Editor’s note: this question and answer segment was compiled by the St. Albans Messenger, a sister paper to The Mountain Times. It is republished here with their permissions.
If you could summarize your accomplishments as governor into four bullet points what would they be?
Growing jobs and economic opportunity – We’ve created thousands of new jobs since I became governor, are home to one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates, are leading neighboring states in recovering from the Great Recession and registered the second fastest personal income growth rate in America in the first quarter of 2014. None of that matters, however, if you are one of the many middle class families in Vermont and around the country who are struggling to get by. We have more work to do, and I won’t rest until every Vermonter has the economic security and quality of life they deserve.
One of the best education system in America – I am proud that during my tenure as governor we have continued to improve Vermont’s education system – from early childhood to higher education – to help make it one of the best in the country. Even though we have good graduation rates, we do not move enough of our kids, particularly those from lower income families, beyond high school. That’s why I fought for better career readiness and flexible learning initiatives for our students. We also know that the early years are incredibly important. To ensure every Vermont child has the opportunity to arrive at school ready to learn, I fought for and signed into law universal prekindergarten education and also secured the largest federal investment in early childhood education in Vermont’s history. And to help working families deal with the ever rising cost of college and move more of our students beyond high school, we implemented reforms so Vermont kids can take college courses while in high school and receive tuition assistance, earning up to two years of tuition free college education if they play their cards right.
Revitalizing and investing in our downtowns. Since I have been governor, we have invested heavily in our downtowns from St. Albans to Burlington to Barre, Brattleboro, Rutland and St. Johnsbury. Our downtowns are the hearts of our communities and our economy. I am very proud that through both public/private investment partnerships, such as in St. Albans and Brattleboro, and increased downtown tax credit and tax increment financing expansions, such as in Burlington, we have helped to rebuild our historic downtowns for the 21st century, creating jobs and economic growth in the process.
Turning the tide on opiate addiction – The rising tide of opiate addiction is the one issue that could compromise the quality of life we hold so dear in Vermont. We can’t move fast enough to solve this crisis. I was proud to propose and sign legislation that expands treatment, gets addicts into recovery and cracks down on those who bring these dangerous drugs into our state. While we still have more work to do, we’ve almost doubled the number of Vermonters in treatment and distributed overdose rescue kits that have helped to save 67 lives.
If you could tell Vermonters the single biggest challenge facing the state what would it be?
Vermont has made real progress recovering from the Great Recession, doing so at a faster rate than many neighboring states. But, like in the rest of the country, that recovery has been too slow for the middle class and working Vermonters. We have work to do to strengthen the economic recovery in Vermont so all Vermonters have the economic security and quality of life they deserve.
We’re working to do just that. This past session I was proud to sign into law a bill to raise the minimum wage because no Vermonter who works full time should have to live in poverty.
Despite tough budget gaps brought on by the recession, I have balanced four consecutive budgets without raising income, sales or rooms and meals taxes on hardworking Vermonters because I know Vermonters don’t have extra money to spend. We’ve passed initiatives to allow Vermont kids to earn up to two years of free college to help families struggling with student loan debt. And our investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy are helping to lower energy bills and create jobs.
We have more work to do, including addressing the two biggest drags on our economy: the unsustainable rise in property taxes and health care costs. On both fronts we are already taking action. I am asking for another two-year term to continue the hard work we’ve started.
What economic advantages does Vermont have that other states don’t?
Vermont has many economic advantages. One important one is our unrivaled quality of life.
Vermont’s great schools, strong communities and natural beauty all combine to make our state a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Vermont is also leading in a number of emerging economic areas, seizing opportunities to create jobs and expand opportunity. On energy, Vermont is charting a renewable energy future that is attracting entrepreneurs, companies and jobs. In 2013 alone, Vermont created 1,000 solar jobs, the highest growth rate in America.
When it comes to technology, Vermont is making a big name for itself despite its small size. Burlington, already home to many great technology companies, has been rated one of the top ten emerging tech hubs in the country.
