Keith Stern calls on Gov. Phil Scott to walk back dubious economic claims

Republican gubernatorial candidate Keith Stern urges Gov. Phil Scott to walk back his dubious assertions about his Administration’s economic achievements in the past biennium.
“Phil’s campaign claims that his Administration lowered income taxes saving Vermonters $30 million. The Governor repeated this claim at the WCAX debate Tuesday, while touting his fiscal conservatism. The $30 million figure is a projected savings that includes a charitable donation tax credit. It cannot be claimed as an income tax cut,” Stern said.

“Vermont received a surplus of $30 million for the fiscal year 2019 due to federal tax reforms. The Scott Administration merely tweaked the state’s tax code. This does not represent the tangible steps he promised to take, once elected, to address what he calls the ‘affordability crisis.’ In the absence of having done the hard work needed to provide actual tax cuts to the people and businesses in Vermont, the Governor is falsely branding a gift from D.C. and the massaging of allowable deductions as tax relief,” Stern added.

“Scott claims that he made the largest affordable housing investment in the state’s history. Investing in housing is commendable. But doing so by taking out a new $35 million bond, without demanding any regulatory reform (such as changes to Act 250) that would actually make building new homes affordable, demonstrates the chronic government mismanagement that has held Vermont back for too long,” Stern said.

“This pattern of deception by the Governor and his Administration not only insults the intelligence of Vermonters and shows a deep contempt for his fellow Republicans, but it is also divorced from the real work on taxes that Vermonters from every walk of life have been demanding,” Stern concluded.