Degree Announces Franklin County State Senate Bid

Gov. Jim Douglas, Sen. Norm McAllister Pledge Support

ST. ALBANS – Former State Representative and aide to Governor Jim Douglas, Dustin Degree, announced today that he will once again seek one of the two State Senate seats representing Franklin County and Alburgh.

Many will recall that in 2012, Degree came within 35 votes of securing a spot in the State Senate and says that this year, it is even more important to restore balance to the legislature.

“Getting to know my neighbors all over Franklin County was one of the best experiences of my life. After losing one of the closest elections in Franklin County history, I’ve kept a close eye on state government and am more convinced than ever that the tax and spend status quo simply isn’t working for hard working Vermonters.”

Degree cited the need to create jobs and lower taxes as the main reasons he decided to run.

“In the 14 months that have passed since the last election the number of employed Vermonters has declined by 3,500 people, while the Senate voted to increase taxes by over $80 million in 2013 alone. We must hold accountable those legislators who bemoan the tax rate on the campaign trail and then vote to increase it once elected, and over the course of the coming campaign, I intend to do just that,” Degree said.

Degree said if elected he’d continue to push for common sense drug reform. “I spent a good portion of my time in the House of Representatives working to bring this issue to the forefront. Unfortunately there are still people who fail to see it as a priority. Anyone who claims to represent our county must first recognize there is no greater threat to our future than opiate addiction. I’ve lost too many friends and peers to the darkness of addiction. I’ll fight for them every day of this campaign and every day after until we’ve created a system that ensures better outcomes for those who need help and safer communities for all of us.”

Legislators and leaders from around the county and state applauded Degree’s announcement and pledged their support of his candidacy.

Senator Norm McAllister (R- Franklin County) said, “I am proud of Dustin for once again stepping up to provide the people of Franklin County with a real choice in who represents them in Montpelier. Dustin has an unshakeable grasp of the problems we face.  His is a needed voice in the conversation of the future of Franklin County and there’s no one I’d rather serve with in the Senate come January.”

Former Governor Jim Douglas also lent his voice to those supporting Degree.

“Dustin’s leadership on our state’s drug problem and job creation combined with his passion and loyalty for Franklin County makes him the right choice to represent Franklin County in the State Senate. His dedication to public service and his vision for the future make his candidacy truly unique. I hope my friends in Franklin County will join me in supporting him this fall.”

Degree is a former State Representative from St. Albans City, where his work on Prescription Drug abuse was recognized by Governor Peter Shumlin. Before being elected to the House, Degree served as an aide to Governor Jim Douglas. Prior to his work in the Governor’s office, he worked in the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.  He currently serves as Vice Chair of the St. Albans City Development Review Board as well as on the Board of Directors of the St. Albans Amateur Skating Association.

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Memorial Day In DC: Adventures in History or How to Survive the Inferno?

Most of you will probably find it hard to believe that a person whose life revolves around election cycles, public policy and campaign politics, I've never spent any significant time in our nation's capital. I've always wanted to put on my best tourist outfit and wander the blatant exploitation of our glorious history, but haven’t had the chance since I was eight, when I was tethered to my two older brothers, literally.

I was there in 2005 for the Presidential Inauguration, but that too was a very restricted, in and out trip. So when the opportunity presented itself over Memorial Day weekend to serve as a pack mule for a  friend moving down to Capital City and spend some time getting reacquainted with the big, white stone points of interest, I couldn’t find a reason to pass it up.

Quick side note: in my role as a legislator, I've tried my damnedest to support and move legislation that will help provide opportunity and retain more of our homegrown, best and brightest. The specific Vermonter and St. Albans native I was escorting out of the Green Mountains falls directly into the above mentioned category.  This was very counter instinctive. I would ask those who read this to forgive me for what might be my first, "do as I say, not as I do," moment of public life.  Please, if you find a brilliant, talented, young person wandering around Kingman Street, do not let them buy a one way train ticket anywhere.

