 Good evening and welcome to the state representative LaMoyle Washington candidate forum This program is part of a series presented by the bridge and Orca media to help voters get to know Their candidates better. I'm Keith ghost land. I'm and Charles and I'm Linda Quinlan and We're co-hosts of all things lgbtq And this evening's moderators you may surmise uh-huh These two are in these fora or forums are intended to provide Candidates with the opportunity to share their views and to explain why they think they should be elected It's not a debate. So they will not question each other These forums are unique in that we have invited all candidates who are on the November 8 ballot Not just those from major parties Before Introducing the two candidates who are with us tonight. I'm briefly going to go over the format Yes, sit back and relax We asked the public for questions in advance and we have used them to help us develop a list of questions for the candidates We did this along with input from the staff from the bridge and Orca media as well as from your moderators tonight During this program. We will also take call-in questions. You can call Orca at 802 224 9901 a Volunteer will write them down and then we will have them displayed on the screen in front of us We will ask as many questions tonight as we can fit in Candidates were not given the questions in advance And each candidate has two minutes to introduce themselves to explain why they are running and to make opening Remarks after that candidates will have a minute and I have to answer each question And at the end we'll get one minute for closing statements The moderators have the discretion to make adjustments should any be needed We have a timer in the studio that will help candidates keep track of how much time they have left For their opening statements, we will call on the candidates in the same order. They are listed on the ballot After that we will vary the order so that each candidate has the opportunity to go first And so that they do not always go before and after the same person When we introduce The candidates we will give their names their city and town they live in and their party affiliation It is up to them to expand on that After that we will call on the candidates by their first names Tonight the candidates have been invited are running for the lamoille washington house seat This includes elmore morristown stowe woodbury and wister This is a two seat district However, only one of the current incumbents is seeking reelection Two of the four candidates on the ballot accepted the invitation to participate in this live form The other two candidates were extended an invitation to submit a two minute recorded statement Regarding their candidacy, but none was received So Enough of us. Let's meet the candidates In alphabetical order by last name as you appear on the ballot Sadia lamot From morrisville. Yes a democrat. Yes Alvaroom pat Of wister vermont formally of plainfield Also a democrat And alvaroom is the current incumbent. So welcome And sadia if you would like to start with your opening remarks Good evening, and thank you for having and hosting. My name is saudia lamont. I live in morrisville vermont And I am running for the open seat for the lamoille washington district as you all just stated I'm running this currently this time at this point As a surprise to myself I just recently graduated from emerge vermont In which we had a homework assignment and We I was learning how to run and I interviewed The former representative who see i'm running for Yeah, phony and I asked him, you know, do you think I should run for office and if so which seat and He supported my decision And gave me his blessing And here we are and I am now running to serve as I've been serving in my community Community basis with different organizations and agencies In various capacities and now it's time to take it to the next step. Thank you for having me. Thank you So abram Your opening statements. Hi. I'm avram pat. I as was noted. I am The one incumbent among the four candidates at this time around I have served three terms In in the vermont house representing this district I've had the privilege in my first term to serve with chap smith who was speaker at the time And with davi akavoni who has chosen not to run and who encouraged saudi to run for the seat so I have been involved in one way or another in Public affairs at this time in the legislature as people may know There's a huge turnover of people who have left I do think that in the in the legislature in order to get things done We need a balance of new people new ideas fresh new blood And people with experience Who know how to get things done who are willing to make compromises as much as painful as that sometimes can be In order to get things done And I have come from very strong principles and ideals imbued by my immigrant refugee parents Uh, but I uh, I I have the I guess I have the temperament to work in in the legislature when other people shouldn't try Thank you And we want to start with you avram What do you believe is the most important issue? Facing your district if you are elected to the vermont house How will you use this role to improve your district? As time allows, how will you maintain contact with members of your district? I think ultimately and this is this is a Big issue and that divides into many many parts, but it's really The economy The ability of people to make a living To pay for their housing housing and rental housing in particular in all of lamoille county, not just our district is Is really out of bounds right now. That's a statewide issue, but it's particularly hard in lamoille county right now And uh, and and the services that are needed in order for people to do that including Affordable and available child care So I think that is really people People are struggling people want to work And and and they they they can't make it And and and there are jobs open Everywhere, but people are struggling to make that so that that's the that's the the biggest issue And and I'm particularly interested and have some background In the housing