Mike O'Day for State Representative

[Mike ODay]

The campaign season is coming to a close, and voters have to make their choices.

I am running for the open house seat vacated by Gary Gilbert, and I would be humbled to earn your vote and proud to serve the town of Fairfax.

My wife Lisa and I have lived in Fairfax for the last 11+ years. We were both born and raised in Vermont and attended college here. Lisa is a graduate of UVM, and I graduated from St. Michael's College. I went on to earn a Masters in Business Administration, and ran a very successful repair shop in NH. One thing both of us benefited from as students was affordable tuition and federal student loans to finance it. Today it is much different for our youth who see 4Xs the tuition costs and median incomes that are lower than they were in the 1980's. The state college system should be the affordable path to degrees for our youth yet tuition there is on par with private institutions. I have been a fiscal conservative my whole life and believe in balanced budgets, yet I know this is problem we can and must fix. Children saddled with student loan debt equal to the cost of of a new home is now, unfortunately,  possible.

I have always worked in the private sector but I do respect the work that our teachers, local and state employees do for us. Vermont has a rich tradition of balancing its budgets while treating its employees with respect. That is a tradition I want to follow.

I am running as a progressive not a D or R for a reason: we need a legitimate 3rd party in the general assembly. Having one party with a lopsided advantage is undesirable, as is gridlock. With a strong 3rd party dialogue, discussion and compromise win out, so do voters.
Some of the broader issues I would like to address in the statehouse as your delegate are:

1) Address and enact a conflict of interest law so that legislators, or political appointees & their relatives do not reap windfall profits based on legislation they pass, or decisions that they make at a regulatory level. Why should we pay more to fuel the greed of others? Is it no wonder why we as ratepayers did not get the $21 million rebate we were legally entitled to when CVPS was acquired by Green Mountain Power?

2) Convert the Affordable Care Act into a single payer system in VT. It is currently the law, and as such we should do right by the taxpayers and ratepayers by getting the best deal possible by eliminating waste. The savings by having just one PRIVATE SECTOR clearinghouse for claims instead of dozens will save the policyholders millions.

3) Encouraging the development of green energy, but not limited to wind. Solar and biofuel must be encouraged as well. Apart from eliminating the carbon footprint left by coal and oil fired powered power plants, these sources of energy require employees, they create local jobs, not plant jobs 2 states away. Regarding wind farm installations, I think it is important that Act 250 NOT be set aside and that communities still have a say in development and deployment. If state land is used for a site, and the project passes Act 250 oversight, then the project should go forward only if the majority of the construction work done is performed by qualified VT workers.

4) A serious discussion and action plan need to be developed to lower the cost of state college tuition. We need to encourage Vermont students to study here and also work here after graduation. We can't continue to have the most expensive state colleges in America and expect our kids to stay in VT and work in VT.

In the past I have have worked with Sen. Bernie Sanders to protect benefits for seniors, veterans, workers and the poor. I am proud to state that he has endorsed my campaign. Bernie is not afraid to buck the system, nor am I.

I look forward to hearing from you and what you see as problems and more importantly, the solutions to those problems.
I have a website if you would like to know more about me: MIKEODAY.ORG


If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me at:
My email address is: MIKEODAY1400@AOL.COM
and my phone number is : 802-849-9889

God bless,
Mike O'Day

[nhibbard]

I noticed in here and also with many others campaigning that there is always a focus on.college tuition. Why not focus on affordable job training in general. Trade schools, mentoring, internships and college. Part of the reason there is such a problem is that young people don't always know what they want to do and spend tens of thousands figure it out.

Another is making it clear how much debt costs when you get done with your education and what the salary you'll need to afford that has to be. We need to offer alternatives to college that are focused as well. A cheaper was to learn a trade and make a career.

[gasman353]

Edited due to guest posting

[Mike ODay]

You are correct, we need more emphasis on the trades. I have 2 family members who graduated from VTC and are very successful businessmen. VTC is very expensive though, on par with private colleges, and does an excellent job.
I don't differentiate between higher education to be an accountant or a master electrician - each is an essential profession but education costs can be contained to retain jobs here. When the Big Dig was as its height, welders, pipe fitters, tin knockers from VT helped complete it. They needed work when that job was done though. The wind project on Georgia mountain is being done by a company from Maine, with Maine IBEW members, not Vermonters.
We need more Vermonter's being given the chance to work on Vermont projects. You make a great point about educating kids before they make the leap to college about debt and personal finance, it can be a life sentence to repay loans if you don't weigh your options.

[nhibbard]

What about apprenticeships and alternatives to schools. Traditional classrooms aren't always the best way to learn. I see jobs in Vermont wanting a college degree when the tasks and pay don't match the responsibilities. How about getting employers to be realistic that some jobs don't need a degree, just some basic training.

[Mike ODay]

All good points Nick, which need an advocate to happen. I think I am the first and only candidate to discuss actual issues through this forum, and I have supported funding to education throughout this campaign. We can not afford to cut back on programs that give our children the opportunity to succeed, whether through the trades, or 2-4 year colleges. Employers can use college degrees as a screening tool, due to the high percentage of kids graduating without employment. Investing in education, infrastructure, tax incentives for companies hiring and a single payer health system that takes the burden of healthcare away from the employer will stimulate job growth throughout the state in all job categories.