BURLINGTON, VT – With three weeks to go before Election Day, the Democratic primary for Vermont Lieutenant Governor is heating up. Voters are looking for ways to distinguish the candidates and State Senator David Zuckerman has observed a combination of recent statements by one of his opponent’s regarding ideas to change Vermont’s tax structure and characterized them as “completely out of touch with working families.” Zuckerman pointed out that Speaker Shap Smith suggested Vermont should undo the estate tax and later said he favors expanding the sales tax.
“In my eighteen years serving in Montpelier and over the past few months as I’ve crisscrossed the state I’ve never heard anybody ask me to give wealthy Vermonters a tax break or increase the burden on working families – and yet that’s exactly what my opponent has suggested as possible tax policy,” said Zuckerman.
Senator Zuckerman referred to a Vermont Edition interview on VPR where Speaker Smith called the estate tax “unreliable” and suggested it should be repealed. Zuckerman pointed out this tax only impacts estate worth over $2.7 million and exempts family farms. “As Lieutenant Governor I will be looking for ways to relieve taxes on every day Vermonters rather than on the very wealthy,” he assured his supporters in a radio interview this morning.
Last week Smith was at a forum with all three candidates in the August 9th Democratic Primary when he suggested we pay for Lake Champlain water clean up by expanding the sales tax. “My preference would be one of the statewide taxes we have now,” said Smith. He wondered about a small increase to the meals and rooms tax and then suggested a half percent increase on the sales tax might be the best option.
“As Lieutenant Governor I will fight against any increase in the sales tax,” said Zuckerman. He pointed out that our sales tax disproportionately hurts small businesses and lower income Vermonters. “It is the most regressive tax we have,” said Zuckerman. “Middle income and poor people spend a much larger proportion of their income on taxable goods than the wealthy, so raising the sales tax hurts those who can least afford it. These are the people Montpelier needs to fight for, not tax more.”
“The combination of these two proposals by my opponent is to raise taxes on working Vermonters while absolving the wealthiest Vermonters from paying a tax on large sums of inherited money. This is completely backwards and out of step with Vermont values,” said Zuckerman, “and I don’t expect Democratic primary voters to support his regressive proposals.”
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