Letters

Dear Editor, The most alarming thing about Governor Scott’s education transformation proposal is that it follows the playbook of conservative billionaires who are funding a coordinated effort to dismantle public education. Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy group founded by the Koch Brothers, recently confirmed this when they singled out and praised Governor Scott’s efforts.…

Dear Editor, We are writing in stark dissent of the proposed cell tower in Hartland Four Corners. Our dissension is based on several critical factors: IllegalityAccording to local ordinances, no construction shall surpass tree height, yet the proposed tower of 170+ feet far exceeds the height of any local flora. Health risksAccording to the American…

Dear Editor, Act 171 has opened a door for Killington to strengthen trust between town officials and the community they serve. For seven years I was a law enforcement officer in the city of Alexandria, Virginia, a stone’s throw south of Washington, D.C. The profession comes with a heightened level of community trust, and to…

Dear Editor, I am a conservation biologist with a specific interest in wildlife. Last April, I wrote and submitted a paper to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife board (FWB) summarizing the results from numerous studies across the U.S. and Canada indicating that anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) threatens fisher populations. Vermont had the highest exposure rate among…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: the following letter was addressed specifically to members of the Mountain Views School District. As the vote on the MVSD budget approaches, we wish to further clarify the decisions that were made in the creation of this budget. Through months of meetings with the administration and board members, and consideration of…

Dear Editor, Nearly all Vermonters agree we want living in our state to be more affordable. When it comes to energy, continued dependence on high-cost and price-volatile fossil fuels like gasoline, fuel oil, and propane is not a path to affordability. In 2023, $2.2 billion was spent on fossil fuels for transportation and heating in…

Dear Editor, Back in February 2024, Vermont Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced a bill, “Preventing Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels.” What does the bill’s name translate to in plain English? Rent-fixing. In a press release dated Aug. 23, 2024, the U.S. Dept.  of Justice (DOJ) announced it, along with…

Dear Editor,  As a resident of St. Johnsbury, I regularly hike up Observatory Knob. A half mile from my home, I get to walk through woods and meadows to a summit with panoramic views. The 117-acre conserved land features forests, open fields, and benches to rest — just a short walk from where people live.…

Dear Editor, A thriving, prosperous state is a goal that all Vermonters can agree to. That goal is easier to achieve with a growing population. More people means a larger selection of workers for businesses, government, and non-profits. It means more people earning incomes, supporting local businesses, and paying taxes to support government programs—many of…

Dear Editor, The new vice-chair of Senate Natural Resources, Terry Williams, kicked off the legislative session with a rude and dismissive response to a constituent’s concerns about trapping. A constituent wrote Williams a polite, lengthy email outlining various concerns with trapping—Williams’ response: “Get over it...” Sure, Williams lists trapping as one of his recreational pastimes on the Legislature’s…

Dear Editor, Dreaded diseases that we have forgotten about because vaccines have eliminated them are threatening to return. Along with public health and sanitation efforts, vaccines are the single most lifesaving interventions in the history of medicine. Before vaccines, 10% of infants were dying of what are now preventable diseases; 30%-40% of children did not…

Dear Editor, Since the November election, many Vermont Democrats have been reflecting on the results and lessons learned. To some, a significant problem was messaging. A funny thing about Democrats is that we often can’t stop explaining everything. “If only we could explain [insert idea/program/policy here] in a way that people could really understand, they…

Dear Editor,  More than any post-election period that I can recall, Vermonters remain heavily engaged since November’s election. So engaged that many want to know why the problems highlighted on Nov. 5 haven’t already been fixed: education property taxes, housing affordability and availability, healthcare costs, public safety, and the Clean Heat Standard.  This urgency, like…

Dear Editor, As we welcome the New Year, many Vermonters set resolutions to build new skills, improve their health, or spend more time with loved ones. This year, let’s add a resolution that really pays off: saving for retirement. Saving for retirement can be daunting, especially for Vermonters living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to…

Dear Editor, Thanks to G. Gregory Hughes for his Dec. 18 letter, “The dictates of conscience in Vermont.” Mr. Hughes identifies a fundamental flaw in our laws: they allow spending tax money on religious schools. He also suggests a sensible solution to the problem: eliminating state expenditures on all private or religious schools. To paraphrase…