Announcing My Candidacy For The Vermont House

I am pleased to announce that I am a candidate for re-election to the Vermont House representing the Towns of Georgia and Fairfax. I look forward to again representing the citizens from these communities, many of whom serve on the volunteer boards and agencies, which are the keystones of their communities and contribute to the well being of all their members. These volunteer efforts will need even greater support in the coming years as there is little likelihood of increased State or Federal support for local governments in these tough economic times.

Major concerns for the next legislative session will revolve around energy needs for business, transportation, and home heating. Health care and Human Services will be in greater need, as middle class families will be less able to stretch their household budget further as costs of fuel and food increase. These are serious concerns for everyone.

There is also some leftover business that I intend to pursue. One of these is to increase the use of accelerated learning which allows motivated high school students to accumulate college credits while are completing their high school requirements. Technical education students can currently gain 13 college credits before graduation. Similar agreements do not currently exist in non-technical areas. This needs to change. Although I was unsuccessful in securing legislation to require that this happen, the State Colleges and the University of Vermont have made a commitment to explore a PreK–16 council to improve the quality and access to higher education opportunities for all Vermont students. Increased acceptance of accelerated learning programs will allow Vermont college students to take additional courses in their major areas of study, to take a greater number of advanced courses for the normal tuition charge or to have an advanced standing in their year of enrollment, which may open up additional educational opportunities. This would enable them to be better skilled and diversified than other graduates upon entering the workforce. This bill, like the one permitting tax-exempt volunteer groups like local Fire and Rescue squads from state rules that limit their fund raising options would require no additional tax dollars and are too important to let die.

I will continue to use the skills acquired during my years as a Teacher, Coach, Administrator, Planning Commission Chair, and Zoning Administrator to work with the public and to address the issues that concern all of us: Affordability, Opportunity, and Equity for all citizens. I believe it is imperative for all of us to look after the interests of our communities in a time when traditional government responses are less able to address changing conditions. I believe that together, we can make a difference, and we can create greater opportunities for each other, than we as individuals could do for ourselves alone.

I look forward to speaking with you during the campaign. I have the energy and experience to be an effective advocate for our communities and families in Montpelier. To that end I need to hear concerns and advice from residents of Georgia and Fairfax and will be visiting as many homes as possible in the coming months. Working together we can find responsible solutions to our problems and keep Vermont a place where our children will want to choose to raise their children and can afford to. I can be reached at 849-6333 or ggilbert@leg.state.vt.us.

Representative Gary Gilbert
House Education Committee
Fairfax/Georgia
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