On Monday, Vermont Daily Chronicle emailed the same questionnaire to candidates in most contested statewide races in next Tuesday’s Democratic and Republican primary. They were all asked to provide a short bio and to answer these questions: “If elected, how would you:
Reduce the cost of living?
Promote widespread, affordable home ownership?
Protect the public from crime?
Promote successful schools?
Protect a clean environment?
Protect civil liberties?
In any other way promote the welfare of your constituents?
Phil Scott, Republican candidate for Governor
Reduce the cost of living? Making Vermont more affordable has been and will continue to be a top priority of mine. In fact, over the last 6 years I have proposed several tax cuts and ways to make Vermont more affordable, but some of those ideas were met with resistance from the supermajority in the Legislature. However not all have been, and I’m proud of what we have accomplished in this area. This session alone, we were able to provide $40 million in tax relief to Vermonters. Throughout my time in office, I have also vetoed efforts that would have raised the cost of living for Vermonters. There is much more work to do, but if we stay focused on the fiscal fundamentals, I know we can make Vermont more affordable for families and businesses.
Promote widespread, affordable home ownership? We made record progress on affordable housing. In 2017, I proposed and the legislature passed a $37 million housing bond into law, which leveraged millions in private investment to construct several hundred homes statewide. In addition to this, I’m proud to say with the help of federal funds, we were able to beat this record in the last biennium and invested hundreds of millions to increase and improve rental housing, build homes for middle-income families, and more. As these projects begin to break ground, it’s important to have a steady hand at the wheel to make sure we continue to invest in housing and move projects along as efficiently as possible to get Vermonters the housing they need.
Protect the public from crime? Public safety should always be the number one priority of the government. Crime is certainly a concern for my administration, and we are working diligently to find solutions to deal with our critical workforce shortage in law enforcement and integrate our public safety system to serve all Vermonters in all 14 counties better. Last session, my budget built upon prior investments to support healthier and safer communities, including $8.1 million more to respond to the opioid and addiction epidemic, $3.9 million more for childcare, $2.4 million for mobile crisis response and suicide prevention, and $11 million to improve public safety dispatch services.
Promote successful schools? I believe that if we think outside the box, we can have the best cradle-to-career education system in the country. This requires investing money directly into the classroom, ensuring mental health services, investments in school safety, and efficient use existing money spent on education. We also need to be investing more in CTE (Career Technical Education) and trades training. There are so many great career paths for folks in the trades, but the stigma of being in CTE sometimes holds students back from taking the first step. I will continue to prioritize growing our CTE students populations and promoting all the good that comes from a career in the trades. We owe it to our kids to provide them with as many opportunities as possible, not just one-size-fits-all career paths.
Protect a clean environment? We’re grateful to have had the assistance of the American Rescue plan to help the state move towards our emission reduction goals. I’m proud of the investments we’ve made, including $225 million for initiatives that will help reduce carbon emissions. This includes investments in weatherization and to help transition to electric vehicles and more efficient home heating solutions, as well as, funds to help make communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change. We also invested $100 million in long overdue upgrades to our waste-water and sewer infrastructure, which helps downtowns thrive and keep our waterways clean.
Protect civil liberties? As Governor, I swore an oath to protect and defend our constitution. This is not just a formality of taking the job, but something I take very seriously. Our rights are not something to be taken for granted and I’ll continue to do what I’ve always done – fight for all Vermonters to have the best future possible.
In any other way promote the general welfare of your constituents? My priorities have been clear since the beginning: grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable, and protect the most vulnerable. While we’ve made record progress, I know the pandemic set us back and there is much more work to be done. If reelected, I will build upon the progress we made and help make Vermont an even better place to live, work, and raise a family in all 14 counties.
Categories: politics
Reduce the cost of living?
“This session alone, we were able to provide $40 million in tax relief to Vermonters.”
Indeed. It’s the first time in recent memory that tax relief was provided. But didn’t money come from the $10.1 Billion in Federal Covid subsidies.. that created the inflation we now see? And what have you accomplished with regard to the public employee pension funding shortfall? And where did the money for last sessions ‘investments’ come from? The taxpayers?
