Transcripts For CSPAN2 Vermont 20240705 : vimarsana.com

[applause] thank you. Mr. President , madame speaker, mr. Chief justice, members of the General Assembly and fellow vermonters, second inaugural address, noting the true spirit of vermont is in courage in a time of adversity and that the faith in valuer of vermonters has turned catastrophe into opportunity, progress, rehabilitation, catastrophe and the opportunity. From the first struggles of the pandemic to the rising waters of july and december, once in a century opportunity to revitalize our communities, the courage of vermonters is as strong as ever. This session, lets honor resilience and strength, kindness and generosity not only in Flood Recovery but working together working in problems, demographics, affordability, recent increases in violence in crime. We will have to prioritize, set aside good things that are less s urgent and rise above politicl parties and focus our work directly on these fundamental issues. If we do, we will turn catastrophe into opportunity once more. [applause] president clintons adviser said its the economy stupid, im not calling anyone stupid but i think you get my point. In vermont we couldish certificate demographics and i get ask all of the time, even by some of you, where did all the workers go . So let me share 3 numbers from the joint Fiscal Office to tell you everything thatd you need o go. 14,000, 28,000 and 48,000. We have 14,000 fewer kids from the age of 18 than we did in 2010. During that same period, we had 21,000 fewer adults which is the core of our workforce and we have 48,000 more over the age of 65. This is all within just 12 years but this is nothing new. Its been happening for decades. Let that sink in for just a moment. The gfo points out, declines in income and sales tax renew, increase demand for Services Like health care if nothing changes and i quote, vermonts ratio of older residents to working age people will continue to rise placing a greater burden on workers to support. The biggest to Economic Sustainability is the shrinking workforce. Demographic trends are shifting the tax burden on fewer and fewer people. Our demographic is the greatest challenge that we face as a state. Unfortunately, we havent gotten any better. There are 3 issues we cant ignore. The safety, affordability and housing. These challenges are urgent, immediate and we must address them in this decision. For as long as i can remember, our communities and the peace of mind, healthy cities and town provide have been integral to keeping and attracting families to our state. With the crime rising in too many places many see the vermont slipping away. The growing number of headlines share news latest murder, drugrelated murder. Its not just the headlines, according to reports from the town state governments in 2017 vermont had the Second Lowest property, Second Lowest Violent Crime rates in the nation. In 2022, we dropped at 18th and eighth. In the last ten years, Violent Crime increased 56 . Homicide by 166 . We cannot deny these trends. Vermonters question law enforcement, prosecutors, the courts and question wisdom now i want to give credit where credit is due. Wave made progress on Justice Reform and treating addiction is a Public Health crisis, it is. But when spiking crime rates make it clear then not all changes have been affected. We have a responsibility to take a step back and consider other cstrategies. Make a real effort this session to solidify our place as the safest state in the country and reverse the increases we are seeing both for the people that we serve and the victims of these crimes. [applause] in three weeks, aisle present my budget for fiscal year 2025 and itll be a much different picture than previous years. Maintaining the discipline on whatnd vermonters need most. I continue to believe that we need to keep our spending within existing revenue and full transparency we can expect the budget will increase by about 3 . It is important to know that after this increase and meeting obligations we have veryy little money left. Mo so if you go higher, we will be spending more than we are taking in, even the higher taxes and fees adding to the burden that vermonters are already feeling. Im sure that youre aware, the federal government Just Announced increase those on Social Security which is 3. 2 . So seniors are expected to imanage that, it seems as thouh we should do the same. [applause] now, im a realist and i know the other super majority. I know it all too well. You have proven the final budget, growing burden of taxes, fees is in your hands. So all i can do is make my case which is the same case ive made to vermonters since i ran for governor. I hear from people every day is that they cant afford to pay more even what they are paying. So this year, lets do whats best for them and live within their means. [applause] unfortunately, prek to 12 education has grown beyond the means of means. As you know its about to grow even more because if nothing changes we will see an estimated 18. 