Rutland County contenders square off in primary voting
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By SANDI SWITZER Herald Correspondent - Published: September 4, 2008
A pair of incumbents would like to return to Montpelier next January to represent Rutland District 1-2 in the Legislature.
Rep. David Potter, D-Clarendon, and Rep. Joseph Baker, R-West Rutland, are seeking re-election in the two-seat district comprised of their hometowns as well as Proctor and part of Ira.
But Democrats Barbara Carris of West Rutland and Ian Akin of Clarendon along with Republican Mark Fitzgerald of Ira are hoping to collect enough votes to go to Montpelier themselves.
Following primary voting next week, the two Democrats receiving the most tallies will join the two Republicans on the general election ballot in November.
Potter, 64, who operates a tree farm and is a retired school teacher, has served two terms in the Vermont legislature. He indicated there were many challenges facing the state and he wanted to continue to work toward solutions.
"Deteriorating transportation infrastructure, health care costs and economics like work-force development and economic stimulation and job creation are all areas of concern," Potter said.
The Clarendon resident was the only legislator from Rutland County on the transportation committee over the past two years. "I had to kind of fight the battles to keep the county's priorities on the table," he said.
District voters are concerned about escalating property taxes and finding other revenue sources to fund education.
"In the last biennium, I was one of the lead sponsors of a bill to move education funding off the property tax and onto the income tax," he said. "It faced opposition from the governor and so it had a couple of strikes against it. I think it will come up again and I think it could be a fairer and better way to fund education."
The other part of the education funding equation is cost-saving solutions at the local level. "Whether that involves consolidation or sharpening the pencils, we need to get taxes down," he said.
Energy issues will dominate discussion in Montpelier and the state should continue to explore alternatives, according to Potter.
"The role of a legislator involves advocacy and communication. With advocacy, you support and connect people with problem-solvers within state government in order to help them," he said. "With communication, you're acting as a conduit passing information from your district up to Montpelier and also bringing back information to the district."
Baker, 49, who is a gauge inspector at General Electric in Rutland, has 10 years of legislative experience. Baker indicated his constituents urged him to run for re-election and he feels there is more to accomplish.
"People say 'we need you up there' and I think there's a lot of things that need to be changed, and I would like to have the opportunity to change them," he explained.
Economic issues will be among a number of priorities facing legislators during the next session, the West Rutland resident said. "People are tapped out on their taxes and the state's spending too much," Baker explained. "I think what needs to be done is the state needs to start holding the line on spending and allow people to keep the money they earn."
Affordable housing, infrastructure improvements and energy issues also top the list, he said. "Energy is going to be huge. In 2012, Vermont Yankee's contract is up and we don't know if it's going to be renewed," Baker commented. "If it's not, then we lose a third of our power. At the same time, Hydro-Quebec contracts start phasing out. We could be on the verge of a mini-energy crisis in Vermont as far as electricity."
Baker said contracts should be re-negotiated along with conservation efforts and alternatives like wind and solar. "In a worse-case scenario if Vermont Yankee shuts down and Hydro-Quebec isn't affordable anymore, I can see Vermont relying pretty heavily on power from the midwest," he noted. "And of course that goes against everything we stand for as far as coal-burners."
He indicated it was important for legislators in the coming years to prioritize issues of public concern.
"What we need to do is really put our nose to the grindstone this coming year and pay attention to what people really want like lowering taxes and lowering state spending," Baker said.
Akin, 40, is a small business owner who offers individualized and group training in a variety of sports. He is also the men's and women's soccer coach at College of St. Joseph.
The Clarendon resident explained he has been interested in public service for a number of years and is well-informed with regard to the important issues facing the state.
"I have the time to dedicate to the voters of the region and I think there's some interesting things happening in Montpelier. I think a lot of candidates run out of anger or frustration and that's not where I am at all," Akin said. "I think the process works, it's just a matter of the people who are there being accountable and doing the best they can for Vermonters."