issue from from work. I've done before I was in the legislature And that's one that that I think I can add add something to whether or not I end up on the committee that deals with that issue Thank you May you please repeat the question Okay What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district? If you are elected to the vermont house, how will you use this role to improve your district? As time allows, how will you maintain contact with members of your district? Thank you Okay, so I will agree and concur with With my dear friend all of them here and I would I would agree and say housing is a big issue Is one of the biggest issues in our community um I've been serving on committees around housing for The past year year and a half And currently I'm working in partnership with housing Housing providers. I'm trying to be careful of the language that I use not developers Around the state with the vermont How racial justice housing jam i'm billamoyle county liaison for that project And so I've been working with them for the past six months or so On ways to improve housing and make sure that we're looking at different all different aspects Of what we are doing and how we are doing it And so I would then translate that work Into what i'm doing when i'm serving regardless as all of them have said similarly Regardless of what committee i'm on i've been doing these things and I will continue to do so and advocate for Safe affordable housing for all Thank you Starting with sardia now Election security and integrity has been an active discussion both nationally and here in vermont Do you believe the legislature Should make changes to the election process? If so, what changes would you support? Can you repeat the second part of that question, please? Sure. Do you believe the legislature should make changes to the election process? If so, what changes would you support? Okay, thank you Well, I know we've been looking at The ranked voting system and and considering having that done I actually support that decision. I I think it's um I've done a little bit of research and tried to follow it along And I support ranked ranked voting systems I don't know what that would look like in vermont based off of our demographics and how people run in the thing And how it would affect us, but I think we should at least try it and be open to looking at different ways of exploring things We've been doing things the same way for a long time. So, you know, I'm open to trying a new system out also, I really Appreciate the mail-in ballots being sent out that has really improved Uh the voter outcome And a lot of a lot of voters Are now voting more the numbers are increased than were previously because they have that access So it's really improving access to voting to to voters. And so I think that that's something that should continue on Great. Thank you Avram, should I repeat the question? Yes, please election security and integrity has been an active discussion both nationally and here in vermont Do you believe the legislature should make changes to the election process? If so, what changes would you support? It was the first part of the question. I needed to remember I don't believe that there is a significant security and integrity issue in vermont I don't think there is in most of the country But I'm very familiar and and it's very close up in vermont. I was Before I ran for office. I was on the board of civil authority first in wood in Worcester And previous to that in playing field when we counted ballots by hand And we sat across the table from people of the other party and and and it worked And so I don't I do not think that there is an issue. What can we do to improve? The process I'm going to say two things one I I do agree wholeheartedly that the the mail-in ballot system that we've developed and And I'm sure it can be tweaked some more But that Enables of and encourages people to vote who might not have Thought about it or not made. I know people who something happens to them on election day And they can't make it to the polls by closing time And and and so that's an issue the one thing that Rank choice voting is something I'm interested in and I have not made up my mind The thing that has been discussed over the years that I'm I'm beginning to lean in favor of is The two-year term is a real hardship for statewide as well as legislative Officials, thank you So since you're ready Avram, okay the next question There have been recent events targeting vermont's lgbtq plus community This has occurred both here in the state and on a national basis These threats have included drag queen story hours being held at our local libraries the vandalism of rainbow and transgender flags And the targeting of transgender athletes in public schools Would you support strengthening vermont's bullying and bias hate crime statutes? Why or why not? Um, I I am very aware of the the the increase in these incidents that you're talking about and it's very troubling and um I I would support I would support that there is always whether it's in this particular issue or others There is always a line and a question About when does free speech cross over into being a threat? Or actual harm And so we always have to be careful with that because As much as we may Dispise what some people say At a certain point they have the right to say that and at a certain point they've crossed a line And and and to the extent there are things we can do legally to better define that and and say when When that Where is that line and you did it and and now there will be some Some form of legal action around that. So yes, I support that. Thank you Sadia yes So I work a lot with um young people and youth in our communities and As a queer vermont or myself I would absolutely support wholeheartedly any legislation that supports and backs all Humans regardless of how they choose to identify And anything that stands against bullying And supporting the mental health of our Vermonters who have various marginalized backgrounds including lgbtq, right because It is hard Life is hard on its own the last thing we need are people making it