Vermont is home to some amazing homegrown businesses; King Arthur Flour, Rock of Ages, HearthStone, Switchback, Chroma Technology and Orvis to name just a few. We must find ways to encourage and support the talented and creative entrepreneurs who call Vermont home. We also must help connect Vermonters who are ready and willing to work with jobs in their area and supply training programs to ensure we have a pool of workers that businesses require. And we must ensure that working families can afford to live here.

First and foremost, we must identify the real burden of taxes and fees on Vermonters. We must be honest and smart in differentiating Vermonters who are struggling and cannot and should not pay more in taxes from those who have benefited from our collective infrastructure investments and are able to contribute more to our communities and the benefits of all.

We must increase broadband access in rural Vermont and we can do so by starting with community access hubs and expanding to individual residences. In 2019, the legislature allocated funds to establish a broadband innovation grant program. This program leverages public-private partnerships to expand existing network investments to create municipal infrastructure open access to state and federal grants. Expansion of this program may be one way to improve broadband access in rural communities. We have seen this before with rural electrification and phone services, which built the economy of the past. Now we must invest to build the rural economy of the future. 

We must raise the minimum wage and pass paid family leave. Imagine how much easier it would have been to proactively tackle the Covid-19 pandemic in Vermont had we had such a program in place. While the legislature has made significant strides on the minimum wage through the years, the cost of living continues to increase for Vermonters across the state and many are struggling with the ability to access affordable childcare. This is especially true for women, who disproportionately make the minimum wage. Ensuring that the minimum wage keeps pace with the cost of living and that all Vermont families can use paid family leave will help those working full time have the resources to meet their and their family's needs.

We must ensure that all Vermonters have access to safe, healthy, affordable housing. Almost one quarter of our housing stock is more than 80 years old. While annual investments are made in weatherization and modernization, our investments simply are not keeping up. We must support the creation of new affordable housing at the local level as well as improvements to our existing homes. This investment will create good-paying jobs all around the state, improve energy efficiency, reduce housing expenses for hardworking Vermonters, and ensure a safe and healthy environment for younger and older Vermonters.

Watch the Press Conference or read the Press Release about David’s proposed economic priorities during the 2020 campaign.