( – promoted by Sue Prent)

Doug Hoffer will make a fantastic Auditor. He has run for the office before, so he’s a seasoned campaigner. He is running in a very blue state with a Presidential race drawing good “D” turn out. But insider consensus seems to suggest that his opponent is a better politician with better name recognition. I must say though, in my informal polling, political non-junkies say “who?”  to the names of both candidates for the office of State Auditor of Accounts. So to answer the “who” question, please watch this interview with Mr. Hoffer, especially if you are unfamiliar with the skills and values he will bring to the Auditor’s position.  

Doug will bring the will and know-how to improve transparency in the Auditor’s office. While we were discussing “Standing Watch,” Auditor Salmon’s webcast, Doug shared that such media outreach by the Auditor’s office could better serve Vermonters if it were on public access TV, and not just the Auditor’s website.  

He vowed to put the entire budget on line, including contracts entered into by state government.  Though Doug has progressive values, it soon becomes apparent that he has no patience for government programs that do not deliver their intended outcomes. He also sees that the Auditor’s office itself is in need of more frugal practices. He cited Auditor Salmon’s recently commissioned study on alternative revenue streams as an example of spending that does not deliver to the taxpayer. Taxpayer dollars went to The Bronner Group which tags itself as “The Business of Government,” but it is unclear whether any public benefit resulted.

Doug’s past work as a policy analyst gives strong sense of how a study can result in tangible benefits to Vermonters. The Job Gap study for the Peace and Justice Center provided momentum for the idea of livable wages in this state, and now we have policies like a minimum wage indexed to inflation and a strong earned income tax credit. This work is especially valuable given that States with higher minimum wages are faring better in this recession.

Likewise, The Leaky Bucket study looked at how dependence on imports drains our economy. Much of this work provided the intellectual foundation for initiatives like Vermont’s Farm to Plate specifically, and Vermont’s re-embracing of localism in the economy generally. He also tackled producing a Unified Economic Development Budget to demonstrate how we can best support producers in Vermont.

We also discussed Vermont’s single payer health care initiative as a huge undertaking that is fundamentally about the intersection of dollars and values. And finally we couldn’t help but talk about the actual campaign itself, such as the State Trooper overtime story. This story in particular highlights just how Doug will approach the Auditor’s job: by gathering all of the relevant facts, avoiding redundancy and grandstanding, and seeking solutions that are based on careful deliberation.

Doug’s campaign website

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