This message was recently distributed to our email list.

Let’s not be “penny wise and pound foolish”. Campaign for Vermont needs your help now and here is just one good reason.

In 2011, state government extracted from the Vermont economy $2.954 billion. These revenues from taxes and fees are deposited collectively into the state’s general fund, transportation fund, special fund, and education fund among others. For the current fiscal year, 2016, the equivalent extraction from the Vermont economy in taxes and fees is $3.598 billion, up $644 million over the 2011 level. That’s a whopping 22 percent increase in just 5 years and equates to an increase of more than $1,000 for every man, woman and child in Vermont. The burdens of these increases fall most heavily on Vermont’s middle class and business communities.

It’s common knowledge by now that Vermont’s economy is struggling. It has not grown by 22 percent over the last five years to keep pace with state spending. Campaign for Vermont has been a leading source of factual information profiling the state’s unsustainable budget. We’ve consistently called for specific reforms in this regard.

http://www.campaignforvermont.org/sustainable-budgeting

Certainly, your voice as a Campaign for Vermonter will be sorely missed if Campaign for Vermont does not have the resources to sustain our efforts to constrain state spending and nurture and defend Vermont’s economy.  While our statehouse leaders extract from Vermont’s economy on average $1,000 more per person this year when compared to 2011, we ask for your support to push back on such increases.

Our nation’s Declaration of Independence ends with this phrase, “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor”. The men and women of that era acted with passion to make sure their government represented them. Today, clicking “like” or “dislike” allows some to believe they are a participant in shaping their government when in fact it’s the hard work of participatory democracy that shapes our government.

The choice is clear. You can continue to pay the higher and higher taxes and fees imposed on you by our state house leaders or you can contribute to and participate in Campaign for Vermont’s efforts to refocus our state government.  If everyone receiving this email contributed just $20, Campaign for Vermont can continue forward during this important legislative session and election year. We recognize that not all our supporters can afford $20, so if a contribution of $50 or $100 is possible, it would be greatly appreciated and well used.

Thank you all for your past support. Please renew that support with a donation.