YCQM - Sen. Randy Brock - Dec. 18, 2011 - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

YCQM - Sen. Randy Brock - Dec. 18, 2011

December 18, 2011 -- Sen. Randy Brock, Republican for Vt. governor, joins Kristin Carlson and Darren Perron to discuss the race for governor.

>> WCAX BRINGS YOU YOUR NEWS MAKER, YOUR NEIGHBOR, THIS IS "YOU CAN QUOTE ME."

>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'M DARREN PERRON. T

>> AND I'M KRISTIN CARLSON. THANKS FOR JOINING US. THIS MORNING OUR NEWS MAKER IS Gove RANDY BROCK, WHO IS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> LET'S START. WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FOR NOVEMBER?

>> I'M RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR BECAUSE I LOVE VERMONT. I BELIEVE WE HAVE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES AND WE'RE ON THE CUSP OF BEING ABLE TO DO GREAT THINGS. I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD VERMONT TOWARDS A FUTURE.

>> YOU CONSIDERED A COUPLE POSTS. WE HAD CHATTED OVER THE PHONE THE NIGHT THAT WE GOT WORD THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS COMING. AND YOU HAD MENTIONED YOU CONSIDERED A COUPLE POSTS, TREASURE, AUDITOR, A SEAT YOU'VE HELD AND GOVERNOR. WHY GO FOR THE STATE'S TOP SEAT?

>> WELL, I TALKED OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL MONTHS TO PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GETTING AT VICE, GETTING IDEAS. THAT HELPED ME CRYSTALLIZE MY IDEA OF WHAT'S RIGHT FOR VERMONT, WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE PARTY, WHAT'S RIGHT FOR ME. I REALIZED WHERE I CAN DO THE MOST. THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IS CLEARLY THE MOST DIFFICULT OF ALL THE OFFICES I'VE CONSIDERED. IT OFFERS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE, BUT IT ALSO OFFERS THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY.

>> VERMONTERS DO NOT LIKE TO KICK OUT INCUMBENTS. IT'S VERY RARE IS. THIS A WINNABLE RACE. A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT IF IT WAS WINNABLE MAYBE BRIAN DUBIE WOULD HAVE A GO AT IT AGAIN.

>> I MENTIONED DURING MY ANNOUNCEMENT SPEECH DURING THE PROCESS OF TALKING TO PEOPLE, I HAD AN EPIPHANY, WHICH IS SIMPLY THIS: I'VE RUN FOUR RACE, TWO STATEWIDE RACES AND TWO RACES FOR THE SENATE FROM FRANKLIN COUNTY. IN THREE OF THOSE FOUR RACES AND INCUMBENT HAS LOST. NOW, UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THOSE INCUMBENTS WAS ME. BUT NOTWITHSTANDING THAT, IT JUST SHOWS, AND I THINK VERY STRONGLY, INCUMBENTS ARE NOT INVULNERABLE. NO, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE NOT THROWN OUT AN INCUMBENT GOVERNOR IN 50 YEARS, HALF A CENTURY. AGAIN, AS I SAID AT THAT TIME, IT'S ABOUT TIME.

>> WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SUCCEED AND CHANGE THE STATE IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ON?

>> I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF AREAS. ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT IS AT THE TOP OF MY AGENDA IS IN THE AREA OF JOBS AND THE ECONOMY. PROMOTING WHAT TRULY IS A PRO-GROWTH AGENDA. I SAW A "FORBES" MAGAZINE STUDY QUITE RECENTLY THAT PUT VERMONT AT 47TH IN TERMS OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NATION. I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER. AFTER ALL, WITH NUMBERS LIKE THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO DO WORSE.

>> YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING UP ON KRISTIN'S QUESTION ABOUT BRIAN DUBIE, DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM PRIOR TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INSIDERS WERE SAYING THAT A REPUBLICAN WAS NOT GOING TO THROW THEIR HAT IN THE RING UNTIL EVERYONE FIGURED OUT WHAT BRIAN DUBIE WAS GOING TO DO. YOU KNOW, HE RAN A CLOSE BUT UNSUCCESSFUL RACE AGAINST OUR CURRENT GOVERNOR PETER SHUMLIN. DID YOU TALK TO BRIAN DUBIE FRIAR MAKING THIS DECISION.

