Meg Hansen’s story gripped me. Her natural acumen for liberty and what it means to every individual in Vermont captivated me.
Hansen’s story is one I am discovering across America as I interview The Next Generation of Conservatives®. A profile is coming into sharp focus. I’m finding a new generation of women emerging in the political arena whose ancestral heritage is outside of America. Meg Hansen is one of those unique and rare Next Generation political candidates who understand the power of freedom, individualism, and the liberating freedom found in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
Meg’s heritage is India, where she spent time as a medical student. Her parents, both Doctors, came to America in search of something they did not have in India, the right to live life as they pleased without government control.
Meg Hansen wants to influence lives in Vermont, and she’s the first to admit she has an uphill battle. Vermont is her Hamburger Hill. Her heart is with the individuals, families, and businesses she says are not allowed to “flourish.” She introduced me to the phrase, “human flourishing,” and I latched onto it with vigor.
Vermont, the home state of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, is snuffing-out what Meg believes are the opportunities for human flourishing. Make no mistake about it, Vermont is a socialist state where government commands, not only the attention of its citizens but their allegiance. According to Hansen, the citizens of Vermont are oppressed people who are not allowed to flourish by living lives free of oppressive government taxation, regulatory control, education, and healthcare. In short, according to Hansen, due to government policies, families have a hard time prospering.
iVoteVermont, in cooperation with iVoteAmerica, is pleased and honored to endorse and support the candidacy of Meg Hanse for Lt. Governor in 2020. During my interview with Meg, I came to know a person in full possession of the strength, passion, and understanding of what it will take to help the citizens of Vermont flourish.
Here’s my transcribed interview with Ms. Meg Hansen.
Donald: Can you summarize your view of government?
The first thing I’ll say to answer your question is, the US Constitution is the supreme law of the land, it is not a living document, open to special interpretation. That is the foundation of our government. Our government is tasked with certain responsibilities. First of all, maintaining law and order, looking after the safety of American citizens. The second is to maintain our military, protecting Americans, and keeping terrorists and other bad actors at bay. My third thing about government is that it has become bloated with agencies and a massive bureaucratic state. There is a role for government in a certain flow in civic life. We have to pay our taxes, we have social security, medicare and Medicaid, and even welfare, and these require agencies to manage them on behalf of citizens. But we have allowed the government to expand beyond the original vision of the Founders. President Roosevelt really changed the way our government works, we are in an expanded FDR model with agencies intruding into our lives
Donald: Do you think a government can sometimes be dangerous?
Yes, absolutely! That’s why we have the Second Amendment. And let me give you an example. I am of Indian heritage. Both America and India were oppressed by the British Empire and colonialism. Both nations were able to throw out the British, eventually. But why were the Ameican colonies able to do it in the late 1700s, but it took India until the mid-twentieth century to do it? There are many reasons, but one important reason was that the people of India were not armed. If people want to protect themselves from government tyranny, the best bulwark or buffer is to have an armed citizenry. So, yes, the government can be dangerous. Looking at the way in which the far-left wing of the Democrat party has become so ascendant, with someone who used to be an avowed communist now describing himself as a Democratic Socialist as a front-runner for President. We have someone who wants to weaponize government in the way that the Soviet Union and other countries have done it. Embodied in the left through people like Bernie, the Bernie Bros, and AOC we see the naked desire to weaponize government and expand it in a way that is truly un-Ameican, in ways that the Founders would have never wanted for America. The reason we have prospered is that we have kept the government in check, answering to us, no the reverse. I bring up Bernie Sanders because he is from Vermont…and he wants to make government our master. We have a huge government accountability crisis in Vermont. There has been a systematic de-industrialization of Vermont, social engineering of our poor little state. Due to government, there is a big divide. There are a wealthy class and a lower dependent class that needs government. And these are the people who are victims of government created traps that the lower-income groups have fallen into. There is limited upward mobility in Vermont because of the government’s control. The Economist magazine stated that there were 49 states that were in recovery; one wasn’t…Vermont, where we have structurally low wages, mountains of red tape, Draconian regulations, overly expensive housing. Last year, Vermont was the most expensive state to start a business, fourth-highest tax burden, third-highest health insurance premiums. The government in Mountpeliar has created a socialized government and a socialized economy…it’s not coming, it’s here now! The Vermont government is the largest employer in the state, followed by the state-run healthcare system and then finally, the state-run, unionized education system. Where is private enterprise, creativity, entrepreneurs, and small businesses? They are being driven out of our state.
Donald: What influence did your immigrant family have on your life?
