Issue Position: Jobs

Issue Position

Vermont is a great place to live and raise a family. There is no greater place in America, and our pristine environment, clear air and water, and our sense of community knows no rival.

I'm an optimist. I believe in Vermonters. I've visited businesses from Newport to Bennington, from Swanton to Brattleboro. I've seen the incredible creativity, innovation and work ethic for which Vermonters are known. Our promise as a place to work and to do business is without parallel.

But most Vermonters recognize that our state is a tough place to do business. As much as we don't like it, many commentators, both inside and outside Vermont, are telling us that. We've been rated as the highest tax state in America, as the second worst state in which to retire, and as the state with the lowest gross domestic product per employee in the nation. Since January 2011, our total seasonally-adjusted workforce has fallen by 1,900. While anyone can argue with any of these statistics, the point is that almost every review of Vermont's business attractiveness tells us that we can and must do better.

Perception is reality, and we have to do better to provide our children and our grandchildren with the opportunity to achieve their dreams right here in Vermont. Unless we responsibly grow jobs and opportunity, our kids will continue to move elsewhere and we will continue to see our friends and neighbors unemployed or underemployed.
We need to listen to what people are telling us, and here is what they are saying:

We need to:

Lower taxes.

Lower the cost of education.

Lower the cost of health care.

Lower the cost of energy.

Lower the cost of doing business.

Lower the cost of government.

We have to look long term. These are issues that will not happen in two years. What we do today will not produce jobs tomorrow. We need to focus on long term improvement to ensure Vermont's future success and competitiveness.
So what should be our strategy? We need to do five things:
Declare that Vermont is "Open for Business" and Make that a Reality
Require Government to Live Within Its Means
Reform Taxes to Make Them Simpler, Fairer and Easier to Understand
Reconcile Education and Training to Meet Workforce Needs
Invest in the Vermont Brand

In his farewell address in 1985, then-Governor Dick Snelling said:

"We have demonstrated that a favorable business climate and a determination to provide the fundamental elements which motivate business decisions can build a stronger economic base. Action to assure stability, reasonable tax burdens, affordable energy, adequate promotion of agricultural products and travel, and to assure available skills, have brought the double reward of more people at work, who are earning higher incomes. Simultaneously, tax revenues increase, while tax rates and the cost of social programs decrease."

We need to follow Governor Snelling's wise advice.

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