by John Goodrich For nearly 38 years I had the privilege to work for one of the most important companies in the St. Johnsbury area. Weidmann puts bread on the table for 300 families. It was, and is, a mainstay of our local economy. Thus I was alarmed at the urgent call by Scott Campbell, a Democratic candidate for the House, for the legislature to impose a new “carbon tax” on gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, heating oil, and propane. Campbell’s proposed tax is designed to raise $500 million a year when fully in place in 2028.
In 2012 Weidmann expanded our St. Johnsbury plant, just barely winning the competition from company locations at other non-Vermont sites. Our local plant is a major user of compressed natural gas for process heat to produce transformer board. If Campbell’s carbon tax had been levied on our fuel supply, I am pretty sure the expanded plant you see on Route 5 would today be located in some other state or country, making the entire operation here tenuous at best.
Significantly, ten percent of the revenue from Campbell’s carbon tax would be skimmed off to subsidize renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. That’s what Campbell says he does for a living, so you can see why the carbon tax has such appeal for him.
Keeping Vermont’s economy afloat is a huge task. We have enough hard work staying above water without facing a massive new carbon tax on gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, heating oil and propane, which, in any case will have no detectable effect on our climate.
Scott Campbell will clearly improve his own economic position if the carbon tax is enacted, but his job as a legislator is to look out for the rest of us, not just himself. I don’t think he gets that. We need representatives who do.
John Goodrich lives in St Johnsbury.