Should CSDFA endorse Martha Abbott (P) for State Auditor?

Written by: Wendy Patterson on Oct 8, 2006 2:51 PM EDT

Hi Member,

QUESTION: Do you want Chittenden South DFA to endorse Martha Abbott (P) for Vermont Auditor?

(Please weigh in your opinion on our POLL I created at www.dfalink.com/hinesburg)

Our Chittenden South DFA Group has been asked to consider endorsing Martha Abbott (P) Candidate for Vermont State Auditor. To learn more about her positions, we had a conference call with her at our recent DFA meeting on Oct. 4th.

We want to know what ALL of our members think about this race.
READ MORE about Martha Abbott below. You can be an informed voter!

Martha is running against (D) Thomas Salmon, Jr. (www.salmonforauditor.com/... )

The current Auditor is Randy Brock (R).

You have the chance to meet Tom Salmon at the Shelburne "Meet The Candidates" Oct. 15, 6:30pm, Shelburne town offices or go to his website: www.salmonforauditor.com/...


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Martha Abbott, Progressive Candidate, Vermont Auditor of Accounts
119 Stevensville Road
Underhill, VT 05489
(802) 373-1624
Email: marthavt@sover.net
Website: www.abbottforauditor.org

Comments from Martha Abbott: For 24 years, as a tax preparer, I have seen the unfairness of our tax system. I have seen people who work 40 hours a week pay income taxes on 100% of their wages while investors only pay on 60% of their gains.

The previous auditor conducted an initial review of how many people were thrown off the state's health insurance programs when the state began to charge premiums instead of co-payments. Now that 2 years have passed, how many more people have been unable to pay the premiums and are without coverage? We need to know. We have a health care CRISIS! Where has the state auditor been for the past two years?

Why are we spending tens of millions of economic development dollars trying to attract the next Husky plant to move to Vermont? Recent studies show that businesses simply do NOT move into or out of Vermont because of our state tax policy or the incentives and tax credits we have offered.

The largest recipient of public funds in the history of the State of Vermont was IDX which received 7.2 million dollars of tax credits on the premise that they would create more jobs. In the end IDX cut jobs and then was sold to out of state owners. Will the state get back ANY of those millions of dollars in tax credits? Will they even TRY to get some of it back? Where is the State Auditor? Why is this not being investigated?

We are not gaining the "JOBS, JOBS, JOBS" we so often hear the Governor refer to. From 2001 - 2005, we spent $163 million core economic and work force development for a net gain of 3,000 jobs (while losing 8,200 highly paid skilled manufacturing jobs). That is $54,000 of taxpayer's money for every job created.

Most of the new jobs in the past 10 years have been created by small businesses often started by people who LOST their jobs when one of the big firms was bought by a large out of state company, or moved overseas to find cheap labor. These small businesses are started by Vermonters, people who live here and, more than anything else, they want to KEEP living here. They are not going to move to China no matter HOW cheap the labor is there.

And farms are an important part of our economy. If farmers have to sell their farms, they and their whole family are going to need to find NEW jobs and so are the small businesses in the agricultural sector. Will we now finally consider putting some of those millions of economic development dollars into our farms?

State purchasing should reward responsible contractors, favor Vermont businesses and prohibit offshore contracts. We should prohibit contracts with employers whose workers qualify for public assistance because they are paid so little in wages and benefits.

As your independent State Auditor, I will report to YOU on what exactly we are getting for our money. And I will make sensible recommendations to improve efficiency and effectiveness. I have no conflict reigning in elected officials from either of the big, brand name parties. I will be an ally for the vast majority of Vermont families who are living paycheck to paycheck by asking hard questions and demanding answers. If I am your State Auditor, I will do my best to insure that the PEOPLE I represent KNOW where I am and WHAT I am doing and WHY.

THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT INTO OUR POLL, OR FOR YOUR EMAIL TO ME ABOUT THIS.

Onward to Election Day and beyond,

Wendy

Wendy Patterson, Organizer
Chittenden South DFA

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Location: Hinesburg, VT 05461