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…

  Dear Editor, It is time for our legislative body to make a full commitment to truly funding meaningful treatment to Vermont’s epidemic of substance use disorder in the creation of appropriate treatment facilities.  I applaud the recent meeting at the Rutland Paramount Theatre with lawmakers, the governor and local law enforcement. I was buoyed…

  By Jessica Brown  Editor’s note: Jessica Brown is an assistant professor of law and director of the Center for Justice Reform at Vermont Law and Graduate School in Sharon. Earlier, she was a public defender for 24 years in New Hampshire and Vermont, in both the state and federal legal systems.  Vermont thinks of…

By Jim Hurt Editor’s note: Jim Hurt is a resident of Woodstock. News flash: Enlightened Republicans have been sighted deep in the forest, traveling in small herds with Bigfoot and other tree huggers who are guiding them gently back into the light. These tired, huddled conservatives are yearning to be free of Trump’s shadow. They…

  By Brenna Galdenzi  Editor’s note: Brenna Galdenzi of Stowe is the president of Protect Our Wildlife. It’s tempting to claim that bear populations are “exploding” in Vermont, but the uptick in bear sightings is largely due to the animals having learned, over time, that food is easily accessible in people’s trash cans, bird feeders,…

  By Guy Payne Editor’s note: Guy Payne is the executive director of SEON - Sustainable Energy Outreach Network. In Vermont’s rugged terrain, a novel career path is emerging, blending craftsmanship with sustainability. The state’s housing demand and industry’s need for skilled hands are fueling the call for carpenters. But beyond carpentry, lies a more…

By Lawrence W. Reed and David Flemming Editor’s note: Lawrence W. Reed is president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education. David Flemming, a policy analyst at the Ethan Allen Institute. All of us have heard, perhaps many times, complimentary references to the so-called “common man.” He (or she) is widely regarded as praiseworthy simply…

By Sas Carey Editor’s note: Sas Carey’s new book, “Marrying Mongolia,” is being published by the International Polar Institute and will be released in February 2023. Her healing practice in Middlebury can found at.lifeenegyheal.com. The documentaries and Mongolian work can be found at nomadicare.org. When you follow your inner guidance or calling, amazing things can…