The Indian political class was educated in Britain in the 1920-30s when the intellectual class had become enamored with the philosophy of socialism. he Indian intellectual class, the elites, went to Cambridge and Oxford. When India finally got freedom the system was bureaucracy, central planning, socialism. When Milton Friedman visited India before and after independence, he saw the amount of poverty that existed under socialism. India had become a destitute, third world country. This continued until 1990 when, in the face of bankruptcy, they were forced to open up the markets. I’m telling you this because, during this time, Indian experienced a brain drain. People who wanted to do something, who understood merit did not have a chance in India. My grandfather was a chemical engineer and my mother and father were doctors. The opportunity my family received to immigrate to the United States was huge and no one has ever forgotten it. I had a very formative influence from my grandparents. As a result of my mother becoming terminally ill with brain cancer, my grandparents cared for me and my brother for a while. They instilled in me that we were privileged to be Americans. My grandparents always drew a contrast between America and India. We’re proud of our heritage but Indian socialism destroyed the opportunities for its people. Unless you’re privileged and wealthy you can get anywhere in India. I sensed as a child that people who grew up in India were afraid of the government, whereas Americans were not, because they believe the government serves the person. That was a huge difference. It’s what it means to be free.
Donald: Vermont is the home state of Bernie Sanders…what is the preponderance of socialism in the state and is it reflective of the people?
No, it’s not reflective of the people Socialism is a loaded term. It means a lot of things, different things to different people. Bernie Sanders’s version of socialism is the politics of envy, designed to breed resentment, and produce class warfare. My campaign is not about pitting people in Vermont against one another…I want all people to be the “haves” and everyone to have the opportunity to prosper, to build lives with their own choices. That’s not what it has been about in Vermont. What we’ve heard is the message of manipulation, designed to traffic in envy. Resentment is a huge motivator, compared to love it’s often more powerful because socialism envy tells us “he, she, took something from me.”
Donald: What is the job description of a Lt. Governor?
Lt. Governor presides over the Senate, and stands in for the Governor in the event something happens, God forbid, to the Governor. On a practical level, the Lt. Governor influences committee assignments, agendas, and other operating matters. The Lt. Governor is the manager of the day-to-day operation.
Donald: We’ve all heard the statement “the bigger the government the smaller the citizen.” Is Vermont’s government too big and how does it’s size relate to the freedom of its citizens?
The state is the largest employer in Vermont. The state employees have an interest and are the largest voting block. The employees perpetuate the bureaucracy out of self-interest. In Vermont, we have the largest number of non-profits per capita in the nation. The state delegates a lot to non-profit organizations. People are leaving Vermont, to pursue other opportunities. The people who are not dependent on the government, the upwardly mobile people, are struggling for property ownership and wealth creation.
Donald: I’d like to get inside the Vermont political culture? Is the government responsive to individuals, families, businesses and the need for an environment that fosters property ownership and the creation of wealth?
Vermont’s public radio hates on anyone right of center, and it’s an extension of government. Right now the priority of the government of climate change. We call Montpelier the “bill mill.” Climate fanaticism is a top priority of the Vermont Government. There is no effort to espouse property ownership and wealth creation. People talk about Vermont as the Pitre dish for social experimentation.
Donald: What is the one thing about politics that ticks you off, triggers you, and keeps you awake at night?
When politicians lie on the national stage and no one questions them. The second thing is the way politicians hate on American healthcare, which is the envy of the world…no one calls down lying politicians.
Donald: At iVoteAmerica we place a high premium on the sanctity of life, the importance of family, community and self-sufficiency…what are your life views?
The sanctity of life comes from God. We all have a soul…human life is sacred. I support capital punishment for those who take human life. In Vermont, we have activists promoting suicide, the early termination of life. When a pregnancy is wanted there is never a question of life. Only when a baby isn’t wanted is life questioned. Having a medical background, I look at some issues from a medical perspective. In the case of a mother’s life I would be influenced by that because of my background. The baby is not an extension of the mother’s body, of course not.
Donald: Is Vermont running a deficit or a surplus in terms of its budget?
Yes, when you count the pensions, we are running a deficit.
Donald: Healthcare is clearly a political hot button…how is the healthcare system in Vermont working for individuals and families who don’t have employer-paid insurance?
It’s bad, really, really bad. It is failing. It’s a monopoly, control 90% by Blue Cross Blue Shield, and 10% controlled by another company. It’s designed as a complicated system. Insurance companies can’t make premium distinctions that are critical to survival. There is a difference between a 20-year-old and a 60-year-old that can’t be accounted for in the risk analysis.
Donald: What are your hobbies?
Reading, spending time with my husband, movies.
Donald: Favorite color?
Blue
Donald: What do you love most about America?
The spirit of the Founding fathers, the ecosystem of Ameria.
Donald: Self-improvement goal?
Petience is not my virtue.
Donald: What time do you wake up in the morning?
Eighty
Donald: What’s the most important thing in your life?
Presenting a new vision to Vermont. 2020 is it, Donald. If nothing changes, people will have to leave. It’s dire.
Donald: If you could drive any automobile, what would it be?
2020 Mercedes
Donald: What food do you constantly crave, but shouldn’t eat?
Chocolate
Donald: Favorite President?
Ronald Reagan & Calvin Coolidge
Donald: What was your first job?
Sales person in a fashion store
Donald: Do you have a pet?
Yes, a cat.
Donald: Your favorite Vermont politician of all time?
Brian Dubie, the former Lt. Governor, He’s a mentor to me and he embodies the spirit of service to the people of Vermont.
iVoteAmerica and iVoteVermont are happy to endorse Meg Hansen for Lt. Governor of Vermont 2020.
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