Shumlin: Vermont needs more state, business partnerships

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin was the featured speaker at Tuesday's annual meeting of the Springfield Regional Development Corp. at the Crown Point Country Club in Springfield.
http://www.eagletimes.com/news/2015-11-11/Front_Page/Shumlin_Vermont_needs_more_state_business_partners.html

Shumlin: Vermont needs more state, business partnerships By Allan Stein allans@eagletimes.com Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin. — ALLAN STEIN Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin. — ALLAN STEIN SPRINGFIELD — Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin said "no" to Vermont's naysayers while showering praise on the "critical partnerships" that have made the Green Mountain State a leader in jobs growth, renewable energy, and education reform during his tenure. "We have waited long enough and you have delivered together," said Shumlin, the featured speaker at Tuesday's annual meeting of the Springfield Regional Development Corp. at the Crown Point Country Club in Springfield. In spite of Vermont's "doom and gloomers," Shumlin said he was optimistic about the state's economic climate and direction five years after he became governor in 2010. Shumlin said Vermont's unemployment rate was high then. State agencies and business leaders decided to "get together" and came up with workable solutions to reverse the downward trend and create job opportunities. As a result Vermont now has the third lowest unemployment rate in the U.S. "this side of the Mississippi," the governor said. He said the public and private sectors together invested $400 million toward the complete "build-out" of broadband Internet throughout Vermont. "We brought together some of the finest minds in the state," he said. "We did a lot of things right." He said Vermont now boasts having a "virtual address in nearly every corner" of the state. "So, yeah, we are making progress. We have one of the best build-outs of Internet in America," he said. In education, Vermont is the only state in the nation that has access to "quality early childhood education" for 3 and 4 year olds. Shumlin said there is a clear link between having access to educational opportunity and job opportunity. He cited as an example the state's "dual enrollment" program in which students can participate in college programs while still in high school. Regarding the historic education reform law known as Act 46, Shumlin highlighted its early success in sparking local conversations statewide about how to enhance the quality of education in Vermont. "Act 46 has built a partnership and incentive to form partnerships" with smaller districts, even though the law has not been greeted with "confetti parades," Shumlin said. While Vermont continues to experience a drop in student enrollment, he said little had been done prior to Act 46 to make education less expensive for shrinking school districts. "I am convinced Act 46 will be seen five years from now as the savior of our kids and the savior of our communities," said Shumlin. Since he became governor, Shumlin said Vermont has seen a rapid growth in the adoption of renewable energy technology including wind and solar. The governor said opiate addiction undermines a vibrant labor market. He said a serious dialog on prescription drug dependency in Vermont is needed and that substance abuse treatment — not jail time — is the solution. He said prescription drug and heroin addiction often go hand in hand. "We can't stop heroin addiction until we have a true, honest conversation about [prescription] painkillers. There is nothing that can destroy the quality of life faster than not treating this disease," Shumlin said.