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what can you do for your country.”

Let’s look at the fiscal insanity in affordable housing. The waste and self-dealing of taxpayer money in Vermont is of epic proportions. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Would $200,000 for one room with kitchenette/bath seem high? It’s higher than the average house price of many homes across our state.
  • Would $335,000 for a one-bedroom apartment seem high?
  • Would 1,800 square feet of living space seem reasonable for $990,000?
  • Does $560 per square foot seem a reasonable price to pay when most homes cost $135 per square foot? The most luxurious condominium was built and sold for $444 per square foot, with slope side access. Does this make sense?
  • Would you pay $638,400 for a single wide trailer? That’s the price per square foot we’re talking about with affordable housing.

Some of these are happening right across from City Hall in Montpelier. There are inside deals that have been going on for decades. The rental trap is keeping people poor, but it’s good business — just keep the generational poverty trap and benefits cliff in place and our business will continue expanding.

Affordable housing is usually rental properties. Yet nobody builds wealth renting an apartment. Only home ownership offers the stability and equity to get out of poverty. In the world of affordable housing, nonprofit developers are given zero interest loans, huge tax credits, huge subsidies, special permit considerations, and more. And it is the perfect way to keep people in generational poverty while others get rich off of taxpayer money. In fact, everybody gets rich except the tenant, who’s trapped in generational poverty, and the taxpayer, who’s pockets are picked.

Many of us seek transparent, open, frugal dealings with our taxpayer money, yet Montpelier’s answer for affordable housing is promoting more of this.

Instead, we can produce home ownership for $600 per month, easily, without subsidies and taxpayer money. Montpelier is in the way. Politicians are the ones not allowing affordable home ownership, and creating generational poverty, while filling their pockets with taxpayer money.

Perhaps we should have our own Vexit — as in, Vexit the fiscal insanity.

Neil Johnson, of Waitsfield, is state chair of the Green Mountain Party and was a 2018 candidate for state House in the Washington 7 district.

12 thoughts on “Neil Johnson: ‘Vexit’ the fiscal insanity

    • Prager has some great video’s, I’ve yet to see on that wasn’t…..thanks. Have you seen Yuri’s video? Get’s into real soviet/left subversion, from the 80’s and he’s using terms I didn’t hear until just a couple of years ago. I’ve been using the term PSSC, (Progressive, SJW, Socialist, Communist) but then I repeat myself.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gnpCqsXE8g

      Enjoy….if you look around, connect the dots, follow the emails, the money…it’s rather startling what is happening in our little state, in broad daylight. Ignorance did have some serious advantages….but I guess we have to wake up at some point.

  1. Good read Neil, and oh so true. The leftarded faction that has run the state to ruin since the 60’s is more aligned with the leftist National platform, and outperforming them then the struggling Vermont citizen. “our own Vexit — as in, Vexit the fiscal insanity.”
    I think they have started covering their bases with the new bill that makes it a crime to “disturb the legislature”

  2. I would like to suggest, yet again, that the one single reform that will begin to turn Vermont around, politically and economically, is comprehensive School Choice. I know, at first blush, the connection may seem abstract. But consider the following.

    We clearly see population in-flow to districts with School Choice because of its popularity. School Choice will not only create an entrepreneurial mindset in education services, our children will benefit academically, the workforce will improve, and education taxes will decline further incentivizing population and business in-flow.

    Yes, political indoctrination is a problem, not only in the media but in every aspect of government, including the public school monopoly. Political special interest groups thrive in this atmosphere of cronyism and one-size-fits-all tyranny. But rather than attack the well organized unions and social service organizations, demand systemic education reform. Let individualism and self-determination thrive. As Rob Roper recently opined – it is a ‘Moral Imperative’. Indeed, it’s an Existential Imperative.

  3. If the folks have a problem with this fiscal insanity, there’s a siimple solution and it is available every November – it’s called ELECTIONS. If these clowns continue to be reelected year in and year out, NOTHING will change.

  4. We have given these Elected Officials to much-unchecked power, Lobbyist Agenda’s rule
    the State House………..

    Vermont’s in Debt, Taxes out of proportion to other states and they wonder why people are
    fleeing the state, the younger generation is leaving after school as they see no future here.

    Wake up Vermont, Montpelier is killing the state with its Progressive mindset !!

    • The voters in Vermont must take the blame for this, they keep voting for the same people.
      Either they are uninformed or just vote because of party loyalty.

  5. No. The solution is to rid ourselves of the corruption Johnson lays out. We need to clean house of those who pass themselves off as saviors of the unwashed while filling their pockets at the expense of the taxpayers. The party is on. Let’s start with Janet Ancel and her ways and means committee and the reduction or removal of tax deductions such as health expenses and mortgage interest.
    Maybe the media were way too distracted to report that sneaky move.

    • Excuse me, but the media was NOT distracted. I told VTDigger multiple times back in March & April about the proposed elimination of itemized deductions, but they CHOSE not to highlight this and the impact it would have on many taxpayers. Instead they got all tangled up in their underwear over the impact the fed reform would have if VT did nothing, the proposed income tax surcharge to pay for school costs (killed by Senate Finance committee) and the end-of-session battle with the Governor over the non-resident property tax rate. They missed the real story.

      The only publication that found any interest in this story is TNR. All the others are COLLUDING with the legislature to hide reality from the taxpayers. If any journalist who may happen to read this would like to discuss this, I am a tax preparer and you can find me on the Internet.

      • You are soooo right Steve. The media in Vermont for the most part is not even media, it’s really propaganda. Anyone like yourself who has exposed the truth, questioned any of the socialist dogma is cut off. The only paper to ask any different questions of us was the Waterbury Record. Pretty much every news source/debate was literally using the democratic platform for questions, with Digger taking the lead.

        The censorship across the state is epic. 7 days the other major paper has the editor who shares a life with leader of the Senate. They wouldn’t even acknowledge we existed, same for others. Those with a solid understandings of the problems and the solutions are far more than people realize, we’ve all been beaten like a dead horse and then run over by a semi……but if we worked together, in harmony and forethought we could make progress.

        We actually have much in common with Kennedy Democrats, we are often played on both sides where they get us arguing at points where there is no good solution, rather than solving our problems. The PSSC crowd thrives on division, fighting and nonsense, it’s their plan.

  6. I can understand the frustration Neil expresses but again he lacks a solution to the problem. Everyone is aware there are major flaws in Vermont Government so “Soapbox Rantings” do no good. We need a solution. My solution is to educate the people and fight to remove the current “Politicians” (God, what a dirty word) who seem to forget that THEY WORK FOR US! It’s time to clean out the Progressive Cesspool in Montpelier. #802VTALLIANCE

    • We totally support you guys, you have some terrific people in your group and a solid foundation. If we can offer anything we’ve learned, experienced we’d love to help. We gave some of our experiences on your story. We wish you the very best. Our goal is to educate too. They’ve literally been stealing for decades, nobody can justify what they are doing and have done.

      Our counter to the minimum wage increase, is housing at $600 per month. That’s affordable ownership for two people on the current minimum wage. Montpelier will give minimum wage and take it away in fees/soda tax/car inspections/lot tax and people wonder why they are broke. We have the highest minimum wage and the worst affordability.

      We’re doing what we can. We agree, a little less PSSC would do Vermont some good. (Progressive/SJW/Socialist/Communist)

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