Dear Editor, The spoiler effect — a problem that we know all too well, yet too little about. Each time the presidential election comes around we are met with the inevitable frustration and disillusionment caused by our two-party system. Instead of voting for who we truly believe in, we often cast our ballots for whomever…

By Sen. Patrick Leahy Editor’s note: The following is a statement made by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, on the Senate floor Wednesday, May 11, during discussion about the Women’s Health Protection Act; a federal act that would protect a woman’s right for health care (and abortion) even if Roe v Wade is overruled. This federal…

Dear Editor, I can’t understand why Vermont will stop updating its Covid dashboard. Everything Health Commissioner Mark Levine says about this sounds dangerous and contradictory. How can the absence of daily Covid reports when Covid is on the rise again be beneficial to our awareness of the dangers and spread of the disease? Erin Petenko's…

By Jacob Pluta Editor’s note: Jacob Pluta is the principal broker of White Cap Realty and a board member of Rutland Young Professionals. From 2014 to the present day, Vermont’s real estate market has swung from a sluggish buyer’s market to a frenzied seller’s market. I became licensed to sell real estate in Vermont in…

Dear Editor, When Donald Trump was in office, he and Mitch McConnell made three lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court. McConnell went so far as to defy Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish — that the next president appoint her replacement — by packing the Court with Amy Coney Barrett just eight days before the 2020…

I don’t know whether to ride my mower or push my snow-blower. Given what April brings to us. A drift, a daffodil. A decision better left to not deciding. Letting the sun do what it will by the end of the afternoon. Letting the grass stick through. Letting the blades decide to mow or throw…

Dear Editor, I am Peter Duval and I am a candidate for governor of Vermont. If you are concerned about climate, carbon offsetting and trading, food self-sufficiency, the cost of living, mass extinction, or the war in Ukraine then this may be the campaign for you. The campaign will question assumptions and rationalizations, and connect…

Dear Editor, If you missed the performance of “Carmina Burana,” you missed a unique musical treat. I took in the performance at the Casella Theater at Castleton University on April 30. This is one of my all-time favorite choral works and this performance did not disappoint. The Castleton Unversity Chorale, Rutland Area Chorus, Cimonetti Treble…

By Emerson Lynn Editor’s note: Emerson Lynn is the former publisher and current editorial writer for the St. Albans Messenger. Tucked into H.159, a bill focused on community and economic development, is a provision that would create a pilot program for “project-based” tax increment financing (TIF) opportunities. Unlike the existing TIF programs, the pilot programs…

By Kesha Ram Hinsdale Editor’s note: Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale is a candidate for U.S. Congress. Educators and civil servants in Vermont made a promise to the communities they serve. They work for wages below those paid for comparable private sector jobs, and, in exchange, receive affordable health insurance, paid time off, and a stable…

By Jon Groveman Editor's note: Jon Groveman is a policy and water program director for the Vermont Natural Resources Council. Vermont’s Act 250, our one-of-a-kind statewide land use program, is often synonymous with the state’s environmental ethic. Act 250 has served Vermont well for more than 50 years, mitigating the impacts of large-scale development on…

By Editor, In 1972, Richard Nixon signed into law, the Clean Water Act which gave the United States the lofty charge of making any navigable waters “fishable and swimmable” again, by 1983. It is in my opinion one of the great and most virtuous laws ever passed in the United States. A great deal has…

Dear Editor, For the last 17 years, I have worked as a fuel and propane delivery driver serving the residents of Vermont. I am just one of the many drivers and employees in the home heat industry working to make sure you and your loved ones stay warm during the long, dark and cold Vermont…

Dear Editor, The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournament will be returning to the Green Mountain National Golf Course in Killington next month. The event will return to a full field this year with some of the best national and international junior golfers from June 20-23. As we know, Green Mountain National is one of…

Dear Editor, Have you noticed all the litter on the roadsides? Litter is even floating in our rivers and lakes! It makes us look like we don’t care about our state. Guess what, it’s just not Vermonters who are littering; it’s also visitors from other states! However, it is our responsibility, as Vermonters, to clean…