MORETOWN, Vt. (WCAX) – Seventh grade students at Harwood Middle School came up with and asked central Vermont candidates for the House and Senate the hard questions currently plaguing Vermonters’ minds. How do we fix expensive school budgets, a lack of affordability, the housing crisis?
Over a dozen candidates showed up, including incumbents Ann Cummings and Anne Watson, Donald Koch, Dara Torre, Candice White and Michael Doyle among others. All of them explained why they’d be the best candidate to represent their districts and the students.
“I feel like we need to go toward an income-based tax instead of a property tax,” said Michael Deering, who is running as a Republican for a Washington County Senate seat.
“I may be old, but I know a few things,” said Cummings, who currently serves as a Washington County Senator.
With references to reforming Act 250 and budgeting, some students say they felt bombarded with the big problems.
“A couple things people said, I was like, ‘I don’t know what that means, but I think that’s okay, because we’re only in seventh grade,’” said seventh grader Julia Hill.
And while some of it flew over their heads, the seventh graders were quick to catch on to classic journalistic frustrations with politicians.
“Some of them don’t answer the question when it’s asked,” said seventh grader Thea Anderson.
“I was so tempted to turn on the mic, and just be like, can you please answer the question, but I knew that was weird and unprofessional so I didn’t do it, but ugh, the temptation,” said Hill.
Those running for Senate answered questions first, House candidates second. The crowd was fully engaged with the conversation, and students left the forum a little wiser.
“I learned more about what the problems of Vermont. Like, what’s happening,” said seventh grader Finn Flackenstein.
“It helped us understand politics more, and helped us understand what’s coming with the upcoming election,” said Anderson.
While these students won’t be able to cast ballots on election day, they say they’re excited for their future in democracy.