 Good evening and welcome to channel 17 town meeting television. We're here with another of our Chittenden County candidate forums tonight and Please to introduce the two gentlemen who are vying for the Chittenden 7-3 district Well, I have that at the end here John Calackey. Is that the way it's pronounced John and Frank Davis is right here And gentlemen, I'd like to give you both a couple minutes to do an open statement John Maybe you'd like to start sure and talk to the people about why you were running and what's in important to you. Thank you. Well for the last eight years I was running the Flynn Center for the performing arts You know, we do artistic educational community engagement programs our budget 7.7 million dollars And I employed about 275 people a day a year there We did a lot of outreach we discounted tickets with 85 social service agencies 38,000 kids came to school matinees 7,000 of them came for free That was really important. We did scholarships for all our classes We expanded programs for our audiences and artists with disabilities. We worked with a new American community I did a whole abanacchi show. It was really important and all of these programs came in at a balanced budget. I Served on the board of the Iran Business Roundtable Vermont Community Foundation and also I spent four years with advisory committee of the of Iran Tax Department and I was the search for the superintendent of Borotian Schools and The search for the CEO for month PBS The reason I'm running I often found myself in Montpelier testifying before the Senate and House Committees about the essential contributions of the nonprofit sector in Vermont and for all of the people That we represent and I felt like the legislature had taken our clients and the people we are working with for granted and The nonprofit sector itself is one of the largest employment sectors 61,000 Vermonters are employed and it's about 17% of our workforce With this experience. I want to work to make Vermont an even better place for all of us to thrive Thank you Frank. What's your give us your reasons? Well across all professions and skill sets positive difference making is consistently Bridged all my life and now with direction direct action calling forth is never before I really feel a need to share in this responsibility and I've been a professor for 10 years an educator for over 30 years Social worker counselor and therapist for 12 years. I have a doctorate in business and I've run businesses also numbering in the low hundreds and And I just you know, there's so much about Vermont. It's just heaven, you know and yet a The economy is certainly a challenge and so there's there's a great entree right there but then you'll dig a little deeper and you don't have to dig very far and you know every aspect has some issue or another and And and we're better than that. We you know, and if we don't address some of these issues now I mean, there's some issues coming at us that I don't think there's a state in the country that's preparing for it we're probably going to have a internal climate refugee crisis in the next 10 to 15 years because of extreme climate change and To say that Vermont has done absolutely nothing to prepare for that May seem scary, but what's also true is and it's kind of a backhanded compliment But we can kind of console ourselves. Nobody has done anything to prepare for that But we you know, we need to do something now. I I have to salute John he's done some marvelous work with The arts and my art background is second almost to none really I I've been an artist all my life What's also true, however, is that's a skill set that we don't necessarily, you know, grant Getting funding for the nonprofits that's been needed. Okay, but Networking for dollars is not necessarily something that I'd like to see, you know as a skill set in state government and so, you know, I just that's part of the reason why I have taken no funding whatsoever and I just you know want to be very cautious about Noticing that let's take a little deeper there and to State how The state as a representative to this in the state government how What would you bring or you would want to bring to help the economy in the state? One of the things that you would say we need to address this and this is how we can address it Yeah, well, you know, I think we're overdue for a thorough reassessment With regards to what's possible, you know what we must address and At least a think tank's worth of creativity My god, we cannot Keep whacking property taxes, you know, it's just unsustainable and It really isn't fair and it in some ways it's insulting for you know What is arguably the smartest state in the United States, you know, we've got the by most metrics Vermont's got the best public schools Sometimes it's New York. Sometimes it's Connecticut, but by most metrics. It's Vermont and we've got more Universities and colleges per citizen than any other state, you know, so with all so with this wonderful brain trust You know Why aren't we why aren't we addressing these problems, you know, it's not It's not rocket science. It doesn't take effort. Yes, you know Do we need more people in Montpelier with a spine? Yes, you know, we this these are Solvable issues. Let me ask John the same thing. So as a representative and What would you urge your your your folks in State government to say this is this could be an approach for helping our economy and making it stronger Well, first I've done a lot of different innovative business things ever on collaboration and I think that Even though in 2014 the government Vermont did it accounts based Accountability results based accountability. They're asking the organizations doing the departments but I think the legislators themselves don't actually understand it fully and I think there needs to be a systems approach and not a Committee approach and so I think it has to go across committee for some of these issues because I'd be talking to one committee about something in the nonprofit sector I'd be there with The head of the food bank and the YMCA and King Street and and other nonprofits and we go to another committee and there was There was no bridging into the because every committee was so siloed And I think it's important that we have the committee work But then we also learn to work across the committees and look at a systemic approach to the wrong issues In your opinion, what would be the issues that you would that you would like to bring or at least See if you can get on the table. Well, we we have an economic crisis. I think in Vermont. We have For the wealthier people are telling me they're moving to other states because it's lower Income taxes and there's six months of the day there, so they're not paying taxes here So that's a problem the fallback answer cannot be that we just tax the rich We have to have really again a systemic Rethinking of the whole tax structure that's important Middle and lower income families are really hurting as I've gone around to my district and met people We are also an aging state. So we have to get younger people to move here and Here's ways