Economy

Vermont is at a crossroads. After years working closely with families, schools, and community systems, I’ve seen how deeply our economy and local budgets are being strained. We need the number of workers to be balanced with the populations that need help like older folks AND the up-and-coming workers—our children. To make this happen, we need to spend less on state government, increase workforce opportunities, decrease the cost of health care, and make housing more affordable.

It’s becoming too expensive for many people to stay in Vermont. A recent VTDigger story called that reality “Domestic Migration.” I know many folks who have moved out of state just so they can work one job OR even one less job, afford a house, pay off loans, and more. Low population density makes it almost impossible for all Vermonters to have the ample services they deserve and an affordable cost of living.

What hits me the hardest are the Vermonters who leave the state because their health insurance and drug costs are too high to sustain their needs. This really affects older Vermonters who have Medicare but need additional pharmacy plans and supplemental health insurance while still paying out of pocket. I really hope to speed up positive change on the health-care front so Vermonters feel some relief. We owe it to our parents, grandparents, veterans, and hard-working neighbors to take comfort in the fact that health care is available to them.

Meanwhile, it’s tough to plan for economic prosperity without the help of the federal government. In this time of uncertainty, however, we need a plan to sustain ourselves. We have already been going it alone with forecasting in the health-care realm. The Rural Health Transformation Program investment of resources can help stabilize costs while we streamline existing systems. Our state government has too many offices working on similar health-related concepts without clear leadership.

Ideas such as regionalizing services like fire and rescue will help long‑term. But we also need targeted revenue measures such as nicotine and cannabis taxes, as well as stronger public‑private partnerships to build essential infrastructure. Vermont’s natural strengths—agriculture, clean energy, and tourism—can drive sustainable growth if we invest wisely. In addition, expanding educational and workforce pathways, from tech training to agricultural programs, will give young people real opportunities to build their futures here.

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