Yup, that’s what I said, train. I find air travel experimental, unnatural and really, really scary. So, after a trip to Rutland, a layover at New York's Penn Station (worst place on earth) and twelve hours on the rails, we rolled into Union Station, Washington D.C. 

That all must sound heinous to you folks who fly, but having no reason to hurry for a guy who's perpetually late, is quite relaxing. And as a strong supporter of high-speed rail and expanded rail service, I figured this could provide a little cover for my aforementioned hypocrisy.

So, what follows is a brief account of our adventures in American history. There are plenty of pictures, none of which include me standing in front of monuments or important places.

Evolutionary Note: part of being an 8th generation Vermonter means my genes have, over hundreds of years, been altered to better suit my native habitat. I can drive in the snowiest of blizzards without hesitation or fear; I can navigate dirt roads in mud season and international borders in the small hours of the morning.  My eyes have become accustom to two very specific horizons that serve as an anchor and compass for my soul.  To the east, the face of Mt. Mansfield and Lake Champlain to the west, with the 46 jagged peaks of the Adirondacks rising from its shallows. 

However, much like an aerosol can or a pint of Ben and Jerry's, I was not designed or built for extremely high temperatures combined with sweltering humidity. It was 162 degrees both days we toured the city. In the late afternoon, I felt and looked like a dying wildebeest being lead on a guided tour of surface of the sun.  This made for an interesting few days. I really enjoyed the capital, but I earned every drop of satisfaction, that's a fact.

It seemed fitting to spend the most amount of time at Arlington National Cemetery, on Memorial Day Weekend.  The grounds, once home to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee are truly breath taking.  The over 200,000 graves are entirely sobering.  What folks may not know is that each headstone is made from Vermont Marble.  The brave men and women buried at Arlington deserve the best and I was proud to learn that our state's stone workers provide just that. Way to go, Barre.

Part two of day one was less successful. Our original plans included a free concert on the Capitol Lawn. We arrived shortly after the start of the show and worked our way towards the security check-in but never made it.  Just feet from the metal detectors and adorable bomb snooping dogs we were ordered by the police to turn back, they we're evacuating the event.

Now, there were a few activities I was trying to avoid on my trip to Washington. An "unexpected, emergency evacuation" was near the top of the list, just below" being pushed in front of the metro," and above "eating crab cakes against my will."

Turns out, it was due to a severe thunderstorm heading right for the concert. The conspiracy theorist in me worried it might be Homeland Security Code for, "Something Terrible!" But soon after the evacuation it started to rain, so I was at ease and we sought shelter. 

Day Two started with a walk by the White House and then a quick trip the Washington Monument, the weather was beautiful but so, so hot.  As we made our way from the White House to the Mall, we found out we were just in time for the National Memorial Day Parade. So, I pulled the chord on my "emergency parade kit" which included palm cards, a shirt and tie, stickers and a banner and jumped in the parade.

That didn't happen, and I felt happily out of place on the sidelines of a parade for once. I couldn’t help but think about the "Memorial Day 500," a an biannual Addison County tradition wherein statewide candidates and their trusty staffs navigate the Middlebury and Vergennes Parades, which end and start within minutes of each other. It's typically hot, crowded and hectic as we dash from Middlebury to Vergennes while trying to win the never ending sticker war. There is much strategy and things often go wrong.

Sitting under a shady tree with the White House in front of us and the Washington Monument behind,  watching high school marching bands and real life heroes like Buzz Aldrin,  John Glenn and Gray Sinise (one of these in not like the other) was a really nice break from tradition.

Post parade, we wandered down to the World War II Memorial.  This is one I'd never seen, since it was dedicated within the past two decades. It's gorgeous, an honest and beautiful tribute to greatest of the greatest generation.

We walked along the Mall and headed towards the Vietnam Memorial Wall. There had been a service there just a few hours earlier and I asked the Park Ranger if anyone important had spoke.  Her one word, matter of fact, answer was a pretty good one, "President." 

