Jobs Package II Announcement Speech

GOVERNOR JAMES H. DOUGLAS
Jobs Package II Announcement Speech
Vermont Tubbs, Brandon, Vt.
December 1, 2003

Good afternoon. Thank you for attending. I want to offer my special thanks to Jon McNeill and the good folks here at Vermont Tubbs for allowing me to intrude for a few minutes with my jobs announcement.

Vermonters know the value of a good job. We are known for our hard work, determination, and resilience. Every day, Vermonters rise before first light, and often in the icy chill of a winter morning, to put in an honest day's work.

A good job is not simply a paycheck: it is a means to care for your family, to put your children in the school of your choice, and to return something to the community where you live. Unfortunately, Vermont has suffered in recent years with cutbacks, layoffs, and plant closures.

Helping companies create jobs is "Job One" of my administration. My able team of Lt. Gov Brian Dubie, Commerce Secretary Kevin Dorn, and others has been transforming the culture of the state government into an ally for job creation rather than an adversary. We've been working hard for Vermont to get every Vermonter working.

After I was elected Governor, I made it a priority to meet with top employers and small businesses across the state. I wanted to listen to their concerns, hear their solutions, and let them know that they have a partner in Montpelier. Their message to me was clear: help us grow, help us compete, and we will prosper.

In order for businesses to grow, the State must be a prudent fiscal partner with taxpayers: if we expect families and businesses to balance their checkbooks, then state government must restrain spending and not increase the level of taxation. I was very pleased when the Legislature sent me a budget that had the smallest spending increase in over a decade without raising the overall tax burden on Vermonters.

I also heard from Vermont employers that they required substantial permit reform to make process more accessible and more predictable. Through the Environmental Board, my administration has advanced changing the party status rule, which will stop out-of-state special interests from 11th hour appeals. But this is only the first step: I will continue to work with the Legislature to pass a meaningful permit reform bill that will streamline the process and allow companies to grow without sacrificing the environmental protection that all Vermonters cherish.

Last January, I told the Legislature that we needed to kick start job creation here in Vermont. As part of my first jobs package, I proposed making available more than $100 million in new capital to Vermont companies through the Vermont Economic Development Authority. I also asked for more money for job training and recruitment. The Legislature agreed and I was proud to sign the largest job creation bill in Vermont's history.

The effects of this program have been felt right here at Vermont Tubbs. I am honored to be standing here today with the men and women of this great company.

For generations, these Vermont workers have produced high-quality furniture with the superior craftsmanship Vermont is known for. But due to challenges in the market, this plant nearly closed its doors for good in September. Working with a group of local investors, we were able to craft a deal to save 80 jobs here at the factory.

But these aren't the only jobs we've helped save through an aggressive jobs program. My administration has worked with the leadership of dozens of companies - Chesapeake Hardwoods, Moore-Wallace, Energizer, Hubbardton Forge, Verilux - the list goes on and on -- to prevent plant closures and protect and create good jobs. When we work as a team for Vermont, we keep Vermonters working.

The fight for creating jobs in Vermont cannot stop with a few initial successes. We'll still have setbacks, which remind us that there is much more to do. I won't be satisfied until every Vermonter who wants a job, has a job. So, I'm here today to unveil round two of my job creation agenda.

First, we need to continue our Campaign to Retain. It is absolutely vital to meet the needs of existing Vermont businesses and help them to succeed and grow. That is why much of my economic development plan is focused on meeting the needs of existing Vermont businesses.

Along with action on permit reform, we need to tackle worker's compensation reform. I look forward to working with the Legislature to address the worker's comp issue and deliver relief to Vermont employers.

The international market for manufacturing is changing fast and Vermont needs to be ready to meet the challenge. In January, I will be asking the Legislature for more money to expand the highly successful Vermont Training Program, which, last year, trained over 1500 workers statewide with new skills to make them more competitive within the global market.

We also need to empower the next generation of manufacturing in Vermont. This generation is powered by research and design and Vermont must have laboratories to spur this development. I will be asking for an additional appropriation for the UVM-led Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies and other high-tech incubators around the state. These incubators are an integral part of our overall strategy to attract clusters of development.

