Practical Compassion We Can Afford

Today, too many Vermonters struggle to support themselves and their families. It’s getting harder and harder to buy a home, pay the rent, afford health care, pay for childcare or college, and save for retirement. Even as wages have gone up, it feels like we can’t keep pace with higher prices. Our children can’t find good jobs to start and raise their families at current housing prices and our small businesses can’t find enough employees to meet the demand for their products and services.

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Working families and the middle class are the engines of Vermont’s economy and the backbone of our communities. Vermont thrives when we have good jobs, affordable housing and reasonable health insurance costs. We need to figure out how to control health care spending, how to reconfigure our education funding model, and how to balance providing for our citizen’s very real needs while balancing the budget.

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We need a Vermont that works for all Vermonters – not just the wealthy few!

 

Why vote for me?

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• I am a common sense, middle of the road numbers guy. I am socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Montpelier needs less ideology and more practicality.
   

• I ran a successful business (Northshire Bookstore) in Vermont for over 20 years – I know what it takes to meet payroll, follow a budget and deal with difficult market conditions. Montpelier needs more business people.
   

• I grew up in Vermont and raised my family in Weston. My daughters went to local schools. I know our district well and have lived through all the changes of the last few decades. Montpelier needs more locals.
   

• I have served on both public and independent school boards – Flood Brook and Long Trail – so I know the dynamics and difficulties. Montpelier needs more people with real world school board experience.
   

• I have worked for Vermont for decades. I was the founding President of Local First Vermont, an organization focused on keeping money in our communities. I was on the board of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) and the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Montpelier needs more people who have worked to keep our hard-earned money here.
   

• I am a graduate of the Snelling Center for Government’s Vermont Leadership Institute, which was a fantastic training for serving in the legislature. Montpelier needs more people with an understanding of how the state works and the complexities of state government.
   

• I have lived and worked overseas. I have lived and studied in other states. I have a broad perspective on Vermont and how special it is. Montpelier needs people with perspective, not ideology.
   

• My educational background is in Environmental Policy (BA from Oberlin, MS from U of Michigan) so I understand the threat of climate change and the need to protect our ecosystems. Montpelier needs more people who can approach environmental issues from a scientific perspective, not an emotional one.