Brian Dubie on Jobs

What I learned on the jobs tour
by Lt. Governor Brian Dubie

For the past seven weeks, I have been conducting a jobs tour around Vermont, listening to what employers tell me Montpelier should do to help keep the jobs we have, restore the jobs we've lost and add the jobs we need.

Vermonters I have talked with in nine counties, from one end of our state to the other, are focused on one issue right now: our economic future.

Here's what I've learned so far:

Vermont's crushing tax burden is costing us jobs. Vermont's onerous regulatory environment thwarts job creation and discourages new employers from locating here.

Employers have told me they want state government to act as a partner, not an adversary.

Some tell me that they are "hanging on by their fingernails."

I met a small cheese-maker in Bennington. She said, "If my taxes were lower, I could hire more employees. I could buy more Vermont milk, and make more cheese -- and people would buy it. But with taxes so high, I can't afford to invest in my business." A software developer in Burlington said the same thing.

Last year, the Legislature rejected the governor's budget and passed its own -- and then, for the first time in Vermont history, overrode a governor's veto and imposed its own budget. They raised taxes in the midst of the deepest economic slump since the Great Depression. They used one-time stimulus funds to keep spending at unsustainable levels. By denying our spending problem, they made it worse. This year, we face a $150 million shortfall.

Employers say to me, "Brian, the Legislature needs to learn that what it does has consequences. They send shockwaves through the small businesses where most Vermonters work."

A Burlington restaurant owner said, "In this economy, my business revenues are where they were five years ago, but my property taxes have surged. With that kind of burden, I can't think about expanding and hiring. I only think about surviving."

Employers told me about navigating Vermont's long and costly permit process. "The state seems to be telling me it doesn't want me to succeed. It doesn't want me to create more jobs."

I also visited some employers who are doing well -- great innovators focused on the future. If we can rein in spending and taxes, these companies will grow and add jobs for more Vermonters.

Here's what I conclude from our jobs tour so far:

Other states are aggressively recruiting Vermont's best companies. We can't compete dollar-for-dollar with states that offer huge financial incentives to attract Vermont companies to their states. But we can compete for these jobs.

Here's how:

We must restrain state spending, cut taxes and right-size government. Today, state government is bigger than our capacity to pay for it. We must also sunset the capital gains and estate tax measures enacted last year.

We must simplify and streamline our permitting and regulatory systems across state government, without compromising our standards or our values. Enforcement should be a priority.

Vermont should become a partner with our small businesses, not an adversary. We must identify ways to help companies grow and help them compete, both locally and globally.

We must work with our utilities to control the cost of power and ensure its predictability.

Property taxes are as much of a strain on employers as they are on homeowners and farmers. They discourage job growth. We must demand a first-rate education for the next generation of Vermonters, but we need to deliver it at a lower cost.

The Legislature should pass the jobs bill, S.288, without further delay.

Only with a strong economy and good-paying jobs can we pay for the services we value as a state: a great education for all of our children, a clean environment, well-maintained roads and bridges, support for our seniors, help for those in need and protection for our most vulnerable.

Let's work together to focus Montpelier's attention on growing a stronger economy for Vermont.

end of text from Brian Dubie.

I happen to agree with our Lt. Governor 100% on this issue.