Jim Douglas
PER
Douglas Jim Douglas
Vermont's governor, Jim Douglas, is treating the situation like a crisis. He proposes making Vermont the ''Silicon Valley'' of environmental technology companies lure businesses and workers; giving college scholarships requiring students to stay in Vermont. The worker shortage recently forced Mr. Douglas to say he would not drive out illegal immigrants working on Vermont's dairy farms. Some of Governor Douglas's proposals are controversial, like scholarships to be financed with the tobacco settlement money, which some legislators want for health care. Mr. Douglas proposes making Vermont the ''Silicon Valley'' of environmental technology companies to lure businesses and workers; giving college scholarships requiring students to stay in Vermont for three years after graduating; relaxing once-sacrosanct environmentally driven building restrictions in some areas to encourage more housing. For someone who's young and trying to make a name for himself, it's just not really the best environment. Governor Douglas said one executive had told him that his business was growing, his orders were increasing, my markets were branching out. Mr. Douglas said that he respected the laws of the United States, of course.