>> BRIAN AND I TALKED QUITE REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. WE BOUNCED IDEAS OFF EACH OTHER. WE CONSULTED WITH EACH OTHER. WE ADVISED EACH OTHER. AND WE HELPED EACH OTHER GET THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DECISION MAKING. BUT THE DECISION WAS NOT BRIAN'S THAT I MADE. IT WAS MY DECISION. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT BRIAN SUPPORTED IT.

>> DID YOU ASK HIM, THOUGH, IF HE WAS GOING TO RUN, AND DID THAT FACTOR INTO YOUR DECISION WHETHER YOU WOULD?

>> I DON'T THINK BRIAN EVER SAID ABSOLUTELY UNTIL WE WERE IN THE FINAL DISCUSSIONS IN THE WEEK OR WEEK AND A HALF BEFORE THAT HE WAS GOING TO DEFER TO MY CANDIDACY.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK BRIAN DUBIE DID WRONG AS A CANDIDATE THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM HIS RUN, UNSUCCESSFUL RUN FOR GOVERNOR?

>> I THINK BRIAN DID A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT, AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO BE BRIAN. BRIAN IS AN EXCEPTIONALLY LIKABLE PERSON. HE'S A PERSON WHO IS TRUSTED.

>> DO YOU THINK HE WAS BRIAN DUBIE IN THAT CAMPAIGN? I COVERED THAT CAMPAIGN CLOSELY. AND PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED BY SOME OF THE TACTICS COMING OUT OF THAT CAMPAIGN AND THEY THOUGHT IT WASN'T BRIAN DUBIE.

>> WELL, I'VE HEARD THAT ARGUMENT, AND AGAIN, ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT MY CAMPAIGN IS GOING TO BE RUN BY PEOPLE IN VERMONT WHO DO THINGS THE WAY WE DO THINGS IN VERMONT. I CAN'T SPEAK TO ALL THE FOLKS WHO WERE ADVISING BRIAN. I DON'T KNOW WHO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ADVISING BRIAN WERE IN TERMS OF OUT-OF-STATE STRATEGISTS, BUT LET ME FOCUS ON THE ISSUE OF MY CAMPAIGN AND HOW I INTEND TO APPROACH IT. AND I INTEND TO APPROACH IT FROM A POSITIVE, DESIRABLY AND INSPIRATIONAL, TO LINK TO A VISION AND TO MOVE TOWARDS IT AND TO TRY TO DEMONSTRATE TO PEOPLE HOW THAT VISION WILL AFFECT THEM AND HOW WE CAN ALL DO GREAT THINGS TOGETHER. AND I THINK THAT'S AN APPROACH I HAVEN'T SEEN A GREAT DEAL IN RECENT YEARS IN VERMONT. I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT APPROACH, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO PAINT THAT VISION. THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS CAMPAIGN.

>> SO SORT OF MAYBE A RACE LIKE PEOPLE MIGHT REMEMBER BETWEEN MARTHA AND PETER, SORT OF A NO-NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN IS. THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?

>> I WOULD HOPE TO HAVE A NO-NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN. A NO-NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN MEANS AVOIDING HASH PERSONAL ATTACKS AND BARBS. I THINK IT DOES REQUIRE A CLEAR DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUES AND TO CONTRAST HOW EACH SIDE IS APPROACHING THOSE ISSUES.

>> GOVERNOR PETER SHUMLIN HAS NOT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED IF HE IS GOING TO SEEK REELECTION, SAYING THAT THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WILL COME NEXT YEAR. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR... WHAT IS THE STRATEGY IN TAKING ON THE INCUMBENT? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? WHAT'S YOUR CAMPAIGN GOING TO LOOK LIKE?

