September 2004 - UP for DEBATE – Candidates for Lt. Governor face off

Vermont Woman posed the following questions to Jan Backus and Cheryl Rivers, candidates for Lieutenant Governor. The winner of the September 14 primary election will go on to face the incumbent, Republican Brian Dubie.

Here’s how the two Democratic contenders weighed in on the issues.

1. You knock on the door of a house with a “Take Back Vermont” sign prominently hanging on the property. How would you open a conversation with the woman who answers the door?

I would open this conversation the same way as I’ve been doing for the last few months, as I’ve gone door to door all over the state. “Hello, I’m Jan Backus and I’m running for lieutenant governor. I’m going door to door to meet voters and listen to their issues and concerns.”

I have no problem meeting with voters with whom I disagree on some issues. (Or legislators on the other side of the fence, either.) I am confident and comfortable in my views and opinions. This allows me to be a good listener while still being firmly committed to my own principles.

Door-to-door campaigning is a wonderful part of Vermont’s tradition and it keeps us candidates rooted in reality.

I enjoy meeting voters with all viewpoints, especially women. Even when there are areas of disagreement between us, as women we always have a more things in common than things that separate us. What we share can help us to build personal and political bridges. That’s what I have always done in my personal and public life, and it has helped me to be an effective legislator.

Nor do I pre-judge or assume I know what another woman’s thoughts or feelings are. I’m sure we’d be likely to talk about the sign and how she feels. Only then will I know what is really in her heart and she in mine. And if we disagree, so be it. That doesn’t preclude a constructive and warm conversation about the wide array of legitimate concerns that she might bring up.

My parents raised me to treat others with respect. I’ve found that goes a long way in a world where it is too easy to burn bridges rather than to build them.

I would approach this woman with a smile and a handshake. I would speak with her about the economic issues which are of concern to ordinary Vermonters: fair prescription drug prices, the need for universal health care, and the need for quality jobs that pay a living wage. I am very much aware that in many cases women do not share the views of the men in their lives. This woman will vote in the privacy of the voting booth, and the odds are that it wasn’t her that put up that sign. I have also found that this sign means different things to different people. I will try to approach the situation believing there is more that unites us than divides us. A positive friendly attitude goes a long way.

2. Are you Pro-Choice, yes or no?
What is your stand on parental notification of abortion for girls under 18?
What restrictions, if any, should there be on late-term abortion?

Yes, I am proudly Pro-Choice. I do not support any governmental restrictions on a woman’s right to make her own reproductive decisions. Parental notification requirements and restrictions on late-term abortions are not designed to protect women. Instead, these and other limits on reproductive freedom are designed to stop women from choosing abortion and to make it more burdensome to obtain an abortion for those that do. Women and their families, in consultation with their doctors, should make private medical decisions – not politicians.

During my time as Chair of Health and Welfare Committee in the State Legislature, I was successful in defeating at the committee level all bills attempting to restrict reproductive freedom. Each year there were attempts to require Parental Notification, to set time limits on abortion, to involve government in the decision making process, where it has no business being. Each of those bills was defeated under my leadership.

While on the Appropriations Committee I ensured state funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in the face of federal cutbacks, and protected Medicaid recipients' access to abortion and family planning.

Brian Dubie's public evasions on the issue of Reproductive Freedom and his private support of the Right To Life agenda is deeply troubling. The erosion at the national level of support for reproductive rights means the state will need to be more vigilant. Our lieutenant governor could well be in a position to cast a tie-breaking vote. We must not let Brian Dubie have that opportunity.

I am fully pro-choice. I oppose all legislative efforts to limit the right of all women of all ages to make their own decisions about their own bodies and their own destinies. Currently minors have a right to confidentiality regarding mental health services, treatment for sexually transmitted disease, and the right to confidentiality if they choose to bear a child. I support their right to confidentiality to obtain a safe and legal abortion if that is their choice) While I would hope that they will consult with their parents, I do not believe it is prudent to try and legislate family communication. I support Roe versus Wade, and I will oppose any and all efforts to intervene in the right of all women to make their own decisions about their own bodies and their own destinies. I will oppose any efforts to intervene between a woman and her health care provider. I do not favor any restrictions.

