Inaugural address of  Madeleine M. Kunin  As it appears in the  Journal  of the  JOINT ASSEMBLY  BIENNIAL SESSION  1989   Thursday, January 5, 1989 Inaugural Address Mr.  President, Mr.  Speaker, Mr.  Chief  Justice,  Constitutional  Officers,  Governors,  Honorable Members  of the General Assembly, fellow citizens of the Great State of Vermont: It is a high honor to be sworn into office to serve you -- the people of the State Vermont-- for a historic third term. It’s a great pleasure to be joined by my husband and children, and other members of my family and friends, who  add  a  special  dimension  to  this  day.  Its  official  importance  is  apparent:  we  are  inaugurating  both  a  new term and a new agenda for the State of Vermont. But  this  day  is  also  significant  on  a  personal  level.    As  I  have  repeated  the  words  of  the  Oath  of  Office, taking  it  for  the  third  time,  let  me  assure  you  that  the  art  of  governing  the  State  of  Vermont  is  never  done  by rote. Yes,  I  am  strengthened  by  our  achievements  in  the  last  four  years,  and  I  know, more  clearly  than  I  did  the first  time  I  raised my  right hand what  lies  ahead.    I  also understand  enough  about  the demands of  this office  to know that each day is an adventure, with new problems requiring fresh solutions. Quite simply, I look forward to this biennium with anticipation and enthusiasm. Today is the day we begin to define who we are and what we hope to achieve in the next two years. MAKING CHOICES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY As  we  begin  to  look  ahead  to  Bicentennial  year  1991,  we  find  ourselves  poised  between  two  centuries  -- about to leave the 20th -- one that we know, to enter the 21st, one that tests our powers of imagination. 1989  is  not  too  soon  to  begin  to  prepare  ourselves  and  our  children  for  life  in  the  next  century;  to  assure ourselves that we are addressing the right questions in the most effective manner. What  kind  of  a  state  do  we  want  to  become  in  the  next  century,  and  how  do  we  assure  that  our  vision  is realized? It  is  precisely  the  ability  to  accurately  envision  the  future  that  prompted  Vermont  to  request  statehood  in 1791.   This  rough wilderness, wedged between New York and New Hampshire,  faced a choice: Join  the Union or continue to stand alone. Join  it  did,  and  thereby  achieved  both  mi1itary  and  political  security.  As  a  result,  Vermont’s  population grew from 85,000 in 1791 to l54,000 in l800--a short space of nine years. Today,  we  require  similar  talents  --  the  ability  to  foresee  change  and  adapt  to  it,  so  that  Vermont  will continue to be strong and evoke pride in its people. History  is  a  fine  teacher,  and  we  can  learn  much  about  ourselves  as  we  explore  our  colorful  past,  an adventure I encourage all Vermonters to share as we prepare to celebrate our Bicentennial year in l991. Geography  is  also  a  teacher. We  often  learn  about  who  we  are,  when  we  travel  to  other  countries  and  are asked to explain ourselves and our form of government. During our  recent visit  to  the Soviet Union  to  establish  a  sister  state,  I  thought about  the very nature of our democratic system and why it has survived for 200 years. FUNDAMENTALS OF DEMOCRACY “We are not very experienced in democracy,” our Soviet hosts told us. I  asked myself, what  in  our  experience  as Vermonters  and Americans  has  enabled  us  to  uphold  democracy for 200 years? I concluded that strict adherence to some fundamental principles protected us from abuses of power: l.  A respect for the rule of law. 2.  A government which administers the law in a responsive and fair manner. 3.  A value system which is compassionate and respects the rights of the individual. Our  respect  for  the  rule  of  law  is  reaffirmed  here  today,  as  the  three  branches  of  government  --  Executive, Legislative and Judicial -- gather under our golden dome. On  this day, by our  joint presence here, we recommit ourselves to the sanctity of our Constitutional form of government. This  structure  has  provided  equal  protection,  as well  as  equal  opportunity,  for  all Vermonters.  The  tension between  the branches  -- known  to  every  schoolchild  as  “checks  and balances” has been  the public’s  safeguard, allowing not only for rule by the majority, but also protection for the minority. In  contrast  to  an  authoritarian  form  of  government,  we  constantly  make  certain  that  government  exists  to serve the people, rather than having the people serve the government. That concept, too, was expressed to me as a new idea in the Soviet Union. As  I  compared  their  system  to ours –  as  it was,  as  it  is  today,  and  as  it hopes  to become  --  I  concluded  that above all, our form of government is distinguished by a basic respect for the dignity and worth of the individual and a belief in the perfectibility of all human beings. VERMONT RECOGNIZES GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCE IN 21ST CENTURY As  we  enter  the  next  century,  it  will  become  increasingly  important  to  reaffirm  our  democratic  values,  to express our humanity, and to recognize our interdependence on this planet. Vermont’s  18th  and  19th  century  isolation  has  ended,  and  we  have  become  a  part  --  an  inseparable, vulnerable  part  --  of  the  larger  world.    