Vermont's affordability crisis is real — but is raising taxes and expanding government really the answer?
In a new VTDigger commentary, Elizabeth Brown of the Fiscal Alliance Foundation makes the case that Vermont's rapidly rising state spending, growing tax burden and expanding regulations are contributing to the very affordability problems policymakers are trying to solve. With new proposals targeting income, investment and property taxes, Brown examines whether asking taxpayers for even more money can reverse a trend that has already pushed businesses, jobs and residents out of the state.
The piece takes a closer look at the policies driving up the cost of living — from taxes and fees to healthcare and regulation — and makes the case that Vermont needs to focus less on finding new revenue and more on understanding why government costs so much in the first place.
The question at the heart of the debate is simple: Can Vermont spend its way into affordability — or is more government spending actually making the problem worse?
Read the full commentary in VTDigger: “Vermont cannot spend its way into affordability.”
Elizabeth Brown is State Director for Vermont at the Fiscal Alliance Foundation. This op-ed was published in VTDigger on August 24, 2026.