more challenging And so anything in my power that I could do I will support and make sure that we keep Vermonters safe Thank you, and thank you for your honesty and your disclosure on this show. Thank you Okay, we're gonna start with Sadia Mm-hmm As a state vermont has the process of identifying And confronting systematic racism and its impact on our indigenous And communities of color in vermont giving this issue the necessary attention and If not what actions initiatives would you support? Can you repeat the first part, please vermont has the has begun the process of identifying And confronting Systematic systemic. I'm sorry racism and its impact on indigenous and communities of color. Thank you Thank you. That was where I just wanted to make sure I was focusing on the right right portion Again Right, it's it's it's so curious because I I spend so many times in so many meetings with so many groups on so many committees doing a lot of this stuff and Vermont is the leader vermont has been paving the way in so many aspects for so many things Which is why I love it. Which is why it's home. Which is why I stay here, right? And so I will continue to show up and do the work and support legislation That looks at the systemic racism that takes place because what happens is A lot of systems people think the system is broken and our system is not broken Our system works just as it was created and intended to However, our system was not created and intended to serve all people equally So what we have to do is really look at who are the people in our community Who are we trying to serve and how can we make sure there's equity in all aspects? And that is what I fully intend to do continue to work on those systems and addressing the change as need be Thank you. Thank you I think the It's important to talk about what we mean by the word systemic We also talk about institutional They're somewhat related and so This is not so much about You'll have a law that says you can't It's against the law to hate someone of color Um It's more about looking at our public and institutions our government Policing and the and the justice system our education system and all of that and seeing where Intentionally or unintentionally Things like this happen so so that biases are Encouraged or not discouraged And that is that's deeper work than simply just saying a law. This is you know, this is against the law because again You can't regulate every behavior of a person however reprehensible they may be So we need to be doing things that change the structures that change how Children in school What what they hear and and and and and and that kind of stuff and and and and how our government functions including criminal justice and all of that Functions to avoid any kind of bias Sorry Avram in response to the growing debate about reproductive rights The vermont legislature completed the process to create prop five amendment 22 That would add reproductive freedom protections to the vermont constitution Do you support this amendment? Why or why not? I do as a as you are aware the process of bringing a An amendment to the To the public vote involves two separate Vienniums two-year sessions of the legislature. I happen to serve in both of those I voted yes in favor and I have marked my ballot. I have not turned it in yet, but I will Disclose it's a secret ballot, but I have voted in favor and And I feel very strongly About this that this is the the circumstances Uh, which cause someone to Need an abortion Are very very personal and and And that is a matter for them to decide with the council of their of their of their doctor Thank you Sardia Yes, yes, yes And I encourage you all to vote yes as well on your ballots as they come in or when you do on november 8 Yes, I support the uh passing of the reproductive liberty amendment because Reproductive health care is health care and it is not just about abortions. It is about so much more It is about autonomy to people's bodies. It is about health care. It is about health access And keeping people alive and safe So Yes Thank you So sardia This question may sound familiar Housing is a critical issue in vermont How should vermont address the need for affordable and accessible housing and reconcile conflict The conflict between development and environmental concerns Yeah a lot Yes Well, so it's a curious because that's where we've been a lot of other committees that we've been talking about The affordable housing short-term rentals all these things are housing stock. What does that look like? and The environmental concerns right however for my group personally the environmental concerns have just become a part of the conversation because It's it's starting to come up. What are the effects? I'm meeting with v perk tomorrow to figure out Let's talk about this and have this conversation on what are the effects of over development of our communities And sprawl. What are the pros and cons? How can we effectively look at these outcomes and make change? It's a big it's a big task to do and it will not be addressed in a biennium It it's something that you know has been happening for a very long time The amount of the rate at which houses are going up does not match the rate Of number of people experiencing homelessness in our community right now As well as our waiting list So we can't really get ahead of it And so there's all these different aspects to look at and i'm just continuing to work with the partners And sit at the tables and engage in the conversations and look at how we can address those things Right, so unfortunately, I don't have I don't have an answer on how to end You know Housing the housing crisis right now However, we are working to address it in partnership and look at responsible development and amendment to active 50 so In vermont, we actually recognize this tension many many years ago when we established something called the vermont housing and conservation board Recognizing that this one entity was going to be dealing both with environmental and land use issues And affordable housing and and and I think they've done a good job at that although it