By Jay Diaz Editor’s note: Jay Diaz is a general counsel for ACLU of Vermont. With Vermont’s primary election approaching on Aug. 9, it’s time for many voters to decide which candidates are best aligned with their values — and that includes candidates for county prosecutor. Vermont’s elected prosecutors, known as state’s attorneys, have tremendous…

Dear Editor, Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals Humane Society would like to thank all the people that volunteered at our annual July 4 festivities in Woodstock. Thanks to friends and volunteers who were able to pull it off for another year! If any nonprofit organization would like to take over this event, we can assure…

By Jonathan Dowds Editor’s note: Jonathan Dowds is the deputy director of Renewable Energy Vermont. New Hampshire households are about to get hit hard, really hard, by rate hikes that will increase electricity bills by more than $70 a month. These unprecedented rate hikes reflect surging natural gas prices and New Hampshire’s ill-fated decision to…

By Angelo Lynn/Addison County Independent Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication to the Mountain Times. The esteemed Atlantic Monthly ran a commentary by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, titled “America is in Denial.” Shortly after, The Washington Post editorial board penned an editorial in which…

Dear Editor, The recent proposal by Vermont Huts Association (VHA) and Moosalamoo Association (MA) to construct a hut next to Silver Lake in the Moosalamoo National Recreation and Education Area in Leicester (Addison County) reveals numerous problems with the USDA/forest service’s management of the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). Pitched as connecting trails and establishing…

Dear Editor, As a resident of Vermont and a student intern with the Vermont Public Health Association, it was distressing to learn that some Vermonters believe that because our state is small, our efforts to combat climate change are futile. If smaller communities use their size as an excuse to remain stagnant surrounding climate issues,…

By Linda Bowden Editor’s note: Linda Bowden is AARP Vermont’s volunteer state president. We are paying more for nearly everything today – from groceries to gas to housing. As inflation reaches its highest in 40 years – rising 7% last year alone – Vermonters are asking what Congress can do to help them pay for…

Dear Editor, This is in response to George De Luna’s letter of July 12. In it, he repeatedly refers to “God-given” rights. Passing over his total lack of evidence for the existence of any supernatural being, let’s look to see how many times this term occurs in the Constitution. Hmmm, well no “God-given,” but maybe…

By Roxanne Vought Editor’s note: Roxanne Vought is the executive director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. She lives in Weybridge. For those of us who envision — and strive each day toward — a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet, the final week of June 2022 was…

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. As fallout of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade in the Dobbs decision takes hold, what’s clear is that the issue will continue to resonate deeply in…

Dear Editor, With pandemic restrictions easing, most people are anxious to get away on a vacation and want to include their pets. Bringing along your pet can be stressful though —for both of you. Advance planning, proper restraint, and helping them with their motion sickness and anxiety surrounding travel can help. First, contact your veterinarian…

Dear Editor, In response to Linda Johnson’s letter " Child abuse is preventable and gun violence is child abuse," published in the Mountain Times last month, guns, per se, are not the problem. We didn’t have this problem 50 years ago. The problem is a decaying morality that is prevalent in this country. The AR-15…

Dear Editor, It wasn’t long ago when we listened for decisions rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States with hope that the court’s rulings would reflect justice for all, and a jurisprudence imbued with compassion and concern for the greater good. This hope now seems misplaced, if not quaint, in light of last…

By John McClaughry Editor's note: McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute, a policy research and educational nonprofit organization promoting principles of free enterprise, a constitutional and limited government, and individual liberty. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 21 decision in the Maine pupil tuitioning case (Carson v. Makin) brings to a head a long-simmering issue…

By Steph Yu Editor’s note: Steph Yu is the deputy director of Public Assets Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Montpelier. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has devastating effects on anyone who can get pregnant. Plain and simple, this ruling is a clear effort to assert control over women’s…