Opinion

For opinion pieces on any topic.

A Unique Political Position

by RDavis | Politics

The selectboard of a small town is one of the most unique aspects of democracy. There are many similarities between a selectboard member and a state representative or senator as well as a federal politician, but I think the level of accountability on the most local of levels is unique.

I have only been in the selectboard position for six months and I am trying to understand what accountability means. We have meetings where the people who live in our community can come and face us directly and question and criticize us. They have access to us by phone, e-mail and perhaps, most importantly, on the street.

We do not travel somewhere to do our political business and we engage in our community on a daily basis. People learn to recognize us and feel comfortable engaging in conversation whenever they see us. This is about as pure as democracy gets.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders New Bill S.4406 “End Polluter Welfare Act of 2024” Concerns All Of Us!

by Cris Ericson | Op/Ed

Well, I think U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders went too far with this bill, S. 4406 “End Polluter Welfare Act of 2024” because it appears that it will raise home heating fuel prices and car gas prices sky high for those of us who rely on such products.

Page 12, Section 115 explains that any amounts made available to the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Railroad Administration, MAY NOT BE USED to provide financial assistance to any project that transports fossil fuels.This apparently means that Railroads will be cut off from this type of funding, and that would raise our fuel and gas prices because most fossil fuel products are moved to Vermont by train.

November 5, 2024, General Election for Brattleboro Voters

by Not Signed In | Politics

Dear Brattleboro Voter,

You will be receiving an absentee ballot in the mail for the November 5, 2024, General Election. The State of Vermont will be mailing ballots during the week of September 23. The local Justice of the Peace ballot will be on the reverse side. 

If you have not received your ballot by October 7, please contact our office at 802-251-8157 or townclerk@brattleboro.gov. Otherwise, please wait for your ballot to arrive.

Selectboard Rejects Downtown Protections (re Homeless)

by Kurt Daims | Op/Ed

BCS started a low-cost semi-private community-based true emergency shelter in RVs In Brattleboro in 2022. “Community-based” is not a buzzword here. This shelter model relieves downtown of hosting many homeless and provides a healing space away from crowding and drugs and away from downtown. “True emergency” means it is a cheap — not pretty — solution for the poorest victims of the housing crisis.

We asked town officials several times to start a permitting process to fit the new kind of shelter, and after one told us to go ahead without a permit, the planning board sued to evict us for zoning (parking) violations, and the local health board (selectboard) sued to evict us for violations of rental safety codes. In April, 2023 a Superior Court Injunction said the shelter was safe and could continue under easy conditions. In almost all trials the Town has relied on rumor and technicalities and excluded much of our evidence. The Town wanted fines of $72,000, and the court decided on only $9828, but the court approved the notion that individuals can be sued for actions of corporations that they work for ! We thought we had a plea-bargain to remove the RVs and drop all the charges, but the Town is still threatening to take our home and fine us $4M.

Are Federal Marijuana Laws One of the Reasons There Are So Many Unhoused, Unsheltered, Homeless People in Vermont?

by Cris Ericson | Politics

Cris Ericson has a lot of questions about how cannabis marijuana is considered legal in Vermont but it is not legal under federal laws. She wanders the internet, showing viewers Vermont Statutes online and United States Codes online searching three words: cannabis, marijuana spelled with a j and marijuana spelled with an h.

The first and apparently only political candidate debate between former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris is coming up at 9 PM on Tuesday September 10, 2024 on ABC News Live. Will any of the questions posed to the 2024 candidates for President of the United States of America be about cannabis marijuana?

Israelis Continue to Kill Thousands of Children Unaware The Dead Children Have Come To Be Their Own

by jay janson | Op/Ed

There is a universal principle of humanity that transcends religious and sociopolitical boundaries, emphasising the protection and care of children as a fundamental responsibility shared by all of humanity. This principle is rooted in the recognition of children’s vulnerability and their inherent right to safety, security, and the opportunity to grow and thrive.

Universal Empathy: The instinct to protect children is deeply embedded in human empathy. People across the world, regardless of their background, tend to respond with concern and a desire to help when they see children in danger or distress. 

Voter Information for November 2024 Election

by Not Signed In | Politics

Please run the attached and below regarding voter information for the November 5 election.

The Vermont Secretary of State’s office will be mailing the November 5 General Election ballot to all active registered voters by late September. They will be pulling that list from the election database on or around September 3.

“My Yehudi Friend”

by SK-B | Op/Ed

In the wake of October 7, 2023 and its aftermath, the idea that Jews and Arabs might share a deep impulse to love one another, might seem absurd. Thus I have felt reluctant to share this story with the 72 blog88.org subscribers or to post it to iBrattleboro. Yet the profound reality is that the inclination to love is fundamental to human nature.

I have heard people say that it is governments which stir up hatred and violence. But a small group of “true believers” can ignite cascading violence, which draws in governments and escalates into war. In normal times, as neighbors, we may share a garden. But in another situation, I may feel the need to kill you as quickly as possible, before you can kill me.