What's fascinating about the Vietnam Wall is that, unlike the WWII or Korean memorial, there are always Vietnam Vets there, leaving mementos and paying tribute to their fallen brothers. This is really touching and adds a human aspect that is unlike any other monument.

While folks my age may think of Vietnam as ancient history, it was the defining event of our parent's generation. I'm not sure what President Obama said at the wall that day, but I'm happy he chose to speak there. The men and women that served in Vietnam have long deserved the full measure of respect and gratitude they were denied for much too long. I'm glad to see that, like our last few, President Obama has continued to honor them, and recognize openly, our failure to do so when they first returned.

I was born on February 12th, a day that has a great significance in our state and nation. It was the day Abraham Lincoln was born and the day Ethan Allen died.  As a little kid I took great pride in knowing that I shared a birthday with the man who saved the last, best hope on earth. 

The Lincoln memorial is something that is truly inspiring.  Built in the Greco-Roman tradition, it is an honest to god temple of freedom.  There's a reason Martin Luther King chose this place to end the march on Washington.  Our founders developed this incredible concept that, ours would be a nation where all men were created equal, and then had a difficult time instituting their own mission statement.  Lincoln made it reality, he is the patron saint of human rights and that reputation reaches around the world.

History Note: in Vermont we didn't really struggle with the whole slavery issue, we were the first state in the nation to abolish slavery, in 1791, and sent our young men to fight for that principal in numbers virtually unmatched by any other state.

From Abe to FDR, one of the newest memorials is a welcome change from the norm. The FDR Memorial is a walking tour of some of his most famous quotes -this former speech writer's dream- surrounded by water fall fountains and brass statues. They've got more water than Jay Peak, it's a great homage to a man who had to hide his disabilities from the nation at a time when they would have deemed to be weak. There's some irony for you.

The last monument we saw was the Jefferson, it’s a hike, but worth the time. After all , this is the guy that wrote the declaration of independence. Another wonderful Greco-Roman temple, built with just the right amount of cynicism. From his pedestal, TJ can see directly at the White House. When it was built, FDR had all the trees cut down in the line of sight so TJ could look after the place when the sitting president wasn’t there or wasn't doing his job.

Being in Washington, DC on Memorial Day was like being at the Vatican for Easter. Sure, the fourth of July is our birthday and the parties are a whole lot of fun, but Memorial Day honors the men and women who fought and died to protect the grand American experiment in self-determination and self-government.  They did, so we didn't have to. They did so to bring freedom and liberty to parts of the world where they there was too little of both and they did so, with honor. 

After a  sixteen hour train ride and a drive up Route 7, I was a home. DC is a wonderful and historic city, but this kid found himself longing for the cool air and rolling green mountains of home.

Life is better here.

-D

HELP IS ON THE WAY: H.627 BECOMES LAW

 

I wanted to take a moment to thank Governor Shumlin for choosing Turning Point St. Albans to celebrate the singing of H.627 An Act Creating a Regional Opioid Addiction Treatment Program.

Two years ago, I pledged to put my experience in state government and our communities shared values to work for St. Albans in the House of Representatives.  A large piece of that vow was to work with diligence and with anyone willing to help, to find meaningful solutions to our state's growing prescription drug abuse problem. 

Early on, it became clear that one of our biggest allies was the guy who took my old boss's old job. From the time I arrived in Montpelier, I worked closely with Commissioner Keith Flynn and others on the Governor's staff as well, as Sen. John Campbell, to support and sponsor legislation on the variety of ways opioid abuse, diversion and the crime that comes with it, affect our state and communities.

H.627 will build an extensive network where those seeking treatment can find it. It will allow patients to receive appropriate, comprehensive assessments to provide short or long-term treatment. It will improve education and training requirements for health care providers, pharmacists, and licensed clinical professionals.

