Shumlin discusses economics, education and addiction at luncheon

Governor Peter Shumlin spoke at a Springfield Rotary Club luncheon held in collaboration with the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce Monday at Hartness House.

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Shumlin discusses economics, education and addiction at luncheon By Nancy A. Cavanaugh ncavanaugh@eagletimes.com Governor Peter Shumlin speaking at a Rotary Club of Springfield luncheon held in collaboration with the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce on Monday at Hartness House. He spoke about economics, education and addiction. — NANCY A. CAVANAUGH Governor Peter Shumlin speaking at a Rotary Club of Springfield luncheon held in collaboration with the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce on Monday at Hartness House. He spoke about economics, education and addiction. — NANCY A. CAVANAUGHSPRINGFIELD — Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin spoke at a Springfield Rotary Club luncheon held in collaboration with the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce Monday at Hartness House. For a half-hour he spoke about economics, education and addiction. “What happens in Springfield really matters. I have to say I’m really proud of the progress that we’re making,” said Shumlin. “It’s not been easy, I get that. We’re not going to be able to flick a switch and make it all glow, but we’re growing. And, that matters. “I see my team from Black River Produce. They’re a good example of entrepreneurship creating jobs, improving the Vermont quality of life, and giving good food to good people. They were just a couple of hippies selling blueberries out of the back of a truck when I was growing up,” he continued. “The slaughter house is a great example of how we innovate. These guys together with that slaughter house are changing the demand for locally grown Vermont meat and that’s huge.” Shumlin talked about the differences between when he was graduating from high school and now, and the need for more high school graduates to go on to college. “Here in the 21st century, if you give up at high school, chances are much better than not you’re going to make a lower wage,” he said. “Vermont has one of the highest graduation rates in the country and we should be proud of that, but we have a terrible number when it comes to moving people beyond high school. “I asked myself, what are the obstacles? The first is fear. Let’s be honest about this, if your parents have never gone to college, there’s huge fear about what that means. The second thing is loot — money,” Shumlin continued. “You can now get two free years of college with my programs — early college and dual enrollment — with the money we’re spending on high school right now. That’s a big deal.” He ended his speech talking about addiction and marijuana. “And anyone that thinks that [addiction] isn’t the one thing that affects our quality of life and what we cherish in this state, then they’re not looking at reality. We’ve made some great progress,” said Shumlin. “We’ve saved $50 million for Vermont taxpayers. We’re using that money for universal [pre-kindergarten] and treatment, and other things we should be doing.” One member of the audience asked about how programs like Project ACTION are being protected so that they can continue after Shumlin leaves office. “I’m actually optimistic about whoever is the next governor carrying on this work. The beauty of this issue is that it is bipartisan. Presidential candidates are all on top of this,” he said. “We’re getting a level of attention that we’ll be able to carry on with programs like this and finally get the federal help we should be getting. I’m optimistic they’ll carry on.” Shumlin went on to discuss why he believes it is necessary for Vermont to open dispenseries and regulate where people are buying their marijuana. “Why should we regulate pot? This year, 80,000 Vermonters admitted to buying pot in the last month. If 80,000 admitted it on a survey and its illegal? You all can do the math in your own head. We’ve got a lot of folks doing it. When I was doing Representative Campbell’s job, my assistant came to find me. There was an elderly woman who needed medical marijuana and had gotten the paperwork from her doctor, she wants me to explain to her what a drug dealer looks like. Here we are now, I’ve decriminalized having an ounce or less of marijuana. We’re in the same boat. “We’ve got 80,000 people admitting they buy it from a drug dealer every month. I don’t know a lot about drug dealers, but I bet you anything they don’t care about how old you are, they don’t care what’s in the junk they sell you, and as long as you’re stopping by, you may want to buy some of the other goodies in their cache,” Shumlin continued. “Let’s take the lessons from other states — no edibles, don’t over tax it so we drive out the drug dealers, and, three, let’s use some of the resources to train more of our police force how to recognize drugged driving because they’re on the roads right now," he said. "I do believe that heroin will mess up our state, but I do not believe marijuana will if we do it right.” Published February 2, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Shumlin addresses pot legalization By Susan Smallheer STAFF WRITER SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Peter Shumlin struck a nerve Monday when he told a Springfield lunchtime gathering that he was just facing reality when he supported the legalization of marijuana. Shumlin, speaking at the annual governor’s luncheon at the Hartness House, sponsored by the Springfield Rotary and Chamber of Commerce, said that he personally was against smoking of pot, as well as smoking cigarettes and anything other than the moderate use of alcohol. “Vermont can get this right,” he said. The governor pointed out a recent survey showed that 80,000 Vermonters, close to 12.5 percent of the total state population of 640,000, had admitted to buying marijuana in the past month and it was time it was regulated. He told the gathering that it would be better to regulate marijuana, and tax it reasonably so it doesn’t encourage the black market, rather than continue down the path the state is going. “That’s my logic,” he said. “Some say it’s mixed logic.” Shumlin didn’t get a single question on the pot issue from the audience of 65 people. He called drinking alcohol to excess “a really bad idea,” and smoking cigarettes “a really bad idea.” He called smoking pot “a really bad idea,” but that it should be regulated like alcohol and cigarettes. “I do not believe that pot will destroy Vermont,” said Shumlin, while warning that heroin and opiate abuse could destroy the values the state is known for. Shumlin said he wasn’t in favor of making edible marijuana items legal. They could too easily get in the hands of children, he said. And more money should be spent on law enforcement training so police can recognized drugged driving, he said. With 80,000 Vermonters saying they buy pot on a regular basis, it’s inevitable a lot of people are driving while under the influence, he said. But he also told a story about an older constituent, who because of severe pain, was given a prescription for medical marijuana. She called him, he said, for instructions on how to recognize a drug dealer. But he said that the state policy regarding marijuana was hypocritical without legalization: the state has decriminalized small amounts of marijuana and also has endorsed medical marijuana. Shumlin said a bill recently moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee was a good compromise. The bill now goes to the Senate Finance Committee and other senate committees before it goes up for a senate vote. Shumlin also promised that Springfield would soon see action on the cleanup of the old Jones & Lamson Machine Tool Co. site, which is in the process of another environmental assessment. “Springfield has a bright future,” he said. And the governor, who has campaigned for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, over Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, made a plug for civilized political discourse. While not mentioning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by name, Shumlin urged people to look beyond the obvious rhetoric of people saying that the United States was the “laughingstock” of China, the Middle East and Russia. “People are so relieved to hear everything is going to be great again,” he said. Vermonters don’t vote in their presidential primary until March 1.