LETTER: ‘We’re voting for the future of Vermont’

Oct. 14, 2022

To the Editor,

I'd like to encourage you to cover the final weeks of the gubernatorial campaign differently. What I mean is that this election is not just between incumbent Gov. Phil Scott and challenger Brenda Siegel; it's about dozens of secretaries and commissioners and hundreds of board and commission appointees. If your readers haven’t considered the ramifications of this recently, I urge them to familiarize themselves with Vermont’s list of agencies and departments, almost all of which are headed by gubernatorial appointees. It's also wise to take a look at Vermont’s vast number of boards and commissions, where nearly all members serve at the will of the governor.

These unelected secretaries, commissioners, and board members – and the folks who work under them – are the people who run the day to day operations of our state. And, while it’s true that legislators can pass laws to change the conditions the civil servants and bureaucrats work within, it is not a quick or easy process, and the gubernatorial tentacles are almost everywhere.

There is much work to be done on dozens of important issues like healthcare, housing, wages, education, climate, overdoses, the ongoing pandemic, and the many layers of social justice between and beyond, and Democratic nominee Brenda Siegel is the clear choice to make a positive impact.

We have to remember this when we vote. We’re not voting for a person; we’re voting for the future of Vermont.

Thank you,

Peter Langella 

Moretown