Op/Ed

The Op/Ed opinion section

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.

Arguments Against President Trump Playing the Part of Israeli Netanyahu’s Puppet

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

(1) Recall to active service.
In the event that President Trump should call a national emergency because Trump helps Israel bomb Iran and Iran decides to try to bomb U.S. Military bases over there somewhere, then people are concerned about retired U.S. Military people being re-called to service. This is what people are talking about, from the grocery delivery guy to the handyman repair guy. Even a lady at the grocery store knows this fear.

Brattleboro Parking System’s Impact On Downtown Business

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

Isaac Evans-Frantz made some good points about the parking system and downtown business at Tuesday’s Selectboard meeting. His points deserve underlining and emphasis because he latched on to some logical flaws of the current parking system, and hinted heavily that it might be really harming downtown business.

…

Isaac began by asking why, if there was a deficit in the parking fund, would the board consider offering any free parking at all during holidays.

Taking a Stand on No Kings Day

by Lise | Op/Ed

As did the authors of the Declaration of Independence, we find ourself in rare times. For the first time in our history, democracy itself is under assault by people bent on its destruction and along with it, the democratic values that guarantee our freedom. On Saturday, June 14, the two sides in the great battle between democracy and fascism face off in the first show of force since the Trump dictatorship began, officially, five months ago.

Have You Ever Loved a Doormat Personality?

by PeytonE | Op/Ed

Have you ever noticed when you behave like a doormat, you get treated like one, have you ever had a friend or a family member who acts like a doormat and it makes you livid because you can see the footsteps coming? Walking all over them?

I think I want to reinstate the council of Censors. What is the council of censors, you may well ask? The council on censors is, or was, and will be again, an independent body elected by the people to report back to the people on the laws being passed and entertained in the statehouse. The Council of Censors would alert, and if I can get it going again, will once again alert the people of legislation that trespasses on the Constitutions of the state and the US.

Brattleboro Passed a Budget. We Can Pass a Better One Next Time.

by IsaacEF | Op/Ed

Dear Neighbors,

This week Brattletboro passed a budget for the 12 months starting July 1. You can hear my thoughts (3-minute clip) on the budget here: https://www.youtube.com/live/YduOTj9stGs?feature=shared&t=1119

I supported the budget, and it passed Representative Town Meeting with flying colors (110-4, with about a dozen people abstaining). It represents compromise. We should look to the budgeting process for the following year, and time between now and then, to strengthen our Town’s financial situation, with an eye out for generations to come.

My Conscience is a Thought Crime

by CCM Holland Mills | Op/Ed

This is a reply to The Shalom Alliance’s piece printed two weeks ago in The Commons (https://www.commonsnews.org/issue/814/814000_shalom-alliance) and last week in The Reformer:

The imps infesting the Ministry of Truth giggled with glee as they read The Shalom Alliance’s clarion call for censorship during the barbaric starvation of Arab babies nine months old barely weighing two pounds more.  The laughably obnoxious notion of the ADL as arbiter of speech is despicably anti-American, akin to last week’s House panel on campus antisemitism, McCarthy’s HUAC reincarnate demanding young souls decrying genocide be vilified as the new commies deserving the harshest of penalties personal and professional.

There Is A Way to Preserve Medicaid and Medicare Funding But Democrats & Republicans Don’t Want You To Know How!

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

“When you throw 13 million people off health insurance, when you raise co-payments for poor people, it is a death sentence,” says Senator Bernie Sanders on the Republican plan to cut Medicaid. “Thousands and thousands of low-income and working people will die because they simply will not be able to get into a doctor’s office when they need it.” May 14, 2025

The Republicans and the Democrats don’t want you to know that there could be plenty of money for Medicaid and Medicare if the United States Congress votes to repeal and get rid of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 which changed U.S. Patent law.

Wikipedia Editors Not Honest

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

With Pakistan and India both having nuclear weapons, we need to know the truth about nuclear capable F-35 strike fighter jets.

