By Ed Baker and Jay Diaz Vermont is in the midst of a “syndemic,” a synergy of epidemics: Covid-19 and drug overdose fatalities due to opioids and stimulants. But only Covid-19 is getting the attention it deserves. The Covid-19 pandemic has rightly seen massive investment in public health tools, like vaccines, testing, surge centers, contact…

By Elayne Clift Editor’s note: Elayne Clift, who writes about women, culture and social issues from Saxtons River. It is now more than two months into the new year, and it’s likely that resolutions we made in earnest then have already been ignored. That’s OK. We can forgive ourselves for being overly resolute. These are…

By Joan Goldstein Vermont is face-to-face with the opportunity to infuse federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars into transformational projects throughout the state. This is a once in a lifetime moment and the Department of Economic Development is focused on growing the workforce and shoring up a foundation of strong economic activity that will…

By Governor Phil Scott Editor’s note: Gov. Scott delivered the following remarks as part of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition (VHCC) Legislative Week kick-off, Wednesday, Feb. 9: It is good to be with you to talk about some of the most important issues facing our state, like housing, supporting rural Vermont and protecting our…

By Roxanne Vought Talk to any business owner today and you’ll likely hear the same refrain: they’re struggling to find workers. They’ve tried everything: raising wages, sign-on bonuses, creative recruitment strategies, and they still can’t fill their openings. Some are eliminating product lines or reducing their manufacturing runs, others are cutting back hours. How did…

By Richard Balzano Editor’s note: Richard Balzano of Ryegate, a Ph.D candidate in history, a former high school teacher, a stand-up comedian, and a veteran in the fields of human services and mental health. This is a letter he submitted to the Blue Mountain Union School Board, in Wells River, in support of a vaccine…

By Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos and Deputy Secretary of State Chris Winters It only takes just a few minutes online to get a snapshot of America in 2022; a country divided; a digital battleground of rhetoric where information is wielded as a weapon. We hold faith that we can still heal this divide…

By Janet McLaughlin Editor’s note: This commentary is by Janet McLaughlin of Burlington, executive director of the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children. Just before the calendar flipped to 2022, thousands of Vermont families with school-age children picked up free Covid rapid tests to ensure as safe a return to school as possible.…

By Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) As you read this, the number of Covid cases in Vermont are reaching levels far greater than at any point in the crisis. Today, I am writing to you with some news that should be of help as we fight this terrible pandemic. The scientific community has been very clear…

By Angelo Lynn It’s not surprising that any governor of Vermont faced with creating a budget with more than $1 billion in one-time ARPA money (with $500 million still left to spend), plus another $2.2 billion coming from the congressional infrastructure package, would choose to spread it around to as many constituencies as possible for…

By Ben Smith Editor's note: Ben Smith is an emergency physician and medical director of the emergency department at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. American health care is in crisis. On NPR (“On Point,” Nov. 29) an ICU nurse recently said that anyone would leave the field if they were paid the same wage…

Vaccination mandates and 'test to attend' programs needed now By Jim Haff Editor’s note: Jim Haff is the Killington representative in the Windsor Central School District and Killington Select Board member. This commentary was written as an open letter to Vermont’s elected leaders on Jan. 10. You are not protecting our children. Over the holidays…

By Angelo Lynn It is to be hoped Jan. 6, 2021 will be a date that long resonates in our nation’s history. That historians will accurately assess the roots of the deadly insurrection on the nation’s Capitol, determine those responsible for assembling the crowd and encouraging them to storm Congress in what turned out to…

Dear Editor, We, the older Vermonters (including voters and taxpayers), must make it clear to younger Vermonters that our most crucial task and the most urgent job is to fix the broken two-party political system. Why, you ask? Only younger Vermonters can achieve the political transformation in the shortest amount of time to break up…

By Angelo Lynn It’s no surprise that Covid-19, the delta variant and its effect on our collective lives will be remembered as the top story of 2021. It’s likely the twists and turns of this pandemic will remain dominant in our lives in 2022 as well. To that end, it’s not hard to see the…