By Tom Evslin Editor’s note: Tom Evslin, of Stowe, is a retired high-tech entrepreneur. He served as transportation secretary for Gov. Richard Snelling and stimulus czar for Gov. Jim Douglas. The Vermont Legislature is playing an expensive shell game — and planning worse. The “equalized pupil” is the shell under which the pea is hidden.…

Dear Editor, It has been 12 years since the relicensing process began for five hydroelectric facilities on the Connecticut River, and until May 22, there is an opportunity to comment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  The last time these hydro facilities were licensed was in 1979, and once the new licenses are issued,…

Dear Editor, As a pastor, I feel it is my professional and moral responsibility to speak to the crisis of conscience facing our nation and state. As of this writing, the civilian death toll in Gaza stands at around 34,654 according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. A third of these casualties are children. I do…

By David Bittersdorf Editor’s note: Dave Blittersdorf is the president of All Earth Renewables in Bristol. The Vermont General Assembly — in attempt to move the state to 100% renewable energy — is making changes to how the state’s utilities buy energy. Within the next couple of weeks, the Senate Natural Resources Committee will consider…

Dear Editor, As the Chair of the Burlington School District (BSDVT) School Board, I am fortunate to witness firsthand the profound impact of educational policies on our diverse community. Among these policies, Act 127 stands out as a beacon of progress in our continuous effort to achieve equity and finally address the inequity across Vermont’s…

Dear Editor, The deadly flu virus is not just “for the birds” anymore! The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has just decreed that dairy cows must be tested for the deadly bird flu, which has already killed millions of chickens in the U.S. The unprecedented transmission of the H5N1 virus to cows has…

Dear Editor, With another vote coming up for the Slate Valley Unified School District I am writing to appeal to “Yes” voters and those on the fence to please turn out and vote. Our district will need over 1,000 “Yes” votes, or around 200 per town to effectively pass our school budget, on this third try. We…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: Senator Bernie Sanders, 82, (I-Vermont) announced May 6 that he will seek a fourth term to the U.S. Senate. His time in the Senate, along with his previous 16 years in the House of Representatives, makes him the longest-serving independent Member of Congress in American history. What follows is an excerpt from…

Dear Editor, My name is Gregory Thayer and in Fall of 2024, I am a candidate for the position of Lieutenant Governor of this great state of Vermont.   Every Vermonter needs to know that with the current leadership in Montpelier, the future of Vermont looks bleak, and traveling down a stormy road. My goal is…

Dear Editor, With 24 years of public service experience, I’m not done fighting for Vermonters, which is why I’m seeking re-election in 2024. I will use this campaign as an opportunity to discuss key issues with folks impacted by the state’s most difficult challenges. This is a critical moment for our state. Vermont is becoming…

Dear Editor, I’m Chris Brown and I’m running to represent Castleton in the Vermont House of Representatives. I’m proud and excited at the prospect of representing the citizens of my hometown in the Legislature. I’m a lifelong resident of Castleton and a 10 generation Vermonter. I feel my decades of business experience and my Republican…

Dear Editor, Yesterday was so magnificent. Found myself again spiritually through the power of being in nature. Plenty of places along the way to stop and throw a line but fell to the wanderization of what lay ahead. Just curious if I could get to the bend that I could see ahead. I wondered about…

Dear Editor, In Vermont we hold the belief that every child should have access to an equitable education. Though this promise is a constitutional right, in reality it’s been challenging to fulfill given the outdated funding mechanisms that have historically governed our schools. As a member of both the Burlington School Board and the Coalition…

By Jack Hoffman Editor’s note: Jack Hoffman is Senior Analyst at Public Assets Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Montpelier. He is a resident of Marshfield currently living in France. A projected jump in school taxes next year has everyone’s hair on fire in Montpelier. But before taking drastic action, legislators and the administration…

By Ross Connelly Editor’s note: This commentary is by Ross Connelly of Hardwick. Now retired, he was the editor and co-publisher of The Hardwick Gazette from 1986 to 2017. He is a past president of the Vermont Press Association and the New England Press Association. A quick look at the internet provides ample evidence that…