Bernie Sanders did not tell the truth about the F-35 strike fighter jets capability in a televised political candidate years ago. Cris Ericson was running against him and was in the televised debate. Bernie Sanders said that the F-35 strike fighter jets have no nuclear components. Cris Ericson said that he was committing fraud to get votes because the F-35 strike fighter jets are dual capable to carry nuclear bombs.

Reflections on the “White Christian Nationalism” Event at Putney Meeting House

by PeytonE | Op/Ed

*A Letter from the Heart to Mike Mrowicki, Rev. Sparrow, and the Interfaith Community*

An interfaith initiative titled “White Christian Nationalism” recently circulated in Vermont, culminating in a gathering at the Putney Meeting House, led by Representative Mike Mrowicki and Reverend Sparrow. Everyone was friendly, and I believe well-intentioned. But the initiative, sadly, fell into the same trap we’ve seen repeated again and again: othering. Not just in whispers, but woven into the framing itself — casting Christian conservatives as the threat, and “tolerant liberals” as the solution.

Selectboard Meeting Review – Five Hours of Avoiding the Topic

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

Over five hours and the agenda topic – possible reductions in public safety services – was barely discussed by the board. There were over 70 items on the list to be discussed that didn’t get much of a mention.

Tuesday’s meeting seemed designed to prevent the board from having an on-topic discussion. It was stuffed with information previously presented and comments already taken. The people we most wanted to hear from – new board members – didn’t get to have a robust discussion, and their limited discussion didn’t begin until well after 10 pm. 

At tomorrow’s meeting, the new members will be told that they are out of time and have to go with the budget as presented.  They will be told it is their budget. Buck will be passed back to them now for RTM.

My Response to United States Senator Bernie Sanders “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour with AOC

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

“By Christina Bellantoni Posted April 22, 2025 on ROLL CALL.com “LOS ANGELES — Sen. Bernie Sanders came and went, with two California visits inspiring “Bernie-chella” headlines. He, his populist heiress — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — and organizers of their “Fighting Oligarchy” event in downtown Los Angeles boasted that at 36,000, it was the largest rally he’d ever held.””

The Game of Government

by Lise | Op/Ed

Just for fun, let’s regard the government as a game.

It is, in a way. There are rules, roles, and regalia, a bank, an army, real estate. You could construct any number of exciting board games from this apparatus. In order to play the game of government, you are presented with a rule book that you are required to follow. You are not allowed to tear up the rule book and make your own rules that you then insist are binding to all other players. As is true of every game there is, from checkers to baseball, if you persist in breaking the rules of the game, you are disqualified from playing.

Town of Brattleboro Budget-Cutting Scenarios Win Award for Short Fiction

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

I was going to do an April Fools’ story, but the Town of Brattleboro beat me to it. : )

The Town Manager has provided the Brattleboro Selectboard with an extensive overview of current town operations. Along with it, he provided a number of dramatic scenarios that could unfold if the new selectboard dared to make any cuts to the town budget.

These doomsday scenarios are really something.  Department heads were asked to provide examples of what could happen if some unspecified cuts were undertaken. These were then tossed in the “make scary” machine.

God of Democracy Where Art Thou?

by spoon | Op/Ed

The Charter Revision Commission is making its public debut on Monday, the 30th, in the Library at 6 pm. And online too.  After two and a quarter years it is introducing itself by asking the public what to do about one particular question: should Representative Town Meeting vote itself out of existence and revert Town Meeting to the former and more common open meeting style.  

I have not seen any of the evidence it has gathered pro and con but perhaps they will share that at the meeting itself though at that point perhaps not as useful as it might be.  Presumably they have gathered evidence inasmuch as that is what Charter Revision Commissions are appointed to do.  

Phil Scott Putting Homeless Pregnant Women Out of the Motel Program

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

What a jerk!

Homeless Women Less Than 6 Months Pregnant Will Be Kicked Out Of Motel Program 

From Burlington Free Press: “March 29, 2025 Republican Gov. Phil Scott has signed an executive order allowing families with children under age 19 and “medically vulnerable” Vermonters who face eviction from hotel and motel rooms on April 1 to remain in the state’s General Assistance program through June 30. Pregnant women in their third trimester or who will enter their third trimester between April 1 and June 30 are among those who qualify as “medically vulnerable.”