Dubie begins 'job tour'
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By STEPHANIE M. PETERS STAFF WRITER - Published: January 14, 2010
Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie kicked-off a six-day "job tour" on Wednesday in Rutland County, hoping to hear employers' concerns.
What he got was an earful of candid feedback from businesses large and small, much of it focusing on their worries about taxes, the state's regulatory environment and a sustainable energy source.
"There was a lot of candor, energy and passion," he said.
As well as some advice. The small businesses "said 'you should consider us, the businesses of Vermont, as the first salesmen for (attracting new business to) Vermont,'" he said.
However, if the state wants to retain its "salesmen," it should treat them with some respect, Dubie was told.
Dubie said the purpose of the six-day tour was to cross check his thinking with that of the state's business community to help set his agenda for working with the Legislature, which he said should be thinking only of whether their actions are going to help retain jobs or not.
"That should be the litmus test," he said.
Dubie points to Vermont's drop-off from 36th to 47th on Forbes magazine's ranking of the best states in the nation to do business as an effect of the decisions made by the Legislature last session.
"My message is that Vermont is open for business and we should strive to be the place in New England to build your business."
According to Dubie, Rutland County seemed like the logical first stop on the tour given an unemployment rate that's topped the state for the past three quarters. Other stops over the next week will include Washington, Bennington and Windsor counties.
Dubie's first stops on Wednesday were General Electric and Omya, where he was told that there are opportunities for growth, but they will depend largely on the actions of the Legislature. Representatives from both companies also said that some of the pressure they feel right now is from a sense that they're competing with their sister sites putting out similar products across the world, he said.
For lunch, Dubie joined half a dozen local business people at the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce.
"It was basically a frank discussion of what their challenges are," said Tom Donahue, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. Donahue said he invited businesses representing a mix of hospitality, retail, manufacturing and service industries.
"There was some opinion around the room that 2010 isn't going to be better for businesses," Donahue said. "That there are many businesses on the edge and we'll see some more failures. That was a pretty sober message to deliver to him."
Following lunch, Dubie toured downtown Rutland, stopping to meet business owners along Center Street and visit the Paramount Theatre. His final stop of the day was H. Hirschmann Ltd., a custom wood window and door manufacturer in West Rutland.
stephanie.peters@rutlandherald.com
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