Discover More from This Category: Opinions
Nuclear power would meet sustainable energy goal
September 14, 2016
Dear Editor, Congratulations are in order for Ken Nolan, the newly-appointed general manager for Vermont Public Power Supply Authority (VPPSA), the umbrella organization for 12 small-town water and light departments. Mr. Nolan is the former chief operating officer at Burlington Electric Department (BED), majority owner and operator of the McNeil station, Vermont’s largest biomass-fueled power…
Punk culture deserves equal treatment
September 14, 2016
Dear Editor, It has come to my attention that it is the will of the Rutland City Recreation & Parks Department to impose yet more restrictions on the annual Punk in the Park concert due primarily to the style of music being “grating” to a supposed majority of the residents surrounding the park. I am…
Go organic, Vt. dairy farmers need new business model
September 14, 2016
By Roger Allbee The Vermont dairy industry is again reeling from low commodity prices, caused by overproduction, a glut of imports, challenges in our export markets, and poor economic growth. The stark reality is that the current pricing mechanism for non-organic milk, in place since the 1930s, and other constraints results in an unfavorable longer…
Rodrigue, a breath of fresh air in Montpelier
September 7, 2016
Dear Editor, I’m writing in support of Korrine Rodrigue for Senate. As a longtime member of Project VISION, I’ve witnessed Rodrigue’s dedication and hard work as we tackled the variety of issues that affect the greater-Rutland area – and towns across America. Looking back four years to a time when crime was growing and desperation…
Social media’s challenge to democracy
September 7, 2016
By Lee H. Hamilton I’ve been involved in politics for the better part of a lifetime and have spoken at a lot of public meetings over the years. There’s one question, I think, that I’ve heard more than any other: “If I want to be an informed citizen, which sources of information should I consult?”…
The media’s responsibility to our democracy
August 31, 2016
By Lee H. Hamilton Politicians spend a good bit of their time complaining about the media. But why should they have all the fun? I’m going to join in, though I tend to get upset about different things than most sitting politicians do. You see, I don’t actually mind when journalists—whether in print, on television…
The Power of Moving Water
August 31, 2016
Dear editor, As I write this, the day promises to be sunny, pleasant and dry, hinting of fall—the same weather that followed in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, August 28-29, 2011. Vermonters had been forewarned of a hurricane moving in our direction and we expected wind—the kind that flattened whole stands of timber in…
“Clean energy” bought with dirty money
August 24, 2016
Dear editor, Phil Scott believes renewable energy is critical to our future and the future of our planet. But Vermont’s current energy policies are doing damage to our environment and to our economy. Today we are destroying Vermont’s ridge lines and landscape by building helter-skelter industrial wind projects so that we can produce electricity that…
Legalization: still more questions than answers
August 24, 2016
Dear Editor, With state and national elections looming, marijuana legalization has taken somewhat of a back seat to the issues of war, terrorism, the shaky economy (Vermont’s and the country’s), huge deficits (ditto), the Brexit, the Zika virus, opiate addiction … the list goes on. The citizens of Maine and Massachusetts are dealing with contentious…
Lowell wind tour, see for yourself
August 24, 2016
Dear Editor, I’d like to invite the public on a real tour of Kingdom Community Wind in Lowell, Vt. This educational tour is not the pretend walk Mr. Lindholm references in his letter to the editor, published in the Aug. 17-23 edition. These tours take place each summer from June through August and are open…