Vermonters speak out on Doyle survey - Daren Jorgenson

By: Times Argus

MONTPELIER ? Vermonters are overwhelmingly in favor of importing prescription drugs from Canada and elsewhere, according to the annual Town Meeting Day survey distributed by Senate Minority Leader William Doyle, R-Washington.

They also expressed strong support for wind power, death with dignity legislation and for environmental curbs on disposable bottles and recycling tires.

The survey, sent out by Sen. Doyle to all Vermont polling places for March 1, 2005, had results from 150 towns in all 14 counties. The survey includes 14 questions on current events in the state's politics and asked citizens to choose "yes," "no" or "not sure."

Eighty-seven percent of approximately 10,000 Vermonters who responded said they wanted drugs from Canada available.

According to the survey, Vermonters are also keen on the idea of renewable energy in the form of windmills on ridgelines. Sixty percent of those polled said they wanted windmills on mountain ridges, 20 percent were against and 20 percent said they weren't sure.

Some 65 percent said they agree with a law that would allow doctors to help terminally ill patients die, 23 percent were not in favor, and 12 percent were undecided. A "Death with Dignity Act" now in the Vermont House would allow physicians to help mentally-competent patients with irreversible illnesses to die.

Vermonters in the unscientific survey feel strongly that the state needs a new bottle bill. A proposed bill introduced in the Senate would expand the "Bottle Bill" so that all wine, nonalcoholic, carbonated and noncarbonated drink containers, (except dairy and soy beverage bottles) less than one gallon in size, could be returned for redemption. Eighty-five percent of those polled were supportive of changing the bottle deposit law to include non-carbonated beverage bottles.

Eighty-three percent agree with forming a used tire deposit program to decrease the amount of discarded tires around the state. A bill introduced in the House this session would assess a deposit of on the sale of new motor vehicle tires and require that refunds be paid on delivery of these tires for disposal. The bill proposes that Vermont require retail sellers to accept labeled tires and pay the amount of the deposit.

The bill would also require tire manufacturers or distributors to pay the amount of the deposit, plus a handling fee.

The Vermont House also introduced a bill this session to make a high school civics course a mandatory part of school curriculum. Eighty percent of Vermonters polled said they want civics to be a compulsory part of high school education. Vermont schools should also be required to have a wellness plan, according to 61 percent of those polled.

The House has introduced a bill this session that would change the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. The "Doyle Poll" indicated Vermonters are split on the issue, with 51 percent in favor of raising the legal age, 43 percent opposed, and 6 percent not sure.

State residents were clearer in opposing a proposal to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18, which is the subject of a bill in the Vermont House. Sixty-two percent of those polled were against the switch, 33 percent were for it, and 5 percent were not sure.

Also, 55 percent of those polled agree that all cigarettes sold in Vermont should be self-extinguishing, 25 percent are not in favor of the idea and 20 percent are undecided.

Governor Jim Douglas' approval rating matched how people were feeling about the economy. Fifty-four percent of Vermonters think Douglas is doing a good job, and 54 percent feel optimistic about the economy.