Dear Editor, There have been a number of letters citing the need for a Vermont carbon tax. Some proposing as much as $0.50 a gallon since energy prices are currently low. Although I don’t disagree that global carbon emissions need to be reduced, I vehemently disagree that Vermont needs to tax itself out of existence.…

Dear Editor, The staff and clients of Black River Good Neighbors would like to thank all of those who donated goods, money or time to help this year’s holiday food distribution. The process begins early in the year, but gears up in earnest with the annual Stuff-a-Bus in Ludlow, followed by the Okemo Cares and…

Dear Editor, Thank you for your support of Catwalk for a Cause on Nov. 22, 2015! The Catwalk for a Cause Fashion Show raised over $17,000 for the United Way of Rutland County! We couldn’t have done it without such great community support. All who shared talent, time and energy with our larger community mean…

Dear Editor, On Dec. 29, 2015 there was a fatal car crash in Killington on Route 4 near the junction of Route 100 that involved the death of three people. It involved a tractor trailer headed east and an SUV headed west. The crashed occurred around 3 p.m. Local Killington fire fighters and police were on the…

Dear Editor, I guess it is hard to prevent accidents before they happen, such as that horrific one that occurred in our town last week. What could we have done? Anything? Well, my friends, disaster has been staring us right in the face. While returning from Rutland this past Friday, as I reached the top…

Dear Editor, Will the town of Killington consider a residency requirement for the new town manager? In the old days, selectmen ran towns but 100 years ago the state of Vermont created the select board-manager form of government. After the town of Killington (then Sherburne) adopted the newfangled management style the first two officials were…

Dear Editor, Most of us have heard of the Paris Climate Action Accord. But as we talk with others, we find that hardly anyone knows that our National Forest is being targeted for destruction in the name of so called green energy. Iberdrola, a Spanish global energy giant that has recently merged with a Connecticut…

Dear Editor, It is easy to understand why Vermont has attracted so many retirees over the last 30 years or so—it is truly a beautiful place to live, and property compared to many places in New England was reasonable and taxes were low. But now Vermont is at a crossroads: we have the second oldest…

Dear Editor, Once again, it’s time for New Year’s resolutions, particularly those to improve our diet and exercise routine. Although gun violence and traffic accidents remain the leading causes of death among young people, the most dangerous weapon for the rest of us is still our fork. Well over a million of us are killed…

Dear Editor, In response to Eli Harrington’s letter, “Vermont leaders approach cannabis with healthy skepticism and caution, not naivete,” which appeared in the Dec. 31-Jan 6 edition of The Mountain Times, I note that Mr. Harrington is the founder of Vermontijuana (Vermont + Tijuana?), which you describe as “a hub for information and resources related…

Dear Editor, The WSYB Christmas Fund has been a Christmas tradition for families in the Rutland area for 44 years. For many, it wouldn’t be Christmas without sharing their good fortune and giving a donation to the Christmas Fund. Since that first Christmas, the Christmas Fund has raised well over a million dollars from small…

By Brian Dubie It was my honor to serve as Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor for eight years. While I was in office, I was invited to tour the site of a proposed industrial wind turbine complex in Ira, Vt. My tour guide was a commercial pilot. He explained his concerns about the project’s impact on Southern Vermont…

Dear Editor, I’m a ninth generation Vermonter so while I might be proud, I think history has shown that we’re very capable of governing ourselves, even when our approach is different from those of other states. In response to the op-ed by Julia Purdy “Vermont ‘exceptionalism’ is naïve,” I ask: Was it naive to help…

By Lee J. Kahrs This Christmas may feel a bit off, edgier than Yuletides past. It’s not just the unseasonably warm December we’ve been having, or the lack of snow. Oh, it’s the climate, all right, but there is more than one. Yes, Virginia, it may be climate change in the environmental sense, but there…

By Lee H. Hamilton You know who I feel sorry for? Today’s politicians. You’ll laugh at this, but hear me out. This is a very tough time to be a politician—whether running for office or trying to lead while holding office. The people who have undertaken to represent us face circumstances that make campaigning and…