Dems discuss Yankee, economy
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By LOUIS PORTER VERMONT PRESS BUREAU - Published: November 20, 2009
BURLINGTON — Thursday night was the first time the five Democratic candidates met to compete publicly for the nomination to seek the Vermont governorship.
On perhaps the most controversial political issue for the state right now, the five candidates spoke in unison.
Vermont Yankee nuclear plant should not continue operating after 2012, they agreed. Some of the contenders, at least the three now in the Senate, may have to cast votes on that question this legislative session.
State Sen. Susan Bartlett of Lamoille said the plant has been unable to provide a good reason to support a new operating license.
"Our future is in renewable energy," she said.
Former State Sen. Matt Dunne said the plant's future was a symbol of whether the state will be a leader or part of "the mediocre middle."
"I know one way we will not be in a leadership role. That is if we relicense a depreciating nuclear facility," Dunne said.
Former lieutenant governor and state Sen. Doug Racine of Chittenden County said the plant should stop running for "moral" and other reasons and the power be replaced with wind power and other sources.
"I see no reason to continue the operation of Vermont Yankee after 2012," Racine said. "The aesthetic issues can come and go. Wind towers can come down at some point."
Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz agreed that the plant should close. "Vermont Yankee is not part of our energy future," she said. "We already have a model for the nation in efficiency, but we could be doing so much more."
"I would vote no today," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin of Windham, in part because there is not yet a power purchase agreement with Vermont utilities. "If it is so cheap, why won't they tell us what that price will be?" he said.
Although the discussion was about environmental issues, the candidates talked nearly as much about jobs and the economy. Here there were some differences.
Shumlin said the coming renewable energy and environmental jobs would sweep aside previous economic booms.
"Our number one priority has got to be creating jobs," Markowitz said.
Dunne said preserving the state's brand as an environmentally conscious and protected place would be essential to economic gains.
Two of the candidates, Racine and Bartlett, pointedly talked about the importance of protecting the environment, then about the need for economic development.
"I think it is way past time that the environment be talked about first," Bartlett said.
Nearly 200 advocates, lobbyists, political donors and others attended the evening meeting, hosted by the Vermont League of Conservation Voters, which filled the auditorium at Burlington's Main Street Landing.
"This election marks a real turning point in the history of Vermont," said David Mears, the chairman of the board for the conservation voters.
Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, the only Republican to say he is running for the top political job in the state in the wake of Gov. James Douglas' announcement that he will not seek re-election, was invited to the candidate's forum but did not attend.
Dubie was in Austin, Texas, for the Republican Governors Association and his campaign declined to respond to the forum questions Thursday.
That prompted some comments from the audience at the forum.
Most of the candidates said in response to a question about cleaning up Lake Champlain that current regulations need to be enforced and federal funding for wastewater plant upgrades must be sought.
Markowitz said that on a week's vacation at Lake Champlain this summer she was unpleasantly surprised by the condition of the water.
"We couldn't swim," she said. "We have tough discharge limits, but they are not as tough as the rest of New England."
Although the Democrats did explain some differences in their positions on environmental issues, those differences were outweighed by the similarities and was the subject of several jokes by the candidates.
"I think we are going to sound like a broken record up here," Racine said at one point.
"I am not going to repeat what the other Democrats said up here," Shumlin said moments later.
"We share values," Markowitz said of her fellow candidates. "We even share much of the same vision for the future of Vermont."
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