Ellen Garneau, a resident of Alfred Buck Lane in Pittsford, has announced she will be running for the State House this year on the Progressive Party ticket. Representing Pittsford and Sudbury, Ms. Garneau hopes to accomplish increased use of green power statewide, and an increase in business and good jobs in our state. “I’d like to put the Green back into the Green Mountain State,” says Garneau. “I would like to encourage large sized businesses and individuals to put in large or individual wind and hydro generators as well as solar panels on rooftops across my district. I think that getting the cost of energy under control will attract industry, including manufacturers of green energy equipment.”

Ellen was born and raised in Vermont and returned to school in her late 40’s to earn her Bachelors’ Degree from Johnson State College in 2005. She owns her home in Pittsford and has grandchildren in Lothrop School. “I own a successful marketing business which gives me a flexible schedule to serve the public. It also gives me the experience of being a business owner myself and understanding the strains that insurance and energy costs make on small businesses just struggling to survive.”

“I would also work toward encouraging residents to buy locally, Vermont products as well as products made in America. I think outsourcing our manufacturing to China and other places has enabled those businesses to abuse workers in other countries, pollute without repercussions and has decimated our economy.”

“I also will work toward Universal Healthcare and remove this expense from being a cost to businesses. Having your health insurance be part of a job benefit has put undue expense and managerial costs on the backs of businesses unfairly,” says Garneau. “Affordable energy and Universal Healthcare would work together to attract more good jobs to Vermont as well as being a much better system and economy for our residents.”

A small sampling of Garneau’s volunteer work and memberships include: President of DemocracyFest Inc., Chair of Pittsford and Vice-Chair of Rutland County Progressive Party, Democracy for Vermont, AARP, Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence, NAACP, Vermont Sugar Makers’ Association, ASPCA, Pittsford Food Shelf, American Legion Unit #31 Auxiliary and the Pittsford Historical Society. She won the Vermont Community Service Scholarship for 2005.