Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Vaccine Choice Election Statement from Vermont Coalition for Vaccine Choice
Why we support Annette Smith and not Peter Shumlin in the 2012 election.It is true that Gov. Peter Shumlin sided with the House's push for more education on vaccinations over the Senate's push to remove the philosophical exemption. He was quoted as saying, "I do not believe that in the end the government should dictate to parents what inoculations their kids have to get in order to get a public education in Vermont."But there are too many troubling aspects to what happened with the vaccine bill to allow us to throw our continued support behind Peter Shumlin's administration this election.You see, the vaccine was bill NOT introduced for the well being of Vermonters. It was pre-planned, introduced and argued for by members of Shumlin's Administration. In fact, it was Shumlin's own Health Commissioner Harry Chen and Chen's own Health Department (in cahoots with medical trade organizations which have conflicts of interest) that planned, orchestrated and supported removing our right to say no to vaccines; Then it was Shumlin's Education Commissioner Vilaseca who this summer took a public stance against the upheld philosophical exemption. In summary, members of the Shumlin administration started this baseless attack against Vermonter's inalienable right to decide what they inject into our bodies - or by extension the bodies of our children.Shumlin also said he wanted to "start with more education, to separate the myths that you read about on the Internet with the facts that health care providers will give you on this." But, as anyone who has truly done their homework on vaccines will tell you, healthcare providers often know less than informed parents. For some reason this bill had to go through. Could not be killed. And in the end, the education on vaccines produced by Shumlin's administration has proven to be coercive, biased, inaccurate and inadequate. The final statute that was voted through even though it came along with unconstitutional language in it. We raised concerns to Shumlin about the unconstitutionality of the law, and his office assured us their attorney would look at it.Apparently, the administration thought it acceptable to sign an unconstitutional statute into law. Which now means we must either overturn it in court, or open everything back up for "fixing" in the coming session. Was this is a simple mistake, perhaps a coincidence?Speaking of coincidences, in response to the third Vermont death after vaccination last year (Kaylynne Matten), VT Health Commissioner Chen was quoted as saying, “Of course, it’s important for parents to understand the risks and benefits, and I have absolute respect for their right to make their own decisions.” This was clearly doublespeak, the likes of which we cannot support any more. Vermont vaccination rates for 2011-2012 school year have been published on the VT Health Department website and guess what? They show rates are increasing - not decreasing - as lawmakers, the media and the general public were told by health officials during the unprecedented and regressive bid to remove Vermont's philosophical vaccine exemption last spring.It is time for a new approach, and truthful data, with the needs and wants of local Vermonters at the center of legislative policy. Annette Smith has a proven track record of collaborating with concerned citizens on health and environmental issues. She is committed to resisting corporate influence and power and wholeheartedly supports vaccine choice, true informed consent and the Hippocratic Oath for Vermont's healthcare system. We can all learn a lot from Annette, and we hope she receives a great deal of support for her ideas for a 21st century Vermont.We plan to "Write-In" Annette Smith for Governor on November 6th, and hope that in the future, the Governor of Vermont will pay closer attention to the truth.
read more:
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Is it “hair on fire” or “pants on fire,” Mr Shumlin?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, OCTOBER 25, 2012
Write
In Annette Smith For Vermont Governor
Is
it “hair on fire” or “pants on fire,” Mr Shumlin?
Smith
Calls Out Shumlin and Brock for Hypocrisy on Climate Change and Energy
Working out of her
homestead-office in Danby, Independent candidate for Vermont Governor Annette
Smith's carbon footprint and renewable energy lifestyle sets an example that
others, especially Governor Shumlin, and Randy Brock, could learn from.
“Referring to
climate change, Governor Shumlin says ‘our hair is on fire’ and Vermont must do
everything possible to stop climate change. Then he burns thousands of
gallons of fossil fuel flying to Florida to look for EB5 money for his friends,
and flies to California for a fundraiser, and flies again to California for ‘negotiations’
over computer systems with a firm that just happens to have also donated to his
campaign,” said Annette. “Shumlin’s supposed desire to fight climate change
didn’t stop him from spending four full months traveling out of state in the
past year.”