Protect the public from crime?
“… we are working diligently to find solutions to deal with our critical workforce shortage in law enforcement… “
Where did the money for last sessions ‘investments’ come from? The taxpayers?
Promote successful schools?
“…not just one-size-fits-all career paths. “
Sorry, Governor. It sounds like one-size-fits-all to me. Not a word about letting all parents have the funding to choose the schools they believe best meet the needs of their children.
Protect a clean environment?
I always ask this question. If clean and green Hydro Quebec power is available from our northern neighbor at less than half the cost per KWH of the other ‘initiatives’ you mention, why do you avoid considering it?
Protect civil liberties? Re: “Our rights are not something to be taken for granted…”
Again, vagaries. Do you support the 2nd Amendment? What about the civil rights of an unborn child?
In any other way promote the general welfare of your constituents?
“…grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable, and protect the most vulnerable.”
Not so much, apparently.
“As Governor, I swore an oath to protect and defend our constitution. This is not just a formality of taking the job, but something I take very seriously. Our rights are not something to be taken for granted and I’ll continue to do what I’ve always done – fight for all Vermonters to have the best future possible. ”
But yet you locked us in our homes for a “non-issue” and then locked business’s down that weren’t “essential” but you believe in our constitution?
Vermonters would have happily locked themselves down if this was an actual issue instead you sent out propaganda and forced us to wear face diapers all while lying to the public about how “safe and effective” the vaccines are.
You’re a liar and scum and that’s the long and short of it. You’re time will come in the form of treason whether it’s this year or next.
Anyone who perpetuated this lie will not be excluded.
February 2019 – invited the CCP into our State House for photo ops, backslapping, and God only knows what else. I consider this an act of treason by definition. I wonder why no one else does.
Here’s a partial list of how he has spit in the face of the Republican Party, hurt Vermonters financially and supports the left/far left agenda.
100% Rating from planned parenthood.
Signed H57 allowing abortion up to the moment of Birth. He had three choices, Veto it, let it pass without his signature or sign it. He signed it.
Has given millions to planned parenthood, not a Dime to any Pro pregnancy center.
Says he will vote for Article 22. If this passes the ” State ” will decide what happens to your child. Allowing physical, chemical and psychological sexual molestation of your child at any age. Criminalizing Parents and Health Care workers that refuse to let the State destroy the child.
Helped write illegal Gun Laws. Then signed them on the Statehouse steps, spitting in the face of every legal VT Gun Owner. ( all because he had a dream )
Forced illegal mandates on Vermonters.
Blackmailing and rewarding some VT School districts for high jab rates with ca$h bonuses while withholding money from School Districts where Parents chose to protect their children from the jabs.
Immediately purchasing the poison for those under 5 years of age despite proof they are at a statistical zero risk.
Saying the eight Vermonters that passed because of the jabs were ” Speed Bumps. ”
VT State Employees received every paycheck all the way thru, even though many of them stayed home for a great deal of time.
Interrogated schoolchildren about Thanksgiving & Christmas.
Paid the Catholic Church to shut down.
Spent 1.6 Million + to put up and take down Covid Signs on our Roadways.
Gave $5 Million to illegal aliens in VT because they weren’t eligible for the stimulus checks.
Here’s the kicker, he stole that money from VT children at risk from Domestic Abuse and from the Tobacco Settlement money designated to help Vermonters affected by smoking.
Has refused to meet with the VTGOP Leadership for years.
He supports the blm movement and allows their Flags to fly over our schools, Government Buildings and Monuments. Allowed them to paint their name on State Street and other roads across Vermont. ( While denying the Painting of a Patriot themed mural. )
Called for Congress to enact more Gun Laws that only hurt Law Abiding Vermonters.
Doing nothing to protect any Student or Vermont School.
Saying VT Liquor Stores and planned parenthood were ESSENTIAL, keeping them open the whole time. While thousands of VT families and businesses suffered catastrophic losses.