>> WELL, THE CAMPAIGN IS IN THE PROCESS STILL OF BEING BUILT. WE'RE VERY EARLY ON. WE'RE WELL OVER 300 DAYS UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION, AND WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO GET THROUGH BEFOREHAND. BUT THE KEY IN THE CAMPAIGN IS I'M SEEING IN THE FOLKS WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP ME, WHO VOLUNTEERED AND SIGNED ON, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN AT VARIOUS EVENTS THAT I'VE BEEN AT, A DEGREE OF ENTHUSIASM THAT I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN IN A RACE BEFORE THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN ELECTORAL POLITICS SINCE STARTING IN 2003, AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN OUR STATE, OUR COUNTY AND TOWN COMMITTEES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BEFORE THAT. I SEE A LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM TODAY AMONG THE GRASSROOTS OF OUR PARTY THAT IS STRONGER AND BETTER AND MORE ENERGIZED THAN I THINK I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE.

>> BUT WHAT WILL YOUR CAMPAIGN PICK APART. WHAT WILL YOU TARGET? WHAT'S THE GOVERNOR DOING WRONG?

>> WELL, LET'S SAY... LET'S NOT FOCUS, AND THAT'S AGAIN PART OF THE FOCUS THAT I'M TRYING TO ZERO IN ON. THE FOCUS IS NOT ON WHAT ARE YOU DOING WRONG. THE FOCUS IS ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WHAT'S OUR MESSAGE. OUR MESSAGE IS ONE OF FOCUSING IN A NUMBER OF VERY SPECIFIC AREAS. FIRST, JOBS AND THE ECONOMY, TO MOVE VERMONT FROM WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW TO ACTUALLY BEING AN ENGINE, A REGIONAL ENGINE OF GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY. SO THAT FOCUS IS ON A PRO-GROWTH AGENDA. PART OF THAT FOCUS IS WITHOUT GIVING MY ENTIRE PLAN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED I THINK ON V.P.R. YESTERDAY IF I GAVE THE PRESS EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO TODAY, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR TV NEWSCASTS, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR PRINT REPORTERS FOR THE REST OF THE CAMPAIGN. YOU WIND UP BEING LAID OFF AND WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO ADD TO UNEMPLOYMENT.

>> WELL, VERY BRIEFLY, THOUGH, JOBS, THE ECONOMY, THAT'S A...

>> JOBS AND THE ECONOMY IS A BROAD SUBJECT, BUT IT WOULD BE TO LOOK AT OUR SUCCESSES. AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES, TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAPTIVE INSURANCE INDUSTRY TO USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE. TO LOOK AT OTHER NICHE INDUSTRIES LIKE THAT, AND THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC ONES THAT I HAVE IN MIND AND WILL BE ROLLING OUT IN A PLAN. WE CAN MAKE VERMONT THE HEADQUARTERS, THE PLACE IN THE NATION TO GO IN ORDER TO ENGAGE IN THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES BECAUSE WE CAN CREATE A UNIQUE REGULATORY STRUCTURE, AND THAT'S WHAT VERMONT WAS... IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE DID WELL WITH CAPTIVES, WE CREATED A SPECIFIC REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT THAT FIT WELL WITH THEM, AND AS A RESULT WE'RE THE NATIONS CAPITAL FOR CAPTIVE INSURERS. IN SO DOING, WE ALSO CREATED EXPERTISE IN OUR REGULATORY AGENCIES SO WE CAN DEAL WITH THE KIND OF ISSUES AND PROBLEMS THAT THE INDUSTRY HAD BOTH IN EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL AND COMPETENT WAY AND WE COULD DO SO FAST AND TRANSPARENTLY. THAT IS A MODEL TO REPLICATE FOR OTHER INDUSTRIES, AND NOT TO WAIT FOR THE INDUSTRIES TO COME TO US BUT TO GO OUT AND LOOK FOR THEM, GO OUT AND LOOK FOR THE IDEAS THAT ARE THOSE NASCENT... THE BEGINNINGS, IF YOU WILL, FOR CONSTRUCTING A NEW INDUSTRY IN VERMONT.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC ISSUES FACING THE STATE. THERE ARE A LOT OF BIG ONES. THIS WEEK GOVERNOR SHUMLIN UNVEILED HIS PLAN FOR REPLACING THE STATE HOSPITAL. HE'S NOT GOING TO BUILD A LARGE FACILITY IN WATERBURY GOING TOWARDS REGIONAL CARE. IS THAT THE RIGHT APPROACH IN.

