By one objective measure, Gov. Phil Scott’s 10 years as governor has been a failure. That’s particularly true if you gauge his five two-year terms on the one word that has defined his tenure — affordability.

The undeniable fact is that Vermont has become less affordable for most Vermonters since Scott’s first term; that’s doubly true for younger Vermonters trying to set roots here.

The facts are stark. Vermont’s health care is the highest in the nation, yet Scott has avoided the issue each year in office. Education costs have soared over the past decade, while student outcomes have tanked. Housing costs has spiraled out of control and continue to climb higher. Energy costs have spiked, yet the Scott administration has resisted moves to make cheaper renewable energy more accessible to all.

To top it off, the governor hasn’t had a coordinated economic development plan for the past decade. Rather, he has ruled by batting down ideas from the Legislature. His idea of offense is to make vague pledges to make Vermont affordable, then when he fails to deliver, blame it on the opposing party.

Democratic candidate for governor, Aly Richards, sees obvious shortcomings in the governor’s approach.

“He diagnoses the problems correctly,” she told the Independent this Tuesday, but puts “a vague idea or priority out and then almost enjoys watching the Legislature go in a million different directions on it… I don’t understand who wins in that case.”

“We all agree on the problems,” Richards continues. “The question remains, “What are we going to do about it? He offers no solutions. He’s blames the Legislature. That’s not delivering results. When you are blaming, you are not leading.”

Richards, who is known as a “pragmatic, optimistic” leader “who gets things done” from her 10 years as CEO of Let’s Grow Kids, would tackle the state’s biggest issues differently.

“Leadership. Deadlines. Metrics. Priorities. We don’t see that in the state of Vermont,” she told the Independent.

It’s a blueprint Richards followed for what became Act 76, Vermont’s landmark childcare law of 2023. Act 76, through a small statewide payroll tax, leveraged money to significantly increase Vermonters’ access to childcare services, while also helping centers create new slots and offer their workers better pay and professional development. The legislation not only lowered costs for Vermont families, but created a larger workforce.

As a comparison, she notes Gov. Scott never issued concrete plans for his proposal to consolidate Vermont’s schools into five large districts. “He is leaving the Legislature to have to do the detail work, part-time and without staff. It’s really a set-up. It’s not fair, and the conversation is tearing our communities apart.”

Richards’ point helps define Scott’s tenure. Rather than use the administration’s full-time workforce to work out the details of proposals and set them in motion, he relies on the part-time Legislature to do the heavy lifting. It’s a backwards approach to governing and one that continues to put Vermonters on a downward slide.

“It’s like a five-alarm fire everywhere you look,” Richards said, and posed this simple question for Vermonters to ask themselves: “Are you better off than you were 10 years ago?”

If not, where does the buck stop?

Gov. Scott blames others, but he’s the guy with the full-time paycheck and the one person authorized to mobilize the state’s workforce to tackle the big issues.

Here’s another remarkable point. For 10 years, Richards said, the governor’s office has not had a vision or a plan that actually led to a result. He did a fine job leading the state through the pandemic. He’s likeable and personal, but putting policy into action is not something Scott does well — and it is something the state desperately needs.

Voters can expect that another two years under a Scott administration would produce the same result — inaction with Vermonters falling further and further behind.

To change the status quo, Vermont needs a new leader with deliberate, data-driven plans of action to achieve specific goals on a deadline. It’s time Vermonters tune in to this important election and ask themselves which candidates have the skills necessary to move Vermont forward. It’s not a popularity contest; it’s choosing the candidate who will make needed changes.

Angelo Lynn