Open letter to five candidates for open Burlington City Council seat
Ward 3 votes on Thursday. Letter asks the candidates for their positions on the F-35 training flights in a densely populated area
The open letter was sent to all five candidates running for the Progressive Party nomination in Ward 3 for Burlington City Council. The letter, which was sent last Thursday, seeks answers to five F-35 Yes/No questions and has space for in-their-own-words comments. The Progressive Party voting is this Thursday, June 17, and is open to all Ward 3 residents. Candidate answers will be posted here at noon on Tuesday. If you have questions you would like to submit to the candidates, see their email addresses below.
Dear Ward 3 candidates for Progressive Party nomination for Burlington City Council July Sanders, Owen Milne, Joe Magee, Julie Macuga, and Ryan Addario:
I am seeking responses from all Ward 3 city council candidates to the following questions about Vermont-sponsored F-35 training flights from the Burlington airport, amidst the state's most densely populated cities and towns.
Please respond by Monday, June 14 if possible, or at the very latest, early Tuesday morning. Your responses will be published on https://cancelf35.substack.com/ on Tuesday, June 15 at noon and on social media and Front Porch Forum so there is time for voters to consider your response in advance of the voting on Thursday.
The F-35 training is under state control: The US Constitution expressly reserves the authority of training the militia (now called the national guard) to the states according to the discipline prescribed by Congress. That means the State of Vermont has authority over the Vermont Air National Guard F-35 training flights each month over Burlington. The state has authority to order a halt to those F-35 flights in this populated area. And the state is obligated to do so because the flights in a populated area violate the discipline prescribed by congress. That discipline includes federal laws and senate-ratified treaties that protect civilians from military operations.
Hundreds of reports and complaints show that the 115 decibel F-35 noise is causing pain, injury, distress, and suffering. That means the discipline prescribed by congress is being violated.
In 2018, Burlington voted at town meeting on petitioned ballot question 6 requesting "cancellation of the planned basing of the F-35 at Burlington International Airport." The vote citywide was 55% in favor. In Ward 3 the vote was better than 2 to 1 in favor: 68% voted Yes to cancel the F-35 basing in Ward 3. The strong yes vote on the resolution citywide was notwithstanding a $100,000 campaign by business leaders and developers to defeat it.
Thus, US constitution, federal laws, ratified treaties, and the democratic vote, all point to halting the F-35 training flights in Burlington and in any populated area. And the constitution provides the State of Vermont with the authority to do it!
(a) Do you think F-35 training flights should continue in this densely populated area where the US Air Force said 2,963 households with 6,663 people are exposed to the 115 decibel noise? Yes ___ No ___
(b) Are you concerned that the Air Force also said that low income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted by the F-35? Yes ___ No ___
(c) Do you think city action to protect the public is needed to demand that the state halt the F-35 training flights in any populated area in view of the Air Force also saying that repeated exposure to military jet noise at that level can cause permanent hearing damage and can impair the cognitive development of children?
Yes ___ No ___
(d) If elected, will you initiate or support measures to terminate the state's F-35 training operations from the City's airport and in any densely populated area?
Yes ___ No ___
(e) During the campaign for city council will you speak out and campaign in favor of halting F-35 training flights from the City's airport? Yes ___ No ___
(f) Please provide any further comments on the F-35 issue. ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
The five candidates: Julie Macuga <juliemacuga@gmail.com>, July Sanders <julysanders8@gmail.com>, Joe Magee <jcmagee626@gmail.com>, Owen Milne <owen@communitysailingcenter.org>, Ryan Addario <ward3ryan@gmail.com>
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
Online F-35 Spring-Summer 2021 Report & Complaint Form:https://tinyurl.com/4zjjn39x
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>