>> I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN. IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT'S CLEARLY GOING TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, AND I THINK I WANT TO BENEFIT FROM THE TESTIMONY AND EXAMINE THE BASIS FOR THE PLAN. ON THE SURFACE FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, IT APPEARS TO BE... IT APPEARS TO MAKE SENSE, BUT AGAIN, SHORT OF SEEING THE DETAILS, I DON'T KNOW.

>> BUT YOU ARE SUPPORTIVE OF SHUTTING DOWN THE VERMONT STATE HOSPITAL IN WATERBURY?

>> I'M SUPPORTIVE OF CREATING A FACILITY THAT EFFECTIVELY HANDLES AND MANAGES THE HIGH-RISK PATIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SERVED BY THE VERMONT STATE HOSPITAL. NOW, WHETHER THEY'RE SERVED IN A SINGLE FACILITY OR WHETHER THEY'RE SERVED IN MULTIPLE FACILITIES, THE ISSUE IS THE DEGREE OF SERVICE, THE DEGREE OF CONTROL AND THE ABILITY TO MANAGE THOSE PARTICULAR PATIENTS WITHOUT DUMPING THEM INTO HOSPITALS, EMERGENCY ROOMS AND OTHER FACILITIES THAT DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY OR THE CAPABILITY TO DEAL WITH THESE HIGH-RISK CASES. THERE COULD BE VARIOUS WAYS OF DEALING WITH THAT, THE KEY AS TO WHAT MAKES SENSE IS WHAT MAKES SENSE PROFESSIONALLY AND MEDICALLY AND WHAT MAKES SENSE ECONOMICALLY. AND UNTIL YOU SEE THE NUMBERS, YOU CAN'T TELL WHAT MAKES SENSE ECONOMICALLY. SO I WANT TO SEE WHAT THEIR FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS ARE, I WANT TO SEE THE BASIS FOR THE DECISION, AND THEN I THINK WE'D BE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION TO COMMENT ON IT.

>> LET'S SEE YOUR COMMENT ON THIS. STATE WORKERS AND THE GOVERNOR HAVE COME TO A NEW CONTRACT AGREEMENT AND INCLUDED A RAISE. DO YOU THINK THAT RAISE OF ABOUT 5% WAS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD, AND PERHAPS I SHOULD BACK UP ON THE WHOLE ISSUE OF THE STATE WORKFORCE AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IN TERMS OF ATTEMPTING TO SAVE MONEY. WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE MADE A NUMBER OF PERSONNEL CUTS IN REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE WORKFORCE, BUT BY IN LARGE WHEN WE'VE DONE IT, WE HAVE NOT MADE APPROPRIATE AND COMMENSURATE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF WORK TO BE DONE. AT THE SAME TIME, WE THEN LOOK AT IMPOSING PAY CUTS ON THOSE SAME EMPLOYEES. THE NET EFFECT OF THAT IS YOU, ONE, BY NOT CHANGING THE DEGREE OF WORKLOAD, WE ACHIEVE LESS-THAN-IDEAL PERFORMANCE IN DOING THE WORK THAT VERMONTERS COME TO DEPEND ON IN ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAMS THAT MANY VERMONTERS NEED TO SURVIVE. SECONDLY, WE CREATE A DEMORALIZED WORKFORCE BECAUSE THEY'RE STRESSED. THEY'RE STRETCHED AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY PERFORM AT THE LEVELS THAT THEY OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM.

>> THESE WERE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE UNDER THE DOUGLAS ADMINISTRATION.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> SO YOU CRITICIZE OR DISAGREE...

>> I CRITICIZE SOME OF THOSE CHANGES DURING MY TIME IN THE LEGISLATURE WHEN THE DOUGLAS ADMINISTRATION WAS IN OFFICE. NOW, I UNDERSTAND WHY WE DID WHAT WE DID. HOWEVER, MY APPROACH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A WELL-PAID STATE WORKFORCE BECAUSE I WANT TO GET THE BEST PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT. I WANT TO RETAIN THE BEST PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT. I DON'T WANT THEM LEAVING. I WANT TO DELIVER EFFECTIVE SERVICE TO VERMONTERS, AND ONE OF THE WAYS TO DO IT IS TO HAVE A WORKFORCE THAT'S ADEQUATELY PAID. HOWEVER, I WANT A SMALLER WORKFORCE. THAT WAY ROW CAN ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL TARGETS AND STILL PAY YOUR EMPLOYEES REASONABLY WELL. AND WHEN I SAY AND RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR NOW, WHY I'M RUNNING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I THINK THIS TIME THAT WE'RE IN GIVES US UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES, UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES REGARDING REAL ORGANIZING, REDESIGNING AND REENGINEERING STATE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER, MORE EFFICIENTLY AND IN A LESS COSTLY WAY, AND ALSO DOING SOMETHING IN THE AREA OF EDUCATION. WHY?

