Vermont's Democrats
by Syed, Mahmood Ali
Vermont's Democrats
by Syed, Mahmood Ali
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Vermont became the 14th state of the Union in 1791, thus resolving the
fight between New York and New Hampshire for its possession. In 1777
it adopted its first constitution, abolishing slavery and giving universal
suffrage to males without a need of property qualifications. The state
of Vermont has a population of about 590,900, with a 98.6 % of white residents
and the rest mostly Black, American Indian, Asian and Hispanic.
Vermont’s industry includes production of monument granite, marble, electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, paper etc. It is also famous for the making of maple syrup. Vermont’s ski areas attract many tourists who visit it every year, and who also go there to hunt and fish. Howard Dean who is the governor of the state, and he is also a Democrat. The state government is made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Out of the thirty members which make up the state Senate, 17 are Democrats, and there are 78 members in the House of Representatives out of 150, making the Democratic Party the majority in both houses. When it comes to the Democratic Party’s issues, Howard Dean, who is an elected candidate of the party, has addressed issues such as welfare reforms, budget at a national level, health care, agricultural industries’ enhanced improvement, Vermont’s children’s safety, education and drunk driving. Budget Vermont Democrats take a hard line on the budget. They want legislative leaders to limit budget increases through the rate of inflation during the year 2000. They proposed a state’s spending plan of 2.8 percent growth over the fiscal year of 1998. They also proposed a General Fund budget of $753.4 million and a Transportation Fund budget of $163.6 million. In addition, the Democratic Party states that since small business will account for most of the future job growth, it needs to support Vermont’s small businesses. Vermont Democrats asked for $50,000 increase in the budget of small business’ development center. They pointed out that if Vermont held down spending to the rate of inflation, there would be enough money left over for three things: property tax reform, back filling federal budget cuts, and a stabilization fund equal to 10 percent of Vermont’s annual budget. Welfare Reform Vermont Democrats focus on the reason of why there are so many people on welfare in Vermont. They say that in order to have Vermont welfare reforms they have to look at those people who traditionally have had the most difficulty in entering the work force. The Democratic Party’s budget includes $800,000 to match the new Federal dollars that will assist ANFC parents who find barriers in entering the work force. Health Care Vermont Democrats talk about health care reform in a very strong manner. Since about 18% of Vermont’s population lack health insurance, 1/3 of which are children. The Democrats proposed a health care program called “Dr. Dinosaur” which can assure that every child whose family income is below $48,00 per year (family of four) will receive health coverage. They also introduced a program called “Success by Six” which offers home nurse visits to 70% of all the children in Vermont within the first two weeks of their birth. Agriculture and Forestry Since they consider agriculture and forests as very important parts of the Vermont economy and culture, Vermont Democrats believe in taking measures in preserving them. They believe in informing people on the use of “bio-engineered products, including BST, in food products”. They are very supportive of the protection of forest lands, using farming practices that are not harmful to the environment, and also making policies that allow farmers to get a fair price for their products, and that “preserve land for agricultural use”. Education Act 60, which is know as the “Equal Educational opportunity of 1997” provides equal rights to public education and makes it affordable. The Democratic Party of Vermont states that Act 60 has many technical faults. Under the old system taxes paid for education were dependent on two things, the amount the community spent and the amount of property wealth of the town. Vermont Democrats argue that the quality of the education shouldn’t be determined by the wealth of the town. The Democrats say that they have to change Act 60 and improve the quality of education for every Vermont child. They argue that Federal Assistance, tax abatement provisions, transportation cost assistance and equal ability to raise revenues for education will bring equal educational opportunity in Vermont. They also argue that Vermont parents have more options within the public schools in the city. Drunk Driving Vermont Democrats think that drunk driving is a serious offense and should not be taken lightly. They say that cars of repeated offenders should be confiscated, even though the bill for this did pass in the legislature. Howard Dean strongly supports the idea of putting more troopers out on Vermont highways and he has asked for $150,000 for troopers’ safety vests. Vermont Democrats also proposed the idea of educating people about drunk driving. The $200,000 worth of programs will be put out for the Vermont public for their safety and health. |