The federal court once decreed that black kids and white kids have a right to equal education. It makes sense that the same should be true, in a land of supposed equal opportunity, for rich kids and poor kids. So Vermont has to rethink its school funding and property tax system, leading the way for the rest of the nation. It's a wonderful opportunity, though it doesn't feel that way. I look at Vermont out my window, but I don't live there, so I can only offer a few unpopular but unquestionable truths to keep in mind, as Vermonters, in whom I have great faith, work through this problem.
Undeveloped land is a benefit to everyone.
Not only is it beautiful to look at and the foundation of the tourist industry, it also feeds us, provides us with firewood, paper, lumber, wool, and syrup, cleans the waters, charges the aquifers, prevents floods, moderates the climate, shelters wild species, pollinates crops, recycles nutrients, builds soils. Land without houses does not put kids in school. It doesn't create garbage or demand that roads be plowed. Taxing land to pay for expenses incurred by houses makes no sense. Educated children are a benefit to everyone.