Racine says job creation is a campaign priority

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(Host) Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine wants to make job creation the centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign. On Monday, Racine outlined a series of measures he says will promote small businesses and expand job training opportunities for Vermonters.

The Democratic candidate says the state has concentrated its business outreach efforts on larger employers. He says that work must continue, but that smaller companies have been neglected:

(Racine) “And as I travel around the state, I meet a lot of people who are running small businesses, manufacturing businesses. They pay high wages and they’ve felt they haven’t gotten the same level of attention as the Husky’s and IBM’s have gotten. And they’re right and that’s what’s got to change. So it’s an additional focus of state government to help those smaller businesses to the same level that we would help an IBM and Husky.”

(Host) Racine says his proposals can be funded without new taxes if the state readjusts its priorities to develop new jobs. According to Racine, the state won’t be able to afford new social programs unless it has an economy based on good jobs.

(Racine) “If we as Vermonters want to do for children and our elderly those things we know are right – good education, prescription drug benefit for seniors – we have to have a base of a strong economy. Vermonters have to be employed at high wages if we’re going to have state revenues strong enough to support those programs. So until we create more jobs in Vermont, until Vermonters are earning higher wages, we will continue to struggle for those programs we all want to see.”

(Host) Racine says if he’s elected governor he’ll focus on technical education to improve Vermont’s workforce. He also promises to improve the state permit process by allowing applicants to complete the forms online. And he says, the state needs to push the telecommunications industry to bring broadband Internet service to every corner of Vermont.

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