5 increase in statewide property tax bills and thats after we use a 37 milliondollar Education Fund surplus that birates that. In total, this would be a quarter billion dollar tax increase on vermonters. We are a family with 250,000dollar home, their bill will go up by 650 a year and 400,000dollar home, you could pay an additional a thousand dollars. Before you brush this off because of income sensitivity, remember, the vast majority will still see an increase and renters dont typically pay property taxes directly but the landlord receives thousand dollar increase in fourunit building im pretty sure we pass onto those who live there. But think about those folks, we are just barely getting by, living paycheck to paycheck deciding what pills to pay and what to do with that, for the working parents who need every extra penny so kids can go to summer camp, the Small Business owner rebuilding after the flood,er working hard just to sy open, theyre all going to struggle to figure out how to pay for this. Not to mention inflation is still making everything more expensive. For future burdens, payroll tax, they will take effect in july, increase, both over my and some of your objections, its not enough of you. Concerned about taxes, fees and increase cost is a concern about people. Now, i appreciate the optimism ive heard from some of you who think, some committed to getting it down to 2 or lower. To be clear, that would cost 225 million and from the average persons perspective, it doesnt matter which pocket the money comes from, whether its the property tax, the income tax or creative combination, its still going to hurt. Keep in mind the Education Fund is now 2. 1 billion. Fewer than 83,000 prek through 12 students, among the highest in the country and that might be okay with me but leading in student performance and in several areas we are in the middle of the pack according to the u. S. Department of education. Please know, this is not a critique of our teachers or our students. Its the result of an education infrastructure thats too large for the number it serves and not enough money is making it to the kids. S. Unfortunately, theres no quik fix to this, but we could discuss idea put on the table before, addressing healthcare and retirement costs, property tax growth and im sure you have ideas on how to contain spending as well. I believe we all want better education outcomes for our kids and seniors, families Young Workers can afford, so lets Work Together to address the affordability issues we can control and restore the size of the working class so there are many people to pay taxes and more kids in our schools. [applause] to do that, we need to Jumpstart Housing in the areas that need it most because this crisis is not only holding us back when it comes to filling job and refilling our schools, its hurting vermonters here right now. Due to lack of housing and tax and regulatory policy, purchase prices are far too high and rising, decades of studies and data shows its too expensive, too complicated and too slow to rehab, since march of 2020 weve invested over 500 million to fix aging units, construct new homes, expand shelter capacity. Is unprecedented. On top of 37 milliondollar housing band that we passed in 2017. At the time it was thehe biggest investment that we had ever made. We have made progress and it far exceeds what we were doing 10 years ago but 500 million is a lot of money and we need to be honest about what we are getting and why t costs so much and how to lower it. Overall we are seeing 2200 residential units permitted each year. Since this data, vacancy rates show they meet current demand to healthy market that puts downward pressure on prices, we need 6800 units right now. Most of our funding goes to homes that cost on average 450,000 per unit to develop. 450,000. So thats 3 billion in public and private funding just to fill the gap we have today. With these costs in mind most of us would agree some things are going to have to change. Last year i said, we wont be able to make the most of this opportunity if we dont address the decades old regulations holding us back. While we took some steps i know many of you would agree we need to do a lot more. The fact is at 250 did exactly what it was intend today do, slow down growth and in some cases stop it altogether but it was time and we were growing way too fast. Today we face a different reality, one where families desperately need and communities need reinvestment. Its an expression. If nothing changes, then nothing willin really change. In our case that means if nothing changes, things will continue to get worse. We committed the funds and layed the ground work if we dont truly address, we wont solve our housing crisis. Every single one of you and the people that you represent and the voice, this issue is too important and too consequential for two committees and special Interest Groups to control the outcome. Wewe can give young families decent Affordable Housing they need. We can offer seniors retirement without the burden of a large home they cant afford and we can put Homeless People in real homes, not hotel rooms we cant afford. [applause] jumpstarting housing for working families, we can revitalize communities, refill our schools, make our neighborhoods more inviting in all 14 counties. We can help solve the challenges we face Funding Health care and Climate Change mitt gays, it infrastructure and so much more, housing is key and something that we can do right now. Lets Work Together and get more families and