And it will hold patients accountable to rules of conduct, designed to prevent diversion or relapse. Those of us who have seen the affects of prescription drug abuse understand that, without available, appropriate treatment, we will never curtail this problem.This addiction affects friends and family from all walks of life, who desperately want and need our help now, more than ever.

The more Vermonters places like Turning Point and this new program can help the stronger we become in this fight.Because with every success story, comes another person who can show someone struggling with addiction, the path to recovery.

I'm reminded of a quick story about a man was walking down the street and he fell into a hole. After a few hours, a pastor walked by and the man yelled up, "Pastor, I'm stuck in this hole and can't get out,  could you help me?"

The pastor thought for a minute, wrote a prayer down on a piece of paper, threw it in the hole and kept walking.

A few hours later, a local politician walked by and the man renewed his plea for help. The politician responded, "I can't do much right now, but if you vote for me on Tuesday I'll be sure to address our city's crumbling infrastructure," and he walked away.

Finally, one of the man's best friends walked by and before he could say anything, the friend had jumped in the hole with him.

"What are you doing?" the man said? "Now we're both in the hole!"

His friend smiled, looked at him and said, "Yea, but I've been here before and I know the way out." That’s the real weapon of recovery and why places like Turning Point are so vital to this fight. The work done on the ground and in the community is more important than anything the legislature or any governor can do.

But there certainly is plenty that state government can do and this bill will begin expand the network of recovery and if successful, help reverse the tide and begin to make real progress on what I believe to be my generation's greatest fight.

There's more to be done. In the coming session we must work to find a way to increase access of the Vermont Prescription Monitoring System to the Department of Public Safety. 

We must renew our pledge, to continue our work and strive to build a blueprint for the nation on how best to combat an addiction that threatens the very fabric of communities across the country.

So again, I want to thank Governor Shumlin for his inclusive and invaluable leadership on this important issue. We need all the help we can get if we're going to make progress, and the Governor's is vital to our success.

Rep. Dustin A. Degree

St. Albans City

Legislative Wrap-Up: Part Two

Here's the second part of last week's Legislative Wrap-up.

Over the last two years, I have been very concerned about our lack of focus on the growing and already burdensome cost of living in Vermont.  While the Governor will tell you that we didn’t raise broad based taxes, we did raise fees to the tune of nearly $15 million dollars, which is virtually unprecedented. 

We failed to restore the General Fund transfer to the Education Fund, which will translate into local school boards having to either cut budgets, or ask for a three-cent, across the board increase.

We passed consecutive budgets that increased spending, and did so with one-time federal money at a time when our business and families are doing more with less. To me, this is a failure of the public trust between our government and its citizens.  That’s not to say that there weren’t items in either of the fiscal packages that I would have supported as standalone measures, however, when Vermonters are struggling to find work and pay the bills, we need to set an example, not be the exception.

I was also very much against the super-majorities interpretation of the federally mandated "Healthcare Exchange," which I will explain at length in a later letter.

Permit reform died in the late stages of the session, thanks to the anti-growth environmental lobby, like those in our community who opposed Wal-Mart. I think that anyone who’s paying attention in Vermont understands that our system is unpredictable, unfriendly and unsustainable.

After all, it was Governor Shumlin, a Democrat, who floated the idea of modest changes to the Act 250 process that would have allowed for the same amount of input and appeal, but expedited the process.  This is the type of common ground we should all look for, but all too often in Montpelier, those on the furthest side of the spectrum control the conversation, and common sense compromise ends up falling to the wayside.

This brings me to the biggest disappointment of the session:  the failure of the House and Senate to agree on how best to increase access to the prescription drug monitoring system for the Department of Public Safety.

I fought for and sponsored prescription drug abuse legislation from the time I took my oath to the last fall of the gavel. In some areas, we made great strides. Thanks to our work, we will begin to see permanent drug take-back locations across the state. We will begin to set up a statewide network for opiate addiction counseling and rehabilitation. And we will start to close the market for stolen property, by reforming the way pawn shops, metal dealers and others record sales and purchases.

