Look at the recent Daily Bits on the website. Pretexts for war or reasons for war
Political Note #261 Rebecca Holcombe Vermont Governor
2020 General Election
“Vermont is the most Democratic state in the country. ” That’s what says Gallup according to the website Cheat Sheet. It has the greatest differential in party registration. What’s more, sixty one percent of Vermonters voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Massachusetts and Maryland voters did the same, but Vermont had a larger margin of victory, smaller percentages for Trump.
Why is it, then, that Vermont has a Republican Governor? Why is it then, that the incumbent Republican Governor is favored to win again? He won election in 2016 by 52%. He won again in 2018 getting 55% of the vote. The Democrat got only 40%. Five other candidates collected votes.
Scott is no Trump. He is popular in Vermont. He is a local Vermonter. Before he entered politics, he was a partner in his uncle’s construction business. He sold his share of the business to the company for $2.5 million when he was elected. He ran and has governed as a social liberal and fiscal conservative. He is pro-choice, supported a ban on bump stock devices, and expanded background checks. He supported the impeachment inquiry.
As for fiscal conservatism, he has opposed tax increases, was partly successful in ending taxes on social security income, and supported reductions in property taxes. His support for education has been at the state level. He has increased funding for state colleges, for career education, and for child care. He froze local real estate taxes, the principal source for K-12 education funds. He advocated introducing a voucher plan for K-12 education in Vermont and has been looking for ways to cut costs in K-12 education in addition to supporting the district consolidation plan that went into effect before he took office.
This is a race about education. Rebecca Holcombe was Vermont’s Secretary of Education – appointed initially by the Democratic Governor Peter Shumlin and appointed again by Republican Phil Scott against whom she is running. As Secretary of Education, she was responsible for implementing the bipartisan, but nevertheless, controversial plan to consolidate school districts in Vermont, a plan intended to create efficiencies and save resources. Implementation of the consolidation plan was complex, requiring school districts to achieve agreements among themselves, rather than through imposing a single plan from above. As a former school superintendent from a rural area just south of Vermont, I have some understanding of the leadership skill required to get that project done.
Rebecca Holcombe resigned to run against Scott. She had been undercut by his insistence that local school districts further reduce their budgets after she had coordinated efforts on his behalf to minimize budget increases. The belt-tightening was necessary largely because of Scott’s previous year’s slight of hand, which she had opposed; his use of emergency funds to support school budgets and avoid taxes. All this and his education voucher plan pushed her out the door.
Rebecca Holcombe brings credentials to her race in addition to her time as Secretary of Education. A graduate of Brown with an MBA from Simmons and a doctorate from Harvard, she was Director of Dartmouth’s teacher education program. Before that, she taught and served as a school principal. She obtained her credential to be a principal in Vermont at the Lyndon State College. Most of all, she brings support from the education community based on her commitment to ensure that all children, including those from low-income communities, receive a quality education.
Rebecca Holcombe has issues other than education in her candidacy. Some issues come back to education. She notes the annual 20% increase in health care costs in Vermont end explains that is an underestimate, The estimates do not take into account health care services that have been shifted to education. She addresses the shortage of nurses through education – promising to support the costs of getting an RN for those who make an agreement to work in Vermont hospitals for a period of time (contrasting that idea with Scott’s odd scheme of paying people to move to Vermont)
Rebecca Holcombe advocates planning. The issues she addresses include reducing dependence on fossil fuels or creating more affordable housing or creating wastewater treatment systems or development broadband infrastructure in rural communities. Unlike a well-known presidential candidate, she doesn’t have a detailed plan for each issues. She encourages conversations so, where possible, local people develop plans.
Like any gubernatorial race, this is also a race about the nature of the state. A lot of people in Vermont are from out of state. Nationally, 59% of the people living in a state were born there. Only 51% of people living in Vermont were born there. That doesn’t make Vermont Nevada or Florida. But there are noticeable differences as a result of the demographics of those who’ve moved there. Vermont’s percentage of divorced people is fifth highest in the country. Vermont’s percentage of people who identify as LGBT is highest in the country.
Rebecca Holcombe is neither divorced nor LGBT, but she is the candidate of newcomers to Vermont. She was not born in Vermont. Nor did she grow up there. Her parents worked in economic development in third world countries. She describes herself as having grown up in Afghanistan, the Fiji Islands, Pakistan, and Sudan. Native Vermonters call the newcomers “flatlanders” Someone who grew up in Afghanistan does not quality as a “flatlander.”
Her husband, James Boland, is a prizewinning journalist. He was part of Pulitzer Prize winning team at the Wall Street Journal that exposed backdating stock options by business executives. The series led to criminal prosecutions, revised financial statements, and executive firings. Boland went on to write additional stories about businessmen as con-artists or, as with Bernie Madoff, con-artists as businessmen. Rebecca Holcombe is particularly attuned to how inappropriate Scott’s turnabout call for further school reductions was.
Rebecca Holcombe has chosen to campaign against one of the most popular governors in the country. Are there reasons to support her candidacy? There are no gerrymandering issues here. Vermont has only one representative in Congress. She could have an opportunity to appoint a Senator. The most important reason, though, is the entire country is served every time someone with integrity is elected as governor, every time an intelligent, imaginative leader is elected as governor. Rebecca Holcombe fits that description. In Vermont, a little support goes a long way. Help her along that way.
Democrats can win Governorships anywhere. In 2019, Democrats won Governorships in Louisiana and Kentucky. A Democrat lost a close race in Mississippi. More to come for 2020
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway
North Carolina Inc. Roy Cooper
North Dakota House Minority Leader Josh Boschen
Vermont Ex Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe
Washington Inc Jay Inslee
Josh Marshall tells us to end our wishful thinking. Stop hoping for “moderate” Republican Senators to agree with Democratic Senators on the need for witnesses in the Impeachment trial. Not only is wishful thinking a failure to consider reality, it is a failure of politics. The people who need to be reminded are the candidates who are up for election, candidates who could lose if the voters are disappointed in them.
Josh Marshall names six Senators. I will add two more. Call them. Tell them to support witnesses for the trial. It is only fair. The Senate can make people testify the House could not. If the price of John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney and Mike Pompeo testifying is having Joe Biden and Hunter Biden and Adam Schiff testify, so be it. Will the Democrats who testify have a rough time? No doubt. Politics is tough. Hillary Clinton was questioned for eleven hours by the Bengazi Committee. She was heroic. The Republicans who testify will have a tougher time. They will be speaking in defense of President Trump who repeatedly violated the constitution.
Friends in those states? Ask them to call, too.
Dan Sullivan AK DC 202-224-3004 Juneau 907-586-7277
For information’s sake, the Democratic nominee will be Al Gross
Martha McSally AZ DC 202-224-2235 Phoenix 602-952-2410
For information’s sake, the Democratic nominee will be Mark Kelly
Cory Gardner CO DC 202-224-5941 Denver 303-391-5777
For information’s sake. Several Democrats are competing for the nomination
David Perdue GA DC 202-224-3521 Atlanta 404-865-0087
For information’s sake, several Democrats are competing for the nomination
Kelly Loeffler GA No contact information available yet. Recently appointed
For information’s sake, only one Democratic candidate so far – Matt Lieberman
Joni Ernst IA DC 202-224-3254 Des Moines 515-284-4574
For information’s sake, the probable nominee is Theresa Greenfield
Thom Tillis NC DC 202-224-6342 Raleigh 919-856-4630
For information’s sake, the Democratic nominee will be Cal Cunningham