the affordable wages is something that is very key and it is a tragedy of the governor Vito that in this session, but even $15 by 2024. I mean Amazon's doing that I think Vermont has to do better than that So I would like to of course work on that family leave was also vetoed that was very important Not only for people with new babies, but people with aging folks that they have to take care of We need people to have a holistic life very important Expansion of daycare opportunities is also very important for our young families Workforce development is something, you know, it looks like we have a low Unemployment but actually there are skills that are not being developed. There's an interesting project That I learned about with the Vermont Business Roundtable Vermont talent pipeline where they're working with the health industry the manufacturing industry And the construction industry and they are certifying kids out of high school Telling them there's these kinds of jobs and it's skilled jobs and if you get the certification You'll be guaranteed an interview in the construction industry and then if you're hired there It's a bonus. So there's that kind of thing and those kids can also then get certified in college stuff So that's really very very important to do that and more affordable housing The last part of this picture is our Protection for renters There's a lot of issues of people renting in our district that we live that people feel like they have no recourse They don't know where to go. So I think all of that is for me the economy and it's like that crosses committees And it would be interesting to me I mean Frank or I get in we're gonna be new and we don't get our committee choice necessarily We'll be at one committee But to me my job has always been about how can we do things better together? And so that's what I would like to work right do you want to Do you want to go somewhere else with this discussion or would you like to add what you would like to bring? Well, I would actually echo that John's right on point. In fact, you know, I pay for my rent three times How much I paid for my mortgage? Before I moved here from out of state and that included property taxes and insurance and there is a area in our district that is Coming up right now and it's being referred to as affordable housing and it's three hundred thousand dollars to start Yep, and I'm thinking if if that's affordable housing to you, you know, what's wrong with this picture? That's you know, you don't need affordable housing if you've got if that's not you know, if you can afford $300,000 you got lots of choices So, you know, I would acknowledge that certainly I do like the idea that There was a nod toward Other ways to Grow as a citizen in this state A viable citizen a contributing citizen besides college or university and and we do need to expand those avenues absolutely and and they do need to be Well-regarded well paid You know and and and so I would certainly also hope to champion that as well Another kind of thing about this To me that's important is you know in South Berlin our schools are robust We have a growing population, but there's a lot of schools, you know across Vermont that there's declining populations And there's issues now about mergers and stuff, but to me it's the opportunity that we can actually redefine a School as a community center because when I look in rural Vermont, there are issues around daycare There's issues around preschool. There's issues around after school and even senior activities and I Talked to the folks of the Permanent Fund and they said there is a dearth of quality daycare around the state but so if we move everything into the school situation all of this can actually happen and that the Isolated seniors can actually over the bone building class as well in the school and but we need we would need to Look differently at what a school can be and not just hold it for what it was And I think that that's a really thing and you know, we also have to delink school budgets with property taxes because it is so complex for people Well, I certainly would want to review all of it Because as it stands now, we've had Some significant hiccups and that's not necessarily Useful or necessary The fact of the matter is I'd like to do some Some really bold Considerations and would need, you know some support and pushing it through legislation But you know we you had Ms. Pew and made it here a moment ago and They were talking about the opioid crisis and and one of the things That bubbled up for me listening to that and yes Thank God, you know Vermont is is one of the leading states one of the models With regards to this crisis, but what's also true is Addressing this Before it becomes an issue they were talking about the barn leave the horse leaving the barn the fact of the matter is We Considered this for a moment Once upon a time and it wasn't very long ago. We did not have sex education in the schools Over the course of time was like, oh my god, we need that Let's get it in the schools and teach that okay. Well Again, I want to acknowledge the magnificence of the public schools In this state, I'm not trying to minimize that you know South Burlington in fact has the best public school in the state What's also true however is there's no class on communication skills. There's no class on relationship skills There's no class on you know Where if you don't get to learn coping skills at home, where are you going to learn that? and and if there's a need and apparently there is I mean, you know somebody graduates high school they go out and about their business and they try to put together some modicum of Success and make their way in the world and you know the next thing you know that they can't pay the rent they're living in their car their Minimum wage-paying job Decided you know to shuffle the schedules and they can't make the schedule and before you know, it's like I'm homeless and and You know or or the typical avenue is actually the pain medication, but be that as it may You know you can spin out the scenario any number of ways all of a sudden somebody's on opioids And it's like oh there are bad, but no they're not a bad person You know, but there's ways to address this before it even occurs and we don't teach those skills One of the things one of the things I did as an educator is I taught in a county jail I was before we go too far I got you know our time is limited But it seems like we're going around the same type of thing and I want to ask you on a little bit about health care because That whole concept you have about the community centers and expanding those things with daycares and various things It seems like health care would be at the top of everyone's list also about how do we address? Health care for Vermonters and and from the state level how do how do we address the the cause of health care and as well as the services? Well, I'll start with the opiate issues because health care is Somewhat connected here, but you know I visited treatment court in Barry and Burlington And it was a very moving experience for me because I watched