Business clusters occur when companies participate in the same general industry within the same geographic area. This clustering gives rise to knowledge sharing and innovation, which leads to business growth and job creation.

One cluster that is a natural fit for Vermont is the renewable energy and environmental conservation cluster. Vermonters have long been leaders in energy issues and there are already a number of companies devoted to alternative energy in the Mad River Valley and elsewhere. I am asking Lt. Gov. Dubie to spearhead an effort to encourage the continued growth of the renewable energy cluster here in Vermont. The Agency of Commerce will also be pursuing cluster development in health care, optics, nano-technology, and microelectronics, among others.

Also important is our focus on the rural economy of Vermont. We need to ensure that businesses across our state, not just in the urban centers, receive the support and attention they need from government. As part of this focus, I will join the Vermont Council for Rural Development, early next year, to announce a new Vermont Quality Wood Products advocacy campaign designed to promote such products as those produced here at Vermont Tubbs.

To support industry of the next generation, Vermont needs an infrastructure of the 21st century, both in our public works and in our technological backbone. My Agency of Transportation has been building toward a seamless network of roads, rails, and public transit, so we can move goods and people as cheaply as possible with the least impact on our environment. Further, I will continue my push to build critical transportation projects across the state, such as the Bennington Bypass and the Circ highway.

But roads, rails, and bridges are only part of the equation. The global economy is fueled by bits and bytes carried across a vast telecommunications infrastructure. Sometimes it seems that the information superhighway has detoured Vermont. In order for Vermont to be competitive, we need to be able to communicate anywhere, anytime; in short, we need to wire Vermont.

I am proposing a far-reaching initiative that will make certain, by the year 2007, Vermonters have 100% wireless coverage on our major transportation arteries and that 90% of our home and businesses have broadband internet access. Investors and visitors alike need to know that Vermont's motto is "Freedom and Unity," not "Can you hear me now?"

Lastly, Vermont needs to sell itself more aggressively around the country and around the globe. We've got a good story to tell about Vermont! Where else can an employer enjoy the world's best quality of life and the world's hardest-working labor force in a natural environment that is surpassed no place else on earth? I want to spread the word that Vermont is "Open for Business." I want to spread the news that we are working to smooth out the rough areas and enhance the things that make Vermont so special.

I will be asking the Legislature to nearly double the marketing and recruitment budget for the Department of Economic Development. We need to be on the road - in corporate boardrooms, employer workrooms, and on trade show floors - promoting why Vermont is a great place to grow a business.

For companies that choose to bring jobs here, I want to provide economic incentives for them to stay and grow. I am proposing the creation of Green Mountain Zones in selected downtowns, brownfields, and re-development sites across Vermont. Within these Green Mountain Zones, we will offer guaranteed expedited permitting, a sales tax exemption for development expense, and built-in information technology infrastructure. Let's spark re-development and get companies sprouting new life in every corner of Vermont.

The Green Mountain Zones will be the first step toward designated growth centers in Vermont. Earlier this year, I launched a growth center collaborative between environment, business, and public sector leaders to bring the principles of smart growth and planning to future development within the state. I am eager to hear the results of the collaborative and to bring this valuable insight to creating jobs in Vermont.

The last piece of an aggressive recruiting drive is our focus on international trade. Lt. Gov. Dubie has been tirelessly leading the charge into international markets. Brian recently returned from Asia where he led a Vermont business delegation to open markets for Vermont products. Closer to home, Brian has opened new doors previously with Vermont's largest trading partner - our northern neighbor - Canada. Because of Brian's hard work, I'll be leading a trade mission this week to Quebec to explore partnerships and to grow opportunity, all of which will lead to job creation here in Vermont.

I only need to look around the factory floor here to see the success of our efforts. But I know there is more to do. The steps I've outlined here today, combined with our existing efforts, will help employers create job opportunities for all Vermonters. We will continue to work hard for Vermont, to get every Vermonter working.