Candidates Highlight Commitment To Jobs

Print More
MP3

(Host) Peter Shumlin and Brian Dubie are both highlighting their commitment to creating jobs in the last week of the campaign.

At the same time, the attorney general’s office sued outside groups supporting the candidates, claiming ads violated state laws.

VPR’s Ross Sneyd has this campaign roundup.

(Shumlin) "What’s your biggest challenge that a governor can face?" "Well, I’d say health care."

(Sneyd) Peter Shumlin toured a Burlington marketing company and talked to some of the staff about what was on their mind.

He liked hearing the comment about health care because it’s been a big issue of his. It gave him an opportunity to talk about his promise to work for the adoption of a single-payer system.

But the real purpose of the campaign visit was to highlight his jobs plans. The company he toured, KSV, has created 13 new jobs in the past year.

Shumlin says he’ll focus on helping other small companies expand if he’s elected. He says he’d do that by reforming health care.

And he says he’ll accomplish the goal of expanding broadband and cell phone service to every corner of the state by 2013.

(Shumlin) "We need a jobs creator. I’ve been creating jobs in this state since I was 23 years old, to grow jobs right here at home. We cannot do it if we do not get Internet, fast internet and cell service to every last mile."

(Sneyd) Brian Dubie concentrated on job creation during his campaign day, also.

He held an event at a technology company in Essex Junction. And he plans another event at a Franklin County farm to talk about agriculture policy.

Dubie tries to steer almost conversation about the campaign back to jobs.

(Dubie) "The defining issue of this issue is jobs. That’s been my focus as a candidate. That would be my focus as Vermont’s next governor and that’s what my 10 points jobs plan has always been focused on .That’s the policy agenda for my candidacy and that’s what I would hope to achieve as Vermont’s next governor."

(Sneyd) The governor’s race remains competitive even as the end of the campaign nears. That was demonstrated at Shumlin’s event. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell campaigned alongside him.

Markell is chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, which has invested heavily in many of the 37 governors’ races around the country. That includes Vermont, Markell says, because the Democrats see it as competitive.

(Markell) "This is an important race. It’s an opportunity to take a Republican seat and turn it into a Democratic seat."

(Sneyd) A little while after he talked about the Democrats’ efforts on Shumlin’s behalf, the attorney general’s office announced a pair of lawsuits. The state says both the national Democrats and the Republicans have violated Vermont campaign finance laws.

For VPR News, I’m Ross Sneyd.

Comments are closed.