Lachlan Francis is chair of the Vermont Democratic Party.
WESTMINSTER-Phil Scott rode into the governor's office a decade ago pledging to deliver results on affordability. After 10 years in the office - and following over a quarter-century of his service in Montpelier - it's well past time to assess whether things are moving in the right direction or whether it's time for a change.
Unfortunately, the signs are clear that things in Vermont have gotten worse, not better, under his leadership.
The median listing price of a home in Vermont has more than doubled since 2016, according to data from Realtor.com and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
As the dream of homeownership has been pushed out of reach for many working families, demand for rentals has increased in turn, leading to significant and unsustainable rent increases.
A majority of Vermont renters now spend over 30% of their income on rent, with a quarter spending over 50%.
With the housing prices becoming increasingly difficult to manage, we've unsurprisingly seen a surge in homelessness, now reaching some of the highest per-capita levels in the nation.
The cost of healthcare has skyrocketed as well. Vermonters now pay the highest health insurance premiums in the nation and, at the same time, critical services like birthing centers are being closed across rural communities.
These increasing healthcare costs place an incredible burden on family and small business budgets alike, making it harder for families to afford daily life and harder for businesses to hire more workers.
In light of these overwhelming challenges, the governor has sought to cast blame elsewhere. He's shattered records for the most vetoes in state history, and he has made clear he'd prefer arguing with the Legislature in the press over constructively working on solutions.
That's not effective leadership, and it's clearly not making Vermont more affordable.
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Thankfully, Vermonters have an exciting new choice for governor this fall: Democratic nominee Amanda Janoo, an economist with years of experience helping to develop economies that center the needs of everyday people, not massive corporations and their wealthy shareholders.
She's running to lower the cost of housing by investing in permanently affordable housing, using proven methods like land and housing trusts. She's also seeking to raise taxes on second-home owners and to ban private equity from buying up Vermont homes, ensuring that more Vermont houses are owned by Vermont families.
Janoo's plan to ensure free and universal primary healthcare would lower costs for consumers in the short term, while also delivering long-term savings as more Vermonters have access to vital preventive care.
And she's ready to stand up to big tech and AI companies, keeping data centers out of Vermont and protecting our utility rates from skyrocketing, as we've seen in many areas where they've been developed.
Phil Scott, meanwhile, chose to veto commonsense and bipartisan legislation that would have regulated AI data centers and protected ratepayers from any increase to electricity prices.
This November, Amanda Janoo is the clear choice for a more affordable Vermont. If you'd like to learn more about her campaign, to make a donation, or to sign up to volunteer, please visit janooforvt.com.
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