But these steps alone simply were not enough. In the waning days of the session, a stalemate developed between the House and the Senate as to how best allow the DPS to interact with the state Prescription Drug Monitoring System.  This is an issue that I will discuss in much further detail in a future letter, but the short version is this:

Currently, a law enforcement officer can walk into any pharmacy in the state and request drug records. It is information that the Supreme Court has ruled time and time again is privy to search, because the state regulates these dangerous drugs and many of them pose a serious public safety risk.

We’ve seen in St. Albans what can happen when these powerful narcotics are abused and diverted.  For two years, I worked side by side with Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn and members of the Governor’s office to grant the state’s four highly trained Drug Enforcement Task Force agents access to these same records via the state database.  This access would have cut the investigation time fivefold and increased patient privacy immensely, while giving the agents 21^st-century tools to do what is becoming an overwhelmingly important job across the state.

As I’ve said before, Governor Shumlin deserves ample credit on this issue. I was proud to stand with him and his administration, as well as those in the Senate, who understand the problem and the need to act and act now. 

The work I did in the Legislature was on your behalf. All public servants, as they end one term and consider another, should look back on the vows they made during the campaign and compare them to what they’ve actually done. 

I ran to work to keep spending in check, to advocate for responsible economic development and policies that would work toward that end, and perhaps most importantly, find ways to fight together against prescription drug abuse and the crime it has brought to our state and city.

With that in mind I’ll take a few weeks to consider the future and how I can best serve the part of our state that I love so dearly.  This fall promises to be a very important election and no matter where I throw my hat, I promise to fight for the common sense, moderate values that were instilled in me by our community, and which I brought with me to the state house every day.

Thank you again, for the support and encouragement.

Rep. Dustin A. Degree

St. Albans City

Official Statement on Sen. Kittell's Retirement...

"While we many not always agree, I want to thank Sen. Sara Branon Kittell for her many years of work for Franklin County in the Vermont State Senate. Our democracy would not function without citizens stepping up to serve the greater good. Sen. Kittell's 17 years of tireless service are to be admired and I wish her the best of luck in the next chapter of her life. "

Sincerely,
Rep. Dustin A. Degree
St. Albans City

Legislative Wrap-Up: Part One

When I sat down to write this legislative wrap-up, I had envisioned it being one a piece, but as I delved into writing it, there was too much to content for a single editorial, so here's part one. Part two, will follow tomorrow. 

This past weekend, the House of Representatives concluded its work for the Biennium. As a member of the minority, I can say with an objective view that we did some very good work over the last two years.  

Our greatest challenges came from the worst natural disaster Vermont has ever seen, Tropical Storm Irene, and the floods that ravaged our part of the state last spring.  These two events represented a serious challenge for state government. However, with strong leadership from Governor Shumlin and Chief Irene Recovery Officer Neale Lunderville, our brave little state came together in a way many of us have never seen before.

Today I am proud to say that – while there is still work to do – we will emerge from the devastation stronger than ever, and with a new sense of community resolve felt from Brattleboro to Highgate; Bennington to Island Pond.

I was proud to work with our local schools and many local businesses to organize a successful food and supply drive last fall to help our neighbors when they needed us most.  We did our part, and in that we should all take great pride.

The storm wreaked havoc on the Waterbury State Office Complex as well as the Vermont State Hospital. For over a decade now, state government has been searching for a way to deal with what was a broken system for those Vermonters in need of acute mental health care.  This session, faced with a dysfunctional organization and a damaged building, we worked to build upon our community-based system by partnering with the private sector to provide quality care with the human dignity the old way lacked.

Thanks to the tireless work of the Franklin County community, we passed Nick’s Law, a huge step to ensure the safety of all motorists and limit drunk driving in our state. This important legislation would not have passed without those friends and family of Nick Fournier who came to the state house year after year until their voices were heard. We are all safer for their perseverance.

