LEICESTER REPUBLICAN LESLEY Bienvenue is seeking one of the two seats representing Addison County, Rochester, Huntington and Buel’s Gore.
Independent photo/John Flowers

The following five questions, along with a requested word limit, were asked of each local candidate in a competitive race for the Vermont House or Senate.

The questions are not repeated in the context of each candidate’s response, but are recalled by subject at the beginning of each answer.

Primary Election Day is Aug. 13.

1) PERSONAL BACKGROUND: My current afflictions are RNC – Republican National Committee, ACRP – Addison County Republican Party, member and Secretary. Volunteer member of the Festival on the Green organization, AARP – American Association of Retired Persons, Member of the Public Library, NRA – National Rifle Association, Green Mountain Pass holder for the VT Parks and Recreation Department. (By the way – 100th anniversary of the Vermont Department of Parks and Recreation 1924.

My Facebook page has an extensive list of my volunteerism over my lifetime currently 1700 hours in numerous different organizations recently forty hours at the Festival on the Green 2024. Additional hours will accure at Fair and Field Days in August with the Republican Party booth. Stop by and chat.

Credentials are: MBA, MEd, and EMG Graduate.

Religion – Catholic

Non-smoker.

Preference for a glass of wine now and then.

2) THREE ISSUES: Affordability is the main concern amongst Addison County Residents which includes tax increases and employment opportunities with appropriate wages. Available quality housing that is affordable. Finances is the prime worry of our citizens. Negligent criminal practices. Maintain law and order. Justice must be upheld. Excellence in education, focusing on curriculum development.

3) PAYING FOR SCHOOLS: I believe our current property tax program is the best for funding education. The State of Vermont has recently passed laws regarding additional educational financial resources such as increasing the rooms and meals tax earmarked for education. One of my recommendations is to significantly increase taxes on cigarettes. This tax would be allocated for education projects such as replacing furniture and building improvements through grant programs. My expectation is that this tobacco tax would eventually become obsolete when this toxic chemical is permanently banned. Shut down all tobacco companies and no imports. These buildings could be cleaned out and turned into a textile manufacturing company such as footwear. Vermont does not have enough employment opportunities. All people are to be paid for services and poverty will become extinct.

My second recommendation is to evaluate our school cafeteria program. The cafeteria is disposing of way too much food. Composting is an expensive clean up. Menus need to be revised. In addition, I recommend students have recess first and then lunch. Many students socialize a lot during lunch and their food gets cold or they run out of time and the food is thrown away. The intention is that the socialization would occur during recess and not have such a heavy impact on lunch.

Reduce, reuse, recycle materials should be used for curriculum development in our schools. Henceforth, reducing taxes.

4) HOUSING: Utilizing existing building properties that have been abandoned. Contacting the current owner and purchasing the property at fair market value and renovating the structure for housing. That old barn that has been sitting empty for twenty years could be a single-family home or a four-apartment complex. Addison County Residents are requesting country living rental properties. They can not afford to purchase single dwelling homes. All rentals must be a two bedroom floor plan for financial efficiency, this concept accomodates all family structures.

5) CLIMATE: Vermont has been consistently improving upon environmental protection issues. Our recycling program began in the late 1980’s and look where we are today. The Vermont Natural Resource Council has passed into law H.126 also known as Act 59 demanding community resilience and biodiversity. Currently Vermont has 76 percent forestland. The intention is to preserve and protect 30 percent of this land by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050 which should meet our needs in this state. Most recently Vermont purchased Wheeler Mountain in Sutton, VT one of the plan of action initiatives. Vermont is the 3rd most forested state out of 48. Forestry management is a huge proponent in climate control, building strong healthy forests for clean air, soil, shade and providing our wood products as necessary but at full grown capacity. Solar panels and wind turbines have provided energy as well as climate control abilities. It is imperative that excessive lifestyle habits be abolished. Clean up is expensive. Repair is expensive. Decline in appreciation value. Reduction in available commodities. Be educated. Moderation is a requirement for manageability. All aspects affect our financial status.

Henceforth, my leadership sets ideals supporting community values, collaboration, communication and compliance. Elect Lesley Bienvenue as the moderate Republican Senator for Addison County.

Read more Addison Independent coverage of Lesley J. Bienvenue here.

Find our Q&As with the rest of the Vermont Senate and House candidates here.