Opinions

Jimmy Carter, the nation’s 39th president, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 29, two months after turning 100 years old. During President Carter’s brief one-term administration (1977-81), he helped broker peace between Israel and Egypt. Still, his worldwide humanitarian efforts, post-presidency, best define the man who unselfishly gave himself to the nation and beyond. President Carter…

Dear Editor, In last week’s article by James Kent, “House Republicans mull a plan to repeal the environmental Clean Heat Standard,” he incorrectly suggests the cost impact on heating fuel is only a couple of cents per gallon, citing a report by Energy Futures. We wish that were true, but unfortunately it is not. Act…

Dear Editor, As 2024 draws to a close, I resolve to start the new year with optimism and determination to protect what we care about. Our shared connection to the natural world lies at the heart of Vermont’s identity. We love the beauty and bounty of our state. We also know that a healthy environment…

Dear Editor, Picture a young woman, nine months pregnant, compelled by forces beyond her control to leave home and make an arduous journey with her betrothed to a foreign land, unsure of their welcome there. At this time of year, most of us raised in the Christian tradition would pretty immediately, if unconsciously, imagine this…

Dear Editor, Let’s look at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board and Department and tell me if it needs modernizing. And for those unaware, the Board is a 14-member volunteer group comprising hunters, trappers, hound hunters, and anglers from every county. The Board makes public policy decisions on our shared public wildlife without fair representation…

By Ben Kinsley Editor’s note: Ben Kinsley has over a decade of Vermont public policy experience working for non-profit organizations. He currently serves as the interim executive director for Campaign for Vermont, a non-partisan advocacy group seeking to grow the state’s middle class. As a property taxpayer, I was relieved to see that the Dec. 1 …

Dear Editor,                                                                                                      Does Vermont still believe in the separation of church and state? The newly elected legislature must address this question. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Carson v. Makin decision required that states providing tuition reimbursement to independent and charter schools must extend those same programs to religious schools as well as nonreligious…

Dear Editor, According to a Dec. 9 article in VTDigger, a local slaughterhouse, Vermont Packinghouse, is under investigation again for cruelty to animals. Allegedly, workers failed to intervene when a truck driver unloading pigs kicked animals in the head and neck and shoved them off the back of the trailer. The pigs suffered heat stroke…

By John Freitag Editor’s note: This commentary is by John Freitag. He was facilities manager for the Strafford School District for 34 years and in 1994 was named “outstanding support staff” in Vermont. He served three years as PTA president at the Newton School and has closely watched and covered school and school funding issues…

Santa with his endless lists, and many others are busy this time of year getting ready for the upcoming holiday season. Likewise, Vermont legislators are also busy prepping for the new session, which begins Jan. 8. Newly elected representatives and senators attended a three-day orientation session last month at the State House and all new…

Dear Editor, As a former school district board member for 15 years, I know budgeting always comes with difficult choices — particularly when making cuts.  This year, the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU) board proposed $2.5 million in cuts — no small feat, especially because insurance costs and contractual obligations to teachers and staff rose…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: This letter was originally scripted as a message to legislators. As you get ready to go to work in Jan. I wanted to share the budget situation in our district.  Due to the penalty phase being enacted, we calculated that we would need to cut $2.5 million to stay under the…

Dear Editor, Is aging at home working for you? Do you have an advocate that checks in, helps find what you need, someone to talk over what going on? I do in Sharon. We have Dena, Health Care Coordinator, because 10 years ago a group us formed the Sharon Health Initiative (SHI), to get this…

Dear Editor, The administration’s announcement that the discriminatory prioritization categories throughout the winter months will be used is not only inhumane; it does not follow the law, which created no such prioritization categories and states who is eligible for shelter on a first come, first serve basis. These “priority categories” deprioritize people experiencing homelessness and…

Dear Editor, Earning a college degree is challenging, especially for Vermont students who balance school, jobs, and family while working to put food on the table. Fortunately, a new policy change now makes it easier for Vermont’s community college students to access 3SquaresVT, the state’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to…