This year, we passed the Working Landscapes bill, which will help renew our commitment to agriculture and work to retrofit an industry that defines our state and county.

And what I think was some of the best work done by the legislature this year, was the manner in which we undertook the once a decade, constitutional mandate to redraw the House and Senate districts. I was the "special envoy," appointed by the minority during the redistricting process. I was present at all committee meetings and worked to ensure that the process was not muddied by politics.

I'm happy to report, that it wasn’t, and the bill we passed this year represents a bipartisan effort, that I am very proud of.

Here in Franklin County, there are many changes, including the decoupling of Fairfax and Georgia, and the combination of Fairfield, Bakersfield and Fletcher to make a single member district. 

Most notably for our community, St. Albans Town will become a single member district and the City district will include the portion of the town that falls between the east side of Rt. 7, the west side of I-89 and south of Rt. 36. This was a bipartisan compromise made between the City and Town Boards of Civil Authority and worked on tirelessly by myself, Rep. Kathie Keenan and Rep. Lynn Dickinson.

This is part of the Town I am very familiar with, having spent my high school years and college years on Georgie Avenue on Prospect Hill  before moving back to the City several years ago. As I ponder this November's election, I can't help but think about what an exciting privilege to campaign in -and possibly represent - this new district would be.

With the good, though, comes the bad and in tomorrow's Messenger, I'll outline what new laws the legislature passed that I do not support and how we need to work to improve government. 

Until then,

Rep. Dustin A. Degree

St. Albans City

Everyone Loves a Parade...

This past weekend, St. Albans welcomed folks from across the region to celebrate something that defines Vermont around the globe: Maple.

We should all be proud that our state's most famous product claims Franklin County as its home.  And it's not because we make the most syrup, sugar or candy - it's because we make the best, and no one can argue otherwise.

As someone who has had a real passion for public service and campaigns  for my entire life, it’s fair to say that I’ve marched in more Maple Festival parades than I’ve watched, and I have to thank the 30 or so friends and family that came out to march and show their support on Sunday in bright yellow and gold t-shirts.

When I worked for Governor Douglas, I was always so proud to walk, boasting to him and other  staffers about our community, our downtown and our people.

Now that another parade has passed us by, I’d like to take a few  moments to talk about one person in particular.

Every time I’ve walked in the parade, for myself or with a candidate,  I’ve always run into Mr. Ed Brehaut, sitting in a lawn chair, in the same spot on the grass in front of the old Grand Union shopping center.

“Mr. B” was my fifth-grade social studies teacher at St. Albans Town  Central School in 1995, where he was well liked by students as a fair, entertaining and engaging teacher. I entered his class with a budding interest in civics and government, but like many ten year-old boys, I  was more concerned with sports and socializing than with the 2nd Constitutional Convention or how a bill becomes a law.

However, that didn't deter Mr. B., and over the course of the year I  became fascinated by the narrative of our nation's founding, the birth of liberty and the system of government that emerged from our revolution.

Mr. B was the first of many to direct me down the road of public service and government, and for that I am forever in his debt. Thank you, Mr. B.

And so each year during the parade I seek out Mr. B, there where he  always is, to reconnect for a brief moment, shake his hand and to jokingly remind him that “it’s all his fault.”

But it’s not a joke.

Those of us who were lucky enough to grow up in this community all  have teachers and coaches who, when we were young, saw something in us and set us on a path toward a future we could pursue with passion.

I want to thank the people of the City of St. Albans for allowing me  the honor of representing them in the House over the last two years. Now, as the legislative session winds down, the campaign season starts, and I’ll begin to consider the path toward November's election  that will allow me to represent our community most effectively.

I look forward to continuing the fight for St. Albans - and those like Ed Brehaut, who make it special.

Sincerely,

Rep. Dustin A. Degree
St. Albans City