Discover More from This Category: Opinions
Will Vermont continue to be a going concern?
March 6, 2024
Dear Editor, In the field of auditing companies, nonprofits and government entities, auditors determine whether an entity can continue to operate. Auditor concerns are if an entity has lost a significant customer, cannot secure financing, or lost a major supplier or key personnel. Vermont state government has gotten itself to a place where, due to…
A tribute to Vermont’s submarine hero
March 6, 2024
Dear Editor, A tribute to Torpedoman Henry Breault is planned for March 15 at 9:30 a.m. to honor the 100th anniversary of Submariner Breault receiving the Medal of Honor, a declared Vermont resident to which the state of Vermont received credit. Representative Michael Morgan of Grand Isle-Chittenden District is initiating a Legislative resolution to honor Torpedoman…
H.132: Housing status anti-discrimination bill sorely needed
March 6, 2024
Dear Editor, Vermont House of Representatives recently passed H.132, a vastly amended homeless bill of rights legislation (compared to the bill as originally introduced), which is now in the hands of the state Senate. Afterwards, I had written to state Representative Tom Stevens, chair of the House General and Housing Committee, which had recently passed…
MVSD corrects inaccuracies in JCI presentation to Killington
March 6, 2024
Dear Editor, School District administration have reviewed the paid advertisement written by former School Board Director Jim Haff running in the Feb. 28 edition of the Mountain Times. The article includes a chart describing certain services proposed by Johnson Controls Inc (JCI) to the School District for improvements to the School District’s buildings. The assertions…
Building together: A call for collaborative housing legislation
March 6, 2024
Editor’s Note: This commentary is by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the Vt .Natural Resources Council, and the Vt. Association of Planning and Development Agencies. Climate change poses a significant threat to Vermont’s natural resources, economy, and way of life. From extreme weather events to loss of biodiversity, the impacts are already evident. Simultaneously,…
MVSD corrects inaccuracies in JCI presentation to Killington
March 4, 2024
Dear Editor, School District administration have reviewed the paid advertisement written by former School Board Director Jim Haff running in the February 28 edition of the Mountain Times. The article includes a chart describing certain services proposed by Johnson Controls Inc (JCI) to the School District for improvements to the School District’s buildings. The assertions…
Caring about our future
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, Why do so many school ‘new build’ supporters voice a message that suggests that voting for the current plan on the ballot equals caring about, and supporting children’s future, while not supporting this specific plan is not? Every non-supporter of the building bond that I know simply feels that this specific build is…
Gieda for Select Board, I humbly ask for your vote
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, I wanted to thank the community for giving me the platform to address the current issues in Killington. I am running for a seat on the Killington Select Board against Jim Haff, but I believe that it’s the system we are fighting against the most. We are constantly battling higher taxes, more local…
Relevant qualifications for municipal jobs questioned
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, Kudos to the KPAA for a well run debate between Select Board candidates Jim Haff and Andrew Gieda. Both candidates met the difficult challenge of standing up and speaking their mind before their fellow citizens, no easy feat, and moderator Mike Coppinger kept them on track. I was disappointed when the issue of…
We can’t afford to wait, vote ‘Yes’ for the school bond
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, My initial response to the proposed Woodstock MS/HS bond and build was, “$99 million is a lot of money and what is Plan B?” I am a teacher at Mountain Views Supervisory Union. I strongly believe in public education. As an educator, I decided to learn more about this hot topic in our…
It’s OK to vote ‘No’ on school budgets
February 28, 2024
By Tom Pelham This commentary is by Tom Pelham of Berlin, who was finance commissioner in the Dean administration and tax commissioner in the Douglas administration and served on the Appropriations Committee in the Vermont House as an Independent. In February 1997, Vermont’s Supreme Court found “the current system for funding public education in Vermont,…
School buildings impact student health and success
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, We are community members who work locally to provide medical care for the entire range of our population from newborn babies to seniors in their 90s and 100s. We feel privileged to work in and for the greater Woodstock community. We’d like to share our perspective on the proposed new middle and high…
We all win with a new school
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, I join my friends and neighbors to vote “Yes” on Article 7, the new school bond. I was initially skeptical but changed my mind for several reasons. The new school is a bargain. It will cost less than maintaining the old one, which is already inadequate and beyond repair, and it will cost…
Key issues to consider before MVSU’s new build vote
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, In recent discussions surrounding the upcoming bond vote for our local school district [Mountain Views Supervisory Union], a significant amount of information has been shared. However, some of it may not fully capture the situation’s complexity. This letter aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the key issues at hand, focusing on…
Why building a new school is easier on taxpayers vs. renovating
February 28, 2024
Dear Editor, Vermont’s school financing system is incredibly complex, and that means it can be difficult to make a decision that you feel good about. No one wants to spend money if it’s not essential. The question is, how do we know what’s essential and what’s not? It’s not an easy thing to answer. The…