Letter: What kind of America do we want to be?
I question the sincerity of Sen. Clarkson’s condemnation of George Floyd’s murder and call for racial equity while at the same time her voting record and actions tell such a different story.
Roper: We’re beyond the canaries, coal miners are dropping
This week we learned that two stalwart Vermont companies are cutting jobs due to the Covid-19 economic shutdown, and an iconic Vermont business is leaving the state. Darn Tough socks announced that they are laying off 50 of their 330 workers, a 15% cut.
Focusing public policy on nursing homes could cut COVID-19 deaths by half
If you could cut the COVID-19 death rate in half, would you do it? Policymakers could do that by greatly increasing testing of both residents and staff at nursing homes and other extended care facilities, the hottest of hot spots for coronavirus deaths.
Bucknam: Sliding toward totalitarianism
Do you think America could never devolve into Jacobin France or the horrors of Nazism or the Cultural Revolution? Think again. Liberal intellectuals in France, Germany and China never thought such terror would reach their country — until it happened.
Opinion: Mandating face masks isn’t a good idea
As the country attempts to reopen amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, one easy way we can help reduce the spread of the disease is using face masks. But policymakers — such as those in California and in some cities — are exactly wrong to mandate them.
McClaughry: The bizarre DACA Supreme Court decision
Five justices are telling Trump that he can’t reverse his predecessor’s illegal act. This is utterly ridiculous.
These 3 groups organized to support mail-in voting
The Brennan Center for Justice, Priorities USA, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law are three of the groups that, with an eye toward the November elections, are calling on government officials to make it easier to vote by mail.
During the pandemic, where do the children play?
About 1 in 8 Vermonters are 9 years old or younger. Excluding non-ambulatory infants and the teenager wannabes who are too cool for school playgrounds, these Vermonters want to know: When will public playgrounds be open again?
Letters to legislators: Open Letter to House Speaker Mitzi Johnson
Distribute the funds now, and forget using this money to backfill the holes created by incompetence, poor judgement, and in some cases lack of common sense. It was not the intent of the federal government to fix problems created by poor management.
Ferron Wambold: Robbing Peter to pay Paul
We need to quit robbing Peter to pay Paul, because I think we can all see the writing on the wall. We’re looking at higher taxes to refill these gaps.
McClaughry: Net metering subsidy
The bottom line here is that the state should stop subsidizing upscale rooftop solar owners by making everybody else pay those extra costs. I’ve been arguing for that for a long time.
Flemming: Legislature prioritizes economy over slavery reparations, so far
On June 11, the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance held a webinar to discuss a bill “establish(ing) a task force to study and consider a State apology and proposal for reparations for the institution of slavery.”