BARRE, VT: Senator David Zuckerman, candiate for Lieutenant Governor, presented the following remarks today.
Good Afternoon. It is nice to see so many familiar faces.
I’m David Zuckerman and I’m running for Lt. Governor. I’m here to earn your support and ask for your vote in the August 9th Primary.
For the past 20 years, I have worked with many of you on issues of economic and social justice. I have been serving you in the Legislature where the support and advocacy of those inside and outside the Statehouse has moved Vermont forward on issues of income inequality, healthcare for all, strengthening our rural economy, marriage equality, GMO labeling, raising the minimum wage, affordable housing, end of life choices, ending the Iraq war, cannabis reform, and many more.
Most of you know that I am a farmer, a small business owner, a parent, and an activist. I care deeply about Vermont and Vermonters; about preserving our planet, our quality of life, and our rural character.
When I speak up for affordable childcare, I understand it because I know how hard it was to afford childcare for my daughter, yet I’m also aware of the challenges of paying childcare workers enough to meet their needs.
When I speak up for paid family leave, I know what it is like to juggle having a baby and trying to make it work financially with one fewer income.
When I speak up for affordable healthcare, I understand the problem because my wife’s Lyme illness has cost us over $40,000 out of pocket in the last couple years, and she is still not healthy yet.
When I speak up for raising the minimum wage, I view the problem from the perspective of both the small employer and the employee, and I recognize the struggles that we are both facing. We all deserve more for our hard work.
When I think of our future, I think of my daughter and her classmates at her school, and I am haunted by a statistic I heard again recently: “One out of every 6 children in Vermont lives in poverty and half of them live in extreme poverty.” This is unacceptable in this day and age!
When I fight for these issues as Lieutenant Governor, it will be from personal experience. As a legislator and in my daily life, I am working to ensure that when I leave this planet, my daughter is better off than I am. As a farmer, I am working to leave the soil healthier for the next generation of farmers, ensuring that future families can have access to healthy food.
Bernie has awakened the country to these issues on a whole new scale. He has brought Vermont values to the rest of the nation. Bernie has shown that across this country there are YOUGE numbers of people hungry for change, the kind of change we have worked hard to achieve here in Vermont and the kind of change for which we are still striving.
Bernie inspired me to get involved in politics when I volunteered on his Congressional campaign in 1992. I have carried his message and received his endorsement in each of my previous campaigns. I am so proud of what he has done and I’m excited to be running for statewide office when he is running for President. As Lieutenant Governor, I will keep Bernie’s message alive here in Vermont so we can once again be a role model for the nation.
With your help and support, with your continued engagement in the political process, with your insistence on a fair and open process in government and in public life, we can:
- Continue to move forward to build a system that protects the rights of women; people of color; and our gay, lesbian, and transgender brothers and sisters
- Move toward a stronger, more vibrant economy that pays a livable wage and provides everyone healthcare
- Ensure we have a political system that is not rigged and that attracts young people and people of all races, classes, and cultures
- Engage small business people, farmers, and entrepreneurs in our emerging economy
I would like to return Vermont to one of its rural traditions in particular. If elected, I would be honored to be the first active farmer elected to the office of Governor or Lt. Governor in more than 50 years.
I’m excited for Vermont and Vermonters as we head toward November. We have challenges to overcome and I am prepared to help lead in that effort. I am ready to bring my leadership skills and experience both inside and outside the Statehouse to Montpelier, but I can’t do this without you. I’m asking for your help, your hard work, your support–both political and financial–and your vote by August 9th. As your next Lt. Governor I will continue to work with all of you to ensure Vermont remains rich in beauty, deep in opportunity, and respectful of all its citizens.
Thank you.
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