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John S. Rodgers: “We don't have enough tradespeople.”

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 43:50

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. (43:50–43:52)

CLAIM

Asserts that Vermont lacks a sufficient number of tradespeople.

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
“It's almost impossible to find a contractor now.”
Vermont primary debate_ Republicans for lieutenant governor Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers | Uploaded July 30, 2024 | 43:51-43:56
“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