Welcome and thank you for visiting my website. It is an honor to serve the people of Vermont and to work with my colleagues in the Senate and House.

After a four-year absence from the legislature, I returned to the State House in 2006. Over the past three years I have worked to stimulate Vermont’s economy, put Vermonters to work in the renewable energy sector, bring high speed internet and cellular service to the back roads of our state, lower prescription drug prices and grant all Vermonters equal rights with the passage of same sex marriage.

Outside of the legislature, my brother and I run a small successful student travel business, Putney Student Travel. Putney Student Travel sends high school students around the world to engage in community service projects. To find out more check out:

With the 2010 legislative session on the horizon I will maintain my focus on the economy and work to help Vermonters weather this economic storm. The state continues to face daunting budget deficits and we will continue to take a responsible and balanced approach to address this challenge. While we will make the tough choices necessary we will also sustain the Vermont tradition of helping the most vulnerable through these difficult economic times.

I have also recently launched, Operation Holiday Homecoming, an effort to bring our hardworking National Guard troops home for the holidays. In preparation for what will be the largest deployment of Vermont troops since World War Two, seven hundred Vermont National Guard members will be training in Indiana during the months of December and January before being deployed to Afghanistan. While the troops have a week off over the holidays, they are required to finance their own trips home. Unfortunately, with airfares costing up to $1,500, many of them can not afford the trip.

After my office heard from many Guard members who couldn't afford to come home, I realized that chartering planes and raising the money to bring them home to their families for the holidays is a wonderful way for Vermonters to show support for our troops and their families.

In order to be successful, Operation Holiday Homecoming is seeking to raise $315,000 through the Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)3 devoted to helping our guard members. With seven hundred troops, this breaks down to around $450 a ticket for each soldier. While a handful of generous contributors have donated nearly $100,000 to the initiative there is still plenty of work ahead to reach $315,000 by Thanksgiving. To donate to this important effort please go to www.supportvermontguard.org/donate.html.

Thank you again for visiting my website, please use it to gather information about your state government. I hope you share with me your thoughts and ideas by phone or email. I always look forward to hearing from you.