Vermont's US Senate and US House candidates answer F-35 question posed by Seven Days
Seven Days posed seven questions to each of the candidates for the US Senate and for the US House. This question among them: “Do you support the basing of the F-35 fighter jets at BTV? If not, what would you do to move them?”
Senate Candidates
Peter Welch
Although Peter Welch told Seven Days that he recognized that “local residents have serious concerns about the noise caused by F-35s,” he never did a darn thing to address them as Vermont’s sole US Congressman. Never even met with citizens in Winooski who are hurt by the hundreds of 115-decibel training flights each month in their densely populated city.
Actually, Peter Welch is one of the chief perpetrators, along with Patrick Leahy, Bernie Sanders, Phil Scott, and Peter Shumlin. The five top Vermont politicians who misused their power to foist the F-35 training flights on Vermont’s most densely populated cities.
It was only because of intense pressure from Senator Leahy, the most senior of all US senators, backed up by the rest of Vermont’s top politicians, that the Air Force agreed to base the F-35 in such densely populated cities in violation of their own regulations. No one knows better than Peter Welch and Patrick Leahy that Federal law and Department of Defense regulations require commanders to keep such military forces separate and distinct from populated areas, not intermingled.
Nearly 3 years after their F-35 jets arrived in Vermont cities, Peter Welch told Seven Days, “We must address community concerns while preserving the flying mission of the Vermont National Guard.” Such bull. Welch knows that preserving the F-35 in a city contradicts addressing the community concerns.
Instead of calling for moving the 115-decibel F-35 training away from populated areas, Welch says, “it's essential that the FAA, VT Guard, and the Department of Defense deliver federal resources to Vermont for more robust noise mitigation.” In other words, it’s up to anybody but Peter Welch. That is how Peter Welch announced that if elected to the US Senate he will do absolutely nothing to stop the suffering of Vermont families in the F-35 flight path.
As for noise mitigation, the FAA told us that insulating homes does not work when windows are open or children play outside. “The best way to mitigate noise, at high noise levels, is to buy homes and remove them,” said Richard Doucette, the FAA’s New England Environmental Program manager. There is no way to make the 115-decibel F-35 safe in a city. The way to make the city safe for children is to stop the F-35 training in the city.
If Peter Welch is elected he will act to continue targeting the health, safety, and welfare of the 3000 working class and BIPOC families in the F-35 noise target zone. He is the problem. He is among the state’s top purveyors of state-sponsored violence against working class and BIPOC Vermonters.
Isaac Evans-Franz
By contrast, grassroots organizer Isaac Evans-Franz, who is running against Peter Welch for the US Senate, told Seven Days, “I stand with Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski majorities in opposing the F-35s. Congressman Welch, who supported the basing, took tens of thousands of dollars from F-35 contractors. I challenged the congressman on F-35s in our June VPR debate. I will work to cut off Pentagon funding for the basing.”
House Candidates
Molly Gray
Molly Gray told Seven Days, “The decision to bring the F35s to Burlington was made by the U.S. Air Force and was supported by Sens. Leahy & Sanders, Rep. Welch, and Gov. Scott. I respect that decision.” Thus, Molly Grey is running for Congress by aligning herself with the perpetrators of the illegal and immoral F-35 training in Vermont cities. She has no “respect” for the 3000 working class and BIPOC families suffering in the 115-decibel F-35 target zone.
Molly Gray further told Seven Days, “In Congress, I'll work to expand funding for noise monitoring and sound mitigation for buildings in affected areas.” Something ineffective. Also something she could have done but did not do as Lt. Governor. Why should we now believe she will do anything for working class and BIPOC people when in Congress?
Molly Gray’s website touts her “human rights” record. But her website reveals that her brand of “human rights” is loyally serving the very worst of the worst human rights violators—the mercenaries, including Blackwater—who wantonly tortured and killed civilians in Iraq and Syria. The article, “Lt. Governor Molly Gray touts human rights--but her record shows otherwise,” gives the facts.
Becca Balint
Becca Balint, running for the US House, told Seven Days, “I strongly support having an Air National Guard base at the Burlington International Airport and believe it must stay. I also support finding a mission for the base that does not include the F-35 fighter jets, which have simply proven too loud for Chittenden County communities.”
However, as President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate Beca Balint did absolutely nothing to “find a mission for the base that does not include the F-35 fighter jets.” Nor did she seek a location for the F-35s remote from populated areas.
As Vermont Senate President, Becca Balint allowed no Senate hearing to consider how children are hurt by repeated exposure to the 115-decibel noise. Nor did she visit Winooski to listen to the F-35 jets and hear from working class and BIPOC families. Nor did she visit the Chamberlin School neighborhood to hear the 115-decibel F-35s screaming down the runway and listen to the voices of suffering families. Nor did she take time to listen to any of the 1,300 children living in the F-35's extreme noise target zone.
Nor did Beca Balint use her position as Senate President to question commanders or the governor as to how training with F-35 jets in cities could possibly be legal in view of the DoD regulations that require “distinction” and prohibit intermingling military forces with populated areas. Or how it could be legal in view of the DoD prohibition on “human shielding.” And the lack of any “military necessity” for the city location.
Ask Becca Balint why we should expect her to do anything about the F-35 as member of congress if she abstained from using her role as a high state official?
Sianay Chase Clifford
Congressional candidate, Sianay Chase Clifford simply answered, “No” to the question, “Do you support the basing of the F-35 fighter jets at BTV?” She went on to tell Seven Days, “We've historically had a Congressional delegation in lock step with the Air Force and Department of Defense. I would work to get funding to independently collect data about the F-35's environmental impact on our communities and use that information to petition the Department of Defense to rebase the aircraft.”
The data shows mass suffering
The data has already been collected: 657 Vermonters signed on to complaints to the Inspector General and to the Governor of Vermont. Over 700 more submitted F-35 report and complaint forms. Nearly 1,000 called the Vermont National Guard Complaint line in 2020 and 432 more filed complaints just in the first four months of 2021. The suffering was described in articles in VTDigger and Seven Days, and in a beautiful 12 minute film.
Federal and State government each has authority to halt F-35 training
While the federal government is responsible for the basing, the US Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. 8, Cl. 16) makes the states responsible for conducting the training. That means that either the state or the federal government has a power to abolish the F-35 training in Vermont cities, and each can do it without consulting the other.
The federal government has the power to order removal of the F-35 jets from their city location.
The state cannot order removal, but it has authority under the US Constitution and federal law (32 USC 501) to order a halt to the training in a city. If it did so, the federal government would quickly move the F-35 jets somewhere else.
Town meeting votes in Burlington in 2018 and in Winooski in 2021 showed overwhelming support for halting the F-35 training at BTV and in any populated area. State and federal laws and the military’s own regulations require immediate abolition of the F-35 training in cities. It is long past time to stop the law breaking. The federal law and military regulations require halting F-35 training in cities now.
It is time to vote out politicians making war against Winooski, Burlington, and South Burlington: Officials like Peter Welch and Molly Gray. And to pressure politicians who impose another priority, like Beca Balint. Tell them you will vote only for a candidate you are sure is determined to vigorously protect the safety, health, and welfare of the people of Vermont by using the powers that state and federal governments have to halt the F-35 training in cities. Tell them you will only vote for a candidate who won’t sacrifice Vermonters for any other priority. Much less something illegal, immoral, and unjust, like 115-decibel F-35 training in cities.
Write or call your public servants and demand an immediate halt to F-35 training in cities.
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).
Submit your report & complaint to the still-active 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 plus 70 more on the still-active form.
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>