The issue continues continues to arrive. I happen to have two very close family members who have worked both on the Housing and the conservation side in in in that agency. So I've heard about that the issue of Short-term rentals is a huge issue it more in some places like limoille county But it's it's it's an issue everywhere and we need to resolve that and find the balance between We don't want to tell an individual homeowner who has an apartment over the garage that they can't make some money running an Out short term we do not want developers buying up every property in town and turning it into short-term rentals Burlington has taken some steps around that that I think we need we need to look at but In the the other thing is we need to continue funding affordable housing programs, whether it's the housing finance agency vermont conservation board And rent subsidies and and all of that Thank you Okay, starting with abram Gun related violence is on the increase both nationally and here in vermont Should the vermont legislature enact additional stronger gun measures? If so, what measures would you support? I support I start out by saying as I've said many times over the years that I haven't I'm Definitely not out in To take away people's guns to take away vermoner's right to have guns for hunting for A target practice and for their own protection The we I I am in favor of considering very careful steps to continue assuring that Guns do not get into the hands of people who who are a threat either to themselves or or to others and also to consider When we when we talk about the united states second amendment and the right to bear arms And we talk about originalism and the constitution what were arms back when that was written They were not, you know the kind of weapons that that exist today Are not what was even imagined then so I do think that it's reasonable to consider some definition of what we mean by The type of arms that that that citizens can use as opposed to law enforcement or armed forces, you know public safety kind of uses Thank you Yes, so as We experience so much crisis and unsafety Especially with our children in schools and all of these things I support Common law in common sense safety measures And any measures that help reduce gun violence I don't believe that people should not have guns I've you know hunt, especially we live in vermont hunting is a thing That's people's livelihood. Some people how they get their food And so we're not trying to keep people hungry. We're just trying to keep people safe And I think all of the measures that have been outlined and advocated for With in regards to safety regards to weight lists for background checks and all of those other types of measures to make sure that People who have guns are safe to have them and when they have them they are they're storing them safely and securely So that we minimize access and reduce harm Thank you starting with saudia Current changes in extreme weather patterns are demonstrating the impacts of climate change. That's certainly clear How specifically would the vermont legislature respond to climate change? How should it respond to climate change? Would you say? Take it very seriously I I mean, you know, there's There's so many things that we are trying to do And so here's the thing Being environment environmentalist Is expensive and I've tried and I've explained this to some of the environmental groups that I've that I've been in communication with And so when we're looking at Reduction of single-use plastics reduction of all the things recycling and all etc Right all of the things that will help save Our environment and and elongate the time we have to look at the cost And people who have access to those things and when we're when we look at The way things are made these days. It's really hard and challenging for people who experience poverty to have access to environmental friendly and not environmentally friendly solutions And so I think it's not a one-person thing. It's not and reducing people's carbon footprint is a help But it's going to take something of significant Magnitude for us to really make the changes we need to make And so that is looking at creative solutions that really help access for everyone so that we can all play our part In saving our planet and reducing climate change Thank you Energy ended up being my field that I worked in and and for the last two sessions I served on the house energy and technology committee But for 16 years Much to my surprise I ended up being the CEO of an electric utility a small one, but washington electric co-op which pioneered first in energy efficiency and then in moving towards renewable and cleaner energy sources And I also worked in state government in the office that Ran the statewide low-income weatherization program So the first thing very specifically the legislature passed In the last session the clean heat standard bill that came out of the committee I was on It failed to it It overrode the senate overrode the governor's veto the house missed it by one vote He was wrong in vetoing it and one way or another We need to we need to bring to bring that back because it is it contains The things that allow people To make to make the choices when they need to make the choices individuals and homeowners and businesses To move away from how they use energy now to other ways and it allows businesses to change the business model Including energy providers like fuel dealers So, uh, that's that that's where we need to start great. Thank you I want to encourage people who are watching this live if you have questions, please call in eight zero two Two two four nine nine zero one. There are people standing by waiting to hear your questions So our room The Vermont legislature has made several attempts to increase the minimum wage Do you believe the minimum wage should be increased? And if so by how much? And then if you could also comment on what you believe is a livable wage Yes, the minimum wage should be increased I I don't know exactly what the number is and what the latest calculation of a livable wage is But uh, you know, it