Vermont Business Magazine Monday, the Manchester Journal endorsed Phil Scott in the Republican primary and Sue Minter in the Democratic primary for governor. The primary is Tuesday, August 9.
"We like Mr. Scott for his focus on the economy and concern for its 'affordability' for the average Vermonter. Vermont's got a lot going for it, but one thing it doesn't have at present is an economy stuffed with good-paying jobs that makes living here an easily affordable project," the Journal said.
"The outflow of younger citizens who can't find jobs to match their skills and talents is a troubling indicator of that, although as a small rural state, Vermont is hardly alone in grappling with this phenomenon. We like his idea for setting a goal of boosting the state's population to 700,000 in the not-distant future...,” they continued. “If that could occur, no small number of problems would be minimized. Additionally, we're always drawn to candidates to strike a pose of being willing to work across the aisles... our take on Mr. Scott is that he has the temperament and the willingness to consult widely and work towards solutions outside the ideological hothouse that too often stymies such efforts in Washington, D.C."
“I want to thank the Manchester Journal for recognizing that our focus on growing the economy and making Vermont more affordable is essential to being able to invest in our future,” Scott said. “Their view helps to verify that the crisis of affordability in Vermont is real and I’m grateful they have faith in my plan to address it. By moving to a two-year budget cycle, modernizing state government, setting clear limits on budget growth, and building consensus in Montpelier, we will make growing the economy and making Vermont affordable the top priorities.”
The Journal also wrote: "Sue Minter also has a strong track record and government experience, along with a personality that suggests she would be a good listener as well as decision-maker. We like her out-front stance on guns and background checks, and while her two opponents in the Democratic primary, Matt Dunne and Peter Galbraith, have also etched out strong positions on this question, Ms. Minter has made it, correctly, into a higher profile piece in her campaign.
"While Vermont has fortunately escaped the sort of incidents of mass shootings that have sadly occurred far too often in recent years elsewhere across the nation, and we like to think we have adequate protections in place for a state proud of its responsible approach to gun ownership, there's no harm in requiring the background checks and more stringent vetting that should go with owning a gun, particularly those in the "semi-automatic" category. As Paul Heintz of the Burlington newspaper "Seven Days" showed a few months ago, its not hard to buy a semiautomatic rifle in Vermont without the hassle of going through the registration process and with the right amount of cash awaiting a seller.
"A national solution is the proper way to go, but in the likely absence of that for generations to come, the next best thing is the state-by-state approach."
The weekly newspaper also endorsed Randy Brock on the Republican side and Shap Smith on the Democratic side for lieutenant governor.
Read the full endorsement HERE.
Source: Manchester Journal 7.25.2016