The report suggests lawmakers study reducing or eliminating the property, sales, personal income, and payroll taxes in return for increasing, for example, the motor fuel tax and the solid waste tax and creating a motor vehicle feebate program and a carbon tax on fossil fuels in Vermont.
Tax shifting is such an idea.
It is tremendously important that we embrace this idea and put it to work in Vermont. We have the opportunity to improve our economy, create jobs, make Vermont a healthier and safer place to live and work and protect the environment - all at the same time. In Vermont, perhaps more than other places, we recognize that the quality of our environment is directly related to our economy. Many Vermont businesses rely on the reputation of Vermont's quality of life, pure water and clean air as critical factors in positioning their products and their ability to attract employees, customers and tourists. Tax shifting is a powerful tool, with the potential to better protect the natural, human and economic environments of Vermonters.