Editor’s note: This story is by Luc Brodhead.
Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie gave Vermonters a sneak preview of his economic plan the old-fashioned way – with a train tour of the state on Saturday. The Republican candidate for governor travelled from St. Albans to Brattleboro with a half-dozen stops along the way where he greeted supporters.
Dubie and his entourage rolled into Montpelier at about 3 p.m. on Saturday for the “Pure Vermont Train Tour.” Local Republican celebs – Thom Lauzon and Sen. Phil Scott – climbed aboard as part of Dubie’s rally for “his plan to get Vermont’s economy back ‘on track’.”
From the platform of the caboose, Dubie told a crowd gathered at the Montpelier train station, that he had heard a clear message from the Vermonters with whom he had spoken.
“Everywhere I go and from everyone I talk to, I hear three major issues: jobs, jobs and jobs,” he said.
Job creation should be the state’s No. 1 priority, Dubie said.
“Vermonters agree with me that the best social program is a good job,” he said. “Only with a strong economy and good paying jobs can state government afford to pay for the services we value as a state – a great education for our children, a clean environment, safe neighborhoods and support for the elderly, the disabled, and the most vulnerable.”
Dubie’s 10-point economic plan will be formally released at a press conference at Northern Power Systems on Monday. The plan was boiled down into short phrases on a printed sign for the tour. Dubie says he would do the following: 1. Hold spending to affordable levels; 2. Provide tax relief for families and employers; 3. Have a laser focus on job creation; 4. Market Vermont’s strengths; 5. Streamline permitting and regulation; 6. Lower health care costs; 7. Offer steady leadership for long-term challenges; 8. Build net generation business infrastructure; 9. Strengthen education and training; and 10. Power up Vermont’s energy future.
“I have a plan to cut taxes and to cut red tape to grow jobs,” he said.
Under Dubie’s plan, titled “Pure Vermont: A Blueprint for Job Growth and Economic Expansion,” the state will lower taxes for businesses and simplify the regulatory process, which he says will enable employers to expand their companies.
The train tour is part of a larger effort that Dubie has dubbed “Test Flight,” in which his campaign is trying to attract hundreds of volunteers to canvas and man phone banks.
“The energy behind this campaign is truly amazing,” he said. “You and your fellow Vermonters are why this campaign is on a roll, and as we roll in today, it is a great metaphor for why we are here today.”
Dubie said his campaign has knocked on more than 51,000 doors, has nearly 10,000 fans on Facebook and delivered more than 75,000 yard signs. He has also raised more than $1 million from roughly 4,500 Vermonters, he said.
At the moment, Dubie doesn’t have a Democratic contender. Though Peter Shumlin appears to have won the nomination with 197 votes, his nearest Democratic opponent, Doug Racine, has called for a recount, which would be completed on Sept. 10 at the earliest, according to Kathy DeWolfe, director of the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office. On Sunday, Shumlin, Racine and Deb Markowitz, who trailed Shumlin by nearly 700 votes, issued a statement saying they would campaign together against Dubie until the recount results are available.
Dubie sees the top two Democratic candidates, Racine and Shumlin, as politically indistinguishable.
“Whoever my opponent is does not matter,” Dubie said. “They both have only two solutions for the challenges we face. More government spending and higher taxes. Vermonters are taxed out. We pay the highest property taxes in the country.”
Dubie directly attacked Peter Shumlin’s legislative record, specifically his efforts to override Jim Douglas’s veto of the proposed budget.
“Peter Shumlin led the charge to override the governor’s budget veto – increasing taxes on struggling Vermonters by $26 million. Those tax increases hurt working Vermonters,” he said.
While Dubie made efforts to discredit both potential opponents and provide the concrete ideas behind an economic plan based on substantial job growth, he continually reverted to the feel-good sentiment of the afternoon with juicy metaphorical language.
“Unlike my opponents, when I talk about jobs it is not just a campaign slogan. I mean it,” he said. “High taxes and an oppressive regulatory environment have derailed economic growth. I am running for governor to get our economy moving forward. Working together we can create the pro-jobs environment to move full-steam ahead.”
Minutes after the conclusion of the speech, the train rolled on towards White River Junction, continuing a busy day for the Dubie campaign.