3. Do you support the demands of women that private health insurance plans should cover prescription contraception? Should emergency contraception – the so-called “Day After Pill” – be available to Vermont girls and women? What steps would you take to bring each of these about?

Yes. I am a strong supporter of require private health insurers to cover prescription contraception and will vote for such legislation as lieutenant governor. By ensuring women’s access to contraception—a basic healthcare need—contraceptive equity laws help reduce unintended pregnancies and improve women’s health.

I also believe that emergency contraception should be available to Vermont girls and women because it can reduce unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion. As lieutenant governor, I will work with the legislature to make sure these important and underutilized contraceptive options are available to Vermont girls and women.

I also strongly support OTC sales of "Plan B". The politically motivated rejection of scientific evidence by the Bush appointed FDA Chair was further evidence of the Bush Administration's intentions to restrict our reproductive rights.

I will be leading the effort to win comprehensive coverage for all Vermonters in a universal health care plan.

4. What kind of support would you give to projects that bring arts programs to the youth of Vermont?

The arts are a vital part of Vermont’s quality of life and a source of happiness and inspiration throughout our lives. I strongly support arts in the schools. I believe that state support in partnership with existing federal grant programs for the arts in our public schools has done a lot to bring arts programs to the youth of Vermont and I will continue to support arts initiatives, both in our schools and in our communities. I was proud to help secure some initial funding for the Firehouse Gallery renovation in Burlington while serving as senator.

I spent some time on the board of the Windham Arts Council and as an active member of the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center so I know first hand the wonderful work being done at the community level to reach out to Vermonters with the arts.

Vermont, like many other states, is feeling the brunt of reductions in funding from the Federal government. It will be a real challenge to maintain our existing programs. I would support current funding levels for such efforts.

5. Issues continue to arise in which women are subject to discrimination based solely on their gender. Will you support a proposed amendment to the Vermont constitution guaranteeing equal rights regardless of sex?

Yes. I am a strong supporter of equal rights regardless of sex and will always support improvements to the constitution that expand citizens’ rights. I generally oppose efforts to amend the constitution if the amendment limits rights or if it is merely cosmetic.

In my legislative career, I have worked hard to increase women’s rights, to protect women from domestic violence, to support women with education and training, to increase minimum wages for Vermonters. I have also worked to expand rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Vermonters and for Vermonters of non-white ethnic backgrounds.

Yes. I will support such an amendment; I would use my voice, my energy, and the bully pulpit of the office of lieutenant governor to help make sure we win next time.

6. In 2002, Vermont women working full-time and year-round earned eighty cents for every dollar a Vermont man made. Advocates believe that a barrier to closing this wage gap is lack of information. Would you support legislation protecting employees from retaliation by employers, if the employees share personal wage information with co-workers in order to determine whether their company is complying with equal pay laws?

Yes. The right to be paid fairly for an honest day's work is one of the most fundamental human rights. We should do everything possible, including providing workers with protections for providing more information on their wages, to close the pay equity gap.

Equal pay for equal work is often a subtle problem that is difficult to combat. And it does not stand alone as an issue that women and minorities face in the workplace. It is deeply intertwined with the problem of unequal opportunity. Closing the information loophole is not enough if we fail to provide the opportunity for women and minorities, regardless of their merit, to reach higher paying positions.

It is a basic issue of fairness to provide equal pay for work of equal value. The Vermont Commission on Women and the Vermont BPW have provided important leadership on this issue. I look forward to working with them and with all Vermonters to make it possible for women and minorities to finally achieve this fundamental fairness.

7. What strategies of support do you have for the families of National Guard personnel who have been sent into combat?

As I’ve campaigned throughout the state I’ve seen that all Vermonters, no matter how they feel about the war in Iraq, are proud of our National Guard men and women and strongly support them and their families. Members of the Vermont National Guard have sacrificed their civilian careers, precious family time, and—sometimes—their lives. We in turn need to support their families in any way we can.

