Dear Editor, The Legislative Workers Caucus, 40-plus legislators that meet weekly during the legislative session, opposes Gov. Scott’s proposal to interfere with the bargaining rights of teachers negotiating around their health insurance benefits. One of the core values of the caucus is to protect collective bargaining and workers’ rights. Another is fiscal responsibility. Scott’s plan…

Dear Editor, The time to act is now. The Legislature faces a rare opportunity to make Vermont more affordable for all. The Affordable Care Act requires renegotiations of all teacher health insurance plans before Jan. 1, 2018. This provision allows the state to save money by dropping the high premium or “Cadillac” insurance plans. Working…

Dear Editor, What is the acceptable level of misery? The question was posed by Senator Dick McCormick when addressing the Vermont Senate about the anguish cats and dogs will feel if H.218 is signed into law. Reducing cages sizes used at Vermont puppy mills, and removing the requirement for a house for dogs that “guard…

Dear Editor, Please call the governor at 802-828-3333 and ask him not to support H-218—a pro-puppy mill bill. Dogs and cats forced to live their lives under the conditions in this bill will suffer greatly being confined to a space that is only big enough for them to turn around in. Dogs and cats confined to…

Dear Editor, Last week, The Washington Post published a major expose of the U.S. dairy industry concluding that mega dairies scam consumers into paying extra for “organic” milk that isn’t. The timing, a few days before Mother’s Day, is appropriate. Dairy cows, worldwide symbols of motherhood, never get to see or nurture their babies. The…

Dear Editor, There are 2.5 million patients that come to Planned Parenthood for care every year, regardless of their zip code, income, sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, or country of origin. Shutting down Planned Parenthood would deny millions of patients access to its cancer screenings, birth control, HIV testing, and more. If patients are blocked…

Dear Editor, May 6, 2017, is the official Green Up Day in Vermont. Free bags are available at the Killington Town Hall, so please begin ASAP! Signup sheet to list the streets you are greening up is on the Town Clerk’s counter. The annual thank you BBQ for volunteers will be held in the back…

Dear Editor, On April 29, the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union’s Currier Memorial School in Danby, Vt., and the Mettawee Community School in West Pawlet, Vt.,  held their 2nd Annual “Community Clean Up.” Thanks to Casella Waste Management and ACE Carting Services for the generous donations of waste containers for these communities to access. Casella’s has never…

Dear Editor, Is it just the nature of the institution that the Legislature tends to focus on issues that have or are about to become crises? We seem to have a new annual tradition in Vermont; each year we face a “budget gap” with insufficient revenue to meet the projected budget for our current level…

Scott appoints new representative for Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington and Mendon Dear Editor, Job Tate, who has served as our state representative in Montpelier for the past few years, has resigned due to a pending overseas deployment as part of his naval reserve in service to our country. I want to thank Job Tate for his…

Dear Editor, Every year, Vermont gives away tens of millions of dollars to high-income taxpayers while cutting services for Vermonters who are struggling the most to make ends meet. Yet it is clear that Vermonters, as shown by their votes for national officeholders, don’t support this kind of approach to revenue generation and budgeting. We…

Dear editor, As thousands across the U.S. get ready to protest environmental budget cuts, each of us can also help with our driving, our recycling, and our diet. Yes, our diet. A 2010 United Nations report blames animal agriculture for 70 percent of global freshwater use, 38 percent of land use, and 19 percent of…

Dear editor, Earl Butz was Richard Nixon’s Secretary of Agriculture and was famous for telling farmers to “get big or get out.” He was responsible for rolling back many New Deal era policies that insulated farmers from the vagaries of the market and nature’s sometimes capricious moods. Farming began its perilous decline from stewardship rooted…

Dear Editor, People ask me why I work as a licensed nursing assistant (LNA) for a living. It’s for my patients. I give each patient my all, but with understaffing my all isn’t enough. Our patients deserve the best care we have to offer, but right now I can’t provide that. Patient care and safety…

Dear Editor, Last weekend, the UN came to the Saturday Winters Farmers Market in Rutland. Actually, the Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) hosted the “Grace Initiative” also called “Initiative for Governance, Reconciliation and Coexistence,” a nonprofit founded by Yvonne Lodico of Manchester. Governance, reconciliation and coexistence are interdependent and sustain each component for inclusive and…