(Host) Former Waitsfield Representative Bruce Hyde announced on Tuesday that he’s seeking the Republican nomination for state auditor. He says he’s concerned that the incumbent auditor has inappropriately politicized the office.
Hyde, who served three terms in the House, says Democrat Elizabeth Ready is exploiting her position for political gain. He says Vermont needs to return to a time when the role of the auditor was less controversial:
(Hyde) "Rather than going into the various departments and agencies of state government trying to work things out, to make things work smoothly when you find a problem, the first thing you’ve got to do is get up on a soapbox to call a press conference and say, ‘look what I’ve found!’ – rather than going in and trying to solve the problem. And I think that’s what is really missing."
(Host) Ready says she totally disagrees with Hyde’s charges. Ready says she’s doing her job and it’s inevitable that some people will be unhappy with the results of her investigations.
Ready, who is seeking re-election, says her top priority is to implement efforts that will help improve the state’s internal controls for fiscal management.