Opinion

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On The Way To a Meeting

by RobertOeser | Politics

On the way to a meeting …

To the Editor: On the way to a meeting, I encountered a 90-year-old retired businessman.

We talked about shoes and he talked about the past and what he hoped to do today.

I winced when the conversation turned to current politics and when he praised President Trump’s agendas. We disagreed. However, we continued to talk. We seemed to agree on two issues: that monopolies in the telecommunications sector is a negative; and, that government oversight of the health insurance industry is a benefit to the people. We need more of these types of conversations and interactions.

17 V.S.A. Political Party Organization Law Does Not Make Sense to a Registered Voter in Ludlow, VT

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

A Vermont registered voter in Ludlow, Vermont asked me why I am asking people to start a new minor political party with me while I am not stating a platform, and I said 17 V.S.A. says you organize the party in September of an odd numbered year and make the platform in an even numbered year. That made no sense to him at all so he would not join.

“17 V.S.A. § 2319. Party conventions for platforms:
On or before the fourth Tuesday in September in each even-numbered year, upon the call of the chair of the State committee of the party, a party platform convention of each organized political party shall be held to make and adopt the platform of the party.”

Going Deeper into RTM and Democracy

by spoon | Op/Ed

Responding to comments to my post about RTM on Sept 17th:

Since last read comments remain most in mind I shall respond first to the statement that you “could buy the argument that RTM members were more informed if about 140 attended Selectboard meetings.” First, it isn’t clear if you are saying that all 140 should attend all 25 or so meetings each year or some members attend some. The next obvious question is: how many SB meetings should be required of voters choosing to attend an Open mtg? How would we ascertain this in either case? But we should put this aside because it gets into enactment details before we have a goal to act upon. There is a deeper implied issue. Should there be any qualifications at all?

It’s Political Party Organization Time in Vermont! Start Making Potato Salad!

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

It’s political party organization time in Vermont, because Title 17 Vermont Statutes requires parties to organize in September of odd numbered years. For example, 17 V.S.A. Section 2302 (a) The chair of the State committee of a party shall set a date for members of the party to meet in caucus in their respective towns. The date shall be between September 10 and September 30, inclusive, in each odd-numbered year. (b) At least 14 days before the date set for the caucuses…

Is Democracy Best Served By An Open or Representative Town Meeting?

by spoon | Op/Ed

In the first part of this examination of RTM and democracy it was demonstrated that RTM is in fact more representative now than it has ever been. In this part we compare direct democracy to representative democracy in the context of RTM. Open town meeting versus representative town meeting.

Virtually the entire body of literature on the subject of political democracy agrees on one thing. Direct democracy is ideal but it only works in a small body (say 10 to 15). This is because everyone can participate directly. Everyone can speak. Every view can be heard. But in larger bodies, all agree, democracy is better achieved through representation because, given the fact that only a limited number of people can participate systems and standards can be set up to enrich the quality of participation.  Serious representatives working in a sound and democratic meeting structure will produce decisions close if not the same as those in a direct democracy. Even in a group of ten decisions will likely not represent the views of every member. A perfect decision, 100% agreement, is rarely achieved. Democracy simply tries to get as close as possible.

Is Representative Town Meeting Really Representative?

by spoon | Op/Ed

I have called Brattleboro home for the last 37 years, most of which I have been quite civically and socially engaged. Until now I had never heard the claim that Representative Town Meeting was not representative. Has something changed? I’ve given this a lot of thought and done some investigation. Resources include my complete set of Town Reports to 1992 and scattered editions stretching back to 1974. Town Reports contain the agendas and minutes of every meeting as well as the names of all Representatives, elected officials and a rich history of each year.

When my tenure as an RTM member began in the late 90s about two-thirds of the membership were upper middle aged, male, white property and  business owners and professionals. Of the latter they were typically lawyers, finance people, landlords and such. Many of the other third were their wives. On the rare occasion, back then, when a couple did not vote the same way a mirthful chuckle would ripple through the crowd. Most of the decisions in those days were decided by votes in the order of  130 to 10.  There was unity!  

Former Lt Gov Zuckerman Discussing State Politics

by spoon | Politics

A Community Conversation with Former Lt. Governor David Zuckerman
Sunday, July 20th – 3:00pm at 118 Elliot Street
Brattleboro, VT

Join David Zuckerman and community leaders for a powerful community gathering to reflect on the past year’s political landscape and explore ways to move forward together.

Topics will include:

What Would Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch & Becca Balint Do If A Vermont Farm Worker Was Sent To Alligator Alcatraz?

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

In this new YouTube video today, July 12, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFfACyu4BWY
Florida Congress Members visited Alligator Alcatraz and were allowed only partial access, (but denied full entry and full examination of the facility), but did see that 32 men are put in each cage with barely walking space between bunk beds, there are 3 toilets per cage and drinking water comes from the top of the toilet, so that if 3 men are sitting on the toilets then no one else can get a drink of water, 2 out of 3 toilets at any time can be overflowing with feces on the floor, and the temperatures inside are 83 degrees F and higher, and the meals don’t meet nutritional requirements of human beings, etc. One Florida Congressperson said that there was someone screaming that they were a U.S. Citizen.

Update on the “Free Mahmoud Khalil” Story, Vermonters Protested His Arrest in March 2025

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

There were a number of stories in Vermont about Vermonters rallying and/or protesting the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil for being a Pro-Palestinian Activist.

Here is an update on the whole entire huge, enormous situation, which has grown and expanded exponentially because President Trump’s Administration will tolerate foreign students only if they keep their mouths shut.

Oligarchy Trumps Independence

by RDavis | Op/Ed

The passage of the 2025 budget marks the transition from democracy to oligarchy. Once the drastic economic and social changes are in place it will be extremely difficult to make meaningful change. In order to restore democracy, if such a move will even be possible, it may require the American people to overtake the current government by force.

Complacency is no longer an option. You may fall into one of three categories. You may be a MAGA maniac and are happy with the turn of events. You may have you head under a rock and have been able to ignore all of the current news or you are in a constant state of anxiety over the direction that American government is taking.

Here’s the definition of oligarchy according to the Merriam Webster dictionary.

Big Beautiful Bill Passed U.S. Congress, Sent to President Trump to Sign, Now What Can Vermont Do?

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

There are many news reports to read, but I want you all to start thinking about who could be President in 2028. None of the current Democrats were strong enough to lead both sides of the aisle into defeating this Big Beautiful Bill.

There is no one currently in office who qualifies, because no one currently in an elected office stepped up to the plate to lead a bipartisan group to defeat President Donald Trump’s bill.

U.S. Senate Passed A Different Version of The Big Beautiful Bill So The U.S. House Has To Vote On It Again, If They Agree With It

by CrisEricson2016 | Opinion

Today, July 1, 2025, the United States Senate voted 50 Yes to 50 No to pass President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act, so Vice President J.D. Vance was required to vote to break the tie, and so the Republicans won.

Now, because the version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act in the United States Senate Passed with Amendments, making it different than the previous Bill the U.S. House in the United States Congress passed, now it has to go back to the Congressmen and Congresswomen in the U.S. House to decide if they agree with the Amendments the U.S. Senate made, or they can re-write the Bill again.