And agriculture, which has for decades defined our way of life, is continuing to be a big part of our economic picture. Whether it’s Vermont beer, cheese or other value added products, the Vermont-made label is sought after and respected worldwide.
There is also more work to do, but we have a lot to be proud of in Vermont.
What two qualities make Vermont a good place to do business?
As I mentioned above, Vermont has many economic advantages that make it a good place to do business. Two additional attributes include our great school system and accessible state government.
From prek to higher education, Vermont’s school system is one of the best. We are home to many great higher education institutions, providing companies looking to hire skilled workers a great pool from which to recruit and hire.
Vermont’s small size is also a big advantage because we know each other, trust each other, and have better opportunities to collaborate in the public and private sector than many other states.
Businesses large and small have access to all levels of state government in a way that is unheard of in other states. I routinely travel around the state to visit with CEOs of Vermont businesses large and small and I hear about this advantage, as well as the high quality of our workforce.
What concerns do you hear most expressed from Vermonters?
While the trend is clear one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates and thousands of new jobs created since 2011 there are still too many Vermonters who are struggling. I hear from Vermonters who are concerned about property taxes, the rising cost of health care and being able to send their kids to college. We’re working hard to address those issues, and we’re making some progress. On property taxes, we’re forming partnerships with local school boards, select boards and communities to make local changes that will address declining enrollments and rising costs. When it comes to education reform, Montpelier cannot mandate a one size fits all approach. Not only will it not work, it would cause chaos for our education system. These are our kids we’re talking about.
On health care, we’re working with the Green Mountain Care Board to change the way we pay for health care, moving from the current fee for service model that rewards quantity to a more thoughtful outcomes based model that rewards doctors and hospitals for quality. In the past two years, we’ve seen hospital budgets grow at the slowest rate in nearly four decades. There is more work to do, but we’re moving in the right direction.
And on college affordability, we’ve implemented programs that allow Vermont students to complete a full year of college while still in high school for no additional cost. Combined with the new Vermont Strong Scholars program, which allows students to get one additional free year of college, we’re making it so that Vermont kids who play their cards right can get up to two years of tuition free college. That’s a big deal.
What would you list as the top three economic development initiatives you’ve
accomplished?
When I came into office, we made expanding broadband internet service to every part of Vermont a priority. Thanks to the hard work of many and an unprecedented public/private partnership, we’ve expanded broadband to 99 percent of Vermonters, and we have a plan in place for all remaining addresses.
Our dedication to renewable energy in Vermont has created jobs, saved ratepayers money and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Per capita, Vermont has the most solar jobs in America. Vermont is showing that doing what is right for the planet can also save people money and create jobs.
I worked with the legislature this year to create a multifaceted legislative package providing support for startup, expansion and retention of companies that offer good
wages and a bright future for Vermonters. The law also creates the Vermont Strong
Scholars Program, which encourages kids to go into high needs fields and will provide businesses with a pool of talent from which to hire from. We also created the Vermont Enterprise Fund, which will allow us to move quickly to retain or attract good paying jobs, doubled the downtown tax credit and expanded TIF districts to help rebuild our downtowns, and doubled the Vermont Small Business Offering to drive more investment in our entrepreneurs and innovators, and increased VEDA’s entrepreneurial lending program. I am proud of the work we did this session to spark economic development in unique ways, and we will build on this progress going forward.
What are the last two books you’ve read, and the last two movies you’ve seen?
Books: My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglas; To the Boneby Sydney Lea
Movies: Mud; Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
are helping to lower energy bills and create jobs.
We have more work to do, including addressing the two biggest drags on our economy: the unsustainable rise in property taxes and health care costs. On both fronts we are already taking action. I am asking for another two-year term to continue the hard work we’ve started.
What economic advantages does Vermont have that other states don’t?
Vermont has many economic advantages. One important one is our unrivaled quality of life.
