By Lisa M. Boucher
ST. ALBANS — About a dozen Democrats and independents endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie on Wednesday in St. Albans.
Their message? Dubie’s policies will improve the economy.
Dubie said his plan to cut “red tape,” reduce taxes and create jobs is not partisan. He stressed he will strive to find “middle ground” in Montpelier.
“The workers of Vermont deserve the tools they need, a reasonable level of taxation, reasonable regulations, and support from the state government to help grow opportunities in our state,” Dubie said. “That is not a partisan message. There are Democrats and Independents and Vermonters who are not very active in this thing we call democracy that are responding to this positive pro-jobs message.”
Frank Cioffi, the president of the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation and a Douglas supporter, said the coalition “Democrats for Dubie” supports the lieutenant governor because they believe he is prepared to bring jobs to Vermont and keep the state’s young people here in the Green Mountains.
The assembled group of supporters included Marty Manahan, city of St. Albans mayor; George Clain, labor liaison for the Vermont Democratic Party; Mary Alice McKenzie, Dubie’s cousin and the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington; Ann Howrigan of Fairfield, and Laura Ogonowski, a Republican and the 25-year-old daughter of American Airlines pilot John Ogonowski, who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack aboard Flight 11 from Boston.
Cioffi, who hosted the gathering in an historic barn, said that Dubie has proven himself to be a stand up guy.
“The issue in the governor’s race comes down to one issue as far as I’m concerned,” said Cioffi. “I’m looking for a governor I can trust. Someone who is going to put the interests of the people first, who is going to do what he says and is going to remain consistent.”
When asked in an interview about why he didn’t support Shumlin, Cioffi said the Democratic candidate for governor has been shifting his position from left to right for the campaign. Cioffi declined, however, to cite a specific example.
In a press release from the Dubie campaign, Cioffi said backing Dubie “was not an easy decision for me.”
“To be honest, I don’t agree with Brian on all the issues,” Cioffi stated in the release. “But the most important issue facing Vermonters is jobs and the economy. I think he clearly understands the challenges facing Vermonters in tough economic times. He will work hard to create jobs to help improve the lives of working Vermonters and their families. He is a man of character and I trust Brian Dubie to be fair and to always do the right thing.”
In a 20-minute speech, Dubie said his 10-point jobs plan is based on suggestions from “thousands” of Vermonters, including workers, economists and “job creators” who have advised him on economic policy.
“When people go to the polls it’s not about whether you are a D or an R, an I, or P,” said Dubie. “It’s about the people you’re going to vote for and whether you trust them with the awesome responsibility to lead our state. To keep the focus and do the right thing which is creating more jobs and opportunities in our state.
“My style of leadership has always been about bringing people of different perspectives together to find common ground to achieve the greater good,” Dubie said. “As Vermont’s next governor I would work to find common ground.”
Dubie also reiterated his stance on public safety. (The candidate held a press conference on Monday to attack Shumlin’s plan to keep nonviolent offenders out of jail and eliminate $40 million from the Corrections budget over a four year period.) Dubie said that public safety officials have called the plan “irresponsible, dangerous and reckless.”
On Monday, Shumlin held a press conference three hours after Dubie’s to dispute the Republican candidate’s assertions. Shumlin said he would not allow the release of drug dealers and other nonviolent offenders who could have a direct impact on public safety.
Dubie continued to hammer on the issue in his press conference on Wednesday. “The most important job in government is to protect its citizens,” Dubie said. “[Every citizen] should feel safe in our state and they should trust a legal system that will serve to make sure they remain safe.”
Dubie pointed to the meth labs recently discovered in St. Albans as an example of the kind of public safety issue he is concerned about. He said drug dealers need to be kept in jail.
In an e-mail titled, “Sham Democrats for Dubie Won’t Fool Vermonters,” Paul Tencher, the head of the coordinated campaign for the Vermont Democratic Party, accused the Dubie campaign of taking a page out of the Jim Douglas “playbook.”
“While Governor Douglas was famous for crossover appeal and made a habit of drawing sometimes prominent Democrats into his camp, Brian Dubie’s attempts to look moderate have failed because his policies would favor out-of-state corporations and 1,400 wealthy Vermonters, while leaving the expense to small business owners and property taxpayers.”
Tencher described the Dubie campaign’s list of Democrats as “puny” and “consistent Republican supporters and donors.”
“Dubie is the most anti-labor candidate for governor in decades,” Tencher wrote. “George Clain is crossing the picket line.”
Editor’s note: Lisa M. Boucher is a freelance reporter who lives in Fairfax.
