Opinions

Dear Editor, The deadly flu virus is not just “for the birds” anymore! The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has just decreed that dairy cows must be tested for the deadly bird flu, which has already killed millions of chickens in the U.S. The unprecedented transmission of the H5N1 virus to cows has…

Dear Editor, With another vote coming up for the Slate Valley Unified School District I am writing to appeal to “Yes” voters and those on the fence to please turn out and vote. Our district will need over 1,000 “Yes” votes, or around 200 per town to effectively pass our school budget, on this third try. We…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: Senator Bernie Sanders, 82, (I-Vermont) announced May 6 that he will seek a fourth term to the U.S. Senate. His time in the Senate, along with his previous 16 years in the House of Representatives, makes him the longest-serving independent Member of Congress in American history. What follows is an excerpt from…

Dear Editor, My name is Gregory Thayer and in Fall of 2024, I am a candidate for the position of Lieutenant Governor of this great state of Vermont.   Every Vermonter needs to know that with the current leadership in Montpelier, the future of Vermont looks bleak, and traveling down a stormy road. My goal is…

Dear Editor, With 24 years of public service experience, I’m not done fighting for Vermonters, which is why I’m seeking re-election in 2024. I will use this campaign as an opportunity to discuss key issues with folks impacted by the state’s most difficult challenges. This is a critical moment for our state. Vermont is becoming…

Dear Editor, I’m Chris Brown and I’m running to represent Castleton in the Vermont House of Representatives. I’m proud and excited at the prospect of representing the citizens of my hometown in the Legislature. I’m a lifelong resident of Castleton and a 10 generation Vermonter. I feel my decades of business experience and my Republican…

Dear Editor, Yesterday was so magnificent. Found myself again spiritually through the power of being in nature. Plenty of places along the way to stop and throw a line but fell to the wanderization of what lay ahead. Just curious if I could get to the bend that I could see ahead. I wondered about…

Dear Editor, In Vermont we hold the belief that every child should have access to an equitable education. Though this promise is a constitutional right, in reality it’s been challenging to fulfill given the outdated funding mechanisms that have historically governed our schools. As a member of both the Burlington School Board and the Coalition…

By Jack Hoffman Editor’s note: Jack Hoffman is Senior Analyst at Public Assets Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Montpelier. He is a resident of Marshfield currently living in France. A projected jump in school taxes next year has everyone’s hair on fire in Montpelier. But before taking drastic action, legislators and the administration…

By Ross Connelly Editor’s note: This commentary is by Ross Connelly of Hardwick. Now retired, he was the editor and co-publisher of The Hardwick Gazette from 1986 to 2017. He is a past president of the Vermont Press Association and the New England Press Association. A quick look at the internet provides ample evidence that…

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…