Annette offers a
different approach to energy issues, leading by example and empowering local
communities. She spends her days
advocating for those concerned about their health, their environment and their
future; she has been using photovoltaics for her home more than 20 years. She
uses solar hot water, drives a car that gets 40mpg, and grows a big garden at
her homestead. Annette understands from experience that it is indeed
possible to implement “Vermont scale” renewable energy to reduce dependence on
expensive and polluting fossil fuels.
“Mr. Brock seems to
think that Vermont can have a prosperous future while still endorsing
dependence on imported fossil and nuclear fuels to run our economy, but we all
know we need to scale back,” said Annette. “And our Governor has made
investments in several fossil fuel companies, even as he advocates for the
industrialization of our ridge-lines to fight climate change.”
“This hypocrisy and
manipulation cannot stand. The best thing that Vermont can do about climate
change and peak oil is lead by example and become more self-reliant in ways
that actually benefit Vermonters. Vermont’s impact on global greenhouse gas
emissions is a drop in the bucket. But we can and must lead by example using
realistic, Vermont-scale solutions – not with hypocritical corporate-scale
projects that send money and power out of Vermont. We must reframe this
discussion, for the health, well-being and energy security of future
generations in Vermont,” Annette added. “Shumlin is doing exactly the opposite
of leading the way, and is selling out to large corporate interests while
thousands of Vermonters struggle with high energy costs. He is a poster-child
for excessive personal energy consumption. His advocacy for false solutions
like residential smart meters and consolidation of Vermont’s energy
infrastructure under foreign-owned mega-corporations make it clear that Shumlin
is not a true leader on climate or energy issues.”
Annette believes
that the millionaire candidates Shumlin and Brock could also learn something
from the Dalai Lama's recent visit to Vermont. The Dalai Lama responded to a question about
what humanity's ethical response to climate change should be, by noting that
western society consumes too much and we should be more content and live more
simply. Annette lives this perspective in her daily life and recognizes that
Vermont’s fossil fuel consumption for heating, hot water and transportation
should be the priorities, not our electricity grid which can today be supplied
with existing in-state and regional hydro-power.
Annette emphasizes
that the first step towards reducing Vermont’s fossil fuel cost and emissions
is to reduce consumption: “Turn the lights off. Turn the thermostat down.
Button up the house. Convert fossil fueled hot water and heating to
solar, wood-fired or heat pumps powered by photovoltaics,” she said. “The key
to all of these real solutions is empowering Vermonters with affordable
financing to make this transition at the household and community level, instead
of subsidizing corporate false-solutions that trick consumers into sending
their money out of the state.”
“At this point the
idea of wind-powered electric cars is interesting, but until the car industry
comes up with affordable and sustainable ways to build electric cars, this is
another false solution that only benefits a few corporations,” said Annette.
“I’ll be first in line to buy an affordable electric car, powered by
human-scale solar power. Until then I’m going to run my existing high mpg car,
until it’s beyond repair, which is the best way to conserve resources.”
Instead of calling
Vermonters “NIMBY” or “denier” and yelling at them to support more, more, more,
false solutions that give Vermonters’ money and power to giant corporations,
Annette engages Vermonters in sensible, respectful dialogs and finds
Vermont-scale, affordable solutions – and this empowers people and business-owners.
FUEL/ENERGY SECURITY
Position Statement
Vermont must aggressively promote energy
conservation and reverse the trend of increasing monopoly power over our energy
supply. We must support local control over our energy resources instead of
subsidizing out-of-state monopolies. Forcing residential wireless smart meters
and the corporate industrialization of our pristine ridgelines is not a
solution to either climate change or energy security. Distributed solar
electric and hot water, sustainable biomass heating fuels, ecologically
designed micro-hydro, and the sensible reclamation of our existing hydro-power should
be our priorities.
