Democrat Sue Minter says she wants government to be a catalyst for economic growth. Republican Phil Scott says government needs to get out of the way. And those fiscal philosophies clashed this week in the first gubernatorial debate of the general election.
Vermont has a spending problem, according to Phil Scott, and he says he’s the only candidate who’s going to fix it.
“I go back to looking at things very simply: Does this raise taxes? Does this raise the burden on Vermonters? And if so, I think we should put it aside,” Scott says.
Scott delivered variations on that overriding theme throughout Monday’s debate at the Chandler Music Hall in downtown Randolph. He says budgets passed under Democratic rule in Montpelier have exceeded what taxpayers can afford. And he says lawmakers and the governor need to take their cue from the Vermonters they represent.
“We’re frugal by nature,” says Scott. “Let’s start living like we do in our own daily lives, like we do in our businesses.”
The Republican candidate and current lieutenant governor, however, has offered little in the way of the specific cuts he’d impose to bring spending in line with revenues.
"We're frugal by nature. Let's start living like we do in our own daily lives, like we do in our businesses.” - Phil Scott
Democrat Sue Minter says that’s a problem.
“I do think it’s important we understand what kinds of cuts we’re talking about when we can’t meet our budget needs,” Minter says.
Minter says proposed reductions by Republican lawmakers in recent years offer a glimpse at what the budget would look like under Phil Scott.
Minter says those GOP proposals included “eliminating funding for substance abuse treatment centers, for state colleges, reducing financial aid, reducing subsidies for childcare, stopping funding for the Vermont Commission on Women.”
Lawmakers raised $90 million in new revenue over the past two years to support government spending. The legislation included tax increases on soft drinks and cigarettes, and changes to the tax code that generated more revenue from the income tax. Scott says if he had been governor, he wouldn’t have signed those bills. Minter says they were necessary measures to keep vital programs and services in place.
"I do think it's important we understand what kinds of cuts we're talking about when we can't meet our budget needs." - Sue Minter
Minter has also called for a range of new publicly financed initiatives that she says will stimulate economic growth, and solve the affordability crisis she says many Vermonters face. For example, she wants to provide Vermont students with two years of tuition-free community or technical college.
“And I plan to pay for that with a bank franchise fee on the largest banks. These are mostly out of state banks with deposits of $750 million or more,” Minter says.
Minter also is open to using public financing for subsidized health care for young adults, and subsidized child care for parents. She says the state should also begin to move toward mandated paid maternity leave.
Minter says finding the will to finance these kinds of public investments can be difficult.
“But it’s going to be that opportunity we need to grow the economy, and break the generational cycle of poverty,” Minter says.
Scott says he too wants to improve access to higher education, health care and quality child care. Asked how he’d make those things happen without increasing government subsidies, Scott he’d let the free market do the work.
“We can bring more economic opportunity to the state. Wages will rise naturally if we can have more economic opportunity,” Scott says. “But it’s not about raising taxes and fees anymore. We’re already strangling Vermonters. They can’t afford to stay here anymore.”
The debate was sponsored by the Vermont-NEA, the union that represents public school teachers. Scott said he wants to expand school choice, and allow students to attend schools outside their district boundaries. Minter said the school choice regulations work well the way they are now.
VPR's Peter Hirschfeld was a moderator in Monday evening's debate.
