Dear Editor,
Over the past eight years, Vermont has rapidly become a precarious state in which to own a small business. Per the Department of Labor Statistics, 60.5 percent of Vermont businesses employ four or less persons; in Bennington County, 62.5 percent and in Rutland County 60 percent. These are our mom and pop operations. We are the small business owners who function as CEO, bookkeeper, janitor, insurance expert and with the rapid assault in anti-business legislation and rule changes, full-time sensitized watchdog and low clout lobbyist all in an unstable, declining economy as we have once again made another list: 49th in the nation for economic outlook.
Yet the rhetoric of our current administration and legislative majority would have us know that everything is just lovely because we have low unemployment, a poor indicator of our work force and GDP. Comprehensive non-emotional statistics, fact checking, trend watching with the DOL, Tax Department (May revenues still way down) and other researchers is just for dummies. Their spiel has been and still is all about emotional rhetoric and divisiveness.
If we Vermonters want to be first at something, let’s be the first to elect a non-incumbent political outsider with economic know-how. In the spirit of Vermont independence, and for small business success and a successful future for all Vermonters, we need stability and thoughtful planning. Bruce Lisman is offering it.
Lisman is a leader with experience managing large numbers of employees. He has clearly demonstrated skill at fact finding (Campaign for Vermont) and negotiation which is beneficial to advocating for working Vermonters, whether working with the legislature or state employees. Lisman understands small business is the backbone of Vermont; how small business interacts in our communities to create employment and income security for both families and other small employers. He also understands jobs and income translate to a healthier less self-abusive population and increased revenues for our needy social programs. We need a leader like Bruce Lisman who understands legislation directed to punish big business kills our mom and pops who are an integral, personal and contributing part of our rural community everyday life, and only makes big business bigger.
Lisman will be that thoughtful leader who will make positive changes to create stability and predictability for small business, state budgets and revenues for the good of all Vermonters by working with job creators to fix onerous regulations bogging down small business because of our untrustworthy nature.
In the spirit of independence, vote Aug. 9 for Bruce Lisman. We are.
Douglas and Estella Leach, Pawlet
