By Nicholas Boke This commentary isby Nicholas Boke of Chester, a freelance writer and international education consultant. It was published earlier this month in VTDigger. I left Vermont in 2004 mainly because I wanted to work overseas. But I also felt the need to get away from the Vermont bubble. It was such a safe…

By Peter G de Krassel Editor’s note: Peter G de Krassel is the founder of Breaking Housing Matters, and author of the newly released book “Custom Maid Housing for New World Disorder.” Vermont’s housing has priced itself beyond the reach of most buyers and renters — and is making people more house insecure after July’s…

By Helen Head Editor’s note: Helen Head, South Burlington, is a board member of the Champlain Housing Trust. She also served as a state representative (2003-2018), where she chaired the Vermont House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs.   Vermont families are facing a housing crisis. Sky-high rents, high interest rates and home prices…

By Marc B. Schauber Editor’s note: Marc B. Schauber, of Dover, is the executive director for the Coalition for Vermont Student Equity. Act 127 of 2022, the law that corrected 25 years of injustice in our education funding system, is a good law. It allows all children in Vermont to receive an excellent education regardless of…

Submitted   By Julia Purdy, North Clarendon No doubt about it, Governor Scott has his finger on the pulse of everyday Vermonters. He is one of us. Governor Scott’s budget address to the Vermont Legislature Jan. 25 continued where his State of the State speech left off, continuing the theme of “affordability, public safety, and at…

Submitted By Ryan Heraty Editor’s note: This commentary is by Ryan Heraty, superintendent of Lamoille South Supervisory Union. In 2004, the town of Killington overwhelmingly voted to pursue secession to New Hampshire. It was a time of great turmoil as Vermonters navigated the impact of Act 60. Although extreme, it was a reflection of the…

Select Board leaders chose to divert voter attention to a known dead-end instead of addressing hard choices for school facilities By Polly Mikula The Select Board meeting Monday night, Jan. 22, meant to inform voters about the proposed $99 million bond for a new middle school/high school, but instead sowed confusion. Instead of focusing on…

  By James Lyall Editor’s note: James Lyall is the executive director of the ACLU of Vermont. The Fair Share for Vermont campaign is calling for Vermont’s wealthiest residents to pay their fair share in taxes so we can build a better state for all of us.     As part of this campaign, the ACLU…

By State Auditor Doug Hoffer  Evidence-based. Evidence-informed. Data-driven. Results Based Accountability. PIVOT. Vermont policymakers frequently use these terms to indicate that new policies and spending decisions are the result of rigorous, fully-informed analysis. Too often, though, the promise of these terms is undercut by bad data, incomplete information, and misleading representations from officials. When state…

By Anson B. Tebbetts, secretary of the, Food and Markets (VAAFM) From Canaan to Cavendish, and Duxbury to Dummerston, Vermonters are asking for more housing units and better-quality dwellings. Workers and employees, we hear you, asking for more well-constructed homes, apartments, and condos so you can work, live, and play closer to where you earn.…

  By Lucie Lehmann Editor’s Note: Lucie Lehmann of South Burlington is a former state director for now-retired U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland. She is a member of the board of the Green Mountain Audubon Society.  Just in time for the gift giving season comes word of yet another honor bestowed on retired…

  By Sarah Billings-Berg, VTSU dean of nursing and health sciences  Ready for some good news about nursing in Vermont? I bet you are. I know, reports haven’t always focused on the good news. As recently as last year, news reports focused on nurses retiring, how we don’t have personnel or facilities to educate new…

  By Sen. Bernie Sanders  There have been five wars in the last 15 years between Israel and Hamas. How do we end the current one and prevent a sixth from happening, sooner or later? How do we balance our desire to stop the fighting with the need to address the roots of the conflict?…

  By Peter Sterling Editor’s note: Peter Sterling is the executive director of Renewable Energy Vermont. There’s good news ahead in the fight against climate change. Utilities, business owners and energy experts now acknowledge there’s an affordable path to achieving what was once just a dream for environmentalists — a 100% renewable energy future for…

  By Lynn Dickinson  Editor’s note: Lynn Dickinson is the chair of the VSCS board.  The optimization plans at Vermont State University (VTSU) chart a path toward financial sustainability by 2027, something that has eluded its legacy institutions for far too long.  When we set about this work nearly four years ago, we knew that…