We oppose the basing of the F-35 war planes at the Burlington Airport.
The Air Force says the basing of the F-35 in densely populated Chittenden County will lead to over 3,400 homes being designated unsuitable for residential use. The extreme F-35 noise levels will pose significant health risks to thousands of residents, schoolchildren and workers, disproportionately harming recent immigrants, renters, and homeowners of modest income.
The wasteful spending on the F-35 ($1.5 trillion and rising) should instead go to the unmet needs of our communities, such as healthcare, housing, jobs, education, food, and social security. Using our public funds on these boondoggle war planes increases our dependency on the military industry and is exactly the wrong direction to take for our planet—instead we desperately need jobs programs to combat climate change and foster a healthful environment for all.
Stopping the F-35 basing in Burlington will be a significant step toward cancelling the whole program nationally and showing a new direction for the country. We call for public policies that protect our human rights, meet the needs of our communities, and enable real participation of all people in decisions that affect our ability to live a life with dignity.