>> BECAUSE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF OUR STATE WORKFORCE AND OF OUR TEACHER WORKFORCE ARE SCHEDULED FORRY TIERMT. THEY'RE ALREADY ON THE RETIREMENT TRACK. THERE ARE THINGS WE KNOW ARE GOING TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS DEMOGRAPHICALLY REGARDING BOTH WORKFORCES. IT COULD BE NEVER A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO REDESIGN WORK, TO DECIDE WHAT THINGS WE NEED TO DO WELL, WHAT THINGS ARE FURTHER DOWN THE LIST AND THAT WE CAN CONSIDER ELIMINATING, WHAT THINGS WE CAN CONSOLIDATE AND DO DIFFERENTLY, WHAT THINGS WE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX IN TERMS OF HOW THAT WORK IS DONE. IN ORDER TO DO IT, USING THE SAME KINDS OF CONCEPTS THAT CORPORATIONS HAVE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS, AND THIS IS TO SAY HOW CAN WE DO THIS DIFFERENTLY AND HOW CAN WE DO IT LESS EXPENSIVELY, HOW CAN WE BETTER USE TECHNOLOGY AND HOW CAN WE REDESIGN OUR WORK, WE COVER MUCH OF THE SAME GROUND, BUT WE DO IT MORE PRODUCTIVELY.

>> VERY QUICKLY, MY INITIAL QUESTION WAS DO YOU SUPPORT THE NEW CONTRACT THAT'S TO BE RATIFIED BETWEEN THE STATE WORKERS.

>> DO I SUPPORT BRINGING THE WAGES BACK UP? I SUPPORT THAT IN GENERAL, YES. IN TERMS OF THE SPECIFICS, I HAVEN'T READ THE NEW CONTRACT TERMS AND IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY. I DO WANT TO READ IT BEFORE COMMITTING FULLY.

>> WE'LL TAKE A BRIEF BREAK AND CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION RANDY BROCK, THE REPUBLICAN RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. AFTER THE BREAK WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO GET OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. WE'RE TALKING TO REPUBLICAN RANDY BROCK THIS MORNING. THE CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR. LET'S GET TO IRENE. OBVIOUSLY A HUGE NAMP RAL -- NATURAL DISASTER FOR THIS STATE. WE ARE NOW MOVING INTO THE RECOVERY PHASE OF THIS. HOW IS THAT GOING? IS THE STATE DOING ENOUGH? WHAT ARE DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN SUCCESSES? WHERE HAVE WE FALLEN SHORT?

>> WELL, AS A STATE, I THINK WE DID A SUPERB JOB IN STEPPING UP TO THE WORST DISASTER THAT VERMONT HAS HAD IN ALMOST A CENTURY. I THINK THE HUNDREDS OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORKED IN STATE GOVERNMENT, WHO WORKED IN THE RECOVERY, THE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS WHO CAME IN AND WHO HELPED IT AS WELL AS THIS GROUNDSWELL THAT YOU SAW OF VERMONTERS HELPING VERMONTERS, THAT'S UNPRECEDENTED, AND I THINK OUR STATE LOOKS, IS IMPRESSIVE TO THE WORLD BY WHAT WE DID. AND SO I'M ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR AND HIS WORK IN RECOVERY AND THERE WON'T BE POLITICAL SHARP SHOOTING OR SNIPING OVER THAT. I THINK OUR STATE PULLED TOGETHER AND I THINK DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AND PROGRESSIVES ALL WORKED TOGETHER AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER IN THIS RECOVERY.

>> DO YOU THINK STATE WORKERS SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN DOUBLE PAY FOR SOME OF THE WORK THEY DID IN.