used to be uh, $15 and something it's definitely higher than that now And the other thing that I always remind people of is it's one thing you pay people $15 an hour But someone could be making $13 an hour but have a really good health and retirement benefits And they're doing a whole lot better than someone making 15 and nothing else So it it those things need to be considered. But yes We can see right now with the hardships that employers are having and that that that large and small employers are paying Starting wages much higher than they were a few years ago because they have to And I think we should what the legislature should do is basically make that stick Okay, thank you and and you're just waiting to answer Yes, you know I was just gonna leave lead with the the livable wage as opposed to to you know, raising the minimum wage Everyone should have a livable wage and be able to afford to work I know people who have to work three jobs and still can barely afford to pay for their heat or their You know their bills and that's unacceptable that someone has to work three jobs full time You know to be able to to live and and to put that tax on their body However so and Raising You know our cost to a livable wage is also going to improve increase the cost of everything else And so it there again there has to we have to look at how do we Build our economy in such a way That we have we can provide a livable wage or benefits that that supplement right because that that is a good factor If someone has the benefits to supplement their wages, then that is extremely helpful but however, um livable wage and Building our economy because the cost of everything else is going to rise at the same time So if we just keep we're just going to keep chasing everything it's going to keep going in the same way So we have to just really look at all the whole picture and all of the things Okay, and kind of in the same morning Saadia we have would you describe The adequacy of health care services in vermont and what legislative actions would you support to strengthen Are improve them The health say the first part the health care services in vermont. I mean do you think they're adequate? Do you think they need improvement and you know, what would you do to improve them? Well, that would depend on who you ask And what kind of coverage they have So I think we can look at um I feel there there are some options in vermont that are serving people well So depending on who you are where you work and what type of coverage you have Some people have adequate coverage in vermont and some people do not And so I would look at filling the gaps and how can we get Look look at making sure that everyone in all vermonters have access to quality health care and affordable health care Because some people cannot afford health care some people cannot get to their appointments and our systems the way they're set up with Depending on which system you're looking at It does not meet the needs and some they do but I would I know we're trying to avoiding the question of the single payer Health care system. I know that's where y'all are going And I just have a quick addendum to that which is the administration has proposed a process to privatize a portion of state pension plan by moving retirees from inclusion in the currently negotiated health clear pan to private Medicare advantage plans would you support such a move? I am not aware of that So I would have to see what that looks like but I support pension plans that support our workers And making sure they have the benefits that they need so I don't I don't know what that I would have to look at that and see what it looked like before I agreed to support it If it's something that benefits them, then yes, I will and if it's something that takes away from what they are trying to Obtain that absolutely not. Thank you I'll answer the first part of the question and then the the second one The the issue in vermont Is is how we pay for it. It's not whether services or good services are available. I think by and large I'm sure there were gaps Maybe in different parts of the state. I know people have trouble getting dental care because of availability But the real issue is is how we pay for it. I am ultimately a supporter of Single payer or what's been called medicare for all my father who was a family doctor in in the old days Got himself in trouble for for supporting Medicare when it was first proposed because he thought it should three years later. It should just roll out to everybody So that's very difficult for vermont to do on its own and that's a large reason why You can't I mean even even the health care providers in some parts of the state Most people go to dartmouth hitchcock in another state for their services And in other parts of this in new york people go to burlington for health care services. So it's difficult to do One small state But that's the direction we we need to go we need to go to In terms of this specific proposal, I happen to be that that is targeted at Retired state employees. I happen to be one Um, so this if I I'm looking at this as both a legislator at legislator and as someone who receives those benefits Um, I have a lot of problems with it. It is said that it saves money and it costs There are lots of stories about it also raises some out-of-pocket costs for the participants But mostly on the 8th of this month the new york times published a truly shock shocking story about the major health care providers and how they have screwed the government by overcharging in these in these types of Medicare called Medicare Advantage programs and I prefer Sticking with the old-fashioned medicaid that medicare. There was nothing wrong with it It was it had lower administrative costs than everything anything else And the attempt the the move to go to medicare advantage was in fact Politically an attempt to unravel the medicare program when it was first created. So, uh, I I'm I'm watching this very carefully, but I have a lot of concerns about it Thank you back to Avram I'm really intrigued by the concept of citizen legislators here in vermont Which