Candidate Questionnaire: F-35 questions
6 Yes/no questions were sent to the candidates for city council in three Vermont cities
February 5, 2022
Hi South Burlington, Winooski, and Burlington City Council Candidates,
My name is James Marc Leas, I live in South Burlington, and I publish a news report called CancelF35.substack.com, which has nearly 300 local subscribers in Burlington, S. Burlington, and Winooski.
I am seeking responses from city council candidates to the 6 Yes/No questions below about Vermont Air National Guard F-35 training flights from the Burlington airport, amidst the state's most densely populated cities and towns. There is also room to add your comment.
Please respond by Saturday, February 12. Your responses will be published on CancelF35.substack.com on Tuesday, February 15 at noon so there is time for voters to consider your response in advance of the voting on March 1. Your responses will also be posted on social media and Front Porch Forum.
If you have a question or concern, please call me at 802 734-8811 or email at jolly39@gmail.com
Background information about the F-35 that you may find useful.
News articles on VTDigger, on Seven Days and on TV, as well as hundreds of reports and complaints show that the 115-decibel F-35 noise in cities causes pain, injury, distress, and suffering that would not be happening if the F-35 training was conducted remote from populated areas. The training in cities is not a military necessity, violates the military’s own regulations, and is causing unnecessary suffering.
Town meeting votes in Burlington in 2018 (55%) and in Winooski in 2021 (67%) show overwhelming public opposition to the F-35 basing and training in cities.
The US Constitution and federal law (32 USC 501) provide that state national guard training is under state authority but must conform to DoD and Air Force regulations. Those regulations prohibit military operations, including training, that cause unnecessary suffering. Consistently with the constitution and the federal law, the FAA expressly disclaims authority over military aircraft noise, so state authority is not preempted.
State laws already on the books prohibit noise at the level of the F-35 in populated areas, including reckless assault, reckless endangerment, and reckless disorderly conduct (13 VSA 23, 25, and 26).
Thus, the facts, the democratic votes, the constitution, federal and state laws, and the military’s own regulations point to this being a vital issue of public health and safety, that the public wants the F-35 flights in cities to stop, and the state has the authority and the obligation to stop the F-35 training flights in Vermont cities now. As an elected official you can make a difference on this issue.
The questions
1. Do you think F-35 training flights should continue in this densely populated area where the US Air Force said 2,963 affordable homes with 6,663 people are repeatedly exposed to the 115-decibel noise? Yes ___ No ___
2. Are you concerned that the Air Force also said that low income and minority populations in Vermont are "disproportionately impacted" by the F-35?
Yes ___ No ___
3. Do you think city and/or state action to protect the public is needed to protect the health and safety of the public? Yes ___ No ___
4. Are you concerned that each F-35 burns 22 gallons of fuel per minute, accelerating global warming? Yes ___ No ___
5. If elected, will you initiate or support measures to terminate the state's F-35 training operations in or over the city and in any densely populated area?
Yes ___ No ___
6. During your election campaign will you speak out and campaign in favor of halting F-35 training flights from the BTV airport? Yes ___ No ___
Please provide any further comments on the F-35 issue. ____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Thank you.
Best regards,
James Marc Leas
Write or call your public servants:
Governor Phil Scott 802-828-3333 Chief of Staff <Jason.Gibbs@vermont.gov>
Vermont National Guard's Complaint Line: 802-660-5379 (Note: the Vermont Guard told a reporter that it received over 1400 noise complaints. But the Guard won’t release what people said).
Instead or in addition, submit your report & complaint to the online F-35 Fall 2021-Winter 2022 Report & Complaint Form: https://tinyurl.com/5d89ckj9
See all the graphs and in-your-own words statements on the F-35 Spring-Summer 2021 Report & Complaint Form (513 responses): https://tinyurl.com/3svacfvx.
See links to the graphs and in-your-own words statements on all four versions of the F-35 Report & Complaint Form since Spring 2020, with a total of 1670 responses from 658 different people.
Senator Patrick Leahy 800-642-3193 Chief of Staff <john_tracy@leahy.senate.gov>
Senator Bernie Sanders 800-339-9834 <Senator@sanders.senate.gov>
Congressman Peter Welch 888-605-7270 Chief of Staff <patrick.satalin@mail.house.gov>
Burlington City Council <citycouncil@burlingtonvt.gov>
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger <mayor@burlingtonvt.gov>
Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott <klott@winooskivt.org>
S. Burlington City Council Chair Helen Riehle <hriehle@sburl.com>
Williston Selectboard Chair Terry Macaig <macaig@msn.com>
VT Senate President Becca Balint <bbalint@leg.state.vt.us>
VT House Speaker Jill Krowinski <jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us>
Attorney General TJ Donavan <DonovanTJ@gmail.com>
States Attorney Sarah George <Sarah.fair.george@gmail.com>
Vermont’s Federal Prosecutor <usavt.contactus1@usdoj.gov>
Adjutant General Brig Gen Gregory C Knight <gregory.c.knight.mil@mail.mil>
Major J Scott Detweiler <john.s.detweiler.mil@mail.mil>
Wing Commander Col David Shevchik david.w.shevchik@mail.mil
Vermont National Guard Inspector General Lt. Col. Edward J Soychak <edward.soychak@us.af.mil>
US Air Force Inspector General Lt. Col. Pamela D. Koppelmann <pamela.d.koppelmann.mil@mail.mil>
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall <Frank.Kendall@us.af.mil>