All Entries in the "Op-ed" Category
Commentary: Rep. Clarkson on gun safety, tech security bills
By Sen. Alison Clarkson Both bodies of the Vermont legislature have now passed three major measures to improve firearm safety in our state. These bills: S.221, H.422 and S.55 are designed to keep guns out of the hands of those who intend harm to themselves or others, domestic violence abusers, and those with a serious […]
Commentary: Rep. Bock on gun, tax measures
By Rep. Tom Bock The school shooting in Florida plus the incident at Fair Haven High School right here in Vermont has brought the need for immediate attention to be paid to gun violence. Gov. Phil Scott had already outlined an action plan to improve school safety and reduce gun violence. The gun violence prevention […]
Op-Ed: Open government is good government
By Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State March 11-17 is Sunshine Week, a national celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community. All across Vermont new board members and other town and city officials are being sworn in and taking their seats for the first time. I am […]
Sen. Clarkson: Firearms, minimum wage hike among issues in state Senate
By Sen. Alison Clarkson The arrest of a Poultney teenager who was allegedly planning a mass school shooting at the Fair Haven high school should be a game changer in Vermont. We can no longer justify inaction on enacting common sense firearm safety measures. Yes, Vermont is a safe state, but we now know that […]
Rep. Tom Bock: Early action on marijuana, more pressing issues await
This is the first of my periodic notes on happenings in the Vermont Statehouse during the 2018 legislative session. As a representative to the Vermont House for Windsor 3-1, I want to keep all of you abreast of the issues discussed and bills proposed and give you a sense of Vermont’s legislative process including how […]
Op-ed: As new unified school district gets under way, board needs to listen closely to parents, families and teachers
Editor’s note: Chester resident Sue Willis wrote this open letter to the new Green Mountain Unified School District Board. By Sue Willis ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC After sitting through the meeting of the Green Mountain Unified School District Board last Tuesday evening, I was compelled to write a letter to all members regarding some of […]
Commentary: Chester is emerging with new energy
By Cynthia Prairie ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Several years ago, at a Chester Town Meeting, a resident told those gathered that she believed that the town was stagnating. Then, others noted there were empty shops on the Green, houses were not selling and those that did sell were getting prices far lower than their assessed […]
Op-ed: Large cost to innkeepers, state of unregulated Airbnbs
By Kathy Pellett The proliferation of Airbnbs and web-based rentals are affecting the livelihood of owners of licensed, regulated inns, hotels and B&Bs. There are serious implications, not just for the hospitality industry, but for the state economy as a whole. Operating an Airbnb is not just a matter of someone renting a room in […]
Commentary: Get your family, neighbors prepared for disaster
By Erica Borneman Like most of you, we at Vermont Emergency Management have been watching events unfold in Texas following Hurricane Harvey. As we watch, most of us are no doubt reminded of our own historic disaster: Tropical Storm Irene. We’ve seen many stories from Houston about individuals and families who were rescued from their […]
Op-ed: Up-ending the carbon status quo
By James Gustave Speth With the Trump administration doing everything it can to eliminate progress made in combating climate change, it is particularly important for forward-thinking states like Vermont to take action. Because of the urgency of the issue, it is quite disappointing to see this year’s legislative session draw to a close without any […]
Op-ed: President’s baseless claims undermine trust in voting
By Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State On Friday, President Trump announced the establishment of a commission by executive order to investigate the presence of voter fraud in elections. Despite continued assertions by President Trump that widespread voter fraud, in the millions, occurred during the 2016 election, there has been no evidence that any widespread […]
Commentary: NEA funds help the arts reach rural communities
By Charma Bonanno ©2017-Telegraph Publishing LLC Congressman Peter Welch is due a lot of credit. While his peers in other states are also holding town hall meetings, Rep. Welch has gone the extra mile of pulling together small groups in a variety of fields to discuss how Vermonters would be affected by the sweeping cuts […]
Commentary: Vermont’s ethics crisis
By Bill Schubart The Vermont legislature is at an impasse trying to decide whether to establish and adequately fund a statewide ethics commission that has real enforcement capability. There’s been considerable favorable testimony by Vermonters, ethicists and Secretary of State Jim Condos, who has been a relentless champion of government transparency, inclusion and establishing such […]
Commentary: Middlebury mob, education and free speech
This commentary originally aired on VT Public Radio By Bill Schubart Many young people are, by nature’s design, rash and impulsive and in loco parentis educators must often deal with the fallout from their students’ lack of experience. Real-life consequences and good mentoring, mature them over time or they become infantilized adults. The recent protest that turned […]
Op-ed: Vermont governments must let the sunshine in
By Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State An open government makes for a better government. This is Sunshine Week and it is being celebrated all across the nation. In reality, it should be celebrated every week – not just this week – in Vermont and every other state. Here at the Secretary of State’s Office, […]
Op-ed: The well-vetted immigrants
By Aleks Hunter Last summer, I was a guest of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H., as a cardiac patient. I was initially examined by a doctor from China, then treated by a team led by a doctor from Germany, with one one from Pakistan, one from Turkey and a resident from India. My […]
Op-ed: Vermont needs an independent Ethics Commission now
By Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State The Vermont Constitution (Chapter 1, Article 6) demands that our elected officials are open, transparent and accountable. The authors understood how transparency in government is the very basis of trust. State statute also demands access and accountability: It is the policy of this subchapter to provide for free […]
Op-ed: In its latest test, the Electoral College failed
By Dick McCormack I have received many communications from folks indignant that the presidential candidate who got the most votes was not elected president by the Electoral College. These folks recognize that a constitutional amendment abolishing the Electoral College is unlikely, and so focus their concerns on defending Vermont’s existing National Popular Vote law. I’m […]
Op-eds: Closing arguments
Wind power not green vs. financial benefits to communities
Wind power not green vs. financial benefits to communities
From the editor: In just about a week, on Tuesday, Nov. 8, we will go to the polls to vote on a contentious and at times disturbing presidential race whose partisans have helped split the country. At the same time, voters in the towns of Windham and Grafton will vote on a proposed industrial wind […]
Op-ed: On rigged elections and voter fraud in Vermont
By Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State Recent unsupported allegations and sensationalized reporting are sowing seeds of doubt about our democratic process. This undermines voter confidence and calls into question whether all voices will be heard on Nov. 8. As Vermont’s Secretary of State and chief elections officer, former state Senator, former city councilor and […]
