Opinions

Dear Editor,  Next week is once again, “Super Tuesday.” On April 30, 11 towns will hold their second school budget vote in hopes of getting voters to the polls. It is clear that the people of Vermont are making a statement to Montpelier that the way in which schools are funded is not sustainable. Across the state,…

Dear Editor, In Morrisville, a recent Front Porch Forum post reads: “Vote down the school budget! They don’t want to just survive, they want to thrive.” Is this really where we are in 2024? Are Vermonters really ready to let our most vulnerable children be the victims of state level politics? The Brigham Decision was…

By Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield As the founders of Ben & Jerry’s, we know firsthand the power of investing in Vermont’s communities. Since opening our first location in downtown Burlington, we’ve used our platform to support economic and social justice. That’s why we wholeheartedly support the proposal to create a Baby Bonds program in…

Dear Editor, Vermont stands as a beacon of community values. Yet, beneath this facade, our education system has harbored inequities for decades that undermine these very principles. Enter Act 127 — a legislative commitment to Vermont’s constitutional guarantee for equity, opportunity and fairness for every child in our state. For decades, Vermont’s education funding system, while…

Dear Editor, Under political pressure from animal rights groups, in coordination with a national organization, Senate bill S.258 was passed and is now in the House. This bill would remove the authority for rulemaking from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife board (Board) and transfer it to the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. This moves…

Dear Editor, Governor Phil Scott’s decision to veto S.18, legislation that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products in Vermont, is a win for small businesses, the economy, and adults’ right to make their own choices. Proponents of bans like this argue they are necessary to protect public health by preventing the…

Dear Editor,   The Killington highway and roadway workers did an excellent job all year long maintaining my road and area roads. Innsbruck Lane is a steep road that intersects Merrill and George Streets. Snow plowing is difficult on most narrow roads but particularly challenging here. The team plowed early, often, and skillfully to maintain a…

Dear Editor, It’s time to change our state government’s archaic tax system and truly make it fair for every single Vermonter. Vermont’s current tax system employed by the Legislature needs a true and absolute overhaul!   First, it is exclusive. Second, they want to tax everything, and in some cases they are. We need changes under both…

By Zoie Saunders Editor’s note: The following is a message addressed to Vermont educators, students and families from incoming Education Secretary Zoie Saunders, who was appointed to the position on March 22 and began April 15, the Senate is expected to take up her confirmation hearing April 23. I am delighted and honored to be joining…

By Steven Foster Editor’s note: Steven Foster is president of the Vermont Association of Realtors, a statewide association of over 2,000 real estate practitioners. On March 15, 2024, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced a $418 million settlement that would resolve litigation over claims in a national class action lawsuit brought on by home…

By John Freitag Editor’s note: John Freitag retired in 2017 from a 34-year career as facilities director at the Newton Elementary School in Strafford. He has long been involved in community and school issues both locally and on a state level. He recently finished his fourth term on the Strafford Select Board as chair and…

Dear Editor, Democracy has much to recommend it: access to public officials and opportunities to complain.  Unlike a monarchy, with a single person in charge, a democracy gives ordinary citizens the chance to think beyond their private concerns and ponder the public good. Through argument and persuasion, citizens in a democracy have a chance to…

Dear Editor, The Killington Food Shelf located at The Little White Church would like to thank Jay Hickory for his efforts of collecting nonperishable food, paper goods and toiletry items every weekend at the Killington transfer station. These donations fill our shelves for people in need. Jay Hickory suggested this idea and Lucretia Wonsor, our…

By Kristin Clouser, Monica Hutt, Rebecca Kelley, Julie Moore and Kendal Smith As members of Governor Scott’s cabinet and senior staff, we were part of the team who interviewed candidates for our next secretary of the Agency of Education. All five of us are also moms of kids currently in, or graduated from, Vermont’s public…

By Rep. Larry Satcowitz Editor’s note: Rep. Larry Satcowitz, D-Randolph, is a member of the House Committee on Environment and Energy. Act 250, Vermont’s visionary development statute, is more than 50 years old. It is often credited as one of the primary reasons that our landscape looks the way it does. The law has been changed…