Race for Lieutenant Governor Takes Place Down on the Farm

Author: Kelsey Rinehart

In a tight race for lieutenant governor, Progressive candidate Anthony Pollina of Middlesex County is a top contender looking to oust Republican Brian Dubie and Democrat Peter Shumlin. Pollina, a policymaker who has dealt with issues in Vermont for 20 years, ran the first-ever gubernatorial campaign by a Progressive candidate two years ago, accumulating 10 percent of the vote.
Pollina is defending his slogan, "Demand more from your government," by proposing significant changes in health care, education, economic development, environmental policy and energy costs. Pollina and the Progressive Party are certainly attracting voters, but some see Pollina's campaign as a step down from his 2000 race for governor.
Sam Hemingway of the Burlington Free Press said Pollina has the "I-choose-not-to-run-for-governor syndrome," and that the Progressives may look like a "not-ready-for-prime-time party" to voters. Some voters note Pollina's strength as a candidate, but have no proof that, if elected, he will practice what he preaches.
Although some people are skeptical, many others consider Pollina a strong candidate and support the policies he proposes. In a June 2002 poll, 14 percent of 600 likely voters said they would vote for Pollina.
One of the issues Pollina tackles in his campaign is the state budget. With the recent economic downturn in Vermont, a budget deficit of $50 million has forced Governor Howard Dean to make heavy budget cuts, particularly in human services programs. Pollina opposed these reductions in his campaign announcement on March 7, saying, "Cutting state programs for local roads and education does not save money but simply shifts the cost onto local property tax payers and costs more in the long run."
With regards to Act 60, Vermont's controversial education law, Pollina is against basing taxation for public education on a single asset such as a home. He said in an advertisement for his 2000 campaign, "Act 60 has complicated things; it relies too much on the property tax. We can eliminate the property tax for education from Vermont homes and replace it with a tax on income and ability to pay."
Pollina is a strong supporter of family and local entrepreneurship. He proposed a "2 percent for Vermont" plan in which the state government would give 2 percent of its daily cash balance to a Vermont Community Loan Fund, which would make low-interest loans to Vermont businesses. Pollina also takes a fiery stance on civil unions, distinguishing himself from Dubie and Shumlin in his support for the full rights of gay marriage and the rights it provides. Pollina stated in an interview, "I've been a supporter for years of equal rights for all Vermonters."
Pollina also favors environmentally-friendly farming practices, and founded an advocacy group, Rural Vermont, which has demanded halting the cultivation of genetically engineered seeds in the state. Pollina suggests organic farming as an alternative, and stated, "Nature does just fine if you let it do its work." Pollina actively attacks the issues that Vermont farmers face. "If you like the direction the state's farm policy is going now, vote for someone else," he said at a forum.
Pollina calls on the state to help farmers increase their income, noting that the Department of Agriculture receives only 0.3 percent of the state budget. He stated, "The health of family farms and our rural communities is central to Vermont's future."
Pollina has run an aggressive campaign for lieutenant governor, taking frequently controversial stances on the issues of civil unions, the budget and farming. He has accrued his share of critics, however, over issues relating more to his campaigning than his political stances. Shortly after declaring his bid for lieutenant governor, he filed a suit against Vermont's campaign finance laws, which he himself advocated while working for the Vermont Public Interest Group, attracting negative media attention in March of this year.