By Angelo Lynn Gov. Phil Scott’s decision to ban inter-household gatherings, while allowing schools to remain open and limited access to restaurants and bars, prompted rare public pushback among Vermonters who have been model citizens in obeying the dictates Vermont has successfully imposed since the pandemic’s outbreak in March. Numerous letters across the state’s media outlets attest…

By Dr. Joshua White “Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips and shows itself in deeds,” Theodore Roosevelt said. And so, the second wave of Covid is upon us. As I write…

By Marguerite Jill Dye, Killington I never knew I craved normalcy To such an extent, to such a degree. But suddenly, I’m finding myself Heaving sigh after sigh of needed relief. Your calm, steady voice and healing words, Spoken directly from your heart, Soothe my soul, calm my nerves, Alleviate headaches, lower blood pressure. I…

By Leo Pond The Supreme Court case titled Roe v. Wade was decided on Jan. 22, 1973, the primary holding in summary was that a person may choose to have an abortion until a fetus becomes viable, based on the right to privacy contained in the “due process” clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Viability means…

By James Duff Lyall In an unprecedented year, perhaps it’s only natural that we have an unprecedented election—the first in our lifetimes to occur during a global pandemic, and one in which an astounding number of votes will be cast after being mailed to voters. While many of us are used to staying up late…

By Alison Notte As chair of the Rutland City Public Schools Board of Commissioners, my safety and family’s well-being has been threatened due to my role in facilitating discussion around changing the racist Raider mascot. It is hard to ignore the pattern (in Vermont and nationally) of threats against elected officials and/or people speaking up for…

There are strict limits on what “poll watchers” can do As Election Day nears, President Trump has increasingly threatened to instigate voter intimidation. First, he has insinuated that he will deploy law enforcement officers to root out election-related crimes at the polls or call up the National Guard. (Spoiler alert: voter fraud is vanishingly rare).…

By Dr. Michael Shank Many things in life are easier when done together. Whether it’s education, economic development, everyday chores or even emergency response, when you have more hands and more help, the work is more efficiently executed and more effectively implemented. It takes a village to lighten the load and leverage our power. And…

By Catherine Antley MD and Spencer Smith After decades of fighting Big Tobacco, is the Vermont Legislature unwittingly inviting Big Cannabis into our state, our towns and our schools? Creating a retail cannabis market is not about decriminalization or social justice. It’s about creating a hugely profitable industry which depends on addiction and youth users…

By Angelo Lynn Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is right about the shortcomings of Joe Biden’s campaign for president against Donald Trump. He is not focusing enough on what he will do differently to help Americans regain their economic footing. “We … have to give people a reason to vote for Joe Biden,” Sanders (I-Vt.) said…

By Jack Hoffman Dithering in Washington has left a lot of states scrambling to figure out how to pay for the support and services their citizens desperately need. In Vermont, Washington’s paralysis means the Legislature will have just over a month to determine whether the $7.1 billion budget Gov. Phil Scott proposed for the current…

By Haviland Smith Editor’s note: Haviland Smith, a long retired CIA operations officer who has watched democracies fall. During the Putin era it has become clear that the Russians are in the process of trying to reestablish themselves among the most powerful and influential countries in the world. To do that, they see the diminution of…

By Rep. Pattie McCoy A few months ago, the Legislature adjourned without passing a full fiscal year’s budget. The hope by the majority party in Montpelier was Congress would come to the rescue and appropriate more money to the states so we could plug our budget holes with federal dollars. Some of us voted against…

By Lisa Loomis There has been considerable recent discussion about why Vermont’s response rate to the 2020 census form is so low. Several possible excuses have been floated, but one explanation is frequently overlooked when discussing why 43% of Vermonters have failed to complete the census form. The Census Bureau in its ill-conceived marketing plan…

By Fred Baser Editor’s note: Fred Baser of Bristol is a Vermont Housing Finance Agency commissioner. He is a member of the District 9 Act 250 Commission and an Addison County Home Health board member. He was a Vermont state legislator and small business owner. It seems odd going about the activities of daily life, albeit…