VTGOP responds to UNH poll citing Taxes as top concern for Vermonters

Earlier today UNH Survey Center released a study entitled “Vermonters Feeling Worse Off Economically With Larger Partisan Divide”
https://scholars.unh.edu/survey_center_polls/816/

The survey found that only 17% of Vermonters expected to be better off next year and 38% of Vermonters expected to be worse off. The remaining 45% of Vermonters expected things to be about the same.

The most popular response among both Republicans and Independents was to expect to be worse off, only Democrats had a plurality who expected things to be the same.

Of all respondents who expected to be worse off, the leading reason for their concern was Taxes at 26% followed by Cost of living at 20% and Inflation at 19%.

VTGOP Chairman Paul Dame has the following response:

“Vermont Republicans have been listening to the people of Vermont loud and clear: taxes are the problem, not the solution. Democrats continue to try to shift the blame but Vermonters know that this year’s unprecedented property tax hike on top of a new payroll tax and new DMV fees and a new tax on home heating fuel around the corner are all the leading causes for the financial pain many Vermonters are feeling today and expecting tomorrow.“

“What I also find revealing about this survey is the disparity between Democrat responses compared to Republicans and Independents,“ Dame continued. “Independents seem to be much more aligned with Republicans in their concern, while Democrats don’t really see the same problems we see. Or they are not feeling it as severely as Republicans and Independents are. I think this is also part of what we saw at the DNC last week, Democrats seem to have their heads in the cloud and don’t appreciate the difficulty many Vermonters are facing. It puts some of Sen. Baruth’s comments in context when he encouraged his colleagues to ignore the concerns constituents had around the home heating tax and push forward. They don’t have the same concerns as we do - and they govern accordingly.”

The growing concerns around affordability and taxes were also the catalyst for many Republicans to step up and run for office during the primary leading to a record number of 22 new candidates added by write-in or appointment.

“Gov. Phil Scott had been able to hold the line and prevent new broad based taxes, but just two years of an arrogant supermajority have led to broad pessimism among Vermonters with taxes as their top concern. Voters who want a change need to support Republicans at the House and Senate level who are committed to keeping taxes under control.“