Iraq remains a dangerous place, and tragically eleven Vermonters to date have been killed carrying out their mission. They have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty. Many other Vermonters have been wounded there as well. In fact, Vermont has one of the highest casualties per capita in the country

I strongly supported the confirmation of General Martha Rainville to head the Guard when I served in the State Senate and will continue to work with her and other members of the Guard to support them and their families as they embody the spirit of service to our country.

Shockingly, Brian Dubie recently tried to use a benefit for the Vermont National Guard families as an excuse to throw a fundraiser for his campaign. I joined with Cheryl Rivers and we wrote and asked him to call it off, which he did. Using the Vermont National Guard as a campaign fundraising ploy shows bad taste and bad judgment, and gives another reason why Vermonters need to elect a new lieutenant governor.

Charity is no support for adequate compensation and good public policy. I did not and do not support the war in Iraq and I am in favor of bringing our troops home sooner rather than later.

No American should be serving our country in a foreign land in a time of war and have to worry about whether his or her family has enough resources to live. These families must be guaranteed adequate resources to maintain their housing, to pay for their health care, their food and other necessities of life.

The failed policies of the Bush administration (supported by Vermont’s current lieutenant governor) have resulted in the unusual situation where National Guard troops are being called upon to serve for extended periods of time in a foreign land. I attended the recent fundraiser held to benefit Vermont National Guard families and I contributed to the Family Assistance Fund, but I believe that in the absence of Federal action Vermont state government can and should do more. I would support additional state expenditures to support the families of our troops.

8. What are your thoughts on the state early childhood initiative "Building Bright Futures", and how would you support the effort?

I believe that providing access to early childhood development programs is one of the keys for the next generation of Vermonters. “Building Bright Futures” is a new model of public-private partnership that should be carefully considered to help strengthen our early childhood development programs. The positive results that similar programs have had in other states are encouraging.

As lieutenant governor, I’ll be working to see that the necessary funding increases to make the program succeed are included in the budget. I also believe we need to consider other initiatives to have the strongest development programs available for all young Vermonters.

While I was in the Senate, I worked on and supported the Success by Six Initiative that has been an effective tool in supporting early childhood development. “Building Bright Futures” needs to build on what is good in that program, in Head Start programs and in other local programs.

I believe that this is a worthy effort. Vermont is a small state and increased cooperation and collaboration to deliver services to young children should help improve services while attracting private sector resources. As a state senator I frequently heard complaints about duplication of services and lack of cooperation. Whether or not it was accurate, this initiative has the potential to increase community support and attract additional private sector resources. The “No Child Left Behind” initiative has demonstrated to all of us, that creating a good name for an initiative is not enough. We must carefully monitor this program to make sure it lives up to the promise of its name.

9. State-supported childcare, in both dollars and moral support is an ongoing issue for working Vermonters. Safe, affordable and loving care that provides an age-appropriate learning environment should be available for all families that need it. How would you support proposals and reasonable funding for early care and education?

In my five terms in the Senate I have consistently supported expansions to childcare opportunities. I recognize how desperately these services are needed and how hard it can be for working women to arrange childcare they can afford with providers they trust. I have supported funding, programs, training, tax credits – I have had battles in committees and on the Senate floor to keep funding levels close to where they should be.

I also proposed legislation that would have assisted childcare providers with health insurance coverage for their employees. Wages are shockingly low and turnover very high – good health care benefits would help retain employees.
As lieutenant governor, I would continue to fight for safe, affordable and loving childcare.

New research has also demonstrated that investing in early childhood education reduces special education costs. I support the proposal which was advanced last year by the Vermont State Senate. I believe that funding for early education should be integrated into our state system of funding education. We must demand increased resources from our federal government to help with the cost of funding public education. In the absence of federal responsibility I will consider voting for additional state methods of supporting early care and education.

