Monday, June 17, set a new record in Vermont government. Not only did the General Assembly set a record for single-day vetoes, they set a new record for ignorance. The reason Gov. Scott is in office is because a vast majority of Vermonters agree with him. Overriding six vetoes is ignorance to the will of the people. For a party that advertises commitment to the principles of democracy, the supermajority really let us down.

Many Vermonters have been complaining about the laws coming out of Montpelier but we have to do more than complain. It is time for new representation. In Addison County you have no moderate Democrats on the ballot. All three candidates are incumbents in the General Assembly and all three voted to raise property taxes by 13.8% in one year, to raise the cost of electricity to Vermonters by hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years, and to make land development in rural Vermont more difficult and expensive. Given the explosion in housing costs in Vermont and rampant consumer price inflation on food and household goods, these are not ideas Vermont families can afford right now. Vermont only ranks 32nd out of 50 states for median household income.

The bottom line here is the supermajority is incapable and unwilling to make tough choices. Vermont families need to budget to live within our means, why does the supermajority get to act any differently? What the General Assembly needs desperately is lawmakers who will force compromise for the good of all of us, irrespective of party. Everyone who is patting themselves on the back right now for steamrolling the most popular leader in the entire state is getting it wrong.

Where do we go from here? I need your help, Addison County. Someone has to stand up for common sense in Montpelier so I put my name in to run. If you agree with the points I am making, please consider taking a Republican ballot on Aug. 13 and checking my box. I have worked hard as a selectboard member to keep Huntington affordable without sacrificing the values of our community. In Huntington our year-over-year budget increases come out around 5%. We even managed to purchase a 260-acre forest without taxing for it. Our board never forgets the residents who work hard jobs and long days to barely get by and keep their homes. Please reach out, let me know what you think and how you feel. I would love an opportunity to earn your vote. New leadership for the Addison Senate District is now available!

Landel Cochran

Huntington