(Here is the latest from candidate for governor, Matt Dunne: – promoted by GMD)
Anyone who says the economy is doing fine in Vermont isn’t talking to the same Vermonters I am.
Since 2003, the number of new businesses in Vermont has dropped every single year. Jobs are being lost in all sectors and in all parts of the state and there has been no leadership shown in Montpelier to turn our economy around.
Nobody knows the challenges of operating a company in Vermont better than today’s business leaders. They are on the front-lines trying to convince Vermont students graduating from our state colleges and universities to stay and work in Vermont. They are working to attract new investments to grow their companies and have dealt with the unresponsive and non-transparent bureaucracy in Montpelier. It is these entrepreneurs and executives who know what kind of leadership is necessary in Vermont and what types of changes need to be enacted to make business more successful here.
Earlier this week, we entered an exciting new phase of our campaign by releasing the names of 26 business leaders who are endorsing the campaign. As the only candidate to have worked in multiple companies 
in Vermont, I was honored to have support from so many of my peers.
Will Raap, Chairman of The Earth Partners and Founder of Gardener's Supply and Mike Lane, Chief Operating Officer of Dealer.com joined me at an event in Winooski to announce these endorsements. As business leaders, they recognize that this next election will determine where we go as a state, not just for the next year or two, but for the next several decades. The next Governor must not only understand our challenges, but actually have the experience to deliver on the promise of a better economy.
Will and Mike joined 24 others in endorsing the campaign, including:
Clay Adams – Resource Systems Group, Inc., Windsor
Bob Allen – VT Country Store/Direct Marketing Assoc., Bennington
Kevin Bowie – Shearer Honda, Rutland
Jay Canning – Courtyard by Marriott Burlington Harbor, Chittenden
Laura Carlsmith – EatingWell Media Group, Chittenden
Alan Cummings – Seldon Tech, Windsor
Ty Danco – Stromatech, Inc., Chittenden
Robert Davis – Stromatec, Inc., Chittenden
Rob Downey – American Flatbread, Chittenden
Brian Dunkiel – Shems Dunkiel Raubvogul & Saunders, Chittenden
Paul Growald – Growald & Company, Chittenden
Jim Hand – Bennington
John Illick – ReArch, Inc. and VT Technology Park, Chittenden
Charlie Kireker – Twin Birches, Ltd., Addison
Mike Lane – Dealer.com, Chittenden
Krista Lincoln – KCL, Inc., Addison
Michael McKenna – James Farm Creative, Addison
Hinda Miller – Vermont State Senator/Jogbra, Chittenden
Matt Mole – Mole Consulting, Addison
Lawrence Mott – New Generation Partners, Addison
Leslie Nulty – Focal Point Advisory Services, Chittenden
Will Patten – Formerly of Ben and Jerry's, Chittenden
Will Raap – The Earth Partners and Founder Gardener's Supply, Chittenden
Miranda and Charlie Shackleton – ShackletonThomas, Windsor
Meg Smith – Meg Smith & Co., Chittenden
Miro Weinberger – The Hartland Group, Chittenden
To read more about these endorsements please visit my website atwww.MattDunne.com.
OMG, Matt is using Dubie as his ghost writer:
“Anyone who says the economy is doing fine in Vermont isn’t talking to the same Vermonters I am.
Since 2003, the number of new businesses in Vermont has dropped every single year. Jobs are being lost in all sectors and in all parts of the state and there has been no leadership shown in Montpelier to turn our economy around.”
Looks like Dubie learned a couple of new words (Oooga Boooga)? I assume this was done while listening to tapes and simultaneously flying an airplane? .. No, wait; that would be multi-tasking. Impossible.
But on a serious note, I hope that Matt Dunne has some plans for those people who need jobs but can’t find them simply because they made a youthful mistake. Those “kids” haven’t gone to college and likely won’t have the chance, but I would hope any new business that comes to Vermont will realize their value none-the-less. As young adults, many mired in the muck of a felony record, they also want to raise their kids in Vermont. Hope looks different depending on where we’re coming from but hopelessness looks the same for everyone. Please think of these people.
On matters of education and corrections, and in large part, addictions and mental health issues, I hear little to nothing for any change to look forward to.
I’d like to know more about Matt Dunne and where he stands on all of these issues.
In bringing in new business and retaining talent in terms of our graduates, all I can do is breath a sigh of relief. For the years that have passed since being a teenager in southern Vermont, I can’t keep track of all the industry that has vanished from this area. My town seems to have slowly been in some transformation; from an industrious area to a show and tell for tourists with so much emphasis on the out of state buck that it makes my stomach churn.
It has been dismaying to see the paradigm shift from government representing the social and legal interests of the people and local communities to shills for business and development.
Mr. Dunne is showing us his blue dog democrat credentials.
If he really wants to develop VT businesses start by funding strategic start-ups like a beer hops facility (so we can have one in the US), a kosher meat processing facility, a switchgrass pellet processing plant, non-factory type sustainable grass-based farms, etc.
And while one is agitating how about taking a stand to protect small businesses against the predatory actions of larger companies and corporations?
Take the raw milk issue for one as Organic Valley is demanding that their cooperative farmer members sell all of their milk only to them and not by the galleon or quart to the local community.
The other raw milk issue is how factory farms cannot easily meet the hygienic requirements that organic farms regularly do. And even with the massive drugs used to control disease in factory-sized farms we still have health issue with the pasteurized milk. Raw milk just turns sour (great in baking) while pasteurized milk just turns bad and must be thrown.
And how do you stand on the issue of factory farm waste collection and raw concentrated spreading before it is turned into composted soil ? Not to mention the antibiotics laced in that material being spread on soil to grow food?
So Mr. Dunne… Show us where you stand. With large corporations or with small business? Or with Vermont individuals and communities?
Let’s see…the biggest gripe against Democrat/Progressives is that business leaders “hate” them. Matt Dunne comes out with a pretty impressive list of 26 business leaders, many of whom I know, supporting his campaign. I believe the proper reaction is “Good, this proves our point…building infrastructure and helping everyone get an equal shot is GOOD for business.” (NOTE: I personally have not decided which of the candidates I’m voting for, not that they care all that much.)
Instead, several commenters look at the announcement and say, “He’s no good BECAUSE some business people like him.” Self-defeating only begins to describe this attitude. No viable candidate will every be “pure” enough for some people, I suppose…
I’m driving my shearer honda over to flatbread for dinner, i think. but where are the brewers?
which reminds me of my pet economic devt. proposal–we’ve got 18 brewers in the state, but they all buy their barley malt from england because we lack a malting plant. (good weather for growing it here, that’s not the problem). so i hope gov. dunne will convene a meeting of these guys and persuade them to cooperate on getting one going!–good jobs, good beer, good state!