Col#291-8/3/26
VERMONT NEEDS A NEW GOVERNOR
By
Richard Davis
Governor Phil Scott needs to retire as Vermont’s governor. Five two-year terms is enough. His ideas have become outdated and his approach to problem solving does not seem to be working for the benefit of a majority of Vermonters.
When Scott was first elected I was fearful that he didn’t know enough about health care issues to be able to move the state forward. My fears were realized and he still seems to be locked into the position that the private market is the way to go to improve access and affordability to health care. How’s that working out Governor?
Luckily we have two extremely capable candidates running as Democrats to defeat Scott. Amanda Janoo and Aly Richards both have work credentials that make it clear they are able to tackle some of the state’s most difficult problems and to develop fresh new approaches. The Vermont primary is August 11 and Democratic voters have an excellent but difficult choice to make.
Both candidates are native Vermonters. Richards is no stranger to the political world. She has helped to pass legislation to make child care more accessible and affordable in Vermont. She knows the political process and she knows how to get things done.
According to her web site, “I started working for the Governor and spent my days talking to Vermonters. I heard what they cared about most, like affordability and access to good paying jobs. And I quickly realized that the lack of access to affordable child care was a root cause to so many of these issues.
So I jumped right in and got to work. I led a movement of over 40,000 parents, small business owners, and early childhood educators to pass the most significant child care law in the country. We organized, we rallied, we fought; we came together across party lines and, against the odds, we won. Together, we made child care more affordable and more accessible.”
She has some good ideas when it comes to health care. She understands the threat that rural hospitals are facing and she is a proponent of universal primary care. She seems to understand the major issues facing the state and she offers some practical ideas to approach those problems.
Amanda Janoo has experience in international affairs and her comments about solutions to problems look at things from the 40,000 foot perspective. She does seem capable of transforming high-minded ideas into practical work based on her work experience.
According to her website, “I grew up working class but was able to study with world-renowned economists at Oxford and Cambridge thanks to my great public education in Vermont. I learned to understand not only how economies work, but how we change them. I worked at the UN, helping governments to build resilient and diversified economies that could generate good jobs and broad-based prosperity. In recent years, I’ve worked at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), focused on helping high-income countries like Canada, New Zealand and Wales to design and evaluate their economies by their contribution to social and ecological wellbeing (rather than stock market values or GDP growth rates). I moved back to Vermont permanently in 2018, because this is home and the place that I want to live for the rest of my life.”
She is a proponent of free universal primary care. She makes it clear that she thinks Scott is taking us in the wrong direction.
As is the case with any candidate, it is difficult to know how they will make the leap from candidate to office holder. There is no way to know which candidate will govern best. We listen to them and gather as much information as we can to make an informed decision.
What distinguishes the two Democratic candidates is economic policy. I think Janoo’s background in economics will help her focus more on the finances of the state. As we approach pending financial health crises and housing affordability crises I think Janoo will be better able to come up with and execute practical solutions.
Either candidate would be an asset to Vermont and would govern well and wisely. I’m casting my vote for Janoo because we need someone who knows where the money is and how to make it work for all of us.
