Letters
Got an opinion write a letter! Please keep your submission to under 400 words whenever possible and include your full name and town of residence for publication. Letters may be edited for AP style and clarity and will be printed at the editor’s discretion and space availability. Email editor@mountaintimes.info.
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The dictates of conscience in Vermont
December 18, 2024
Dear Editor, Does Vermont still believe in the separation of church and state? The newly elected legislature must address this question. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Carson v. Makin decision required that states providing tuition reimbursement to independent and charter schools must extend those same programs to religious schools as well as nonreligious…
Vermont Packinghouse animal cruelty investigation
December 18, 2024
Dear Editor, According to a Dec. 9 article in VTDigger, a local slaughterhouse, Vermont Packinghouse, is under investigation again for cruelty to animals. Allegedly, workers failed to intervene when a truck driver unloading pigs kicked animals in the head and neck and shoved them off the back of the trailer. The pigs suffered heat stroke…
Vote ‘yes’ for a flat tax rate without programing cuts
December 18, 2024
Dear Editor, As a former school district board member for 15 years, I know budgeting always comes with difficult choices — particularly when making cuts. This year, the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU) board proposed $2.5 million in cuts — no small feat, especially because insurance costs and contractual obligations to teachers and staff rose…
School district budget woes are exacerbated by late changes
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, Editor’s note: This letter was originally scripted as a message to legislators. As you get ready to go to work in Jan. I wanted to share the budget situation in our district. Due to the penalty phase being enacted, we calculated that we would need to cut $2.5 million to stay under the…
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Care Coordinators save lives and costs
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, Is aging at home working for you? Do you have an advocate that checks in, helps find what you need, someone to talk over what going on? I do in Sharon. We have Dena, Health Care Coordinator, because 10 years ago a group us formed the Sharon Health Initiative (SHI), to get this…
End disability discrimination in general assistance hotel shelter
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, The administration’s announcement that the discriminatory prioritization categories throughout the winter months will be used is not only inhumane; it does not follow the law, which created no such prioritization categories and states who is eligible for shelter on a first come, first serve basis. These “priority categories” deprioritize people experiencing homelessness and…
Vt eases access to food program for community college students
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, Earning a college degree is challenging, especially for Vermont students who balance school, jobs, and family while working to put food on the table. Fortunately, a new policy change now makes it easier for Vermont’s community college students to access 3SquaresVT, the state’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to…
A debate on the future of Vt’s house leadership
December 4, 2024
Dear Editor, As we look toward the 2025-2026 biennium, an important conversation is unfolding in Vermont about our state’s leadership in the State House. Previously, the speaker of the House position was selected internally and did not involve Vermont’s voters directly. This year, however, the White River Valley Chamber - in conjunction with the Chandler…
We know healthcare is broken, a new report shows how we can fix it
December 4, 2024
Dear Editor, Those seeking fundamental changes to our hospitals and healthcare systems—including us—were not surprised last month when the state’s hospital trade group pushed back against a legislatively mandated report that concluded serious work needs to be done before our entire healthcare system collapses. In fact, the hospitals were so threatened by change that they…
KSAR gives thanks to the Killington community
November 27, 2024
Dear Editor, The Killington Search and Rescue Team and the KSAR Foundation would like to thank the greater Killington community for their support during this year’s fundraising drive. Between The Blast Off Party and the town of Killington’s July 4th celebration, we raised over $6,500 for the KSAR Foundation. We also received donations from businesses…
Let’s all pardon the turkey
November 27, 2024
Dear Editor, This week, President Biden will pardon two turkeys at the White House, a symbolic gesture of mercy. Yet, over 224 million turkeys endure a far grimmer fate every year in the U.S. These gentle birds are raised in overcrowded sheds thick with toxic fumes, their beaks and toes clipped to prevent stress-related aggression.…
Keep pets safe this trapping season
November 20, 2024
Dear Editor, The recreational trapping season in Vermont begins on the fourth Saturday of October each year and lasts through March 31st. For some animals, like otters and beavers, this season lasts for five long months. There are no limits on the number of animals a trapper may kill or on the number of traps…
‘You belong here’
November 20, 2024
Dear Editor, A Latin teacher from junior high school once told me that the word “trivia” comes from roots, meaning three roads. The idea was that people would come together where roads meet to exchange small pieces of information — trivia. Here in Vermont, we certainly swap news on street corners, and I’ve had my…
Thank you, Windsor District
November 14, 2024
Dear Editor, Thank you to the Windsor District voters for electing us to represent you in the Vermont State Senate. We are honored to serve and appreciate your vote of confidence. We are grateful to our many volunteers who helped make this victory possible. Thank you for hosting our lawn signs, writing letters to the editor, canvassing…
Ending the stalemate
November 14, 2024
Dear Editor, In October, I announced my campaign to be Vermont’s next Speaker of the House. Today, after an election that eliminated the House supermajority, I want to acknowledge the challenges we face, share why I’m stepping forward and outline my vision for how the Legislature can shift priorities and address Vermonters’ most urgent needs.…
What happens to campaign signs?
November 14, 2024
Dear Editor, We hope all campaign signs will disappear after Nov. 5. We also hope they will NOT end up in a landfill. Most, if not all, of the signs are plastic, which means they can’t be recycled. However, they can be reused or re-purposed. Think roofing or siding material, killing invasives in your garden,…
Trump’s tariffs: the joke is on us
November 14, 2024
Dear Editor, The first thing to understand about tariffs, that no voters were ever told on the campaign trail, is that the producers in the sending country (China, for instance) do not pay for the tariff. The U.S.-based companies that receive the goods (the U.S.) must pay the tariff. Why is this? First, a nation…
Quarter Pounder packs a wallop
November 6, 2024
Dear Editor, There is a problem with our food systems. The recent E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has led to illness, hospitalization, and even death. The CDC, FDA, and other health agencies are investigating, with fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties as the suspected sources of contamination. This incident isn’t…
Doing away with the Electoral College would make Vt’s votes matter less
November 6, 2024
Dear Editor, (In response to Matthew Cecere’s commentary, “The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could give Vermont voters more impact”). I’m amazed to see an educator come out in favor of such a ridiculous concept, and to also be in favor of abolishing the Electoral College. No, the Electoral College is not perfect. But, it is…
