10.30.2008 - Woodstock Town Hall Election ForumFrom the Vermont Standard
Energy, Sex Crime Laws Dominate Forum
By GARETH HENDERSON
Staff Reporter
Energy was a burning issue for a number of residents at a candidate forum at Woodstock Town Hall Monday night. Health care and sex crime laws also sparked long discussions.
The forum gave the approximately 40 people present some valuable information as they prepare to vote in elections on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The Town of Woodstock and the Vermont Standard sponsored the forum, which featured 11 local candidates. Former NBC Correspondent Bob Hager was the moderator.
All seven candidates running for the Vermont House of Representatives in the Woodstock region were present. They included Alison Clarkson (D-Woodstock, Reading), who is the only incumbent in the Woodstock region running unopposed. Steve Adams (R-Hartland, West Windsor) was there, alongside his Democratic opponent John Bartholomew. Barnard Democrat Mark Mitchell is running for reelection for the seat representing Barnard, Pomfret, Quechee and West Hartford. He and his Republican opponent Gayle Ottmann of Quechee attended the Monday night forum. Also present were Chittenden Republican Carolyn Schwalbe and Mendon Democrat Megan Smith. They are running to represent Bridgewater, Killington, Mendon and Chittenden. Harry Chen vacated that seat this year.
Hager explained that Republican Geoffrey Peterson is on the Woodstock-Reading ticket but has withdrawn his candidacy. He has taken a job with AmeriCorps and is therefore barred from seeking public office. Clarkson remains unchallenged.
Four out of six Windsor County Senate candidates came to the forum on Monday. They included all three Democratic incumbents, Senate Majority Leader John Campbell of Quechee, Dick McCormack of Bethel and Alice Nitka of Ludlow. Independent candidate Mark Blanchard of Springfield joined them.
None of the Republican candidates for the Senate were present. Kent Butterfield, a Republican from Stockbridge, had cleared his schedule for the event but could not come due to medical reasons.
Butterfield said on Tuesday said the problems were not serious and he would stay on the campaign trail. GOP candidates Kirk Sparkman of Chester and Ethan Foster of Andover did not attend despite prior invitations.
Candidates listed property taxes, the economy, energy, affordable housing and roads as issues they would address if elected.
Sex crime laws were a big topic of discussion during the forum. The recent murder of Braintree resident Brooke Bennett caused statewide outrage and prompted lawmakers to hold hearings over the summer. A number of people in Vermont called for Jessica's Law, a Florida law that includes 25-year mandatory minimums for convicted sex offenders.
Clarkson, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, favored funding special investigative units and strengthening the prosecution of sex crimes. But she noted that the state is strapped for cash. "Do we fund special investigative units or Meals on Wheels? This is the kind of debate we'll be having all year," Clarkson said.
Schwalbe questioned the sex offender registry.
"If they are on a registry, how does that really protect our children?" she said.
Adams wanted the sex offender registry expanded to include addresses of sex offenders.
Senators Campbell and Nitka were each involved in the judiciary committee hearings this summer. Campbell said Jessica's Law had many forms. The Florida version has the death penalty, which is outlawed in Vermont. Campbell added that some parts of Jessica's Law are already on Vermont's books and are stronger.
McCormack said longer sentences should be coupled with stronger probation measures and prevention as well. He drew some fire from the crowd when he said stronger penalties alone usually don't stop crime. For example, McCormack said Texas has the death penalty for murders, but the number of murders in that state hasn't dropped.
An audience member stood up and said longer sentences do take offenders off the streets and stop them from committing more crimes.
"So don't say it doesn't accomplish anything," the man said.
McCormack responded that this point made sense in the case of life sentences, in which offenders don't get out of jail.
Blanchard shared Campbell's concerns that some people never told police their concerns about Brooke Bennett's uncle Michael Jacques, who now stands accused of her murder. This issue became clear to Campbell during the summer hearings.
"The problem is that the neighborhood didn't stand up. That's the problem," Blanchard said.
The audience mentioned energy several times. The first questioner asked what Vermont needed for a comprehensive energy plan for the future.
Mitchell, a member of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, said a recently passed energy bill was a step in the right direction. The legislation calls for Vermont to produce 25 percent of its electricity locally by the year 2025. However, Mitchell said the original bill was weakened after a veto from Governor Jim Douglas. Later on, Mitchell cited such vetoes as reasons why he would probably vote for House Speaker Gaye Symington if the House had to decide the governor's race. Still, Mitchell said he would consider how his district voted.
"I have spent the last two years having the work I was doing vetoed," Mitchell said.
The state constitution leaves the final vote to the House if no gubernatorial candidate gets 51 percent of the vote. At Monday's forum, other candidates preferred to wait and see how the vote came out before giving a definite answer. Smith said how her district voted would be a major factor in her decision.
On energy, Adams said the 2008 energy bill was a good, collaborative effort. He also voiced his support for renegotiating the state's contract with Hydro Quebec, which supplies 30 percent of Vermont's electricity. The controversial Vermont Yankee nuclear plant supplies another 30 percent.
All candidates agreed that it would take time to find viable replacements for those sources.
Bartholomew said nuclear power worries him because future generations will have to deal with the nuclear waste left behind. Later on, an audience member said France has found ways to recycle its nuclear waste.
Schwalbe said Vermont should encourage the federal government to drill for oil and also increase refinery capacity. Schwalbe, who has an environmental science background, said bio-fuels are a very promising source.
Smith, a former Vermont innkeeper, said more weatherization could save energy in a lot of aging buildings.
Health care issues also received plenty of attention at the forum. Ottmann, director of the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce, said everyone should have affordable health care but she didn't know how the state would pay for it.
Bartholomew once worked at the federal level at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. He said the national system was an underlying issue.
"I'm really concerned that nationally we have a system based on making profits for insurance companies," Bartholomew said.
Clarkson said the state has a long way to go on affordable health care.
"It's still too expensive for people," Clarkson said of Catamount Health.
Mitchell came out forcefully on the issue. His wife is currently undergoing cancer treatment, and he said Blue Cross Blue Shield gets a huge portion of the bills. Mitchell said the well-known company's CEO gets $2 million per year and that this pattern must stop.
"I think this is unconscionable," Mitchell said, getting applause from the audience.
The Senate portion of the forum started out with Blanchard, who criticized incumbents for not doing enough to represent southern Windsor County. Blanchard, a Springfield Hospital engineer who chairs the Springfield Selectboard, said none of the incumbents have reached out to him during his five years on the board.
"But it's not the only reason I'm running," Blanchard said, noting that partisan politics is hurting Vermont. "We need to do consensus building and come up with solid solutions."
The incumbents disagreed with both assertions. Campbell said the Senate passes most of its bills in a bi-partisan fashion, given its smaller numbers.
McCormack said there have been decisions that would benefit Springfield.
"I would defend our performance," he said. McCormack added that he would be glad to sit down with Blanchard and discuss any problems.
An audience member later asked the Senate candidates if they would consider tapping into the state's rainy day fund, which now total $36 million.
Campbell said he could see those funds being used to help middle-income families who don't qualify for heating fuel assistance. McCormack said he hoped to avoid using the rainy day fund. He said it's still very unclear what the winter will bring. Nitka called for more creative solutions. She said it was worth looking at different funding sources for transportation funds and other urgent needs. Blanchard said the state could use at least a portion of the funds this year.
"I don't think it's raining, I think it's pouring," Blanchard said.
Printed with the authorization and permission of the Vermont Standard Newspaper | 
