To the editor: Vote Charlton, vote for affordability
The Chester Telegraph | Sep 28, 2026 | Comments 2
I write in strong support of Tom Charlton for re-election as Vermont House representative for Chester, Grafton, Athens and Windham.
Affordability of life in Vermont is a big issue in this November election. Rep. Charlton’s position on affordability is best expressed in his own words: “If you are concerned as to whether you can afford to stay in your home or stay in Vermont, and whether your kids can afford to stay in Vermont and build a career here, you need to vote wisely.
“And I think that rather than hand an opportunity again to the party which has caused these problems, and has had the upper hand for 26 of the last 30 years, and has not fixed the problem, I don’t think you should vote Democrat if you are concerned about affordability.”
Go to Charlton’s Facebook page to see Tom’s full statement “Can YOU afford VERMONT?”
Indeed, can you or I, can we afford Vermont?
Respectfully,
Anna Vesely Pilette
Grafton
Filed Under: Commentary • Letters to the Editor
Tom Charlton is not running for national office.
He is running for state representative for Athens, Chester, Grafton, and Windham.
His record shows as a member of the House Committee for Housing and General Affairs that he is seeking low cost alternatives for the housing crisis Vermont faces.
He has been a proponent of the state setting up the Vermont Land Bank. A state agency with the ability to acquire property that is tax delinquent, abandoned, or encumbered with red tape. This will allow local developers to acquire and rehab these abandoned properties.
Tom has been a proponent of developing more competitiveness in the health care market by allowing Association Health Care Insurance Groups and removing non-compete clauses in traveling nurse contracts.
Vermont is second or third in the nation in per student cost but we rank below the national average in reading and math skills. Tom is a proponent of teachers teaching core skills and not tasks other than teaching.
Throwing more money at each of these elements, as we have learned, does not necessarily end in the desired results.
These plus other lower cost common sense alternatives Tom has been proposing just may be the answer.
It is ironic but not unexpected, that Rep. Charlton blames the other party for the significant economic challenges Vermonter’s face, while his own national party blocks efforts to make healthcare affordable for everyone while calling those efforts “socialism.” He blames Democrats for high costs of living while the Republican administration has raised the national debt to a record $40 trillion, is calling for a $4.3 billion cut to education funding, and a $10 billion cut to housing funds while pumping billions into Trump’s foolish war in the Middle East. Rep. Charlton has been all but silent on the destructive actions of his own party but wants to blame Vermont Democrats for the economic crisis that is battering every state in the country.