It’s the Economy…
Vermont is in decline.
It pains me to write that. I love Vermont. I moved here over 30 years ago; I started and grew a business here; I built my family and my life here. But the statistics speak for themselves.
Our population is slowly declining. In 2030, one in three of us will be over 65. We have the highest health care costs in the country and one of the highest costs of living. We are ranked 51st in economic momentum. For too many Vermonters at too many stages of life, it’s simply too hard to build a good life and provide for their families.
So how can Vermont ascend? Well… to quote a Democratic political legend “It’s the economy stupid.”
I strongly believe that economic development is the key to our future. With more residents, more businesses and more economic activity, we can raise revenue and address our deep overlapping challenges — in housing, health care, education, workforce, climate and demographics.
This session, I helped found a group of legislators called the Caucus for Vermont’s Economy. We are a nonpartisan group of Vermont legislators committed to advancing policies that strengthen Vermont’s economy and the well-being of its people. The caucus meets regularly to build coalitions, provide a public forum, generate ideas, set priorities and deepen lawmakers’ understanding of complex problems. We aim to:
Build and invest in what Vermont truly needs, including housing, renewable energy, and innovation.
Focus on prosperity: adopt policies that grow the economy and expand opportunity.
Reimagine government: examine how we can change outdated systems, be more nimble and make decisions informed by data.
Work together and overcome obstacles: Vermonters expect collaboration, not gridlock.
Be holistic: our problems are interconnected and we must have a systemic approach.
We have spent this session learning a lot about permit reform, technical assistance for small businesses and more. We made some progress this session, but there is a whole lot more to do.
If you have any ideas let me know. My email address is aduke@leg.state.vt.us
Abbey