Vermont’s great schools, strong communities and natural beauty all combine to make our state a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Vermont is also leading in a number of emerging economic areas, seizing opportunities to create jobs and expand opportunity. On energy, Vermont is charting a renewable energy future that is attracting entrepreneurs, companies and jobs. In 2013 alone, Vermont created 1,000 solar jobs, the highest growth rate in America.
When it comes to technology, Vermont is making a big name for itself despite its small size. Burlington, already home to many great technology companies, has been rated one of the top ten emerging tech hubs in the country.
And agriculture, which has for decades defined our way of life, is continuing to be a big part of our economic picture. Whether it’s Vermont beer, cheese or other value added products, the Vermont-made label is sought after and respected worldwide.
There is also more work to do, but we have a lot to be proud of in Vermont.
What two qualities make Vermont a good place to do business?
As I mentioned above, Vermont has many economic advantages that make it a good place to do business. Two additional attributes include our great school system and accessible state government.
From prek to higher education, Vermont’s school system is one of the best. We are home to many great higher education institutions, providing companies looking to hire skilled workers a great pool from which to recruit and hire.
Vermont’s small size is also a big advantage because we know each other, trust each other, and have better opportunities to collaborate in the public and private sector than many other states.
Businesses large and small have access to all levels of state government in a way that is unheard of in other states. I routinely travel around the state to visit with CEOs of Vermont businesses large and small and I hear about this advantage, as well as the high quality of our workforce.
What concerns do you hear most expressed from Vermonters?
While the trend is clear one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates and thousands of new jobs created since 2011 there are still too many Vermonters who are struggling. I hear from Vermonters who are concerned about property taxes, the rising cost of health care and being able to send their kids to college. We’re working hard to address those issues, and we’re making some progress. On property taxes, we’re forming partnerships with local school boards, select boards and communities to make local changes that will address declining enrollments and rising costs. When it comes to education reform, Montpelier cannot mandate a one size fits all approach. Not only will it not work, it would cause chaos for our education system. These are our kids we’re talking about.
On health care, we’re working with the Green Mountain Care Board to change the way we pay for health care, moving from the current fee for service model that rewards quantity to a more thoughtful outcomes based model that rewards doctors and hospitals for quality. In the past two years, we’ve seen hospital budgets grow at the slowest rate in nearly four decades. There is more work to do, but we’re moving in the right direction.
And on college affordability, we’ve implemented programs that allow Vermont students to complete a full year of college while still in high school for no additional cost. Combined with the new Vermont Strong Scholars program, which allows students to get one additional free year of college, we’re making it so that Vermont kids who play their cards right can get up to two years of tuition free college. That’s a big deal.
What would you list as the top three economic development initiatives you’ve accomplished?
When I came into office, we made expanding broadband internet service to every part of Vermont a priority. Thanks to the hard work of many and an unprecedented public/private partnership, we’ve expanded broadband to 99 percent of Vermonters, and we have a plan in place for all remaining addresses.
Our dedication to renewable energy in Vermont has created jobs, saved ratepayers money and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Per capita, Vermont has the most solar jobs in America. Vermont is showing that doing what is right for the planet can also save people money and create jobs.
I worked with the legislature this year to create a multifaceted legislative package providing support for startup, expansion and retention of companies that offer good
wages and a bright future for Vermonters. The law also creates the Vermont Strong
Scholars Program, which encourages kids to go into high needs fields and will provide businesses with a pool of talent from which to hire from. We also created the Vermont Enterprise Fund, which will allow us to move quickly to retain or attract good paying jobs, doubled the downtown tax credit and expanded TIF districts to help rebuild our downtowns, and doubled the Vermont Small Business Offering to drive more investment in our entrepreneurs and innovators, and increased VEDA’s entrepreneurial lending program. I am proud of the work we did this session to spark economic development in unique ways, and we will build on this progress going forward.
What are the last two books you’ve read, and the last two movies you’ve seen?
Books: My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglas; To the Boneby Sydney Lea
Movies: Mud; Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
