I'm running to help build the institutional power every day working Vermonter's need to thrive in the 21st century. For the past four years I have had the privilege of serving the people of Bennington County as your Conservation District Manager and Commissioner for Conservation. In that time and before it I have come to deeply love this truly special place and I want to fight for it, and for the future of the people who make it so special. In those roles I have walked your fields, surveyed your forests, and sat at your kitchen tables helping folks navigate the byzantine labyrinth of red tape that it takes to steward the land, run a business, or simply live in the Green Mountain state. Together we've gotten millions of state and federal dollars invested into the working lands economy, we've changed archaic policies that treated Bennington County as a second class constituency, and we've challenged the Chittenden County power monopoly on Act 59 and Act 181. But it is never enough. Every year new layers of ineffective legislation are stacked one on top of the other pushing Vermont ever further in the wrong direction and robbing us and future generations of the chance to be Vermonters. That's why I am asking you to send me to fight for you in Montpelier as your representative. To go to the source and fight with a truly independent voice, one unswayed by party, to try and make this place one where we can all thrive. Together we can build a better Vermont. We can build public financial institutions, a public bank, to increase the flow and velocity of money in Vermont to build a future we can all believe in by keeping our money flowing here rather than flowing to Wall Street. We can protect the long and proud tradition of independent and public schools and school choice that has made this area one of the best places to raise a family in the country. And we can create a land use management system that brings power back to our communities and empowers the culture of conservation and stewardship tempered by realism that crafted the landscape we love and people love to visit without ceding our autonomy and property rights to the unelected power mad non-judicial boards and lobbyists that have driven our economy into the ground and treat our landscape like their own personal experiment in fortress conservation. No one is coming to save us. We have to take the responsibility into our hands and fight to not only have a seat at the table, but to be at the head of the table, with an urgency birthed of the knowledge that our future and our children's futures are at stake. As an independent candidate, I do not have the resources or infrastructure of the other candidates and I like that challenge, it should be hard to win an election. So if you feel as I feel that we must challenge the status quo of both parties invite me to your front porch, invite me to your group meeting, and let's talk about it!
My name is Michael Fernandez, and I am focused on a clear, practical goal that will strengthen our state: establishing a public bank right here in Vermont. For me, this is about keeping our resources working for us. By creating a public bank, we can ensure our financial power stays local, supporting our own communities and investing directly in the places we call home. This isn't about politics; it is about self-reliance and building a more resilient future for all Vermonters. I want to see our community thrive, and establishing a public bank is a concrete step we can take together to make that happen. I am ready to do the hard work to make this vision a reality for Vermont, and I would be honored to have your support.
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
Campaign Headquarters
916 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274