By Megan Sullivan Editor’s note: Megan Sullivan is the vice president of government affairs for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The 2023 legislative session has been underscored by new and increased taxes and fees on both individuals and businesses, leading to $150 million of likely cost increases for Vermonters. This significant burden is particularly concerning…

  By Anore Horton and John Sayles Editor’s note: Horton and Sayles are executives at Hunger Free Vermont. Hunger is a solvable problem, yet in the federal debt limit deal, one of the negotiated “tradeoffs” is to take food off our neighbors’ tables. People over 50 and under 55 who receive SNAP benefits, known in…

Dear Editor, Reading about the housing crisis in Vermont and all over the country, and how a judge could change in one stroke of his pen the fate of hundreds of unhoused Vermonters, it is one grave sign that our society and our governments (federal, state and local) are moving toward a catastrophic end. I…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication of the Mountain Times. Gov. Phil Scott’s expected veto of the budget last week, and his more recent veto of a legislative pay raise, struck their mark with the expected outrage by the Democratic-dominated Legislature.…

  By Guy Payne  Editor’s note:  Guy Payne is executive director of SEON (Sustainable Energy Outreach Network). Embodying the New England dream entails not only appreciating the region’s natural beauty, history and culture, but also actively engaging in the community and building a sustainable home. To live the New England dream, you must first build…

  By Veronica Raussin Editor’s note: Veronica Raussin is the community outreach coordinator for Addicted.org. On Memorial Day, millions of American families took  time to honor the memory of those who lost their lives fighting in one of the nation’s wars. It can be challenging for families who recently lost a loved one.  We must…

  Dear Editor, Two years ago my spouse and I, ages 74 and 75, resided at the Sonesta ES Suites in Burlington. We stayed there for four weeks. We paid. We awaited a new condo to be ready that we had purchased.  We soon noticed that there were others housed there because of being homeless.…

  Dear Editor, In response to a local Protect Our Wildlife representative’s letter in Front Porch Forum I’d like to offer a timeline as to how we sportsmen and women lived without “help” before the advent of non-consumptive users. This information is available to the public on the Fish and Wildlife Department’s timeline page.  Here…

  By Jim Hurt Editor’s note: Jim Hurt is a resident of Woodstock. Here is the gist of recent recommendations to the Vermont Climate Council calling for the profitable renovation of Vermont’s two wood plants, McNeil and Ryegate, thereby transforming them into negative-emission power and storage stations. These stations will emit very little but remove…

  By John McClaughry Editor’s note: John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute (ethanallen.org). He has served in both the House and Senate.  One interest group fared extraordinarily well during the just-completed legislative session. That’s the interest group comprised of representatives and senators. Unlike other interest groups, who have to lobby legislators…

Dear Editor, I read with interest the editorial discussing litter and some of its causes (“Green Up: Plan to make it fun” April 27, 2023).  However, as a frequent cyclist on Vermont’s roads (preferably the gravel ones) I have an additional perspective.  Moving at a slower pace than in a car, one sees in greater…

  Dear Editor, I’ve run the Killington Softball League every year since 2004. I took one year off in 2009 and was begged back the following year because of how poorly it was run. I’m not saying this to brag, it’s just I’m good at running this league and one reason people like playing in…

  Dear Editor, After a protracted winter and fickle spring, the sunlight has dried off the dew. Idle hours lie ahead. Put earmuffs on to deaden the roar of the mower. Repeat passes out from the house to the edge of the property, leaving behind a carpet of green.  Who would attempt to disrupt this…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication to the Mountain Times. Deem this year’s legislative session a success, and if you think none of the goings-on in Montpelier impact you directly, here are several reasons why they do and why you should…

  Editor’s note: This is a transcript of closing remarks Gov. Phil Scott delivered to the Senate on May 12.   When I addressed you at the start of the session, I said – thanks to billions in federal aid, and the fiscal discipline we’d practiced for three years leading up to the pandemic –…