10. Vermont’s Family and Medical leave legislation is one of the best in the nation. However, most employees do not take advantage of the law because they cannot afford to take unpaid leave. Do you support paid leave and if so, how would you fund it?

I am proud to have been one of the leaders tin the passage of Vermont’s Family and Medical Leave Act as a state senator. Vermont’s law is a model for the nation. But it is hard for many Vermonters to take advantage of it since the leave they are entitled to is unpaid. We need to take the next step and provide paid family and medical leave to all Vermonters who need it but can’t afford to forgo their paychecks.

As a state senator, I introduced legislation to do just that. My bill provided paid leave and was funded by the surplus in the state’s unemployment insurance fund. I worked hard to get it passed, and succeeded in getting it through the senate. Unfortunately, the House did not see fit to pass it as well.

As lieutenant governor, I will continue to work for a comprehensive paid family and medical leave law.

Yes, I introduced an amendment which was approved by the senate and killed in the House of Representatives to allow for paid family leave. I am open to different ideas for funding it, but believe one sound method would be the unemployment insurance fund.

11. State your views on health care. Specifically, maintaining Dr. Dynasaur for children, and also, your thoughts on extending health and dental care services for adults.

As a state senator, I played a key role in passing legislation on community rating for health insurance, Dr. Dynasaur and VHAP programs. But more needs to be done.

We need a Vermont Health Care system that is universal, comprehensive, and affordable. Getting there will require profound changes, but I believe that we here in Vermont have the commitment, understanding, experience, and strength that are needed. We have worked hard over the last decade to expand access to health care, and I am proud to have been one of the leaders in that effort. But without a comprehensive system, we are chasing our own tail. Costs continue to rise. Coverage keeps eroding.

It’s easy to talk about universal health care, but if it were easy to do, we’d have done it already. Here are six practical, major changes we can make to move toward universal coverage. As lieutenant governor, these are the first changes I will work for:

House Democrats have proposed a good first step, which I strongly support: a Vermont self-insurance plan open to every Vermonter. This plan encourages healthy behaviors and preventive care, highly values quality and cost containment, and fairly compensates providers. As lieutenant governor, I will work within the Statehouse to help pass this legislation.
Global budgeting and resource planning should be enacted at the same time. Comprehensive legislation will only succeed if all the stakeholders know they are part of the process. I will work to make sure all voices are heard.

I believe that health care must be guaranteed as a right for every man woman and child. I support a state self insurance program to cover us all. This will reduce bureaucratic red tape and administrative waste. I have always supported efforts to increase coverage including Dr. Dynasaur, and I have been a leader in expanding dental coverage for children and adults. I will fight to maintain and improve benefits, but believe we must do this as we move to a universal health care system.

12. What are your thoughts on containing sprawl and instead revitalizing Vermont's historic downtowns, or for that matter, all downtowns?

While in the Senate I played a key role in the passage of the Downtown Bill – legislation designed to make it easier for communities to save their town centers.

Since leaving the legislature, I have served on the community board for the Winooski Downtown Project – a visionary plan to rebuild the city’s downtown. After five years of persistence, the project is finally scheduled to begin construction this spring. The project is a model of anti-sprawl development and will add 600 units of new housing and an estimated 200 new jobs to the state.

I believe Vermont communities would welcome more tools and support to help keep their downtowns vital. My experience in Winooski has given me good insight into the process and I hope to use the office of lieutenant governor to bring all our many talented people and unique communities together to trade expertise and ideas.

As a legislator I was honored by the Vermont Planning and Development Association as well as the Vermont Natural Resources Council. I was a leader in supporting downtown development in many ways from the passage of the downtown bill to my work on the transportation committee which included seeking increased funding for transportation enhancement grants. I also support using Vermont’s tax structure to encourage downtown development, and I have led the effort to create appropriate tax credits in the past, including the creation of the tax incremental financing proposal which has been key to the revitalization of Winooski currently underway. Healthy downtowns, along with the preservation of a vibrant agricultural sector are essential to maintaining the character of our state.