>> WELL, I BELIEVE THAT A CONTRACT IS A CONTRACT, AND I'M NOT SELECTIVE ABOUT ADHEREING TO CONTRACTS TO WHICH I'M A PARTY, WHETHER I AGREE WITH THE PARTICULAR PROVISION OR NOT. I CLEARLY, LIKE MOST VERMONTERS, AM CONCERNED THAT A FEW PEOPLE WANTED TO ACCEPT DOUBLE TIME IN THAT KIND OF A SITUATION OF STRIFE AND STRESS. BUT ALSO IF THAT'S WHAT THE CONTRACT SAID AND THAT'S WHAT THE STATE AGREED TO, THE STATE SHOULD LIVE UP TO ITS CONTRACTS.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT HEALTH CARE. A BIG ISSUE, THE STATE IS MOVING TOWARDS A SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM. RIGHT NOW LAWMAKERS, YOU'RE ONE OF THEM CURRENTLY, ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT HEALTH CARE EXCHANGE. ALL THE ADVOCATES, THE GOVERNOR, YOU'VE HEARD THIS, REFORM IS NEEDED. IF YOU'RE GOVERNOR, WHAT KIND OF REFORM DO YOU THINK IS NEEDED IN HEALTH CARE.

>> I THINK A DIFFERENT KIND OF REFORM IS ESSENTIAL.

>> SO YOU WOULD HALT THE SINGLE-PAYER MARCH?

>> I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HALT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. OUR ACTIVITY, FOR EXAMPLE, TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN REDUCE THE COST OF HEALTH CARE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS SHOULD BOTH CONTINUE, ACCELERATE AND EXPAND. BUT I BELIEVE ALSO THAT PEOPLE WANT AND OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE HEALTH INSURANCE THAT THEY HAVE. I'M STRONGLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT EVERY VERMONT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE INSURANCE, BUT I BELIEVE THE WAY TO DO THAT IS NOT TO CREATE AN EXCHANGE OR A SUPERMARKET THAT ONLY HAS ONE PRODUCT ON THE SHELF. I BELIEVE THAT LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE EXPAND COMPETITION IN VERMONT, HOW CAN WE DRAW INSURERS BACK TO THE STATE THAT WE CHASED AWAY. I THINK THAT LOOKING AT THE WHOLE ISSUE OF THIS LABYRINTH OF MANDATES AND REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'VE IMPOSED IS SOMETHING THAT IS LONG OVERDUE. I THINK THERE ARE WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE GUARANTEED ISSUANCE AND COMMUNITY RATING AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WITHOUT THE METHOD THAT WE'VE CHOSEN TO DO IT. IF YOU LOOK AT WHY HEALTH CARE IS AS EXPENSIVE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, AND VERMONT IS CLOSE TO THE TOP IN THE NATION IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH WE PAY FOR INSURANCE COMPARED TO OTHERS, I THINK CREATING AN ACTIVE AND VIGOROUS MARKETPLACE, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT THE HEALTH CARE EXCHANGE IS THAT'S THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND THE FEDERAL HEALTH CARE BILL ENVISION, TO CREATES A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE THAT PROVIDES CONSUMERS WITH INFORMATION, INFORMATION ABOUT PLANS IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND IT, PROVIDES MECHANISMS TO HELP THEM GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND TO UNDERSTAND IT, AND THEN PUTS THE DECISION IN THEIR HANDS. I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO EMPOWER PATIENTS AND WE NEED TO PUT THEM FIRST.

>> YOU HAD MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESS CONFERENCE ALSO THAT YOU'RE KIND OF SORT OF MADE THE ANALOGY THAT WE'RE KIND OF BEING GUINEA PIGS IN THIS. IS VERMONT MOVING TOO QUICKLY? YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE WAITING UNTIL THE FEDS MAKE THIS MANDATORY?

