When the Vermont House approved $27 million in new taxes last month — hitting everything from sales to income to meals — we made this not-terribly-bold prediction:

[Y]ou can expect a certain conservative super PAC to weigh in with a television commercial script that goes something like this: “Super-majority Democrats in Montpelier are trying to raise taxes on your paycheck, your gas tank, your kid’s winter coat, your Mountain Dew, your Kit Kat bar, your Marlboros and your next meal at Applebee’s.”

And sure enough, as Green Mountain Daily’s Sue Prent first reported over the weekend (and the Vermont Press Bureau’s Peter Hirschfeld noted in Monday’s paper), the conservative super PAC Vermonters First has pretty much done just that.

But instead of a TV ad, the organization has instead blanketed the state with direct mail pieces calling out House Dems who “just voted to go on a massive taxing spree!” Those culprits, the piece adds, are guilty of “Increasing the cost of gas, clothes, soda, and meals and raising your property taxes.”

Vermonters First treasurer and consultant Tayt Brooks wouldn’t say Monday how many state reps were targeted, nor how many mailers were sent. But in a written statement he said it “was delivered throughout the state” and specifically focused on House members “who voted to increase the property tax (H.265), increase the gas tax (H.510), and increase the tax on clothing, meals and income (H.528).”

Here’s a version sent to constituents of House Majority Whip Tess Taylor (D-Barre):

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Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

5 replies on “Vermonters First Hits House Democrats with Anti-Tax Mailer”

  1. Why is this a bad thing? It is stating facts and encouraging constituents to contact their Representative. This state is becoming increasingly more expensive to live in and taxes are being raised year after year. In the last 10 years the state budget has increased from 2.8 billion to the proposed 5.3 billion for this next fiscal year while our population has only increased by about 10,000 people in that period of time. These types of increases are not sustainable. Regardless of what you think of Vermont First they are starting a dialogue with the public on how your tax dollars are being raised and spent. This is always a good thing.

  2. Could we have just one year without taxes going up? I know that’s a lot to ask but the economy sucks right now and the only folks among us with guaranteed paychecks are the ones working in Montpelier.

  3. State representatives (especially in Vermont) make very little money: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/in…
    And their paychecks aren’t anywhere near as guaranteed as an average workers, considering their job is up for grabs every two years. I think they of all people understand-and experience-the implications of raising taxes, but also know the danger of passing a budget full of fluff that people want to see, rather than delivering results that will stabilize our local economy.

  5. Thanks Alex but I’m not persuaded that our legislators are poorly paid or worried about their jobs. First they have lots of perks like outrageous per diems (“$101/day for lodging for non-commuters to the capital. Commuters and non-commuters receive $61/day for meals/mileage”). They also get special license plates and driver’s licenses to get them out of speeding tickets and of course, the overwhelming majority of them are always re-elected.
    As I see it the average legislator is banking about $3600 up $4400 per month in cash or as much as $27 per hour. Not bad for a part time job.

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