Increasingly,  we  find  Vermont’s  triumphs  and  Vermont’s  problems linked with those of people around the globe. Vermont  alone  cannot  cure  the  problem  of  acid  rain,  nor  can  it  eradicate  the  scourge  of  homelessness  by itself.  But we can join hands with others across our nation and around the world who are working to do so. Just  as  Vermont  made  the  decision  to  link  its  destiny  with  the  United  States  in  1791  when  it  joined  the Union,  today  Vermont  must  make  a  parallel  decision  to  link  our  destiny  with  the  world;  we  must  be  full participants in the new political, economic and environmental structures which are developing. Two hundred years ago  the  threats  to our existence were easily  identifiable  -- Yorkers  to  the west and New Hampshirites  to  the  east.  Today’s  dangers  are more  elusive,  but  no  less  lethal.  If  we  are  to  plan  for  life  in  the next century, we must meet them head on. The  greatest  threats  to  life  in  the  21st  century  are  twofold:  nuclear  war,  and  environmental  destruction, either of which would make our planet uninhabitable. It will  require both political will and moral  force  to achieve global agreement  that  the possibility of nuclear war is obsolete and that continued environmental degradation is intolerable. All  of  our  plans  for  the  next  century  will  be  irrelevant  if  we  do  not  succeed  in  structuring  government policies which reflect these life-sustaining, rather than life-destroying, values. There are signs of change. Let us hope  that Mikhail Gorbachev’s speech  to  the United Nations, promising a diversion of resources from military to domestic purposes, will be remembered as the day the Cold War came to an end. A  new  spirit  of  optimism  has  surfaced,  and  fragile  as  it  is,  we  must  work  to  support  it.  A  lower  level  of hostility  and  a  higher  level  of  trust  will  also  allow  our  new  President  to  pay  greater  attention  to  our  domestic needs by  limiting  the growth  in our military budget. Only by shifting our priorities can our nation and our state fully act upon the humanitarian values upon which our democracy is based. We  know  the  price  Vermont  has  paid  to  support  our  military  budget;  we  have  had  to  increase  our expenditure for domestic programs by $58 million in the last four years to compensate for federal cutbacks. Despite  our  generosity,  too many Vermont  children  experience  poverty,  too many  elderly Vermonters  face insecurity,  too many  of  our  families  find  housing  and  health  care  are  beyond  their  reach,  and  too many  of  our high school graduates discover they can’t afford a college education. It’s  essential  that  the  federal  government  not  abdicate  these  responsibilities. We must  redirect  our  nation’s resources to address these critical domestic needs. If  the new dialogue between  the United States and  the Soviet Union contributes  to  this shift,  the small State of Vermont can be proud  that we have played a useful role  in establishing  international  ties  through  individuals involved  in Project Harmony, Bridges for Peace,  the Sister City of Yaroslavl, and most recently, our mission  to establish a sister state relationship with the autonomous Republic of Karelia. The second threat to our existence is environmental destruction. One  example  of  national  and  international  cooperation  is  our  agreement  for  the  protection  of  Lake Champlain. The memorandum of understanding for our lake can become a model for protecting other resources. It  is  critical  that  such  international  agreements  are  forged  to  mitigate  global  environmental  problems. Equally  important,  is  the  adoption  of  a  universal  environmental  ethic  which  will  equate  devastation  of  the environment with the destruction of life itself. Here  also,  Vermonters  have  taken  the  lead,  enacting  some  of  the  toughest  environmental  laws  in  the country.  But  now,  we  must  take  our  case  into  a  larger  arena  and  demand  prompt  national  and  international action. Vermont  will  have  an  opportunity  to  be  heard  through  the  National  Governors’  Association,  where  I  will chair  the  Committee  on  Energy  and  the  Environment.  