>> THERE'S NO QUESTION. WE NEED TO DO A NUMBER OF THINGS NOW, CONTINUING WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS NOT AN OPTION. BUT I THINK THERE ARE MANY STEPS THAT WE CAN TAKE RIGHT NOW THAT CAN BE PREDICTABLE, THAT WE CAN COST OUT, THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW, THOUGH, AND THE PATH THAT WE'VE GONE, THE QUESTIONS THAT THE PUBLIC IS ASKING AND RIGHTLY IS "HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST," "WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT." "WHAT'S GOING TO BE COVERED?" "CAN I KEEP MY PRESENT DOCTOR?" ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE UNANSWERED. THE UNCERTAINTY WE'VE CREATED IS CASTING A PALL OVER DECISIONS BY FAMILIES, BUSINESS DECISIONS IN PARTICULAR, DECISIONS REGARDING EXPANSION AND RETRACTEDDOR AND DECISION INVOLVING NEW GRADUATES OF MEDICAL AND DENTAL SCHOOLS. I HEAR ABOUT PEOPLE ATTEMPTING TO BE RECRUITED HERE BUT QUESTION COMING HERE BECAUSE OF THIS UNCERTAINTY. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S HEALTHY FOR US.

>> GIVEN THE MAKE-UP OF THE LEGISLATURE, DOES HAVING A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, GIVEN THE POWER THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE IN MONTPELIER?

>> I THINK HAVING A GOVERNMENT THIS IS AS UNBALANCED AS OUR GOVERNMENT IS RIGHT NOW WITH SINGLE-PARTY RULE IS VERY, VERY UNHEALTHY IN MANY WAYS. THE PROBLEM OF COURSE THAT YOU SEE IN THE LEGISLATURE SINCE PETER SHUMLIN HAS BEEN GOVERNOR IS A MORPHING BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, WHICH I THINK IS PARTICULARLY UNHEALTHY. I KNOW MANY OF US HAVE COMMENTED ON LEGISLATORS IN COMMITTEE MEETINGS BEING CALLED OUT ONE BY ONE TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND BEING GUIDED ON HOW TO DEAL WITH PARTICULAR ISSUES. THIS SEPARATION OF POWERS ENVISIONED IN OUR CONSTITUTION AND IN THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION I THINK IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT IT IS BEING ERODED AND THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPED IN THE EVENT THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A DEMOCRAT-DOMINATED LEGISLATURE TO, HAVE A REPUBLICAN IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN ORDER TO MODERATE SOME OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.

>> DURING YOUR LAST CAMPAIGN SEASON, GOVERNOR SHUMLIN REVEALED HE'S WORTH ABOUT $9 MILLION OR $10 MILLION. HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH, MR. BROCK?

>> I'M STILL CALCULATING RIGHT NOW, BUT IT IS SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS.

>> IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WILL REVEAL IN.

>> OH, YES. YES.

>> TELL PEOPLE YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR BUSINESS BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU EARNED THAT MONEY.

>> WELL, MY MOST RECENT JOB BEFORE ENTERING POLITICS WAS WITH FIDELITY INVESTMENTS. I WAS BASED IN BOSTON. I RETIRED FROM FIDELITY IN EARLY 2003, AND I WAS THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RISK OVERSIGHT. I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THINGS THAT WENT WRONG OR THAT COULD GO WRONG, AND MY JOB WAS TO PROTECT 1.4 TRILLION DOLLARS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY FOR 18 MILLION INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS AND 5,500 FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES.

>> DURING THE LAST CAMPAIGN, SOME REPUBLICANS TRIED TO MAKE MUCH OF THE FACT THAT GOVERNOR SHUMLIN WAS A MULTIMILLIONAIRE SOME ARE YOU. YOU HAVEN'T TABULATED THE NULL NUMBERS DO. YOU THINK THAT REMOVES YOU OF THE REALITY OF MANY VERMONTERS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT BUDGET DECISIONS?

>> I DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO GO OUT FOR BIDS TO PLOW MY DRIVEWAY EVERY YEAR. I MAKE THE SAME DECISIONS THAT EVERY VERMONT CONSUMER DOES WHEN I GO TO THE SUPERMARKET IN TERMS OF WHAT I PAY FOR HAMBURGER. SO I DON'T THINK IT MAKES ME ANY DIFFERENT. I GO TO MAPLEFIELDS EVERY MORNING AND BY MY COFFEE AND MY NEWSPAPER. AND I OCCASIONALLY BUY MY ST. ALBANS MESSENGER AT RITE AID BECAUSE I HAVE A WELLNESS CARD THERE AND IT GIVES ME A 15 CENT DISCOUNT ON THE NEWSPAPER.