translate to me is you're all making very low salaries Critics have suggested that that kind of eliminates the people who are even able to run Because it's a very time-consuming job What is your response to the question of citizen voting? citizen I'm sorry citizen legislating citizen legislatures. I I I do say and I responded to this in another When asked at another forum about about this we say we have a citizen legislature. We like to think we do Really it what happens is that not everybody but a very large number of the legislatures Legislators happen to be retired like I am or happen to have businesses or jobs That allow them to take the time off From from their jobs, but it is not a full-time job. We only get paid for the days when the legislature is in session period And expense reimbursement and and all that but a very large number of younger People have been elected in recent years Less two election cycles in particular and a very large number of them this year Have chosen not to run again because they can't make it so that's That's an issue and I do think I do support. I don't think we want to go to a full-time Legislature in vermont. I don't think we need to in terms of the amount of time But do people need to be compensated better for this and do they need to be compensated some For all of the work they put in year-round. Yes, I think I think we need to Take a real look at that. Thank you. Sardia So Not having been in in this position. Um, it's very curious for me and so I I want to speak to a couple of things. So it's they say as a citizen legislator, which is why I'm running, right? and I do support Making the pay available because I know some representatives who are not running for reelection this year Because they could not afford to run for reelection I would like to be clear and state that I cannot afford to run and serve, right? However, I am doing it, right? I am trusting I am trusting in our system and our community to make sure that As a per as a citizen who is running to serve our community that I will be okay, right? And so I'm I do support I don't know if you would say Increase of pay because I don't know how that works considering they only get paid for the days They're in the legislature, right? And then there's the benefits losing health care All of the other things that are not that are not, you know, considered I've I support having access to those things because I will need those things I don't know how it's going to happen. So do I support it? Yes But I'm I'm running on faith on faith out of our systems and faith of our communities And I'm hoping we can figure out a way to make it work Great. Thank you. Maybe I'll be the example, right? So Just very briefly just information wise legislators get paid a per diem a flat amount for every and and they get paid for mileage They get a flat meal allowance for every day that that they're working And for those that need to be have housing in in in mumpillier They get a housing allowance that there's no other benefits that are that are paid to the legislators But holding on to that benefit theme sodia The legislature in vermont has made several attempts to pass paid family and medical leave And it was the last attempt was B Would you support another effort for paid family leave? And if so For what length of time? I know Yes, absolutely. Just when you thought you knew the question. I know I was like, oh, I can answer this one Yes, I I absolutely support paid family leave and I think it should be determinant upon the business for which it is and The factors of what you're looking at When we know what the pandemic has shown us is that some families required more time Based off of sickness and child care and other things and and we had if the family Care that supplemented that during that time. So If we learned anything during that time it's that We need to have more paid family leave as I'm not saying I I'm trying to steer away from terms around Maternity leave or paternity leave, right and I'm trying to consider all aspects Of health care that we need and so it's a matter of health and safety and making sure families can be okay To be able to be okay So that they can still go back to work and be ready to provide and be citizens and communicate and do what needs to be done The answer is yes, I voted for it in the past in terms of the The question of like how long how many days months weeks, whatever I was not on a committee that that that dealt with that We I was on you know on the receiving end of the outcome of their process Which was involved huge amounts of controversy. Well disagreement About people who were pointing to the need And people who were saying that's too much because that you know, we can't afford it It could be subject to abuse which it could be And and all of that so I don't I don't have a magic answer for how many days and what Saudia said is correct We're not just talking about maternity paternity We're talking about the need to care for a family member and all of that and those As I think about it those could be different amounts of time at least in theory How do you roll that into a program that is actually Fair not subject to abuse That that's what the committee wrestled with but they came up with something that The majority of people in the committees agreed in and I voted for knowing that that is never a perfect answer Thank you for your answer and thank you for your vote Avram. Yep. What is the most important issue for the legislature coming up? And what actions would you support? One issue, huh? Well, no issues I do think and again, this is this these are when you're talking about big try to describe a big issue It's not something that you can write one bill about And and and say this is the bill that's going to solve solve this Um, but I to me there are there are Two huge issues one in the in the big definition of it in which I answered earlier is is the economy The ability of people to actually make it and that that involves all of us as individuals as well as Businesses small businesses and large businesses. We don't want large businesses leaving that employ lots of