Charles Bergmann is an architect from South Newfane.
SOUTH NEWFANE-My wife and I moved to South Newfane in 1995 because we had some ties from childhood to Vermont and wanted to grow old in a small Vermont village.
Hermine was a Dutch citizen, our children are dual citizens of Holland and the United States, and we have also lived in Alaska, Holland, Switzerland and Seattle.
I am an architect, and since coming here I have had a chance to build some good buildings; I have also renovated four buildings on my property.
I am also pleased that in our village that Peter Lilienthal renovated Village House; a few of us renovated The Old Schoolhouse; Tom Concannon and Ravi Shimpi continue to improve the inn, and builder Matt Ewald is converting the former church to residences.
But we need some business and residential growth.
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As a child, I recall that Vermont was a rather conservative state politically, and that has certainly changed; it is now considered a left-of-center state.
Vermont has seemed to be struggling since we moved here, and there are many characteristics that are not healthy.
• The state population, now around 645,000, has been declining.
• The public-school population, now about 79,990, has been declining.
• The workforce has declined.
• At least six colleges have closed.
• Vermont is generally perceived as an "anti-business state."
Amanda Janoo, who is running for governor, put it well by describing the political leadership as merely "managing decline."
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I would like to offer a few thoughts on how we might solve some of Vermont's problems and make it an even-better place to live and work.
My personal wish list for Vermont includes that the following could occur:
1. Modify the tax system by eliminating the property tax and the sales tax and relying only on a personal income tax.
The property tax is expensive to enforce and not a reliable judge of value or how much money one might have. The sales tax is a nuisance for business to collect, hurts sales, and drives business to New Hampshire.
We all have to file income taxes, and it is a reliable gauge of how much money a person might have, including available for government. Out-of-state property owners could pay a reduced income tax.
2. Convert Act 250 to a brief, clearly articulated building code applicable only to very large projects. At present, it is a vaguely worded "opinion piece" that is poorly and very slowly administered, resulting in years to get even a simple permit. With few exceptions, let towns handle the permit process.
3. Encourage growth in the villages by funding water and/or wastewater systems in the villages. Move highway funding to support a sense of village, including street trees, sidewalks, and parking. Move utility lines underground.
4. Reduce the influence of state government in the public school system, and provide vouchers for all students to allow school choice. This will not hurt good public schools.
5. It is fair that all citizens be required to have medical insurance, but work toward a medical insurance system where people purchase private insurance from a host of choices rather than our government-run system, which is failing. For those who are unable to afford medical insurance, provide vouchers.
This is the way the very effective Dutch system evolved and works. They abandoned a more socialist agenda because it was not sustainable.
6. It is necessary that all citizens have disability and retirement insurance, but work toward a system where people purchase private insurance from a host of choices rather than our government-run system, which is failing.
This is the way the very effective Dutch system evolved and works. They abandoned a more socialist agenda because it was not sustainable.
7. Rather than the state spending money on terribly expensive, so-called affordable housing projects, provide low-interest vouchers, secured by the real estate, directly to home buyers to assist in obtaining a home.
8. Reduce the size of the Legislature and impose term limits of, say, 12 years.
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When I see our politicians of different parties so angry at each other and so unable to find common ground, I am reminded that Vermont left-of-center pundit, John Kenneth Galbraith, once told me that one of his two best friends in the world was the right-of-center conservative, William F. Buckley Jr.
Politics is only a part of life, and we could use more of that attitude toward dealing with others with whom we might not agree.
"Socialism works until you run out of other people's money," and democratic socialism works in, say, Norway because the country has a strong work ethic but also receives large oil revenues.
We all want Vermont to be a beautiful and prosperous state with a good life for as many as possible.
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