Since former
Senator Bill Doyle is no longer able to conduct the Doyle Poll, a tradition of
Town Meetings in Vermont, I decided to create a survey that would help me gauge
the opinion of my constituents with respect to some of the issues currently under
consideration by the legislature. About the same number of people as last year
took the survey, so I want to thank the 120 folks who shared their opinions
this year.
Clearly, there
is strong support for a 48-hour waiting period for gun purchases, for gradually
raising the minimum wage, for a fee to support clean water initiatives, and for
a tax and regulate system for marijuana sales. The question about whether
affordable child care is an issue was answered by respondents of all ages
including many who no longer require child care for their children. Comments
from some of the respondents spoke to the cost of childcare and the impact of
having to stop working to stay at home. Several persons who answered “No”
commented that their grown children find it difficult to afford child care.
Establishing a
Paid Family Leave Insurance Program for employees was favored by a 2 to 1
margin, but almost 20% were not sure. There are three different proposals under
consideration, including a voluntary program favored by the Governor, each with
different coverage and costs for employees and employers. This week the House
General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee voted out H.107, which is now
being reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee.
While 60% of
respondents are satisfied with their internet speed at home, the 30% who are
not indicates a need for improvement. It was surprising that even some fiber
customers were dissatisfied. Checking internet speed with a speed test
application like www.highspeedinternet.com/tools/speed-test
and conferring with your Internet Service Provider may help identify a problem
with your connection.
Questions 5, 8
and 9 were interesting as a group. Four cents per gallon of gasoline is well
within the price differences seen on Shelburne Road, and much smaller than
price shifts we can see over a few weeks. Heating oil prices ranged from
$2.75/gal to $3/gal this winter. Respondents were much more accepting of a 4
cent increase to raise revenue for maintaining municipal roads than they were for
helping Vermonters reduce fossil fuel consumption in home heating and
transportation. At the same time many of the “No” votes on question 9 voted
“Yes” on question 8, supporting efforts to address climate change. It may be easier to relate to the damage
being done to our vehicles by potholes and to spend money to fix them in the
short term than it is to relate to future economic impacts of a changing
climate and spend the same amount. Unfortunately, we are already seeing those
impacts in extreme weather events, increasing insurance premiums, longer and
hotter summers, and invasive plants and insects in our environment.
Here are all
the results of the poll in Charlotte.
|
Q#
|
Question
|
Yes %
|
No %
|
Not Sure %
|
|
1
|
Are you
satisfied with your internet speed at home?
|
60
|
30
|
10
|
|
2
|
Should
Vermont establish a Paid Family Leave Insurance Program for all employees?
|
54
|
28
|
18
|
|
3*
|
Do you
support gradually increasing the minimum wage from the current $10.67/hr to
$15/hr over the next 5 years?
|
73
|
18
|
9
|
|
4
|
Do you think
there should be a 48-hour waiting period to purchase a gun?
|
82
|
16
|
2
|
|
5
|
Would you be
willing to pay 4 cents more per gallon of gasoline to maintain municipal
roads?
|
62
|
24
|
14
|
|
6
|
Would you
support a fee based on the size of development to fund cleaning up our lakes
and rivers?
|
73
|
17
|
10
|
|
7
|
Do you
support a tax and regulate system for recreational marijuana sales?
|
71
|
18
|
11
|
|
8
|
Do you
support efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels to address climate
change?
|
75
|
17
|
8
|
|
9
|
Would you
support an increase of 4 cents per gallon on gasoline and home heating oil to
fund incentives for electric vehicle purchases and home weatherization
assistance?
|
51
|
36
|
13
|
|
10
|
Is lack of
affordable child care an issue for your family?
|
13
|
79
|
8
|
As your
representative in Montpelier, I appreciate your input on these and other
issues. Your comments help me look at
issues from several perspectives, and that is a valuable opportunity for
me. You can always contact me by phone
at 802-233-5238 or email me at myantachka.dfa@gmail.com.
* Note: The Vermont minimum wage is currently $10.78/hour, not $10.67/hour. Author's mistake.
