In their last pitch to Vermont voters before Election Day, the three major party candidates for governor offered crisp differences — in both substance and style — seated together at a long table in the Vermont Public Radio studios in Colchester.
Throughout the Thursday night debate, Republican Phil Scott projected himself as a blue-collar straight-talker who would rein in budget growth and impose no new taxes.
Democrat Sue Minter had a strong grasp of policy details, methodically explaining her plans for economic growth and two free years of college tuition. She used nearly identical rhetoric from past matchups.
Liberty Union candidate Bill “Spaceman” Lee’s voice often sounded as if it was drifting away from his microphone. The former Red Sox pitched described a vision of Vermont that features exceptional beer, world-renowned cheese and homegrown baseball bats. “I know everything,” Lee said at one point.
There were few new policy details in Thursday’s broadcast, which followed recent debates hosted by VTDigger, WPTZ, PBS, WCAX, the Vermont Press Association and Seven Days, among others.
Both Scott and Minter said they supported solar energy projects in Vermont, but only Minter gave an affirmative answer on ridgeline wind development.
“We can actually move the dial, address climate change, grow our economy, bring young people here and change the future,” Minter said.
Scott said wind projects were “tearing the fabric of Vermont apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and causing a lot of controversy for no good reason.”
Scott said he supported the original text of S.230, a bill vetoed by Gov. Peter Shumlin last session that would have put sound restrictions on wind developments.
A tweaked version of the bill that Shumlin signed into law in June mandates that the Public Service Board afford towns’ approved energy plans “substantial deference” when weighing permit applications.
Scott said towns must be given more power over siting of wind projects, but stopped short of supporting veto power for municipalities.
Scott pressed Minter on whether she would veto a carbon tax bill should it reach her desk as governor. Instead of answering the question, Minter talked about the urgency of acting to thwart the effects of climate change.
Both Minter and Scott supported the state’s school district consolidation law, Act 46, and said they would work to find administrative efficiencies without firing teachers.
Marijuana legalization wasn’t discussed Thursday, but Minter favors it and Scott thinks now is not the right time. A complete comparison of the two candidates on the issues is available in the VTDigger election guide.
After sustained questioning by Minter about domestic violence homicides in Vermont, Scott said Vermont’s gun laws don’t need to be changed.
When Minter pointed out that a vast majority of Vermonters support background checks, Scott shot back.
“You govern by polling, you’ve run your campaign by polling, you take that approach and I haven’t done so,” he said. “I talk with Vermonters every single day, and I still believe we are one of the safest states in the nation.”
(Vermont is frequently ranked as one of the safest states in America.)
Minter and Scott also tussled over the Vermont Health Connect online marketplace, which has been dogged by technical difficulties. About $200 million has been spent to fix nagging problems, and annual operating costs have been projected to cost more than $50 million.
“It isn’t fixing itself,” said Scott, who is advocating for either switching to the federal exchange or merging with another state’s network — an unprecedented and, most likely, difficult maneuver.
“I think it’s really important we have a governor who actually understands how to manage very complicated IT programs,” Minter said. “It concerns me greatly when I hear Phil say, ‘It will be easy to put together two parallel programs.’”
Minter said the state exchange must be fixed. She said that if it was scrapped thousands of Vermonters could lose federal subsidies.
The Democrat added that Blue Cross/Blue Shield administrators recently told her that the exchange was improving, and that there are “people in Florida who actually want to get off of the Florida exchange, [and] come to the Vermont exchange because of the cost, and the ability to use the Blue Cross plan.”
Scott criticized Minter’s two year, free tuition plan for Vermont high school graduates who attend the Community College of Vermont or Vermont Technical College.
She plans to pay for it with a franchise fee on the state’s largest banks and by expanding Vermont’s corporate income tax to big banks. She said it will cost $6 million the first year and $12 million the second year. The franchise tax now generates $6 million for the General Fund; there is no corporate income tax on banks.
State banks have pushed back on the price tag, saying it would lead to job losses.
Minter insists the banks could absorb the increase. She then hit Scott for failing to introduce an education plan, a promise he made in his 40-page economic plan on Page. 10.
Scott claimed partial credit for Vermont’s Accelerated Bridge Program, which Minter frequently touts in describing her work as Transportation Secretary.
“We’ve actually created a program called the accelerated bridge program,” Minter began, “where we’ve gone from having to build…”
“Yeah, I was part of that,” Scott interjected.
“I’m glad your company has been able to benefit from those investments,” Minter shot back in an implied jab at state contracts Scott’s company, Dubois Construction received. Scott says he will sell his share in the company should he become governor.
“When I was in the Senate I was the vice-chair of the [Transportation] committee and we actually proposed some of those innovative ideas that you claim credit for,” Scott said. “So I’m glad you came on board for that.”
At the end of the VPR debate, everyone asked if they would be voting for themselves, and Minter and Scott quickly said ‘yes.’
Lee’s exposure in the debates means he’ll likely net a few thousand votes, many from die-hard Fenway Park fans.
On Thursday, Lee said he still wasn’t sure who he would vote for on Tuesday, telling moderators Bob Kinzel and Jane Lindholm that the decision was “still up in the air.”
But then he got on message, bellowing over the airwaves that “I always vote for myself.”
“Every time I look in the mirror I see a hero,” he concluded.
