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Scudder Parker On The Issues |
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Economic Development |
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I will lead this state with optimism and create an environment where the business community, non-profits, and state and local government all work together to create jobs and sustain a healthy and vibrant economic landscape.
Economic development is about partnerships. While Governor Douglas is great at showing up when something good is happening, his administration is too often missing in action from the hard work that creates success. I will get my—and my staff’s—hands dirty in the necessary ground-up work.
My primary goal will be to grow the businesses of the future based on the inventiveness of the thousands of entrepreneurial Vermonters I am meeting as I travel throughout the state.
Vermont can be a place that encourages our children to stay and spend their lives here, or a place that welcomes them back home. It can also be a place where others come to build full and productive lives. Communication technology, education, affordable energy, and infrastructure are vital to building an economy that can grow meaningful jobs. I will support technological advances—such as broadband access—that will link our rural communities with the entire world. I will have the state partner with developers to create vibrant business centers in our towns, villages, and industrial areas if asked for and approved by local and regional planning organizations. I will help to create affordable housing by strengthening, not weakening, the local partnerships made possible by the Housing and Conservation Trust Fund.
Our education system must emphasize hard work, community involvement, problem solving, and innovative thinking so that we have a dedicated, versatile and adaptable workforce. My administration’s goals will be directed to that end.
Addressing the critical issues of affordable health care and energy will be vital to building a strong Vermont economy. I discuss them below; however, I want to emphasize that if we work creatively on those two issues, we will create a fertile environment for business growth in Vermont. Jim Douglas just does not get that point. I do.
State government needs to lead, coordinate, and support economic endeavors in the state. It needs to respect and cooperate with local development leaders, the network of small-business startup and support organizations, and the non-profit associations and partnerships that help emerging businesses flourish. The state must place particular emphasis on helping small businesses identify and grow into the “next opportunity” that will help them expand and create the next wave of jobs. We need to work together with the growing progressive business community in Vermont to create a model for the nation for responsible economic development.
My administration will also support the creative economy that is revitalizing downtowns in Brandon, Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, and White River Junction and that is a continuing source of growth in cities and towns like Burlington, Stowe, Manchester, and Vergennes. The creative economy is the source of great hope for our state. Nothing attracts young people like a vibrant cultural scene. Our arts and cultural heritage communities are an important economic engine here in Vermont that the Douglas Administration has neglected.
These goals are within our grasp. We can do all these things with creative partnerships. |
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Agriculture |
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Economic Development |
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Education |
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End of Life Issues |
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Energy |
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The Environment |
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Health Care |
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Housing |
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Property Taxes |
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War in Iraq |
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Women's Health Care |
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