Discover More from This Category: Opinions

Local shopper unhappy with TJ Maxx carrying Trump brand

February 9, 2017
Editors note: the following is an open letter to Ernie Herrman, CEO and president of TJMaxx Dear Mr. Herrman, I am writing to tell you that I have stopped shopping in TJMaxx stores since the election in November of 2016. That is when I became aware that you carry Ivanka accessories.  I’m sure that you…

Do not rescind the 1 percent local option sale tax

February 9, 2017
Dear Editor, Is the Select Board crazy? The 1 percent local option sale tax component of the options tax contributes approximately $400,000 to $500,000 to the annual General Fund budget. Who do you think is going to make that up if it is rescinded? You and me in our property taxes. As it is, we…

A speech everyone should read

February 9, 2017
By Lee H. Hamilton As a country, we make a habit of looking forward, not backward. But I’m going to ask you to turn your attention back a few weeks, to Barack Obama’s Jan. 10 farewell address to the American people. I’ve been reading presidential farewell speeches for many years. Most of them give good…

Attitude counts

February 9, 2017
By Lyle Jepson Vermonters can no longer ask their economic development organizations to work in isolation and still expect success for our communities and our businesses. Over the last year, the Rutland region has proved that a common vision and a common direction – forged through persistence and hard work – can rapidly transform a…

Approve Gov. Scott’s pragmatic budget to achieve critical reform

February 1, 2017
Dear Editor, Gov. Phil Scott is attempting a “top-down” approach to check education spending because past legislative efforts have failed, and new initiatives are unlikely to win the approval of the Democrat-controlled Legislature. Democrats that are now expressing a newfound concern for local control seem to have forgotten that they championed the anti-school choice Act…

The true cost of local food

February 1, 2017
By Rachel Carter When choosing to purchase food, cost is often a deciding factor for consumers. Why buy a 12-ounce package of local bacon for $7.99 when you can get it for $4.98? Purchasing local food means you know where your food comes from, you’re buying food that is generally healthier, and you’re helping drive…

Gov. Scott’s budget has bold ideas, but also reckless ones

February 1, 2017
By Angelo S. Lynn Give Gov. Phil Scott credit for utilizing the element of surprise. In his budget address this past Tuesday, Jan. 24, he rocked Montpelier’s world by suggesting that public schools, K-12, freeze their budgets at current spending levels, force teachers to pay more for their health care plans (from roughly 15 to…

Resort’s request supported

January 26, 2017
Dear Editor, I want to applaud Mike Solimano and his team for the terrific job that the Resort did with the World Cup. The combined efforts of the town and the resort prove that both are in this together. The positive impacts are sure to be real. Here is where we stand today: 1. Killington is…

A better way to build on the resort’s success

January 26, 2017
Dear editor, I am not on board with designating $100,000 for support of Killington Resort’s efforts to bring back the World Cup. First of all, there are no guarantees that Killington will even be considered by the FIS (International Ski Federation, the World Cup governing body). The reason the World Cup came to Killington this…

MLK thoughts

January 26, 2017
Dear Editor, Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man because he helped many people in need of his help. This happened when Rosa Parks got arrested because she did not give up her seat up on the bus to a white person. What MLK did was he organized a boycott where lots of people…

No response regarding senior pass inquiry

January 26, 2017
Dear editor, Well as you would expect, not a word was heard from the mountain with regard to the previous letters requesting the mountain to provide a senior taxpayers’ residential ski pass. I never thought it would be an easy task, but you never know. My philosophy, “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” I guess…

School choice: Every student deserves the opportunity I had

January 26, 2017
By Rob Roper When I was in second grade, my parents moved our family from Virginia to Connecticut because Dad took a job in New York City. They chose the town of Riverside to live in based largely on the quality of the public school system. We were lucky to be able to afford to…

A sea of pink

January 26, 2017
By Polly Mikula “Tell me what democracy looks like?” chanted protesters at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. “This is what democracy looks like!” the crowd yelled back. It was one of many chants repeated Saturday, Jan. 21, as over 500,000 people descended on the streets of the nation’s capital the day after Trump’s inauguration…

Will facts be irrelevant?

January 26, 2017
By Angelo S. Lynn Under Donald Trump’s presidency, American voters will face a stark choice: They’ll have to decide if facts matter more than Trump’s lies mixed with his deliberate distortions. What we know is that Trump will attempt to recast the news to fit his version of reality, because if he can get away…

Building a strong health care system for all Vermonters

January 19, 2017
By Jeff Tieman Having arrived last August as the new president and CEO of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, I am still fairly new to Vermont. A few observations so far: 1) this is a wonderful place full of energy and life, 2) the people are kind, smart and passionate, and 3)…