Primary debate: Scott and Stern tussle over guns, taxes

In the first debate in his bid for re-election, Gov. Phil Scott stepped into a Burlington community TV studio on Wednesday evening with his sole challenger in the upcoming Republican primary, Keith Stern, a grocer from North Springfield.

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Scott and Stern Tussle Over Guns, Taxes During Primary Debate By Xander Landen VtDigger Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Burlington — In the first debate in his bid for re-election, Gov. Phil Scott stepped into a Burlington community TV studio on Wednesday evening with his sole challenger in the upcoming Republican primary, Keith Stern, a grocer from North Springfield, Vt. Over the course of the debate, moderated by VtDigger editor Anne Galloway, Stern pledged he would go further than Scott to lower taxes, and rebuked the governor for supporting wide-ranging gun control laws. Scott touted his hardline approach to keeping taxes level and boasted that under his leadership, Vermont has seen increased economic prosperity. Scott’s first term in office has been defined by his trademark refrain calling for “no new taxes and no new fees,” which has led the governor to attempt to force lawmakers into passing budgets that prevented, or lowered proposed tax hikes. This stance, the governor claimed, has created an environment in which a badly needed economic uptick has been possible. After acting to prevent tax increases in his first year in office, the state experienced organic revenue growth of $82 million dollars, he said. “It proved that if you invest more in the economy ... that you can actually survive and prosper,” he said. “Because what’s happened to us as a society is we keep raising taxes and fees ... it makes it so unaffordable for so many.” On several occasions, the incumbent governor opined that Vermont’s demographics are its largest economic challenge, but crowed that over the last six months, Vermont has seen an influx of 4,400 new workers. He suggested that encouraging even more people to move in-state would be a continued priority if voters gave him a second term. “We have to do whatever we can to bring more people into the state, more workers to fill those jobs that are out here ... and for them to stay here as well,” he said. Stern argued that the biggest hurdles standing in the way of economic development and a growing population in Vermont are its high taxes. Just leveling tax rates is not enough, he argued. “We got such high taxes in this state, unaffordable for so many,” he said. “It can’t continue. We’re too high on income tax, property tax, sales tax we can do so much better just by reducing the waste in government.” Stern suggested that he would aim to curtail government spending and save taxpayers money by cutting state jobs. As governor, Stern said, he would have the authority to make many of these cuts on his own, and redirect state funds, with or without the support of Democratic lawmakers. But Scott was quick to call out his opponent on this claim, with a brief lesson on the separate branches of state government. “Actually you can’t, Keith,” Scott said. “The legislature has the authority to appropriate money, as I found out, you don’t have any say in terms of spending money without the legislature’s approval.” At another point in the debate Stern took the opportunity to go after Scott, who lauded the tax increment finance program his administration has embraced to encourage development. The attack came after Scott claimed the program was spurring downtown revitalization in places like Springfield. “I live in Springfield. I know investing in downtown is really useless because there’s no parking,” Stern said. “So what are you going to get downtown when nobody has a place to park?” Stern also went after the governor for his stance on gun control, which shifted dramatically during the last legislative session. After state law enforcement said they thwarted a planned school shooting in Fair Haven in February — just days after a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead — Scott said he was open to gun reform, backtracking on a campaign promise not to pass new gun laws. In April, he signed a package of gun control measures into law. “Parkland and the kid in Fair Haven, it wasn’t a gun issue it was a mental health issue,” Stern said. “If you really want to take care of the gun violence go where the problem is. Don’t go looking for a solution to a non-problem.” Scott’s approval rating has tanked following his decision to support those bills, according to the latest Morning Consult poll published on Wednesday. But Scott stood by his decision on Wednesday night. He said governing isn’t about watching the polls, or making decisions to score political points. “I chose action over inaction,” he said. “I know that I disappointed a lot of people. I regret disappointing people, but at the same time I had to look myself in the mirror. If that ever happened in Vermont I’m not sure I could say at the time that we had done all we could.” The two candidates also diverged on their approach to immigration. While Stern supports President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants, Scott said he supports legal immigration and the cities and towns in Vermont that want to take in more refugees. “We need more people in Vermont,” he said. “The demographics are the challenge for us and I think legal immigration is part of the solution.” Scott and Stern found some common ground. Both candidates said they would not support legislation to create a system to tax and regulate marijuana, unless the state takes additional steps to prepare for the legal change. “I believe we need to do more work in terms of addressing impairment on our highways,” Scott said. “We also need more education we need to prepare ourselves and prepare our youths about the adverse effects of many substances.” And over the course of the debate, both candidates repeatedly expressed the common desire to make the state more affordable for its residents, though they offered different ideas about how to make it happen. “I want to make sure that people like me who have been here all their lives can afford to stay here,” Stern said. “We can make this state great again,” he said. “Not to steal from Donald Trump.”