Gene Bifano, Warren, has thrown his hat in the ring, seeking one of the two Washington-2 seats in the Vermont Legislature.
He is running as an independent in the November general election. John Burns, Moretown, is also running for one of the two seats in November as is incumbent Dara Torre, D-Moretown, and Candice White, D-Waitsfield.
VR: Why are you running for office now?
Bifano: I am running for office because there are only two choices: fight the craziness in Montpelier or leave. My wife Nancy and I literally helped design and build our home. We have been in The Valley for over 50 years. This was going to be our forever home. Until the Democrats decided that only the really rich or low income, paid by the rich, can have a forever home in The Valley.
VR: What is your background and experience?
Bifano: I grew up in the Bronx, in a family of four in a one-bedroom, five-story walk-up. With little prospect for college, I joined the Marines where I received the equivalent to an associate’s degree in electronic engineering. After 4.5 years in the Marines, I became a regional problem solver for a major computer company and later earned a BS in marketing and business from Fordham. I was a team member at Citibank that the created electronic banking we have today. As an internal and external consultant have turned around both flatlining products and dysfunctional business groups. As a consultant leader of a team of 38 consultants, developed a disaster mitigation plan for NYC that was put into use the following year. In public service I was a volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician, rescue tech, captain, ambulance crew chief over 38 years in New York and Vermont, a certified police officer 11.5 years in Vermont and a ski patroller for 49 years.
Bifano: I worked as a mayor working with the board of trustees lowered cost, held taxes flat, improved service, created and changed laws to improve our environment; cell tower and tree ordinance. etc. I worked with developers to donate a teen center and two regulation Little League fields. I’ve successfully worked in many environments and have pushed for change and improvement sometimes to the chagrin of some. I’ve been accused of being an out-of-the-box thinker, not concerned about policies and procedures that don’t work.
VR: What are your priorities if elected, first, second, and third?
Bifano: First thing in office is to work with John Burns, the other independent candidate in The Valley, to modify the education acts, until the system is fixed, to prevent money from The Valley funding schools in Burlington, Essex, Essex Junction, etc. Act 68 was never intended to fund those districts, and our Valley representatives didn’t fight for us.
Secondly, work with common sense Democrats to eliminate the heating fuels taxes – taxes that will keep the middle class cold and poor.
Thirdly, work to fix the broken education system, starting with a blank piece of paper and ask how do we provide the best education at the best cost for all Vermont’s kids.
The fourth thing is to work with Democrats with common sense to change the law that enables anyone to sue Vermont, if Vermont fails to meet any of its environment goals. This is a real threat to us, now.
VR: How can Vermont deal with a changing climate and back-to-back flooding?
Bifano: Flooding and climate change relative to Vermont are two separate topics. We need to hire real hydrologists that have solved these problems before. And we need to do things that may not be popular. I have an idea how to mitigate the problem, but we have got to start now. Vermont has one of the smallest carbon footprints, so whatever we do relative to the world is de minimus. China alone is building 17 new coal fire plants to add to the 1,100 they already have; with eight other countries building new plants. Not to mention China’s expanding nuclear energy plants. So, we need to concentrate on common sense ways to improve our environment, without putting all our eggs in one basket, a historical recipe for disaster, while busting the bank doing it.
VR: Why are you running as an independent?
Bifano: I am running as an independent because I don’t believe either party is doing what’s necessary to protect our society. I am willing to work with anyone using common sense and practicality to solve our problems.
