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 This past December, I joined 48 other Governors and
Governors-Elect
in a meeting
with
President-Elect
Obama and Vice
President-Elect
Biden.
As the Vice Chair of the National Governor’s Association, I
traveled to
Washington DC to
discuss the
economy and
recovery
strategies. In
one of the few
moments that
were not
committed to
business, the
President-Elect
commented to me
that, “you must
be quite a
politician to
get elected in a
blue state.”
Having served in many of the elected offices in the state
throughout my
career, I have
learned one
thing about
Vermont – it’s
about the
people. This is
an axiom that I
have observed
throughout my
life, and my
service is
really
incidental to
putting people
first. I
consider myself
fortunate
because I get to
meet and work
with many people
from all walks
of life, as the
main part of my
job.
Having been a listener and leader for my many years of
service has led
me to conclude
that “good
policy is good
politics”. I
spend a great
deal of time
traveling
Vermont, talking
with more
Vermonters than
most. Everyday
I hear the
concerns,
aspiration and
ideas of the
people of my
state. And it
is their voices
that guide me as
I craft policies
and advance our
agenda.
Focusing on what
matters most to
the people I
serve,
continuing to
bring fresh and
creative ideas
to the table,
and protecting
the state’s
fiscal integrity
has always been
a formula for
success in
Vermont – and I
believe it is a
formula for
success
throughout the
country.
In the recent election, my positive agenda to grow
Vermont’s
economy, my
message of
fiscal
responsibility
and my record of
accomplishment
resonated with
the voters of
Vermont – even
as nearly 70
percent of them
voted for
President-Elect
Obama.
Political pundits and outside observers often view Vermont
as one of the
bluest of the
blue states –
and they have
ample evidence
to make that
case. To simply
view Vermont in
that context
fails to
recognize that
voters in the
Green Mountain
State are, in
fact, pragmatic
and independent
people who want
to know that
their hard
earned tax
dollars are
being put to use
in the most
effective and
efficient manner
possible.
That is just what I have been doing during my tenure as
Governor. I’ve
worked to make
Vermont more
affordable by
advancing
comprehensive
health care
reforms,
creating more
affordable
housing and
moderating the
tax burden.
We’ve succeeded
in insuring
thousands of
previously
uninsured
Vermonters and
made progress by
advancing the
Blue Print for
Health to
encourage
Vermonters to
live healthier
lifestyles and
bring down the
cost of health
care in the long
run. I’ve
pushed for a cap
on skyrocketing
property taxes
and Vermont will
see progress in
the coming year
with the
implementation
of a new law
that will begin
to bend the
curve on school
spending. And
when the
legislature has
pushed for
increased taxes
on Vermonters,
I’ve always been
a voice of
reason
protecting
already overly
taxed
Vermonters.
As I have fought for a more affordable Vermont, I have also
made it a
priority to
encourage
businesses and
entrepreneurs to
look to Vermont
as a place to
bring and create
high quality,
high paying
jobs. Vermont
is now on the
path to becoming
an e-State in
the coming years
through the
development of a
comprehensive
wireless and
cellular phone
infrastructure
that reaches
every corner of
the state.
We’ve made a
commitment to
higher
education, new
scholarships and
workforce
training
programs so that
the next
generation of
Vermonters will
have the skills
they need to
compete in the
21st
century
economy. And I
am continuing to
push for reforms
to the
permitting
system that will
spur economic
development,
while protecting
Vermont’s
cherished
environment.
When the national economy began to slow, I pushed for a
package of
initiatives to
stimulate the
economy and
empower
struggling
Vermonters at no
cost to
taxpayers.
Among the
initiatives in
my Economic
Growth
Initiative was a
summer sales tax
holiday that
spurred economic
activity for
small businesses
and retailers.
Some even
reported doing
two months worth
of business in
just two days –
a much needed
boost especially
as times have
become more
difficult.
All elected officials, Republican or otherwise, should
recognize that
there is no
substitute for
listening to the
people of one’s
state or
district. Their
hopes and
concerns are an
excellent
barometer of the
conditions on
the ground, and
the best
guidance for
solid policy.
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Jim Douglas is
the Governor of
Vermont.
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