Cris Ericson Got At Least 5 Write-in Votes & Will Be A Write-in Candidate Nov. 5, 2024

by Cris Ericson | Politics

Apparently I got at least 2 write-in votes on the Progressive primary election ballot somewhere in Vermont, one was my own vote for myself, and 3 write-in votes for me on the Republican ballot.

I was so disheartened that I emailed the DNCC and said I withdraw from being a remote correspondent. They had sent me a list of Illinois abortion providers for me to interview. CCTV.org in Burlington said they would air it. But, I threw the opportunity away because I was so worn out by Facebook abusing me.

Death by 1000 Clicks

by AnneODyne | Op/Ed

Or; the click that broke the camel’s back.

Our omnipresent Streaming Wars are both annoying and dangerous. Less a matter of mortal combat, more a scramble for mental turf. And every foray costs. Usually along the lines of $8.99 month after a free trial.  By then it’s too late, autopay has you in its maw, and along with every other paywall vaulted, no hassle return purchased, and pre-boarding upgrade taken, the phalanx of charges pile up as the total picture of expenses for these titillations and fleeting glimpses recede from view.

It was the Paris Olympics that drove a last nail in my tolerance. Lifelong habit as much as anything had me want to take the bait, create my complex Peacock password, and opt in. Vini, Vidi, Vici, but soon as the torch of the games was snuffed I started the process of unsubscribing, which led to an audit of all the terms of service and premium platforms I’d been blithely agreeing to over time. After calculating the data plans, film, music, news, blogs, apps, weather, sport, science, and satellite venues frequented, the list was substantial. Saying nothing of interest on payments. (And I am mighty relieved to not have to add a gambling or gaming costs to the mix.)

Brattleboro Unofficial Primary Results

by Not Signed In | Politics

Please see attached for the “unofficial results” for Brattleboro’s State Primary election. These are the results from the ballot tallies, not including write-in votes, and not including other towns’ results for the Primary races.

Thanks to the amazing poll workers and the American Legion who made today possible! The day was smooth and safe!

Will U.S.A. Continue To Help Israel Kill Palestinians and Steal Their Land Right Up to November?

by jay janson | Op/Ed

With coverage of the Paris Olympics and the novelty of a black/Indian woman presidential candidate, and her ever provocative rival former President Trump vying for public attention, it will be some time before much CIA-overseen main stream media attention, if any, will revert to modest coverage of the colossal loss of Palestinian life in Gaza and the West Bank. 

Will Any Powerful Global South Media Source Arise in the Meantime to bring public attention… 

– to the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians with U.S. weapons and ammo? – to the Israeli seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem? – to the generations long  illegal Israeli military occupation of Palestine? – to Israeli ‘right’ to imprison all of Gaza’s population? – to Israeli denial of Palestinian freedom as a nation. 

Safety Is Elusive

by RDavis | Op/Ed

When I came to this area 45 years ago Brattleboro felt like a quiet but vibrant and peaceful town where all kinds of odd personalities were on display. Local people seemed to be very tolerant and we all took pride in our little corner of the world.

No town is free of crime or people displaying bad behavior. Human nature can be ugly at times and we hope that ugliness is minimal and that is does not have a big impact on other people. But the world has changed a lot since those more peaceful days of the 1970’s and 80’s.

I can mark a big change in Brattleboro around 1995 when I was serving on the Morningside Shelter board. We started to see syringes behind the shelter on a daily basis and although the shelter was supposed to be substance free we only had the ability to test for alcohol use. We knew heroin had come to our community and we knew the world was changing.

Cris Ericson is Approved as a Virtual Correspondent for the DNC

by Cris Ericson | Politics

I am very excited that I have been approved as a Virtual Correspondent for the DNC. I need to get hold of CCTV.org in Burlington, Vermont and BCTV https://www.brattleborotv.org/ and see what assistance I can possibly get from them
as well as someone to work alongside me, since it may be a lot of hours for 4 days.

Another person who likes to interview people would be a huge help, to sit side by side in my kitchen and do this, and it would be a huge help to have a technical expert to volunteer to help out.

Ice Cream with Democratic Candidate Amanda Ellis-Thurber On Sunday, August 11

by JillStahlTyler | Politics

Windham District 7 Democratic candidate Amanda Ellis-Thurber will host an old fashioned ice cream social on Sunday, August 11th between 5 and 7 PM at Lilac Ridge Farm, 264 Ames Hill Road.

On the menu are organic maple creemees, a special ice cream toppings bar—and answers to any of your remaining questions about Ellis-Thurber’s positions.

“I’ve so enjoyed all the conversations I’ve had with my neighbors in District 7 during this campaign for the state house. My aim is to listen to all the residents of our large and rural slice of Brattleboro, so that I can represent this neighborhood well in Montpelier,” Ellis-Thurber said.

Example of Social Media Banning My Posts

by Cris Ericson | Politics

In response to the reader’s comment, have attached here one of many examples of Facebook banning a post of mine. What they do is circle it in red ink and then delete it, as if they have a person who has nothing to do all day but follow me around on the internet. Every post they ban is perfectly innocent and nice. It is pure harassment by Facebook.