(Good one! – promoted by Sue Prent)

(cross-posted from Vermont Watch, here; also cross-posted to iBrattleboro, here)

Although one is left to wonder about whether or not it is merely fool’s gold or the real thing, there have been recent rumors about how, on condition of anonymity, a top administration official is reported to have disclosed that Governor Peter Shumlin‘s plan to fund his single payer health care initiative could potentially include instituting taxes on what currently is non-taxable food and clothing purchases.

This would be in addition to considering the potential legalization and taxation of marijuana distribution and sales within the state.

While it is true that, no matter how great or noble the cause might have been in need of state funding, Governor Shumlin has usually been sternly opposed to raising what he terms as being broad-based taxes; it has been noted by others on occasion about how, nonetheless, he has in certain cases previously supported what could easily be termed broad-based taxes.

The same unnamed administration official is said to have reported that, if need be however, the Governor is also open to funding his single payer health care initiative partially through the creation of a state bank as well as further requesting the state legislature consider granting the State of Vermont authority to print and issue its own financial currency (read: money).

Having the ability to print and issue its own financial currency would provide the state with the added benefit of helping to pay for the various elements of the state’s ambitious mental health plan and its several progressive initiatives (per Act 79; circa: 2012), including those costs associated with both building as well as the annual operation of the Shumlin State Hospital in Berlin, which the administration hopes to have opened and operating sometime during the coming Summer months.

While meetings concerning these as well as related matters are more than likely being held in strictest secrecy, as appears to be all too commonplace for this administration and then only at the highest levels of state government, discussions are rumored to have already been well underway about whose faces would adorn the various denominations for paper currency and coinage.

Among the steps reported to be required prior to Vermont being legally allowed to print and issue its own financial currency is for the state to secede from its union with the United States of America and once again become an independent republic (in becoming its own freestanding nation, it is possible this might even make Vermont eligible to receive foreign aid from the U.S.A. as well as Canada and so on).

One of the problems with these type of scenarios, however, is the fact that many of those known to be most fervently in favor of secession are said to also be strongly opposed to most, if not all, government taxation, or at least when it comes to using tax revenues for certain purposes; especially for funding any programs or services and the like that they believe should be funded through either the engines of a free market economic system or private charitable efforts instead, not through public funding (read: taxpayer funded) sources whatsoever.

This could therefore prove to be just one of many stumbling blocks in going forward in these regards.

In other news, a proclamation was said to have recently been signed by Governor Shumlin declaring April 1st to, henceforth, be an official state holiday.

Afterwards, a joint resolution was reported to have been adopted by both bodies of the Vermont General Assembly that named this new holiday Peter Shumlin Day.

Happy Peter Shumlin er, April Fools Day!