13. What are your plans for developing renewable energy projects? What is your stand on the debate occurring in the Northeast Kingdom regarding wind power?

I support an active role for the state in developing clean, reliable, renewable energy sources. Waterpower and wind power generation should be encouraged. Key to that is the development of siting protocols that allow for ample public participation. The Northeast Kingdom debate illustrates what happens when the public is not engaged in the process from the beginning. The aging Vermont Yankee nuclear plant should be phased out.

And I support aggressive, state supported conservation. Every home and office we insulate, every factory that recaptures wasted energy, every light bulb turned off means savings for Vermonters and benefits to our environment.

I fully support the efforts to purchase the dams on the Connecticut River. I support energy conservation and energy efficiency efforts. I support all forms of renewable energy development in Vermont including wind power. Achieving energy independence is essential for both our economy and our environment. The recently released state energy plan is a real disappointment, and falls short of moving Vermont forward toward energy independence.

14. The Vermont economy is dependent on tourism, yet our beautiful State Parks system is in need of repair; what are your thoughts?

While on the Appropriations Committee I was able to provide some one-time money to the state parks system for badly needed maintenance and construction of facilities. I have always supported their budget requests. More funds are needed however.

Along with thousands of other Vermonters, my husband and I enjoy walking and hiking. We appreciate the special beauty of Vermont. That beauty keeps also tourists coming back to the Green Mountains year after year. As lieutenant governor, I will work with the legislature and interested Vermonters to ensure that our state park system is well maintained.

Vermont needs a plan to maintain and improve our state parks. This will mean setting this as a priority in the capital budget, and cutting back on other pork barrel projects which have increasingly found their way into this bill.

15. How would address the concerns of those who question the current safety of bridges in our highway system?

I believe the Vermont state government needs to speed up construction and maintenance of our bridges and highways. Too many bridges in Vermont are of questionable safety. Too many roads need repaving. But money is tight. As lieutenant governor, I will work with the legislature and local cities and towns to take a fresh look at our highway construction and maintenance system and explore new ways to fund it.

As the first woman in the history of our state to serve on the Senate Transportation Committee I am proud of the bill I introduced and shepherded through to establish Vermont specific design standards which allow local communities the flexibility to design projects to a smaller scale compatible with their towns. If we use these standards our scarce resources will go much further, and we can maintain the character of our state preserving historic bridges along the way. I believe that we must fix what we have before committing to new expensive transportation projects. We must carefully allocate our transportation resources.

16. Would you vote in favor of or in opposition to marriage for same-sex couples, and why.

I would vote in favor of marriage for same-sex couples. I have always believed that all couples who love each other and are committed to each other deserve the same benefits, rights, and responsibilities of marriage regardless of sexual orientation. Civil unions, while an important first step, are separate, not equal.

Should I be called upon to break a tie on the issue of marriage for same sex couples, I would vote to allow these couples to marry. I have always voted to expand human and civil rights, and I always will.

17. We are witnessing a more than 400% increase in the number of women incarcerated in Vermont. What would you do to reduce this number?

Incarceration rates for women in Vermont are shocking. The causes and solutions are complex but I believe one of the best ways to reduce the number of women incarcerated is to provide them with real sustainable economic opportunities. Quality jobs and affordable housing will keep both women and men off the streets and out of jail.

Many low-income working women are living in conditions of extreme stress trying to balance job, family and personal needs on little money and no time – a breeding ground for escape into substance abuse. More can and must be done to provide support for these women from job training to childcare.

We know there is a high correlation of incarceration with alcoholism and drug addiction. Treatment options for women are severely limited. We must create a real network of treatment centers and treatment options, with a particular focus on the special recovery needs of women and mothers.

Creative community based solutions also should be encouraged. We need serious and extensive sports programs for girls that will help grow confident, assured, decisive, empowered young women. Skill-building workshops like the ones run by Northern New England Tradeswomen, mentoring and cooperative housing initiatives are additional initiatives we should try.