Visit http://annettesmithforvermontgov.blogspot.com/
for more information about how you can get involved in her independent WRITE IN
campaign for Vermont governor. Print ads and Palm Cards can be downloaded from
her website for volunteer supporters to use.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Campaign PLATFORM PALM CARDS now available for people-powered distribution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012WRITE IN Annette Smith For Vermont GovernorIndependent Calling For Local Control With A Vision for a 21st Century Vermont
Campaign PLATFORM PALM CARDS now available for people-powered distribution2012 Independent WRITE IN candidate for Vermont governor Annette Smith is now offering PLATFORM PALM CARDS for any Vermont citizens interested in supporting her WRITE IN CAMPAIGN on Election Day. “We are determined not to take any outside money to run our campaign,” explains Annette, who champions a LOCAL CONTROL platform for a 21st century Vermont. “Instead, we’re calling on all Vermonters interested in genuine local control to continue to distribute our campaign information and palm cards in every way that they can.”Visit http://annettesmithforvermontgov.blogspot.com/ to download and distribute PALM CARDS and PRINT ADS or for more information about how you can get involved in her independent WRITE IN campaign for Vermont governor. Please share her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WriteInAnnetteSmithForVermontGovernor or contact her at annettesmithforvermontgov@gmail.com.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Annette Smith Local Control Issues Platform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday,
OCTOBER 10, 2012
Annette
Smith For Vermont Governor
Local Control: A Vision for a 21st Century Vermont
Independent
Mounting Statewide WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN for Election Day ‘12
2012 Independent WRITE IN candidate for Vermont
governor Annette Smith has published her “Local Control” platform outlining a vision
for a 21st century Vermont that empowers Vermont citizens and communities. “It is past time for
Vermonters to claim our right to self-determination,” Annette said. “We need to
challenge the monopolistic power of large corporations and the political
systems that serve them, and take that power from the state and federal
level back to the community level.”
1. ECONOMY/JOBS
40% of working Vermonters are making less than
a $10.50 hourly wage. We must support
a vibrant working landscape here in Vermont, just as Vermonters have done for
generations. We can raise wages and revitalize the economy by removing regulatory
obstacles and encouraging local businesses to create value added products. State and federal policies that promote
exporting raw resources while taxing and regulating productive businesses have
to be reversed.
2. FINANCE/BANKING
Vermont must challenge Wall Street's corruption
and take charge of our financial future by developing comprehensive financial and
legal policies to address the unsustainable practices of Wall Street and the
Federal Reserve. Vermont must create a publicly-owned bank like the
state-owned Bank of North Dakota that can leverage Vermont's assets to make
loans available through existing community banks to encourage investment in
diversified agriculture, innovation, conservation, and small businesses.
3. FUEL/ENERGY SECURITY
Vermont must aggressively promote energy conservation
and reverse the trend of increasing monopoly power over our energy supply. We must
support local control over our energy resources instead of subsidizing
out-of-state monopolies. Forcing residential wireless smart meters and the corporate
industrialization of our pristine ridgelines is not a solution to either
climate change or energy security. Distributed solar electric and hot
water, sustainable biomass heating fuels, ecologically designed micro-hydro,
and the sensible reclamation of our existing hydro-power are our priorities.
4. FOOD/AGRICULTURAL
SOVEREIGNTY
A 21st century Vermont must feature
local control over a diversified working agricultural landscape. Instead of unwieldy state and federal
mandates and regulations that stifle productivity and subsidize commodities, Vermont
must encourage diversified local food production to feed ourselves and our
communities with our own abundant agriculture resources. Exporting more value added products
with the recognized Vermont brand will boost incomes across the state. Transparency
in GMO labeling is a priority. Vermont must remove obstacles to traditional
agricultural crops for biomass and fiber production. We must take on the Dean Food monopoly and get dairy farmers
a fair price for their milk as we help them diversify.
5. EDUCATION/SCHOOLS
Local control of our public schools - from our
curriculums to our lunch programs - must become a priority. Federal funding and
testing mandates, overwhelmingly rejected by our public school teachers, must
be rolled back, with a return to local control and equality of education
opportunity for all Vermonters. Vermont needs to stand up to the failed federal
education system and insist that funding which comes from the taxes Vermonters
pay cannot be withheld simply because we make our own education decisions and
standards locally. State-level policies must reverse the trend of consolidated
power in Montpelier and return local school decisions to local communities.
6. HEALTH CARE
Health
care freedom is a
human right. Vermont is one of the healthiest states in the US, but
pharmaceutical and insurance corporations have far too much influence on our
medical system. This influence contributes to skyrocketing costs and
affronts to our freedoms, as government regulations are being written to
benefit corporations rather than the average Vermonter. Vermont’s health care
policy must be shaped by the choices of
our citizens, families, and health care professionals; not by corporations and
“one-size fits-all” state and federal mandates, such as requiring purchase of
insurance or enforced medication/vaccinations. Every Vermonter has a right to clean water, clean
air, pure food, and access to medicines – including natural medicines, vitamins
and supplements – that cannot be patented or sold for profit. The ancient
Oath of Hippocrates, centered on the promise to “first, do no harm,” should
guide all health policy while honoring privacy and freedom of choice in
patient-provider relationships.