>> FAIR ENOUGH. ANOTHER BIG BUDGET ISSUE THAT WOULD FACE YOU IF ELECTED GOVERNOR IS TO DEAL WITH THE STATE'S $25 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL RIGHT NOW. THAT COULD GROW OR CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH IRENE. HOW DO YOU FILL $25 MILLION?

>> WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, QUITE FRANKLY. THAT NUMBER HAS CHANGED AND IT CHANGES DAILY IT SEEMS. WE STARTED OUT WITH A 70 OR 75 MILLION SHORTFALL. WE THEN LOOKED AT VERY HIGH NUMBERS FOR IRENE AND VERY LOW NUMBERS. CLEARLY THE BEST WAY TO FILL A BUDGET SHORTFALL IS THROUGH INCREASED EFFICIENCIES, THROUGH REDESIGN OF WORK AND THROUGH LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN EXTRACT BETTER VALUE OUT OF THE DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND. THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST PLACE THAT I WOULD LOOK. AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN GOVERNMENT TO EXTRACT MORE VALUE. CLEARLY IN THE AREA OF THE PLACES THAT I WOULD LOOK AND START TO LOOK FIRST ARE IN THE AREAS OF HUMAN SERVICES. THERE LOOKING AT PERFORMANCE DATA AS TO HOW VARIOUS HUMAN SERVICES ARE PERFORMED AND PERFORMING AND THE VALUE WE'RE GETTING OUT OF THEM. STATE AUDITOR, FOR EXAMPLE, I BEGAN A MULTIPART LOOK AT MEDICAID. AND BY USING TECHNIQUES THAT HAD NEVER BEEN USED BEFORE BY ANALYZING INSTEAD OF SELECTED CLAIM, ALL OF THE CLAIMS FOR A TWO-YEAR PERIOD. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND MORE THAN $2 MILLION IN THAT PERIOD OF WASTE, FRAUD, ERROR AND ABUSE THAT COULD BE CORRECTED GOING FORWARD BY BETTER PROCEDURES AND BY BETTER COMPUTERIZED SCREENING OF CLAIMS BEING FILED. THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE, AND ALL OVER GOVERNMENT, THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THAT. WE DON'T DO AS GOOD A JOB IN STATE GOVERNMENT AS I THINK WE SHOULD IN REALLY EXAMINING THE PERFORMANCE OF WHAT WE DO. AND THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST FOCUS.

>> WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR RESUME HERE. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS AND POLITICAL SCIENTIST ERIC DAVIS HAD MENTIONED THIS, THEY MAY NOT KNOW WHO RANDY BROCK IS. HOW DO YOU GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN TACKLING AN INCUMBENT IN VERMONT?

>> I HAVE TO DO A LOT OF HARD WORK AND I HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF HELP DOING IT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE GOT TO DO IS I'VE GOT TO GO OUT AND SPEAK TO AS MANY VERMONTERS AND AS MANY VENUES AS I POSSIBLY CAN BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION DAY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME STILL DOING MY JOB MANY MONTPELIER REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE WHO SENT ME THERE. I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SEASON. BUT TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT THAT I POSSIBLY CAN, I WANT TO TALK TO AS MANY VERMONTERS AS I CAN. I WANT TO LISTEN TO AS MANY VERMONTERS AS I CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT I CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE EVOLVING THOUGHTS ON VERMONTERS' MINDS AS TO WHAT THEY WANT THEIR GOVERNMENT TO DO OR NOT TO DO.

>>I THINK I NEED TO SPREAD MY MESSAGE, AND I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO DO THAT.

>> HOW DO I BALANCE SERVING AND RUNNING?

>> I'M GOING TO HAVE TO RUN TWICE AS FAST, I THINK.

>> FAIR ENOUGH. SENATOR RANDY BROCK FROM FRANKLIN COUNTY, YOU'RE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

>> HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY, EVERYONE. TAKE CARE.

>> SEE YOU SOON. Captioning Provided By: Caption Associates, LLC www.captionassociates.com