Biography
Born in Proctor, VT. Live in Clarendon, VT on a 204-year-old family farm supporting VT agriculture and the forest products industry. Completed education at Rutland High School, B.A. at the University of Vermont, M.S. from the University of Southern California. Father of a daughter and son with my late wife, Susan. Memberships, Experiences and Affiliations: 16 years in the VT House of Representatives, 10 years Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee. Six years University of VT Board of Trustees. Two terms on the VT Workforce Development Council. 14 years Clarendon Selectman. Clarendon Planning Commission service. Clarendon Town/School District Moderator. Retired Rutland High School Science and Driver Education Teacher. Vietnam Veteran. Active-duty USAF 1967-1972. 28 years in the VT Air National Guard, retired Lt. Col., Squadron Commander. West Rutland American Legion Post 87, VFW Post 648. Board of Trustees VT Woodlands Association. VT Tree Farmer of the Year 2008. Member VT Sugar Makers Association & VT Farm Bureau. Life member and auditor for the Rutland Fair. Rutland County Audubon Board of Trustees.
Candidate occupation
Timber manager and forest landowner
Why are you running for office?
To bring Clarendon, Rutland Town, Wallingford & West Rutland values, issues, needs and successes to the VT State House in order to make the Rutland-2 District a better place for us all to live. Good schools are a top priority, with school finance at the top of the list for improvement. In the transportation sector, certain bridges need replacement along with repaving needs every year in every town. Housing and homelessness are a crisis in some locations. CEDARR, The Hub, and Rutland Vocational School need help in recruiting and training workers for new Rutland area businesses. Aspects of regional healthcare can be improved, including patient wait times, pharmaceutical pricing, and the smoke and mirrors involved in billing. Climate change has created flood threats in every Vermont valley town. This necessitates new infrastructure investment to mitigate the impact. Renewable energy needs now require investment and consideration all within reason. I have the broad life experiences necessary in order to weigh all these issues in a way that best balances cost with improvement.
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
Yes
Do you believe Vermont needs a new education funding formula?
Yes
Do you support imposing new taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters?
Yes
Do you support the establishment of overdose prevention centers?
Yes
Do you support a ban on flavored tobacco products?
Yes
Do you support increasing penalties for property crimes such as shoplifting?
Yes
Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election?
Yes
Issues in depth
What would you do to help grow Vermont’s economy?
Support workforce development, vocational education, internships, and large and small business recruitment by local Chambers of Commerce. Attract new people to Vermont with advertising and incentives. Our way of life should be a strong selling point. Our unemployment rate is already low. Make sure quality educational opportunities exist beyond high school at Vermont State University and the University of Vermont.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
Move education funding from primarily on the property tax to other options. Look for education cost savings at the local level perhaps thru consolidations where political consensus will allow it to proceed. Make local budgetary cuts wherever possible. Make sure public school tax levies are spent on public schools and not siphoned off into the private educational arena.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
Climate change is real and already presenting problems statewide with flooding and temperature elevation. Sea levels are rising worldwide and continue to do so. The problem extends far beyond our own state. It will take global cooperation to solve it. We are already addressing some needed changes to mitigate the threat. Monetary cost is a limiting factor. The remedial process will need to be incremental and gradual over many years. Technology advances will hopefully help.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
I support second amendment rights. But we don’t need machine guns, bump stocks, and huge magazines. Our VT state gun laws are adequate for recreational hunters and home security as they now exist.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
Make sure the concentration of homeless individuals is divided equally across the state and not stacked into one location. Build additional housing in parts of the state it is most needed. Make sure homeless individuals applying have genuine need. Treat the basic causes of homelessness, such as mental and physical health, as well as poverty and addiction so the homeless need is lessened.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
See previous question.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
Make sure no Vermonter is turned away from any hospital or clinic for inability to pay. Incentivize UVM Medical School Graduates to stay in Vermont. Get rid of the smoke and mirrors that exists today in ordinary healthcare billing. Different prices exist for different patients depending on who’s paying. Make it easier for individuals without medical insurance to acquire it.
Financial disclosure
Candidates for state and legislative offices are required to submit a financial disclosure when filing to run. These disclosures include each source, but not the amount, of personal income of each candidate, and of their spouse or domestic partner, that singly or jointly totals more than $5,000 for the previous 12 months. The information provided is an opportunity for voters to learn about candidates’ potential conflicts of interest.
You can find Potter’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
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