Forcing the closure of Small VT businesses while allowing Large Franchise Businesses to remain open.
Calling 116,000 Vermonters that voted for President Trump ” White Supremacists and Racists. ”
Voting for Biden, ” For the good of the Country. ”
Scott refused to sign a letter condemning Biden on the Border crises that every other Republican Governor signed.
He was appointed to a Special Homeland Committee by Biden, the only Republican named.
60 – 70% Democrat support during all three previous elections. You know why ?
Because of everything listed above. He isn’t a Republican. He doesn’t need the VT Republican Party. Which is why he doesn’t attend any of the State GOP Meetings.
” YOU AREN’T ESSENTIAL ”
I have called on Scott numerous times to ” Pull a Jeffords ” and make it official.
Paul Dame, the VTGOP Chair and Tom Koch, the Rules Committee Chair protect him.
Gotta wonder why ?
Remember, this is a partial list.
I was going to say the “Racist” comments and the dollar from every Vermonter given to Ukraine needed to be on that list….
Partial or not those are about as Offensive as they get.
At the very least he should be censured and that’s not far enough.
Vote for Stephen Bellows!!!
lost my vote with party line last 3 years……
If there was ever a chance that I would vote for him again (which there wasn’t anyway) he lost any credibility when he announced he was voting for open border, green energy Dementia Joe. He is a joke at governor and the only reason he is so popular is because liberals are absolutely clueless what good governance looks like.
Created a cabinet position of Equity and Inclusion then hired an out of state race agitator at a salary of over $100K, then forced state employees to attend mandatory equity and inclusion training to keep their jobs. Forced and mandated experimental poison, untested covid injections and claimed the spread of Covid was a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Destroyed businesses then doled out Covid dollars in unemployment money to be claimed on tax returns then used that income to raise the property taxes of those just harmed and strapped them with higher property tax payments for two years after the unemployment money disappeared. There’s so much more to the destruction of this state from a Barre, Vermont born democrat in republican clothes. Vote for Stephen Bellows for governor and fresh air for Vermont. OH Yeah, let’s not forget that all these so-called republicans voted for Joe Biden who has destroyed the USA economy in 18 short months. Remember, these are facts not opinions!
You gave funds to planned parenthood so now they give you a 100% rating and you support Article 22 and you don’t explain why???? What a coward.
You obviously don’t care about children’s health or well-being when issues like their mental-health in schools across Vermont are in crisis with multiple cases of anxiety, depression and suicide ideation. No, you’d rather sent planned parenthood in their to give them condoms and std treatments promoting promiscuity to middle schoolers. Promote gender reassignment surgery without a parents consent to further add to their confusion and also promote decriminalizing sex traffickers and pedophils—so you 10-11-12 year olds shut up and be accepting!!!!!. I will never vote for you again because you are NOT what you say you are-a Republican. Democrats don’t represent the poor, the minorities, the disabled any longer—they want you to quit complaining and die. Vote only true republicans in. Mary H
Didn’t vote for him b4 and wouldn’t ever
Why not call him as he really is? Another liberal Democrat aka RINO.
Matthew 7:15-20
New King James Version
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
You are beholden to planned parenthood because they pay for your campaign funding so you support approving article 22. You care little for the parents of children who are seeking abortions or gender reassignment surgeries without a parents consent. You care little for their education anyway. You care little for children as a whole if you would let them be brutalized by a sex trafficker or pedophile and not prosecute the criminals. You care little for the doctors and nurses who have religious objections to either perform a late term abortion or assist with one so you will take away their licenses if they don’t do it—-that’s what you stand for!!!! After 22 weeks——that fetus is a baby that can live outside the uterus and breaths on their own—-they can feel pain!!!! You want to force providers and nurses to kill them and dismember them otherwise you will take the provider or nurses license away. You care only for maintaining control over the population, Maoism in Vermont. Mary
Scott is NOT a republican and the democrats are not of this world, or at least the world I live in. Who we got for a write in that is right of Trump? Anybody?