Common Sense Leadership

Tom is an 8th generation Vermonter with a 50 year residency in the Windsor-Windham district. An Eagle Scout and ordained pastor, he holds three college degrees and currently runs his own business. His career has relied heavily on skills in communication, leadership, and creative problem solving. He is an avid outdoorsman, a lifetime youth volunteer, and dad to three grown sons.
Tom is committed to bipartisan dialogue, citizen engagement, fiscal and regulatory restraint, academic excellence and solutions that fit the size and economy of our state. He is looking forward to working with others who want to recalibrate the cost of our programs without leaving behind anyone in genuine need. He believes in the no-nonsense DIY local governance that has been the civic personality of Vermont for generations, and is proud to be considered for office.

Get to know Tom better in his October Interview at Okemo Valley TV with Greg Thayer!

We all Love Vermont

Vermont is a lot of things to a lot of people. To some it's scenic lakes and foliage, to others farmland and villages. Some find a place for civic engagement that wasn't as accessible elsewhere, and for some it is home and heritage. Whether your chosen accesories are birkenstocks and bike paths, or a chainsaw and pickup, we've got some decisions to make together so we can live and flourish here. Below are a few "conversation starter" thoughts as to how I might approach this...
Lower Taxes
Our per-capita tax burden is one of the highest in the country. Many factors driving this are hard to control, and making drastic cuts is painful. The alternative is to grow the economy and build a larger tax base.
Build the Economy
We need to adjust our expectations of small business and entrepreneurs, making Vermont an attractive and viable location for new business growth. This is the only way to avoid large cuts. It has to be one or the other.
Regulatory Restraint
Further restricting land use in rural areas is a concern for the 90% of us living there. We are a living community, not a preserved specimen or a Home Owners Association. Responsible economic growth is for rural Vermonters too.
Quality Academics
Our educators should be encouraged for providing quality academics. We need to return to this focus, and stop pushing ideology at the policy level. Students should be safe, teachers should teach, and politics should go elsewhere.
Bipartisan Balance
Should not be a goal - it should be the norm. Dialogue, listening, negotiation and creative problem solving is what my generation was taught. It's not so far gone we can't choose to bring it back.
Emergency Services
Law enforcement and first responders are a safety net that serves everyone. We owe them all the support they need, and should never make their success or well being a political hostage.
Clean Heat Fuel Tax
Most of us can't afford large upgrades to our heat system, even with assistance. We can't afford the fuel tax either. For the working class this is a fail-fail, and doesn't help us help the environment.
Sue Vermont?!
The Global Warming Solutions Act includes a provision allowing Vermont (that's us) to be sued if goals are not met. It has begun. This is not representative government, it is adversarial. It needs to go.
And the Environment
Mindful environmental conservation and economic growth can both exist - indeed they must. I deeply value the wild places and woodlands that cover much of Vermont. I am not a fan of unchecked, speculative development, or the unnecessary destruction of the ecosystems that surround us. I also realize that the rural lanscapes we appreciate were created by many generations who worked hard to make a living here. Preservation of the land must be affordable, and balanced with the preservation of our freedoms in it. It's tricky - but we can do this.

Moving Ahead

There is no doubt that we face challenges in education, the environment, the economy, and much more. I concur that we do need to move forward at the steady pace of the clock - though we are not always in agreement as to which direction that is or how to get there. I am concerned that we do what we must without financially exhausting ourselves on the way, and falling short for that sad reason, letting down the things we love, those in need, those in fear, and the vulnerable. I likewise watch my own budget very closely to take care of my family. It is a challenge upon which much of what I do for them depends. I am careful with one because I care for the other. I will work with anyone willing to do both for Vermont. Thank you for your vote - and thank you for the many ways you make Vermont home. TOM

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