Jobs and the Economy

I know what it’s like to worry about having a place to live, about keeping warm, and putting food on the table. I understand that sometimes even in hardworking families, like the one I grew up in, not only the adults but also the children worry.

I believe that the best single economic development and jobs program for the future of Vermont is the implementation of a universal health care system. And I will use my experience, my passion and my commitment to see that it happens.

More broadly, we must move ahead toward a vibrant, self sustaining local economy where all of us have the opportunity for jobs which pay a real living wage. We must confront the challenge of Bush’s “jobless recovery “ head on. We need Vermont leadership which recognizes that the real threat facing us as we strive for a better life, is not Vermont’s environmental protections, it is that cheap foreign labor and the off shoring of jobs has spread from the blue collar sector to the professional sector. Today, too many corporations have no more than a transitory commitment to their workers and to Vermont. We need a smart strategy to nurture and value the efforts of our small businesses. They are the backbone of our state, and they are most often led by people who have a real commitment to the state of Vermont and to the workers they employ.

I have a strong record of helping to create jobs in Vermont. Just to name a few areas where I’ve been a leader in job creation and retention: Job start, Sustainable Jobs Fund, Downtown Bill, a new model for technical education, elimination of the sales tax on clothing and shoes, responsible targeted tax credits, and elimination of the machinery and equipment tax.