To the Editor:
In 2002, Governor Douglas campaigned using the mantra Jim=Jobs. He claims that there are 16,000 more people working in Vermont now than before he became governor. Just what does this mean and what kinds of jobs are being created for Vermonters to work at?
A study done by policy analyst Doug Hoffer for High Road Vermont, released in October, paints a much less optimistic picture than the governor would have us believe. The study concludes that the number of working age Vermonters has increased by 4,101 since 2003. It also determines that the number of private sector jobs has grown by 7,900 in the same time span. The number of private sector jobs created above those needed just to keep pace with the growth in the work force is 3,800. The study finds that many of those new jobs are low wage jobs with few or no benefits.
The experiences of many of my former co-workers and myself confirm these findings. We lost our jobs a year ago due to offshoring of our work. Thirty Vermont manufacturing companies have offshored their jobs during Douglas' tenure. Our job search efforts revealed that there are very few jobs available that pay even close to what we made, and many of the available jobs pay minimum wage or just above and offer no benefits. These jobs do not pay the bills that are part of everyday life in Vermont. This situation is not good for the workers, those who provide goods and services to Vermonters, or the economy of Vermont in general. In fact, there were 25 percent more bankruptcies filed in Vermont during the first three years of Douglas' tenure than during the same time period prior to his taking office.
We need a governor who will aggressively foster employment opportunities that be spread throughout the state and will provide Vermonters with a livable wage and benefits. Jim Douglas has not demonstrated to me that he is that person. Can we afford another two years of Jim=Low Wage Jobs?
Gary Murphy
South Ryegate
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