By Sen. Patrick Leahy This is the first Sunshine Week, since it began in 2005, when the public’s right to know has been under direct assault, and on several fronts. “Fake news,” “alternative facts,” retaliatory restrictions on press access by the White House, and demonizing attacks on the working press are eroding the public’s access to…

By Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos An open government makes for a better government. This is Sunshine Week and it is being celebrated all across the nation.4.1x7  In reality, it should be celebrated every week – not just this week – in Vermont and every other state. Here at the secretary of state’s office, our operations…

By Adam Grinold, Lyle Jepson, William Colvin There is a scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” set in days of the Black Plague. Eric Idle moves through a village, calling “Bring out your dead!” John Cleese appears, a body slung over his shoulder. As he negotiates offloading the corpse to Idle, the body interrupts;…

By Sen. Dick McCormack Refugees Before I take issue with Governor Scott I want to thank him for his reason and courage in condemning the bigoted banning of refugees based on their religion. We Americans have many conflicting opinions, but the things that unite us are greater than the things that divide us. Mutual respect…

By Jon Margolis, VTDigger “It is almost impossible to start a small business now,” said the president of the United States the other day, and he knew why. It was, he said, “because of regulation.” As has been noted elsewhere, Donald Trump and fact do not always inhabit the same realm. Depending on how “small…

By Lyle Jepson and Mary Cohen Imagine a future for Rutland County in which young families move into efficient new homes close to high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs … recent college graduates shop downtown for “first day of work” wardrobes before starting jobs with local companies where they worked as student interns. … construction workers in…

The average nondegree grant is $1,800 By Scott Giles  Governor Phil Scott’s budget request to invest an additional $1 million in the nondegree grant program will pay off in real opportunities for Vermonters who need education and training for jobs that are waiting to be filled.  In fact, over the next decade, seven out of…

By Lee H. Hamilton As a country, we make a habit of looking forward, not backward. But I’m going to ask you to turn your attention back a few weeks, to Barack Obama’s Jan. 10 farewell address to the American people. I’ve been reading presidential farewell speeches for many years. Most of them give good…

By Lyle Jepson Vermonters can no longer ask their economic development organizations to work in isolation and still expect success for our communities and our businesses. Over the last year, the Rutland region has proved that a common vision and a common direction – forged through persistence and hard work – can rapidly transform a…

By Rachel Carter When choosing to purchase food, cost is often a deciding factor for consumers. Why buy a 12-ounce package of local bacon for $7.99 when you can get it for $4.98? Purchasing local food means you know where your food comes from, you’re buying food that is generally healthier, and you’re helping drive…

By Angelo S. Lynn Give Gov. Phil Scott credit for utilizing the element of surprise. In his budget address this past Tuesday, Jan. 24, he rocked Montpelier’s world by suggesting that public schools, K-12, freeze their budgets at current spending levels, force teachers to pay more for their health care plans (from roughly 15 to…

By Rob Roper When I was in second grade, my parents moved our family from Virginia to Connecticut because Dad took a job in New York City. They chose the town of Riverside to live in based largely on the quality of the public school system. We were lucky to be able to afford to…

By Polly Mikula “Tell me what democracy looks like?” chanted protesters at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. “This is what democracy looks like!” the crowd yelled back. It was one of many chants repeated Saturday, Jan. 21, as over 500,000 people descended on the streets of the nation’s capital the day after Trump’s inauguration…

By Angelo S. Lynn Under Donald Trump’s presidency, American voters will face a stark choice: They’ll have to decide if facts matter more than Trump’s lies mixed with his deliberate distortions. What we know is that Trump will attempt to recast the news to fit his version of reality, because if he can get away…

By Jeff Tieman Having arrived last August as the new president and CEO of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, I am still fairly new to Vermont. A few observations so far: 1) this is a wonderful place full of energy and life, 2) the people are kind, smart and passionate, and 3)…