We  will  co-sponsor  an  international  conference  in February on the critical subject of global warming. Meanwhile, there is important work to be done here in Vermont. GETTING TOUGH ON DWI AND DRUG ABUSE I ask you to join me in an all-out effort to reduce the tragic highway deaths due to alcohol and drug abuse. One  evening  this  fall,  returning  home  on Route  7, we were  passed  by  a  speeding  convertible. Five minutes later, we saw a burning wreck; the driver was dead, other passengers seriously injured. It  all  seemed  senseless  and preventable. Many Vermonters  share  the  strong  belief  that we must  get  tougher on drunk drivers and reduce these tragedies. I will ask you to: . . enact a seat belt law . . suspend a driver’s license on the spot for DWI or failure to submit to a DWI test . . increase penalties for DWI and drug offenses . . enact a felony charge for repeat DWI offenders .  . purchase new  infrared DWI  testing equipment and add 10 state  troopers  to crack down on DWI and drug offenders, and . . take steps to rigorously enforce truck safety. The  evidence  suggests  that  no  single  step  can  have  a  greater  impact  on  saving  lives  and  reducing  injuries than  the  passage  of  a  seat  belt  law.  A  recent  study  on  seat  belt  usage  in  the  Journal  of  the  American Medical Association  concludes  that  only  6.8  percent  of  seat  belt  wearers  required  hospitalization  after  a  motor  vehicle accident, compared to 19.2 percent not wearing seat belts. Use  of  seat  belts  significantly  cuts  health  care  costs;  people  wearing  seat  belts  incurred  bills  of  $534, compared to $1583 for those without seat belts. It  is  society,  not  only  the  individual,  that  pays  the  price  for  these  needless  deaths  and  injuries.  It’s  time  for Vermont to join the 31 states who have seat belt laws. STRENGTHENING OUR ECONOMY As  we  move  towards  the  21st  century,  we  must  plan  ahead  to  maintain  our  excellent  economy  and  record low unemployment rate. To achieve those goals, I will ask you to make these investments: .  . approve a $45 million package  to  fund a “Bridge 2000” program, provide more aid  to  towns, and  restore the balance in the Transportation Fund . . enact legislation to make more affordable housing available . . pursue expanded trade with Canada . . simplify the current use tax program . . support family leave legislation . . enhance child care services . . ensure health care quality, cost control, and provide increased health insurance coverage, and . . improve child support collections. TIME TO ASSESS EDUCATION Let us turn to education, the key to the long-term vitality of the Vermont economy. The time for assessment is here. Therefore, I will ask you to: . . support a system of accountability and evaluation of all schools, and support grants for innovative school leadership programs. THE ENVIRONMENT: CONSTANT VIGILANCE The  protection  of  the  environment  needs  our  constant  vigilance.  The  passage  of  laws  is  not  enough.  We must take further steps to: . . improve enforcement, risk assessment, and management within the Agency of Natural Resources . . improve the administration of our water quality laws . . fully implement Act 200, and . . enact a siting law to dispose of Vermont’s low level nuclear wastes. RELEVANT AND EFFECTIVE BUREAUCRACY In  addition  to  the  economy,  education,  and  the  environment,  I  ask  you  to  focus  on  a  fourth  category  -- efficiency. We  have  never  singled  it  out,  assuming  efficiency  was  incorporated  into  other  programs.  But  after four  years  of  new  legislative  initiatives,  it  is  time  to  put  the  spotlight  on  improving  the  process  of  governing itself. As I observed at the outset, one test of a democracy is the relevance and responsiveness of its government. We must assure that our existing laws are working and that government services are delivered efficiently. This  task  will  demand  as  much  creativity  and  attentiveness  as  starting  new  programs;  it  is  imperative  that we improve the productivity of government services to meet increased demands. We have an excellent  framework upon which  to build  -- a  seasoned administration  ready  to  join you  in  this undertaking, and dedicated Vermont state employees. Therefore, I will propose: . . a private sector management review team to recommend efficiencies in state government . . a senior executive corps to better utilize our top managers, and . . further investments in automation.  TRADE WITH OUR CANADIAN NEIGHBORS Now,  I  would  like  to  focus  on  the  economy.  As  we  envision  new  centers  of  economic  activity  in  the  next century, increasingly, we will look northward to our Canadian neighbors for markets and as trading partners. To build  on  the  spirit  of  the  trade  agreement  between  our  nations,  I  will  appoint  a  six-member  Vermont Commission to work with our Quebec counterparts to establish stronger educational, cultural, and economic ties with the Province of Quebec and all of Canada. Trade  with  Canada  is  not  new  to  Vermont.    