homes faster than at a cost they can afford. [applause] my friends, i have spent 20 minutes talking about the significant challenges we face. Theres no doubt we have a lot of hard work ahead. Theres also a lot of good things happening here in vermont. Like the opening of Data Technology new production leading the revolution of electric aviation and the federal chips act to build an innovative tax hub and expand manufacturing. The work of our Refugee Resettlement office whiche alog with many partners has helped 500 refugees get settled contributing to our communities, workforce and economy while pursuing the american dream. [applause] how about the ten vermont businesses ranked among the nations Fastest Growing companies, infrastructure project, will boost the economy throughout the region. You should also be very proud of our Work Together to help hundreds of Small Businesses with floodof recovery so they could reopen, stay open, grow andw, thrive and this weekend, fully open. [applause] the crews work quickly to repair the damage from the july storms. These are just some and another reason is i see a path if we prioritize the crisis. I know these are the on the challenges that we face. There arele many others. Healthcare costs and Climate Mitigation and we need to and will continue our work. Public safety, affordable and housing, issues that demand our immediate attention because vermonters are seeing, feeling and living them every single day and they are critical through reversing our demographic trends. All of the lobbyists will have the agenda being election year. We owe it to vermonters and put all that aside and make Real Progress on Public Safety affordability and housing because these issues dont discriminate based on party affiliation. [applause] weve already layed the foundation literally in many cases to revitalize communities across the state with 1 billion, weve invested over 500 initiatives and 160 towns and cities in the state and 14 counties, they all have in common is an investment in the basic tools that the Community Needs to keep from falling behind, to spark momentum for more good work. So following through on each of the federally funded investments including what we allocated for state match is one of the most important actions we can take this session. We are also aligning this work with Flood Recovery and new federal dollars that come with it to help more places restore vitality and restore economic security. Imagine what neighborhoods in our communities would look like with the old rundown houses renovated, decorated for the holidays, swing sets and sandbox in the backyard, the neighborhoods buzzing with chattered kids all sliding, for those of you who are confused. Maybe the most controversial thing ive said all day. Imagine seeing the empty classrooms with children again and family shopping in town, getting a lawn mower, support community byin sponsoring events and youth programs. Good jobs and opportunity, a hope that defeats despair and helps reduce addiction. We can get there but we must follow through on what we started. We have the learn the lessons of the last few years and be focused on whats working and be honest about what is not. If we do, we will turn the tide in our state. [applause] most importantly, im optimistic about our future because of the people of vermont. From the moment of july 11th, flood damage Grocery Store was filled with neighbors mucking out. They didnt stop there. With those with undamaged produce and perishables, locals helps those in need. They helped hundreds of their neighbors by delivering food with Senior Center, mobile home, local food shelf and more. Even when they had to jump on an a tv. Two days later, bob nelson opened Hardware Store surrounded damaged shelfs, he wanted his neighbor to what they needed to clean up their homes and businesses. 30 miles away, alie started their own business, giving every single penny of the 700 they made to help. Weeks later, in johnson, Highland Heights Mobile Home Park several residents lost theverything. You could see a community and those who spent weeks trying to find help, clean up lots and filled out fema paperwork. They could c tell you where evey single home own e was and kept tabs on them to help if needed. This is vermont strong. Its the incredible resilience found in community. As he put it, with no questions asked. Patients at the restaurant saw this and started chipping in adding more meals to the windows. Warm food on cold day and dinner for otherwise may not be able to afford it. Thats what Community Looks like. No one asked sean to do this. They didnt sit back and wait for someone else to fix the problem. They worked to provide a few things and other basics and help finish the job. With everyone pulling in the same direction in the matter of weeks, rebuilt than before. And sometimes its the Little Things that make the biggest difference. A few years ago, looking for a way to strengthen their town. Many of us might think business expanding, they kept coming back to the simple idea of just getting together. Celebrate who they are and connected with the neighbors, fireworks, music and dancing, most importantly reminder that it takes effort to build community. Folks in gilford also wanted to reconnect and besides refresh, after