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John S. Rodgers: “It's almost impossible to find a contractor now.”

Featuring: John S. Rodgers, Republican | Lieutenant Governor of Vermont

Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers

Published July 30, 2024 | Video Starts at 43:51

I'm now 58. I'm the average age of a tradesman in the state of Vermont. You can make a good living in the trades, and we don't have enough tradespeople. It's almost impossible to find a contractor now. And we really need to do more to backfill with young people into the trades. Thank you. Miriam for Windom county wrote to us wondering this, where do conservatives fit into Vermont, or are they not wanted here? (43:51–43:56)

CLAIM

Asserts that it is currently very difficult to find a contractor in Vermont.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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John S. Rodgers

“I served for 16 years in the state legislature, eight in the House, eight in the Senate.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 04:40-04:46
“The legislature has gotten into a rut. They seem to be operating inside of a bubble since COVID.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 05:02-05:10
“The cost of living increases that they have implemented in the last two years, hundreds of millions of dollars per year.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 05:19-05:27
“I have seen the Democratic Party, which is now filled with progressives, forward legislation that I look at as regressive.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 06:02-06:11
“We have a $50,000 a year farm payment, $22,000 a year in property taxes.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 13:21-13:29
“We do short term rental to help us keep up with the exorbitant cost of living here.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 13:28-13:34
“There's a ton of people that I know that rent out a room in their house or rent out their camp for several weeks to help them cover the cost…”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 13:34-13:43
“The cost of living in Vermont has gotten so high.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 14:10-14:14
“There are too few people [in the legislature] who have had these experiences.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 14:27-14:31
“There are always people who are working the system and drawing money out that they shouldn't be.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 15:24-15:31
“In our community, there seems to be a fair number of people who... have figured out a way to work the disability or the workers compensation…”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 16:07-16:23
“The main issue driving homelessness [in Vermont] is the cost of living.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 19:00-19:05
“There's no such thing as affordable housing in Vermont anymore unless it's subsidized.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 19:21-19:26
“There was a moratorium on [state aid for school construction] many years ago because we saw what was coming down the pike and it was more…”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 24:56-25:04
“We have many cities around the country that have a larger population than Vermont and have one supervisory union.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 25:15-25:24
“We can't afford these property taxes any longer.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 26:19-26:23
“I think part of the problem is they're probably not getting paid what they're worth.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 26:38-26:43
“I support a school that teaches real U.S. history and everything that's happened.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 27:28-27:36
“Governor Scott has endorsed me. He's the most popular governor in the country with a over 80% approval rating.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 29:09-29:18
“In some of your literature, I have seen that you're interested in trying to get rid of the constitutional amendment to protect a woman's…”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 31:17-31:29
“THC is regulated by law and we have to follow those laws.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 34:47-34:52
“There's still a thriving black market with cannabis.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 35:05-35:09
“Most industrialized nations around the world have health care provided by the government.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 38:00-38:07
“Poll after poll [shows that people in Sweden and Norway] are the happiest people on earth.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 38:17-38:21
“One of the major drivers in our cost of education is the health care for educators.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 38:32-38:41
“We pay for [Congress members'] health care, right? Our tax dollars pay for the best health care coverage probably in the world.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 39:14-39:22
“We provide health care for with our tax dollars, it's like 60% of the population.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 39:26-39:31
“Building housing units cost four or five hundred thousand dollars a unit now.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 41:27-41:32
“Guidance counselors and teachers have pushed everyone to go to College.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 43:39-43:44
“I'm the average age of a tradesman in the state of Vermont.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 43:44-43:48
“We don't have enough tradespeople.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 43:50-43:52
“When I first got elected to the legislature in 2003, the balance in the state House was very close.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 44:36-44:44
“In our Constitution, we have freedom of religion, which means no matter what religion you believe in or no religion at all, you are supposed…”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 47:01-47:13
“Some people think our government should be a Christian government, but we have other religions here that we need to respect and we have…”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 47:15-47:26
“I think the balance in Vermont works fine for the most part.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 47:27-47:31
“We need to give the police and the judiciary the tools they need to go after the people who are trafficking drugs into the state and dealing…”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 48:40-48:50
“Safe injection sites have helped in some jurisdictions; others have given up on them.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 50:34-50:41
“It seems like in this day and age everybody should be making at least $15 an hour unless they're training or their youth.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 51:41-51:50
“I am confident [that the 2024 national elections will be fairly run], yes.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 53:15-53:15
“I believe in the results of the last election as well.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 53:19-53:23
“No, because a lot of their [Vermont's] policies are regressive and do not make real climate change action happen.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 53:31-53:38
“From what I've seen, they've [government agencies] all did a real good job in a tough situation [responding to the July 2023 flooding].”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 54:12-54:15