We cannot allow this cycle of poverty, addiction, crime and incarceration to continue. As lieutenant governor, I will be proud to join with groups across the state to work our hardest to create change.

Vermont needs to review our statutes so that we only incarcerate individuals who are a danger to society. Improved drug and alcohol treatment programs would help reduce the number of women we incarcerate.

18. Should there be any control at all on gun ownership? Explain your position.

Yes. I believe there should be reasonable limits on gun ownership to keep handguns and assault weapons out of the hands of criminals and children. I have worked with and supported Vermont sportsmen over the years, and I do not believe that gun registration and gun owner licensing would negatively affect responsible sportsmen.

I respect the right of law abiding citizens to bear arms. I support restrictions on gun ownership for convicted violent offenders including perpetrators of domestic violence.

19. What are you going to do to ensure the revival and passage of the bill addressing research into the environmental causes of breast cancer -formerly H-618?

I will work with House and Senate leaders to ensure re-introduction and passage of this important bill. The lieutenant governor cannot introduce legislation of course, but the lieutenant governor certainly can smooth the way for bills to make it through the legislative process.

I will convene a meeting in the Office of Lieutenant Governor inviting legislators, organizations, and individuals to learn about the need for the bill. I will convene a second meeting of supporters to strategize and map out a strategy to achieve passage. I will write a column expressing support and helping to raise public awareness about the need for the bill. I will call a press conference to highlight the need for the bill. I will personally call legislators to build support. As an experienced community organizer I am confident that I can make a difference, and that this is an issue which we can win!

20. Why should voters choose you to challenge the incumbent for Lieutenant Governor? Compare your leadership style with that of your current opponent, citing specific examples.

I am ready for the job of lieutenant governor. I have more than two decades of public service in Vermont, spending five full terms (10 years) in the Vermont State Senate, 4 years on the Winooski Downtown Development Board, and 6 years as a Brattleboro representative on the Windham Southeast union high school board. I’m a good listener. I believe in consensus building. I respect the broad diversity of opinion that Vermont’s citizen legislators bring to their jobs.

Clarity, strength, straightforwardness, and experience - these are the qualities that a Lieutenant Governor must have to effectively serve as President of the Senate. They are the qualities that I will bring to the job. They make me far and away the best candidate to lead a productive Senate session and to make sure state government responds to the hopes and values of Vermonters and treats its citizens with respect.

I have a strong record of achieving results and moving the state forward on difficult issues. I have an abundance of energy, courage, persistence, and gumption. I am a strong speaker as well as an excellent listener. I have knowledge on a wide range of policy issues, and I understand legislative procedure and state government well. In high school I played center forward on the field hockey team and I was the top scorer. I am not a defensive player by nature, and I was successful in moving legislation even when I was in the minority. It is no accident that I was selected as only the second woman in the history of our state to chair a money committee- the Senate Finance Committee. I won the respect of my colleagues as a fair and effective chair. A headline in one of the state’s major newspapers read: “Rivers Emerges As Tireless Negotiator.” I know how to stand strongly for the issues I believe in, but I also know how to forge creative compromise.

I am the candidate that has the best chance of beating Vermont’s incumbent Lieutenant Governor who was elected with just over 41 percent of the vote because Democrats and Progressives split their votes. Democrat Peter Shumlin received 32 percent of the vote last time while Progressive candidate Anthony Pollina received 25 percent. “United we win: divided, Dubie’s back in.”

I have already begun to bring Democrats, Progressives, independents, and reasonable Republicans together behind my candidacy. I am honored to have the support of Vermont’s independent Congressman Bernie Sanders as well as many prominent Progressives who supported Anthony Pollina last time around. I have the support of groups including the Vermont NEA and NARAL who have endorsed me over my primary opponent based on my record and their assessment of my elect ability. I am prepared to work very hard to make sure that Vermont elects a fully pro-choice lieutenant governor this year, a lieutenant governor who shares the values of a majority of Vermonters.