the civil war childs became part of agriculture communities across the country. Underused grain to be found all over the u. S. These days you can see renovative, raising money for neighbor in need at a time where so much is text, email, social media or zoom just being in the same place at the same time seeing people face to thep face can help make the world a better place for all of us. Local gathering spot, get coffee or sandwich, maybe a little gossip as well. They are about the lose it, residents formed a trust to purchase a building and keep local health alive. Five years later through pandemic and floods, reopened its doors. Many of these projects benefited from government funding and thats an Important Role we can play. But there reality is, no grant will bring to life on their own. Either government or money build community. [applause] many of those i just mentioned here today so if they could please rise so we can give them a proper thank you. [applause] and i know there are thousands of others across the state that step up to their community each and every day and by the way, you want lemonade, meet some of the folks stop by the office afterwards, we will have some there for you. President biden has said, the communities are built by thousands of decency. To me decency to one another where we as americans and vermonters find the greatest strength. Ive seen this my entire life and the people of my hometown when he passed away. Ive seen it in teachers and classmates, coworkers, friends, neighbors, legislature and dedicated state employees, like many of you try to pass it onto my kids. Vermonters are pioneers, begging to serve others. Thats the vermont i know. Those are the people that i ncknow. Basic human decency. Giving a help hand to others around even to those who dont agree or like that much. This is the foundation, the bedrock of our communities. Water with 200 plower pots. No one asked them to do it and because he startedn at 3 00 in the morning, across the state, there are things large and small that build community and give these place character and identity. I want to talk directly to vermonters, what is it for you, is it the flowers or lights during holidays, the Senior Center or playground, sports and local theater, food pantry, meals on wheel, dfw and american, whatever it is, it matters to you, its time to step up and get involved and make sure for years to come. Take a 35year state employee now retired, 70th birthday. Shes not asking for it to be about her. Shes planned a full day of shopping, eating and entertainment. [applause] all she wants for people to support the local businesses that are devastated by the floods. By the way, youre all invited. Remember, no gifts, just bring your credit card. [laughter] its clear there are many people doing this good work but they cant do itut on their own. It takes all of us. So its up to you to find something, plant a tree, coach a team, volunteer if youre at local Fire Department or rescue squad or you can sign up for the national guard. [applause] the guard has been essential for state emergency and National Security they need more of you and you will be hearing more this session because that tradition of cause or serve that mean something to you wont last, no one carries it on. Its about action not apathy, dedication, not destiny. The progress weve made in the short 246 years since our nations founding, its not a coincidence of history. Citizenship and all who aspire to it its the work that fulfill the promise of a more perfect union. [applause] it doesnt matter who you voted for when using the community in guilford. So lets choose the example, reject partisanship and do whats best for the people that we are here to serve, show up, do the work. Together all of uss in this roo, will meet this moment and all that comes next. [applause] [applause] cspan is your unfiltered view of government, we are funded by these Television Companies and more including comcast. You think this is just a community center, no, its way more than that. Comcast supports cspan as puic service along with these other televisn Companies Giving you a frontrow seat to democracy. Cspan campaign 2024 coverage continues with the president ial primary watch live as the first votes are cast in the upcoming president ial election along with candidate speeches beginning with the iowa caucus on january 15th and the New Hampshire primary on january 23rd, campaign 2024 on cspan, your unfiltered view of politics. Wednesday on cspan, the house is back at 10 00 a. M. Eastern for general speeches followed by legislative business at noon. Members are considering legislation that directs the u. S. Government to exclude chinese officials from participating and financial organizations. If the peoplesepublic of ina threatens the security of taiwan andnother bill directing the u. S. Representative to the International Monetary fund t support the admission of taiwan as a remember of the imf. On cspan2 the Senate Returns at 10 00 a. M. To consider District Court nomination for colorado and pennsylvania and at 10 00 a. M. On cspan 3 the House Homeland Security committee holds its first formal hearing on impeachment inquiry to alejano mayorkas, you can also watch on the free cspan now video app or on lane at cspan. Org