Lynn Smith
Republican Candidate for Vermont House of Representatives in the Chittenden-23 District
What do you believe is the role of state government, if any, in ensuring that everyone living in Vermont has the food they need to thrive?
The principle of subsidiarity says that the best solutions to problems come closest to the source of the problem. Instead of managing food insecurity at the state level, communities should work together to care for their own.
What would be your policy priorities to move Vermont toward food security for all?
I do not believe it is the government’s job to provide food for all.
What do you believe are the root causes of hunger, and what should the state do to address those underlying factors?
Root causes include a non-working class living off of taxpayer dollars, middle class taxpayers footing the bill for unaudited state programs that are not necessarily effective.
How would you help strengthen the state’s agriculture and food economy to ensure Vermont farms can continue to grow the food we all need?
Deregulation surrounding farmland as well as common sense legislation to allow legal immigrants to work in our state. I’d also like to understand how we have a growing number of food-insecure individuals despite food shelves, government programs, etc. Are these programs audited for efficiency and effectiveness or are they just considered good programs so we keep funding them.