Vermont Business Magazine Here are reactions to Governor Scott's State of the State Address delivered Thrusday afternoon at the State House in Montpelier. We publish them verbatim in the order in which they reached us.
VDP Statement on Phil Scott's State of the State
January 9, 2020
MONTPELIER, VT — Today, in his fourth January address to lawmakers, Governor Phil Scott did what he does best: posture, pretend, and play Governor.
Following the Governor’s speech, Vermont Democratic Party spokesperson, R. Christopher Di Mezzo, released the following statement:
“Scott’s three years in office have proven him to be nothing more than a passive obstructionist trying to get re-elected. Since taking office, Phil Scott has done little more than paint a dire picture of the State of our State — reducing Vermont's stature in an effort to elevate his own.
“Again today, as he has done countless times before, Governor Scott claims to be making Vermont affordable, yet when presented with tangible opportunities to lift up Vermonters he has stood squarely in the way. At Scott’s first real chance to make Vermont a more affordable and attractive place for young people to live, he vetoed legislation that would give folks a raise and guarantee workers a fair paid leave program.
“This governor claims to be watching out for Vermonters and yet he has proven to care more about corporate interests than the interests of the people who elected him.
“This governor’s passive approach to the duties of his office are staggering. He postures, fails to weigh in on policy proposals, share insights, or offer any indication that he will participate in legislative negotiations. Today’s speech was nothing more than the same visionless politics Vermonters have come to expect from our Politician-in-Chief.
“Over the years, Governor Scott has shown Vermont exactly who he is: A visionless politician, weary of taking a stand or proposing policy. A passive obstructionist, afraid of his Republican Party’s base. A governor more interested in diagnosing problems, than fixing them. A guy just trying to get elected.
”It’s time for a new era of politics in Vermont. It’s time for a leader.”
Statement on Governor Scott’s 2020 State of the State address by Betsy Bishop, President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce
“We agree with Governor Scott’s assessment that Vermont is facing a demographic crisis which is defining a challenging future. Yet, Vermont has so much to offer for individuals and businesses. The Vermont Chamber continues to focus on attracting more workers to our state, believing that is the best path toward strong and growing communities. To achieve this, we recommend appropriate funding for workforce training programs, relocation efforts and marketing to encourage people to live and work in Vermont. While many state programs are focused on bringing more Vermonters into the workforce, we need to also be more welcoming to all people. Those are our future Vermonters.”
Governor's Proposal Will Make Vermont Better for All
STATEMENT OF HOLLY MOREHOUSE,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VERMONT AFTERSCHOOL, INC.
"We're thrilled to hear the Governor's proposal on Afterschool for All and look forward to working with everyone to make this a reality! We know young people make a better Vermont, and we can work together to provide many opportunities afterschool and over the summer for young people to grow into healthy, happy Vermonters."
Vermont Afterschool is a statewide nonprofit whose mission is to support organizations in providing quality afterschool, summer, and expanded learning experiences so that Vermont's children and youth have the opportunities, skills, and resources they need to become healthy, productive members of society. Visit www.vermontafterschool.org for further information.
Brattleboro Retreat Statement: Follow-Up to Governor Phil Scott’s State of the State Address
Comments today by Governor Scott in his State-of-the-State speech are encouraging and demonstrate a sincere commitment to the mental health needs of Vermonters. While a number of complex issues will need to be resolved in the coming days and weeks, it’s important for the people of Vermont to understand that the Retreat remains open for business, and that our focus on meeting the many and complex needs of our patients is unwavering.
We are working diligently to refine our partnership with the Agency of Human Services based on shared goals and expectations, and the needs of Vermonters. This presents an exciting opportunity not only to address the short-term problems impacting our hospital, but to arrive at sustainable long-term solutions that will allow the Retreat to continue to provide future generations of Vermonters with excellent psychiatric and addiction care.