In  1784,  the  General  Assembly  recommended  the  adoption  of measures “. . . for opening a free trade and commerce with the Province of Quebec upon terms of reciprocity.” More than 200 years later, we are fulfilling that legislative intent. HEALTH CARE: QUALITY, AVAILABILITY, COST Today, at this particular juncture in our history, an issue which has far-reaching economic and social impact for Vermonters is the quality, availability and cost of health care. The  problem  of  providing  health  insurance  for  the  3l,000  Vermonters  who  are  uninsured  needs  to  be addressed,  and  I  remain  firmly  committed  to  reaching  that  goal. But  this  objective  cannot  be  isolated  from  the fact that our existing healthcare system is out of control, its costs rising at a rate of three and four times the rate of inflation. These costs are hemorrhaging the state budget. It is essential that we develop a strategy to assure quality and contain health care costs before we expand health insurance coverage. There  is  a  sense  of  urgency  to  this  mission  because,  as  scarce  state  dollars  are  drained  off  by  high  health care bills, we lose the ability to invest in innovation and prevention. Today, 73 percent of Vermont employers provide health  insurance coverage for some of their employees. It is  essential  that  all  employers  contribute  a  fair  and  affordable  share  of  health  insurance  costs  and  the  federal government has to be a partner. I remain confident that we can develop a system which provides quality care at a price we can afford. I  ask  for your patience  and  for your participation,  so  that we  can develop  a  system which works  and which may be a model for the nation. To achieve that goal, I will take two steps: .  .  One,  appoint  Hamilton  Davis  to  be  my  special  counsel  for  health  care,  and  charge  him  with  the development of a quality assurance system that for the first time will distinguish appropriate from inappropriate care. It is estimated that a 20-40 percent reduction in costly inappropriate health care services may result I  am  grateful  to  the  Hospital  Data  Council,  the  Vermont  State Medical  Society,  the  Vermont  Coalition  for Health, and the Vermont Hospital Association for beginning a private-public partnership to achieve this goal. This system should be in place a year from now. If it does not result in significant changes, other immediate cost containment steps will be taken. Mr. Davis will  also  review  problems  in  related  areas —  including Medicaid,  nursing  home  reimbursement, and the Certificate of Need process. . . The second step will be a series of modest but important initiatives to expand health care coverage for the uninsured: * require that all insurance policies cover maternity care * limit insurers’ ability to exclude individuals from employer group policies *  fund  a  one-year  technical  assistance  program  to  make  it  easier  for  small  businesses  to  implement insurance benefits *implement a college student health insurance requirement *  require  employers  to  report  the  amount  and  cost  of  health  care  benefits  they  provide,  so  a  useful  base  of information can be established, and * continue to fund the Vermont Health Insurance Plan Board. This is a first step toward our eventual goal of assuring that all Vermonters have health insurance. Next  year,  if  sufficient  progress  is  made  on  a  quality  assurance  system,  and  if  the  private  sector  makes  a solid  commitment  to  help  solve  the  problem  of  the  uninsured,  I  will  propose  extending  health  insurance  for prenatal care and for children. If we move forward, one step at a time, I am confident we will achieve our goal. WORKING FAMILIES In  the  year  2000,  the  two-wage-earner  family will  be  a  growing  trend.  Two-thirds  of  the  new  entrants  into the labor force will be women, making it essential to meet the needs of working families. Therefore, I ask you to enact a family leave law to give these families the opportunity to combine their roles as breadwinners and responsible parents. QUALITY EDUCATION Let  us  turn  to  education.  Vermonters  have  shown  unprecedented  support  for  public  education,  increasing state  aid  by  84  percent  in  four  years,  providing  kindergarten  for  all  children,  and  starting  a  program  for  three- and four-year olds at risk. That emphasis on education was well placed. Now  it  is  time  to  concentrate  on  quality.  We  have  made  an  assumption  that  if  school  districts  have  a sufficient amount of money to spend, consistent educational quality will result. It  is  essential  that  we  test  that  assumption.  That  is  why  I  strongly  endorse  a  system  of  accountability,  as proposed by Commissioner Mills and the State Board of Education; one that focuses on math and writing skills. We are not the first generation of Vermonters to make these requests. In Samuel Williams’ 1794 HISTORY OF VERMONT,  he wrote  that  parents wanted  their  children  “acquainted with  the  rules  of  arithmetic,  so  far  as shall  be  necessary  to  carry  on  any  of  the  most  common  and  necessary  occupations  of  life.  