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It's All About Jobs

Forbes magazine recently ranked the states from one to fifty based on favorable business climate.

They ranked Vermont third from the bottom.

That’s another way of saying it’s harder to start a small business here, harder to earn a good living here, harder for a small business to hire and grow, and harder for a young family to build a life and a future here than in almost any other state in America.

It’s a reality we need to look in the eye; it’s a reality I know we can overcome.

I talk with Vermonters everyday. I ask them how state government could make it easier – not just to work hard and get by, but to work hard and prosper – to have enough to put away for retirement or a rainy day, enough to leave to their children and grandchildren.  This recession has been hard on Vermonters. They tell me they’re overtaxed and over-regulated. The message they’re sending is that state government is out of touch, out of balance and out of control.

In recent years, Vermont’s state legislature has pursued tax, spending and regulatory policies that suppress jobs and opportunity. We simply cannot spend and tax our way to prosperity – but our legislature is trying.  Raising taxes in the middle of the worst recession since the great depression will only send our jobs to other states or other countries.  As jobs disappear, our revenues fall, and our state’s financial challenges grow larger.

We can do better … much better. 

As Governor, my number one goal will be to make Vermont the best place in New England to start or expand a business, and create jobs. Here’s what we should do:

Cut Taxes

A crushing tax burden makes it hard for Vermont to compete for jobs with other states, let alone China, India and other rising economic powers. Regardless of what survey you go by, Vermont consistently ranks as one of the most heavily taxed states in the nation, from property taxes to income taxes, and all the fees and other taxes in between. I recently heard the exact same story from a cheese manufacturer in Bennington and the head of a software firm in Burlington. They each said, “Brian, if my taxes were lower, I’d hire more people, buy more local raw materials and supplies, and grow my business.”

Vermont’s tax burden is like an eighty-pound backpack. Easing that burden on individuals, families and businesses will allow them to go faster and farther, and make financial decisions based on their own priorities, not those of Montpelier. That’s how we can create jobs and grow our economy.

Control Spending

State government in Vermont has outgrown its ability to pay its bills. We need to re-examine our priorities. We need to assess what we do and how we do it. We must “right-size” state government, make it smarter and make it sustainable. Many national studies have rated Vermont as the most generous state in the country when it comes to our social welfare programs. Vermonters are compassionate by nature, and we expect government to protect the most vulnerable among us. But there must be a balance. State government must live within its means, just like Vermont families do.

We simply cannot continue to increase state spending while we’re losing jobs.  And increasing taxes only quickens our downward slide.  Most Vermonters have seen their incomes stay the same, or even decline over the last few years, while state government has grown.

We can start with the legislature itself.  Our legislature stays in session longer than in many states far bigger than Vermont. Kansas’ legislature meets for ninety days in even years only. In Florida, they meet for just sixty days a year. We could save millions – and sharpen the legislature’s focus—by simply reducing the length of our legislative session.  We have to right-size our state government from stem to stern.

Reform our Regulatory Procedures

Not long ago, I was talking to a small businessman who has locations and employees in both Vermont and New Hampshire.  He told me that the permitting process in New Hampshire is rigorous, but far more consistent and predictable than in Vermont, and far less costly and time-consuming. I’ve heard that same sentiment all over the state.  We need a new collaboration between regulators and job creators. State government needs an attitude shift. Our regulators should work with businesses to overcome the obstacles before them.

My great-grandfather, John McKenzie, started out in Burlington with little more than strong arms and a strong back, and a dream of building a business to support himself and his family. He worked hard, and when he passed the business to his children and grandchildren, they inherited his work ethic, too. Next time you eat a McKenzie hot dog, think of my great-grandfather and his dream.

I love Vermont. Not just for what it was, and not just for what it is, but for what it can be.

Growing Vermont’s Green Economy

My “Green Valley” is Vermont’s own Silicon Valley of green tech and green energy. With my support, innovators in Vermont companies and universities are actively bringing new technologies out of the labs and into the marketplace. Vermonters are coming up with new, better ways to generate energy, store it, manage it, and technologies that get more done with less energy. We’re developing new technologies for cleaning the air, soil and water. We’re learning how to grow Vermont’s economy without compromising our environmental ethic. We are creating great jobs and making the world a cleaner place. And we’re growing Vermont’s brand and reputation as a great place to work on some of the world’s most challenging problems—and for small start-ups and companies to grow.

But state government needs to adopt new policies that help this vital sector grow in our state. We need a new, balanced approach to tax policy and regulatory policy. And we must make a strong push to help Vermont students lead the nation in science, math, engineering and technology – the skills and knowledge they’ll need to keep the Green Valley growing in Vermont