Gubernatorial candidate Deb Markowitz last October:
“To resolve this deficit it’s likely everyone will have to give something. We may need to reduce (unemployment) benefits and we may need to rquire [sic] employers to pay in a little more to get us through – hopefully there will be additional money coming from Washington to help out.”
Gubernatorial candidate Deb Markowitz last Saturday at a candidate forum sponsored by the Vermont Grocers’ Association and the Vermont Retailers Association:
On the issue of unemployment taxes, Markowitz said she rejects current legislative proposals that seek to replenish the bankrupt fund through a combination of higher taxes on businesses and decreased payments to beneficiaries.
“This is not a time we want to take money from people who are unemployed or raise taxes on businesses,” Markowitz said.
She said borrowing from the federal government – which would result in heavy penalties for businesses and potentially large interest payments from the General Fund – is preferable to current proposals. Once the state regains its economic footing, she said, “we can revisit how not to get in this situation ever again.”
Things are looking up. Man I love primaries.
But what’s good? Does she have an opinion? A preference? Will she go for whatever seems politically expedient or hold true to some sort of more abstracted notion of what “her principles” are? has she just changed her mind or is she just up to take any position whenever it looks to be the politically savvy one?
Should we vote for who says the right thing or who believes the right thing? In the face of obvious or documented contradictions, do we know if a candidate has honestly changed their mind or if they’ve just “seen the light” of polling numbers?
I like when politicians say things I generally agree with or think are better, but I like it when that’s that person’s actual opinion, not just their “vote for me” person-hood.
So what’s so good about her saying something different than what she said before, except now it’s more to the liking of one segment of the population than another?