Nothing  would  be more dishonorable to the parents or to the children, than to be without it (education).” To  keep  us  from  dishonor,  even  today,  we  must  make  strong  demands  on  our  educational  system,  our children, and parents to assure that the “necessary occupations of life” may still be carried out. Just as Vermonters recognized 200 years ago, we again acknowledge the powerful link between educational excellence  and  economic  well-being.  On  a  global  scale,  we  know  that  those  nations  which  produce  the  most highly educated workforce will out-produce the rest. And we must look beyond high school. Our institutions of higher education, both public and private, are one of our valuable Vermont resources. In  preparation  for  the  year  2000,  when  post-secondary  education  will  become  increasingly  essential,  I recommend a review of Vermont’s higher education.  IMPLEMENTING ACT 200 Last year at  this  time,  I  focused on a  single  subject  -- managing growth. The  result was Act 200. My belief in this law’s importance has strengthened as Vermont continues to experience extraordinary growth and change. Our  task  now  is  to  make  the  law  work,  both  within  state  government  and  at  the  community  level,  by encouraging our citizens to become enthusiastically involved in its implementation. Too  often  in  the  past,  state  government  has  made  decisions  which  have  either  ignored  local  priorities,  or which  have  been  in  conflict  with  other  agencies.  This  era  should  come  to  a  close  with  the  successful implementation of Act 200. As  Act  200  gains  in  stature,  the  regulatory  aspect  of  Act  250  will  diminish.  Towns  and  regions  with approved plans will be able to shoulder many of the decisions now assumed at the state level through Act 250. Some problems remain to be addressed, and the most critical of these is the loss of farmland. Through  our  well-intentioned  desire  to  help  our  farmers,  we  have  created  overlapping  and  sometimes confusing programs. I ask your help to create greater simplicity and clarity in this area. We must continue to seek ways to keep our farmers working the land. There is no single solution; and there is  no  cheap  solution.  Necessity  and  prudence  demand  that  we  evaluate  what  we  do,  and  that  we  continue  a diverse  strategy,  including  the  current  use  tax,  the  Vermont  Housing  and  Conservation  Trust  Fund,  improved marketing, and programs provided through the University of Vermont. With  the  implementation of Act 200, we have another  tool at our disposal: planning. Vermont  is once again in the vanguard of growth management. I strongly urge you to resist changing Act 200; give it a chance to work. I  know  no  other way  to  shape  the  future  than  to  think  about what  it might  be  like,  and  then  to  try  to make our best vision of that future happen. That is the basis of planning. In  a  democratic  society,  some  have  resisted  planning,  fearing  that  it  might  inhibit  our  spontaneity,  our entrepreneurial spirit, and our very freedom. We all feared the heavy hand of bureaucracy needed to make it function. Some  of  these  fears  are  well-founded,  since  we  know  that  societies  which  are  highly  planned  are  often paternalistic, and have a tendency to become overbearing, dull, and unresponsive to the public. Worst of all, they can stifle economic and intellectual vitality. Our challenge in Vermont is to make planning a grassroots democratic process, reflective of the diverse and sometimes contradictory interests in our communities. To succeed we must plan without curtailing individuality and entrepreneurism. I believe we can do  it. This  small State of Vermont can be a model of how  to plan  for  the  future, of how  to help  steer  ourselves  into  the  next  century  by  making  the  right  choices  on  transportation,  education  and  the environment -- here, within our borders. VERMONT IN THE YEAR 2000 Further, we can be a model state by acknowledging that our destiny is intertwined with others on this globe, dependent  on  decisions  made  far  beyond  our  boundaries.  And  we  can  help  shape  these  decisions  as  well,  by continuing  to  make  our  voices  heard  on  the  issues  of  arms  reductions,  environmental  agreements,  and  the emerging world economic system. What will Vermont be like in the year 2000? On  this  Inauguration  Day,  as  we  dream  about  the  future,  we  feel  confident  that  we  have  the  capacity,  the courage, the tools and the imagination to shape the future. Our  respect  for  human  dignity,  our  allegiance  to  the  rule  of  law,  and  our  commitment  to  a  fair  government will  help  us  to  guarantee  that  Vermont  will  retain  the  qualities  we  admire  most  --  our  fierce  defense  of  the environment and aggressive determination to achieve greater economic opportunities for all of our citizens. Now,  it  is  time  to  get  to  work,  as  you  inaugurate  this  60th  biennial  session  of  the  Vermont  General Assembly. I look forward to sharing this adventure with you. Let us begin.