I celebrated Independence Day by marching in parades, promoting Vermont independence and partying with friends. I consider myself a patriotic American, I love what America stood for in the past: New rules, no more kings and queens, and the freedom to live and let live. But for me, America no longer stands for those ideals. For me, Vermont now comes first and I just can't ignore the destructive behavior of our hopelessly corrupt federal government.

• Tax only unearned-income, (investment income) not salary/wages.
• Phase out property tax completely, moving to a land-value-tax, (taxes only the value of the unimproved land, vs buildings etc). This will create a progressive incentive toward sustainable economic development and remove the ever-increasing property-tax burdens that we currently place on those who create the most value.