Discover More from This Category: Opinions

Social media’s challenge to democracy

September 7, 2016
By Lee H. Hamilton I’ve been involved in politics for the better part of a lifetime and have spoken at a lot of public meetings over the years. There’s one question, I think, that I’ve heard more than any other: “If I want to be an informed citizen, which sources of information should I consult?”…

The media’s responsibility to our democracy

August 31, 2016
By Lee H. Hamilton Politicians spend a good bit of their time complaining about the media. But why should they have all the fun? I’m going to join in, though I tend to get upset about different things than most sitting politicians do. You see, I don’t actually mind when journalists—whether in print, on television…

The Power of Moving Water

August 31, 2016
Dear editor, As I write this, the day promises to be sunny, pleasant and dry, hinting of fall—the same weather that followed in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, August 28-29, 2011. Vermonters had been forewarned of a hurricane moving in our direction and we expected wind—the kind that flattened whole stands of timber in…

“Clean energy” bought with dirty money

August 24, 2016
Dear editor, Phil Scott believes renewable energy is critical to our future and the future of our planet. But Vermont’s current energy policies are doing damage to our environment and to our economy. Today we are destroying Vermont’s ridge lines and landscape by building helter-skelter industrial wind projects so that we can produce electricity that…

Legalization: still more questions than answers

August 24, 2016
Dear Editor, With state and national elections looming, marijuana legalization has taken somewhat of a back seat to the issues of war, terrorism, the shaky economy (Vermont’s and the country’s), huge deficits (ditto), the Brexit, the Zika virus, opiate addiction … the list goes on. The citizens of Maine and Massachusetts are dealing with contentious…

Lowell wind tour, see for yourself

August 24, 2016
Dear Editor, I’d like to invite the public on a real tour of Kingdom Community Wind in Lowell, Vt. This educational tour is not the pretend walk Mr. Lindholm references in his letter to the editor, published in the Aug. 17-23 edition. These tours take place each summer from June through August and are open…

Rodrigue for Senate

August 24, 2016
Dear Editor, Born and raised in Castleton, I have had the privilege of being involved in many different initiatives throughout the state. This past year—right after graduating college—I participated in the Miss Vermont Scholarship Organization Competition and worked at the American Legion Auxiliary Green Mountain Girls State as well as the Governor’s Institute on the…

A rebellion against Trump

August 24, 2016
By Angelo S. Lynn In a rare development, members of a major political party are rising up against its presidential nominee in growing numbers. Among these is a well-known grass-roots group of Republicans, called R4C16.org, which has posted its endorsement for Democrat Hillary Clinton. It is signed by “a raft of Republicans who have served in GOP…

Lessons from Lowell

August 18, 2016
Dear editor, Folks, it’s high time for Green Mountain Power (GMP) to host a walking tour, with news reporters, top state officials, ecology scientists and politicians, all walking on foot along the entire four-mile wind turbine array of 21, 459-foot tall turbines that they own on Lowell Mountain. I was up there recently, and Vermonters…

“The Vermont Way” to win or lose an election

August 18, 2016
By Jon Margolis, VTDigger.org OK, Vermont. You’re still special. At least for now, at least when it comes to politics. “Attack ads don’t work here” is the oft-repeated Vermont boast. In other states, Vermonters like to say, candidates can get elected by tearing down their opponents. Not here, where folks demand civility of their politicians.…

Defining the Olympic spirit

August 18, 2016
By Angelo S. Lynn These Olympic games may be the perfect distraction — and contrast — to the political embarrassment that has otherwise dominated national news. Rather than seeing the worst of ourselves as reflected in Mr. Trump — his insults, sarcasm, put-downs and pathological lying — the nation sees the best of itself in…