the judicial system treat people not as They they treat they treated people who were dealing with addiction with dignity with humanity And it was considered an illness and it wasn't considered a crime And it was really important that a support structure set up you work with social workers You have your sobriety meetings you have to go to you have to be tested everything And then you work with your peers in this group kind of work on that and I saw a peer Network that was really profound for 20 or 30 people that were there going to the family Judge every day, but this cross-sector collaboration is the thing that really seems to be working with Stable housing and health care really important and the UVM hospital is doing some of that social services as well and The United Way has been doing that with our incredible organizations Cots Spectrum the Howard Center each of those are seen that can't you cannot isolate one of these issues that it has to be integrated, you know and so Part of this if in the drug issues we're talking about it seems to be working, but I think it's also in health care It's it's revealing to everyone that this is the better way to go You know, there's a lot in flux right now about health care with your question The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act really helped ensure we're over monitors That was extraordinary. Well, that's ending in 2020 So it's it's unclear and on Monday. I was reading a draft report about That Vermont health connect and the individual mandate and it's not clear yet If there's gonna be a tax penalty there for compliance But that's an abyss if that happens and we're over monitors now lose that that's really pretty significant It's a game-changer. We have to then go back holistically and address that Green Mountain care board The legislature is the one that's gonna have to address that at that point. So I Think yeah, I think so. Well, I think we better yeah, or we'll be sure it's we'll be painted in other ways Right, right and it's a great investment to right to do this early on and it's cheaper It's cheaper to do it, you know to go down the path of universal care You know as long as we're honoring each other. We're lifting up the nurses. We're working with the pharmaceuticals You know it appears we're evolving fine in this direction, you know We just need to continue to move towards universal single payer, you know regardless and And that is regardless of what the federal government may choose to do But no, it's you know the holistic approach to the opioid crisis, you know, we we've been Holding that up on high everybody who's been sitting here has been saying that it that is the standard I would say this however You know the sobriety meetings 12-step stuff has has devolved to a cult. I mean, you know, let's face it. Why wouldn't that happen? It's a leaderless Organization by definition and it's made up primarily of folks with an active dysfunction and and that's not to minimize the great work They save lives, but it's sobriety Primarily not recovery primarily and And the alternative Has been you know, I was one of the people who started the very first secular recovery groups as a as a counselor in Florida and There are secular movements across the country and I don't know that there are any Secular meetings here in in at least the greater Burlington area. I know there's smart recovery But I haven't been to one of their meetings. I just haven't had a need to so Five-minute signs so we're down to so Frank. Why don't you get what we'll try to give you guys two minutes two solid minutes to What would you like and you might want to talk right to the right from the camera with the red light on? when it comes up over here and Tell tell the folks of South Burlington exactly, you know, you're closing statement here. What do you want to do? well there is a truth Most no but still fumble in shorthand. There is the Republican right and so Now it's gotten so far to the right. It's dragged the Democrats squarely to the middle and you know, yes, you're generally better off with a Democrat than a Republican but Also generally speaking the Democrats have left the left, you know, and that's a real vacuum You know, we progressives are the left and an eschewing corporate funding is certainly an expression of that I'm beholden only to my constituents, you know fighting for not just the working class, but our liberties themselves Yes, I seek to represent the district of South Burlington that I'm in and this is both for South Burlington and South Burlington's perspective for Vermont So, you know, if you've paid attention to my responses You know, I tend to be a little more specific. I just want to be very clear. I take this very very seriously You know John's a good man and I've said that repeatedly ever since before I met him actually He's for better education better water quality. Well, you know, that's great. No kidding. I think we all are But I haven't seen John take a stand on a specific issue yet and He does take campaign donations 80% of from out of state Banks the question, you know, who would he be beholden to who would he be representing? You know, I'm telling you who I am that I represent my district I'm beholden to no one, you know, and your vote is too important to gamble with John. It's your floor now Great. Well, the last few months have been pretty extraordinary for me as I went to about 850 of my constituent stores and I Saw seniors feeling helpless about unsustainable rent increases. I saw people tell me they're moving out Out of the district because they're moving out of state because of rising property taxes I watched young families tell me they were struggling with housing with low-paying jobs lack of affordable daycare I mentioned the treatment courts. I was very inspired by how They are dealing with people with addiction and mental illness and in a holistic way I visited Luns, which is an incredible place for pregnant and parenting teens young adults and Adoption families for me. There's so much to learn here In this run and if I would be elected I've been meeting with advocates from affordable housing Healthcare environment workforce development early childhood education and learning a lot listening to people I Participate in community Conversations about act 250, which is a very significant act about land use It's very significant in South Burlington as our land is being used and it's also an issue that that Bill was 50 years ago to kind of stop the ski industry from taking every all the green space away It has to be rethought now in 50 years and I think that's important I'm also very honored to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood That's been very important for me to stand with them and I really do look forward to the opportunity to serve and To help make our state an even better place for people to thrive Thank You gentlemen and thank you for watching tonight. This has been channel 17 town meeting television and The two candidates that you can vote for and you must get out and vote are John Kalaki and Frank Davis get out there and vote Thank you so much