people um The other thing personally Is uh is uh climate change because that is it's already overwhelming us and it is costing us It's costing us all all the time in our town and state budgets roads and everything else and it's costing individuals Not as badly as in some other places in in the country yet But but it is happening and we need to Uh Take steps to help people make the changes It's not that we're everybody must get rid of their Oil burners and their furnaces tomorrow But when that Boiler needs replacement then they need help making the right choice that just happened to me this past year So went from a cordwood boiler to a pellet boiler Because the the the a cordwood boiler blew so I had to do something That's when and I got help. I got I got public Help that's available from various programs for doing that Thank you There are so many important issues and um It's really challenging to pick one because intersectionality is real And everything is intertwined everything is connected everything is dependent upon something else Right and so when we're talking about Climate change we're talking about economic development We're talking about the ability to be able to afford those things when we're talking about health care. We're talking about The ability to be able to afford those things. How do we pay for it? And so I think The creativity around how money is spent in our state will be a big issue So I think economic I would say economics is is it's going to be a big issue in the legislature As we are looking at all these new things that are happening And I think that's going to drive a lot of what happens uh for me personally I'm going to have to say that um Just really making sure That We're looking at all the bills and every piece of legislation that is put forth is done equitably and responsibly It's important to me And so I'm really hoping that we start to use the probing questions to look at things in the legislature as we go forward Thank you This is our last question before we ask you for closing statements and it's a really broad one What questions would you what question would you have liked us to ask? That we haven't What would you like us to consider? Chandra I don't I don't know Sorry, I'm sorry. It's okay I'm thinking um, uh That caught me off guard, right? That's our role Okay, let's say uh, I um I do think the The issue that I struggle with as a legislator and I've kind of alluded to this is how to you know Is to how to Look at things completely holistically When at the same time the only thing we can do is Past changes in this section of statute or that section of statute or add a new section of statute or propose a constitutional amendment None of which are You know, we we talked about You know Institutional racism earlier the issue is much bigger than that and it and it involves not just the people The the classes of people that were mentioned in the in the question Uh, it ultimately involved ultimately involves involves everybody and so It's just how it's very difficult. Uh, the part of the frustration and why some people shouldn't try um By running for the legislature is that that what we can do is limited by Having uh asking a lawyer for who works for the legislature to come up with language that would do a particular thing And and then and then we argue about that and either it either passes or it doesn't so it's really how How do we keep a much more of a bigger picture of view of things? And now we just have as political as political people Sardia has had to chase together her thoughts if she may if she wishes No, that's that's okay. I I welcome all questions, you know And I do I do and so it's really what I explain to people when when we have these things It's it's really For me I I'm in part of so many different Organizations as I stated before and I do so much work in my community that for me my brain is is always focused on something Different and always on the next thing So I enjoy but people ask questions because it helps me Focus on that one specific topic at that moment in time But everything is all interconnected And so I welcome all questions and I'm so glad that you asked the questions you did. So thank you I appreciate the questions you did. Thank you So now you each will have a minute for a closing comment I will tell the people who are watching that both of you have websites So if they would like more information or to become more involved in your candidacy They could refer to that so Avram The uh, I can't tell you how many times people have said to me talking about the legislature. I could never do that And I what I say to them is well, then don't If you care about issues, uh, and that's usually what it's about There are lots of ways to work on those issues without running For for the legislature. You have to have the temperament As I said earlier To it's sometimes called making sausage or whatever Sometimes you work on something all year long and it goes up in flames in the last week. It comes around again and so That's one thing I offer is that is that temperament and I have the experience both in my work and now in three terms in the legislature To figure out how to find common ground with people Disagree with them to get things done to really get things done Sadia Thank you Well, my parting words are I have not been a legislator However, I'm very much forward looking forward to being one and learning all the things along the way and doing the best that I possibly can do You can join my campaign learn more about me at Lamont for vermont.com Lamont for vermont on all social media platforms And reach out and call my business. Uh, my phone number can be found on my website and all of those things I'm really looking forward to continuing to connect with people in the communities because this is about you I'm running to serve you and be a voice for you. So please let me know your issues Let me know what's important to you and how I can best help and serve you in the legislature and the state Thank you so much. Thank you. So thank you to both of our candidates Thank you for moderating with me And thank you for watching