Priorities if elected include addressing rising health insurance costs, energy issues and economic matters, according to Akin. He noted in order to tackle these difficult issues the legislature ought to consider extending terms from two to four years.
"I honestly don't believe that two years is enough time for a group of people to be collectively productive," he said.
Akin noted district voters were largely concerned with financial issues like gasoline and food prices. "I'm also hearing a lot about Jessica's Law, which I think is going to be a big thing in front of voters this year," he said. "While I feel prosecution is necessary and there definitely needs to be some strict laws, what are we doing as far as early intervention. By the time we get to prosecution, a crime has already occurred."
Akin advocated a systematic approach that would include educating professionals in schools to spot "red flag" behaviors in children. "We need to have financial support for schools and DCF (Department of Children and Families) to follow up on these types of situations," he said.
Carris, 61, has been involved in civic and community affairs and served on a number of local, regional and state boards for nearly three decades.
"I've really been involved in the community starting with the arts for the last 25 or 30 years," the West Rutland resident said. "I've been on zoning boards, the Rutland Mental Health board, and state boards dealing with women's shelters and the prevention of child abuse."
Carris noted she had a desire to work on behalf of district residents despite an unsuccessful state senate bid several years ago. Her husband, William Carris, was elected to a Rutland County senate seat two years ago.
"I've been involved in business through Carris Reels and was involved in the employee ownership program, so I'm very pro-business," she explained.
Chief among her concerns are the economy, education, transportation infrastructure and rising health insurance costs.
"I think health care is really a big issue for me and trying to create better-paying jobs. We need to try to use Vermont's uniqueness in creating those jobs. Manufacturing just isn't going to happen, so we need to attract people and jobs that will work for the state," Carris said.
Voters throughout her district have expressed numerous concerns about financial matters. "The economy is a prevalent issue. People are worried about the price of gas and oil and they want to know how they're going to make it through the winter," Carris said.
Criminal justice issues including Jessica's Law have also been on the minds of voters, she indicated. "I think it needs a great deal more thought than the gut reaction a lot of people have had," she said.
Carris noted her vision for the state was similar to the views expressed by the residents of her district. "I want what everybody wants for Vermont — quality of life, being aware of our environment, being warm for the winter, creating more jobs and improving the roads … it's always Vermont roads."
Fitzgerald, 49, who is a Realtor, has served more than a dozen years on the Ira Select Board and as the town's health officer and road commissioner. He was a fifth generation dairy farmer before selling his herd earlier this year.
"I'm running because I'd really like to work on things like property tax reform. In the dairy business, the rising cost of property taxes was a big concern for us," Fitzgerald said.
The Ira resident noted last March voters in the small rural community of about 400 citizens approved an education budget topping $1 million for the first time in the town's history.
"We have 77 children we have to tuition out because we don't have a school in our town, so we don't really have control over that cost," Fitzgerald said. "It seems to me it's pretty severe for a town that size to be voting and paying taxes on a $1 million school budget. So I'd really like to look for ways to find more revenue to help people with property tax relief."
If elected, Fitzgerald indicated other priorities would include transportation infrastructure improvements, energy issues, child predator laws and access to affordable health insurance.
"We were farmers for so many years and we really didn't have health insurance. But when I sold the cows, I qualified for Catamount Health Plan," he said. "Just the comfort of going into a doctor's office with health insurance is an amazing feeling. I'd like to see that for everybody."
Fitzgerald explained he intended if elected to work with fellow legislators regardless of party affiliation on issues of importance to Vermonters.
"I really want to be the one that goes to Montpelier, work as hard as I can, and then come home and tell my constituents what's going on and ask for their opinions," he said. "I want to really be a voice for them, because they get lost in the mix when you don't communicate with them. Communication is key."
Primary voting will take place on Tuesday at the usual polling places in the district towns. The general election will take place on Nov. 4.
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