Liberal Vt. lawmakers: Tax rich, tighten homes
MONTPELIER, Vt.—A group of liberal Democratic and Progressive Vermont lawmakers is calling for raising income taxes on the wealthy and using the more than $17 million the plan would raise to tighten Vermonters' homes against the cold.
But Gov. Peter Shumlin says while he supports increasing weatherization of homes and wants to find a funding source for it, he's adamantly opposed to raising income taxes.
Rep. Chris Pearson, a Burlington Progressive, led a news conference Friday on a plan to pay for stepped up weatherization. He and his 10 bill co-sponsors want to raise taxes on Vermont households with incomes over $209,251.
Pearson says if the $17.6 million raised were used for weatherization grants to homeowners, that would create 268 new jobs and help Vermonters reduce heating bills.
