On January 7, 2015

Sanders, will you ask VTel to give back the money for the undone portion of the project?

Dear Editor,

Back in 2010 I attended the ceremony where Senator Sanders and Michel Guite announced the award to Vermont Telephone of a total of $116 million in federal government funding.

Sanders said “In the year 2010, every community in Vermont and America should have access to high-quality broadband service. This very large USDA grant from the stimulus package will not only put Vermont in a position of achieving that goal, it also will create hundreds of new jobs in our state. While much work remains to be done in sorting out the details and making sure that broadband access reaches and is affordable for all Vermonters, this is an important step toward achieving universal broadband access in our state.”

In a startling interview on WCAX Channel 3 recently, Michel Guite backed off his promise to Sanders and to the taxpayers of Vermont, revealing that the VTel is no longer working on the project for which it received a $116 million grant.

My question to Sanders is simple: given that the taxpayers will not receive the benefit promised with the grant award, will you ask Michel Guite to give back the money?

David Brown, Woodstock

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Some accomplishments to be proud of in the fight against global warming

October 2, 2024
By Peter Sterling Editor’s note: Peter Sterling is the executive director of Renewable Energy Vermont, the nonprofit trade association representing Vermont businesses working towards a 100% renewable energy future.  Though the tragic and costly impacts of changing weather extremes on Vermont continue to (justifiably) make headlines, they shouldn’t totally overshadow recent accomplishments in the fight…

Remembering Matt Roberts

October 2, 2024
Dear Editor, Matt Roberts’ passing last week is a loss for our entire Killington community. He was a wonderful human being who dedicated his life to his family, to his work and to the Great Outdoors of Vermont. Matt was one of a kind. Our entire team [at skionskioff.com] worked with Matt for the last…

Vote for Adrienne Raymond

October 2, 2024
Dear Editor, If you live in Ludlow, Mount Holly, or Shrewsbury, like me, you probably received a mailing from Kevin Winter about running for State Representative. The headline says “It’s time for moderation and reason in Montpelier.” Elsewhere he describes himself as an extremist. He has said he is a First Amendment extremist. This would…

Re-elect Becca White

October 2, 2024
Dear Editor, I am excited to support Becca White in her bid for re-election as one of our Vermont State Senators.   She has been dedicated to serving the people of Vermont for 10 years (four years on the Hartford Select Board, four years as a State Representative, and these last two years in the…