7.
FREEDOM AND UNITY
Our
culture of “Freedom and Unity” is under siege from the militarization
of the U.S. economy and the rising power of the police-state. Vermont’s growing
dependence on the military-industrial complex – Homeland Security, Lockheed’s F-35s
and smart meters, nuclear power – threatens both our liberty and our security.
The police-state and the failed war on drugs drains us of precious natural,
human and economic resources and destroys families. We need our soldiers and
police to protect our rights and help our communities at critical times.
Vermont must take a stand against the expansion of the
war economy, the war on drugs and the police-state, and focus on preserving the
rights and safety of Vermont citizens.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Annette Smith For Vermont Governor
Local Control: 15 Years Of Walking The Walk in Vermont
Independent Statewide WRITE-IN Candidate In Upcoming Debates
Since 1999, Annette Smith has pursued public service in Vermont with
passion and commitment. As the founder and executive director of Vermonters for
a Clean Environment, Annette has developed a community-centric understanding of
the economic and environmental challenges near and dear to all of us in
Vermont. Annette has worked with local communities across the state to assert
civil liberties and local control regarding natural gas pipelines, utilities,
smart meters, industrial wind, mining, agriculture, groundwater, and drinking
water.
The independent candidate for Vermont governor has a diverse set of
experiences that inform her perspective. She’s worked as a seamstress,
technical typist, harpsichord maker, small business owner, and currently is a
practicing farmer who raises pigs, chickens, and Jersey cows at her
off-the-grid sustainable farm in Danby, Vermont. “Much of my work now and when I was making products involves
complex problem solving,” she explains. “I do some of my best thinking while
milking the cow.”
Annette’s success as a mediator has given her the capacity to see
hotly debated issues from many sides, and to facilitate solutions-oriented
outcomes that protect and enhance Vermonters’ ability to maintain local control
over our own collective destiny. She is a gifted listener, an articulate public
speaker, and a thoughtful advocate for ordinary Vermonters interested in
preserving local control of their communities moving into the 21st
century. “My approach to leadership is more about enabling relationships that
encourage finding solutions than dictating what people should do,” she
observes. “Vermonters want more input into decisions being made that are
directly impacting their lives.”
Annette will post detailed position-statements on important issues to the media and at
her website on Monday October 8.
Annette is scheduled to participate in two up-coming gubernatorial
debates:
1. October 9, 5:25pm: Burlington’s Channel 17 studio, LIve call-in show.
Air-dates Oct 9 at 5:25pm, Oct 25 at 8pm, Oct 26 at 1am, 7am and 1pm.
2. October 11, 7pm: Bennington CAT-TV debate hosted by Bennington Tonite at the Bennington
Firehouse and aired on CAT-TV at 7pm. Randy Brock, Annette Smith, and an empty chair for Gov. Shumlin.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Annette Smith Standing For Office Of Vermont Governor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012
Press Contact: LocalControlVtmedia@gmail.com 802 498 3218
Annette Smith Standing For Office Of Vermont Governor
Independent Building
Statewide Write-In Campaign for Election Day 2012
Danby, Vermont resident Annette Smith announces today her intent to
stand for the office of Vermont governor as an independent write-in candidate
today.
For more than a decade, Smith has served as an articulate and
effective voice for working Vermonters. As the leader of Vermonters for a Clean
Environment, she has effectively challenged the power of big corporations and
their lawyers, lobbyists and politicians on behalf of Vermont citizens across
the state.
“I am standing for governor as an independent populist candidate
drafted by the people of Vermont to give voice to Vermonters,” Smith explains.
“I am working to bring the voices of “We the people" back into our state
government, to counter the influence of big corporations, and to support our
Vermont communities by bringing back local control to the lives of Vermont’s
citizens.”
Visit http://annettesmithforvermontgov.blogspot.com/ for more
information about how you can get involved.
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