By Lee H. Hamilton Not long ago I was asked by several students for my thoughts on the outstanding characteristics of good politicians. What follows is my response: Good politicians are patriots, who are committed to strive for a more perfect union. They understand that they cannot accomplish much by themselves. There are scores of…

By Gov. Phil Scott Editor’s note: What follows is a transcript of Gov. Phil Scott remarks on racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death by police last Monday and subsequent protests over the weekend in Vermont and nationwide. These remarks opened the regular, three-times-per week press conference usually dedicated to the state’s Covid-19 response…

By Jonathan Spiro, interim president of Castleton University Like many Vermonters, I have not driven to work in six weeks. But yesterday I had to go to the office (which in my case is Castleton University) to attend to some essential business for the state. As I drove down Main Street in Castleton, I passed…

By Jack Hoffman Vermont’s April revenue collections highlight the absurdity of federal rules restricting the use of the Coronavirus Relief Fund—the $150 billion that Congress appropriated in the CARES Act to help the states. The state’s personal income taax receipts dropped by two-thirds last month. Instead of taking in $184 million, as forecast, the tax…

By Aliya Schneider On May 20, 2020, I was officially awarded my college degree. I am now an alumna of Barnard College, the women’s college affiliated with Columbia University. The Barnard-Columbia dynamic is complicated, but basically, Barnard students have two graduation ceremonies. On Monday, May 18, we would have had Barnard’s Class Day at Radio…

By Bob Cappadona In mid-March, several states gave redemption centers and retailers the option to temporarily stop accepting bottles and cans. They advised households to stockpile their water bottles and soda cans for several weeks, or to simply toss them in their curbside recycling bins. While it is unclear how many redemption centers chose to…

By Angelo Lynn It’s time Vermont’s Democrats urged Gov. Phil Scott to open Vermont’s economic spigot a bit faster, even significantly faster. The onus falls on the Democratic leadership because Scott appears afraid of the political risks if he makes the call on his own. Here’s the political calculus: If Scott were to lead the…

By Zayda Kellogg I am a junior at Peoples Academy High School in Morrisville, Vermont. Throughout the pandemic, and the consequential shutdowns, there is often talk of wanting to go “back to normal,” to fall back into the past, the thought of which provides us comfort and a sense of security, to forget Covid-19 ever…

By Andre M. Fleche During an uncertain time for the Vermont State College System, the people of Vermont should have confidence that Castleton University remains well-positioned to continue to serve the social and economic good of the state. Each year, Castleton sends forth new nurses, teachers, social workers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and many other graduates who…

By Royal Barnard My friend, Fred Rinaldi, living in California, woke up my senses early in the “lockdown” period with a Facebook post noting that the smog had disappeared in Los Angeles. I immediately thought about the possibility that the earth was getting a much needed cleansing. A breath of fresh air, if you will.…

By John Downes and James Nagle Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt of testimony given by John Downes and James Nagle to the Vermont Senate Education Committee on April 21, 2020. John Downes is the director of The Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education in the College of Education and Social Services at the University…

By Nick Richardson, president and CEO of the Vermont Land Trust For some it may feel too soon to ask this question, as new cases of Covid-19 are reported every day and the economic impacts for our state and our country grow more severe. Yet it’s this question we must ask relentlessly over the days…

By Joyce Judy, president of Community College of Vermont The Vermont State Colleges System is weathering the roughest days of its 60-year history. The potential changes facing our sister institutions are painful and the challenges are real. While the Community College of Vermont (CCV) is not immune to these challenges, we are fundamentally unique, financially…

By Dr. Karen M. Scolforo, president of Castleton University You may have seen the recent news coverage regarding the challenges faced by the Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS), many of which were highlighted last summer in the VSCS white paper, Securing the Future of the Vermont State Colleges, and exacerbated by the novel coronavirus global…

By Richard Slusky The coronavirus pandemic has brought to light the many fractures in the U.S. health care system, particularly the inadequate access that many low- and middle-income people have to health care services when they are most needed, and their dependence on employer-sponsored health care plans. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the concept of universal…