Op/Ed

The Op/Ed opinion section

Representative Town Meeting Representatives Have An Opportunity

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

Representative Town Meeting Representatives could reject this year’s budget and the 12.1% increase in municipal property taxes.

Charter prohibitions prevent representatives from telling the Selectboard what specifically to cut, but they can tell them to cut the budget by any amount, and can strongly suggest what needs to be trimmed by the board.

Representatives are in a unique position this year, though. Voters rejected two incumbents that created this budget and replaced them, and the Chair that led this budget process stepped aside and was replaced.  If voters had had the chance, the remaining two Selectboard members might have been tossed, too. 

A Vocabulary of Fascism

by Lise | Op/Ed, Politics

Sometimes we have a lot of useful words but have trouble putting them together.  In the current case, however, they speak loud and clear.  Let’s review the vocabulary and its implications:

Extremely anti-social views and behavior, coupled with a lack of conscience, are evidence that a person is suffering from sociopathy. It’s hard to tell if someone actually lacks a conscience, but anti-social behavior is easy to spot. People who habitually flout the laws and mores of their society, and who are, in fact, against those laws and mores, are behaving anti-socially. This may even be accompanied by misanthropy, which is the hatred of other people.

But just because you hate other people doesn’t mean you can’t love yourself. Narcissism is just that — excessive vanity and admiration of self. And of course, egotism follows, for surely such a fabulous person as oneself will be completely selfish and self-absorbed. It’s the mindset of the spoiled rich kid — I want it, give it to me now!

Please Be Aware That The “Benefits Trap” Also Is Part Of The Puzzle Of Solving The Homeless Crisis In Vermont

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

Many Vermonters are in the Benefits Trap. You can’t earn over a certain amount of money or you will lose your benefits, and the benefits have more financial value than the value of rent which could put you over the benefits limit by renting a room to someone.

In the Benefits Trap scheme of things, you are allowed to own one home (up to a certain value) and one car (up to a certain value). If you have an extra bedroom, and you rent it out, that is income, and poof! you could lose your benefits which have a value greater than the rent a person might pay.

Vermont Afghan Alliance Statement

by Not Signed In | Op/Ed

Statement on Trump Executive Order Suspending Refugee Admissions, Impact on Afghans in Vermont

Burlington, Vt – The Vermont Afghan Alliance released the following statement in response to the Trump Executive Order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program:

“All of us at the Vermont Afghan Alliance are devastated to learn of the Executive Order suspending entry of refugees into the United States under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), including Afghan refugees awaiting relocation to the United States.

Trump’s 2nd Inauguration on Martin Luther King’s Birthday – Both Spoke Against U.S. Regime Change Wars

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Noting a Coincidence 

As it turned out, Trump’s 2nd Inauguration as President of the United States of America falls on Martin Luther King’s birthday, a federal holiday (King being the only American to be presently so honoured). Interestingly, both had spoken against U.S. regime change wars, but whereas King paid for his outspoken condemnation of America’s atrocity wars with his life, Trump, though initially denouncing the regime change wars as money better spent at home, once in office, seemed to have dutifully served the deep state industrial military complex in its wars and violent foreign policies just as every other U.S. president since Franklin Roosevelt.

Is It Treason For A Judge To Take Away President Trump’s Right To Own A Gun, Making Him An Easier Target For Assassins?

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

Recently, the legal argument of a person being charged with one thing, and then another penalty is tacked on because they own a personal home protection gun, which was entirely unrelated to what they were charged with, has come to my attention.

I wanted to do a show on Twitch.com but I was kicked out after I posted that I wanted to discuss various state medical cannabis, marijuana and marijuana laws, because if you are charged with wrongful possession of cannabis marijuana under various state laws, and you happen to own a gun, the charges are increased.

Can President-to-Be Donald Trump Get Away With Maintaining Blind Eye To Genocide In Gaza? 

by jay janson | Op/Ed

We’ve had Holocaust Denial. Now we have the phenomenon of Genocide Denial in spite of the plethora of photographs and videos of the obliterated cites of the Gaza Strip, of the deliberate demolition of neighbourhoods, cultural sites, and essential facilities” in violation of international law. 

President-elect Donald Trump has been impressive in his statements and comments since his overwhelming election. He speaks with authority and determination in his voice promising to resolve the nations problems and take the high road morally on all issues.

All the more perplexing is Trump’s maintaining silence at best, and at worse contradicting reality regarding the genocide in Gaza by saying the judges of the International Court of Justice must be sanctioned for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his minister of defense.

Eminent Domain Creates Emergency Homeless Shelters

by Kurt Daims | Op/Ed

While hotel owners reap abusive profits, Vermonters are suffering extreme tax hikes, and the housing crisis threatens to bankrupt the state, and homeless people are dying in the streets, we must take emergency measures.

Quoting Karl Grossman on Counterpunch, “The application of the state’s power of “eminent domain” to nuclear power was pioneered in New York State in the 1980s – and was how the completed Shoreham nuclear plant was stopped from opening. That ended the scheme of nuclear promoters to turn Long Island into a “nuclear park” with seven to 11 nuclear plants.

Force Joe Biden To Watch Videos of the Thousands of Adorable Palestinian Children He Had Slaughtered.

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Joe Biden should be tried and convicted of illegally providing American bombs and planes for genocide, but not before being forced to watch videos of some of the thousands of adorable Palestinian kids murdered or maimed by Biden’s bombs and warplanes. Let Biden see the blank look of horror of a temporarily surviving Palestinian child alongside the bloodied dead body of its mother, father, brother, sister, playmate, auntie, uncle, grandad, grandma, or as often enough all of them killed by the same blockbuster bomb.

Let the condemnable President of the United States of American brutality be seen on the cover of Time Magazine as ‘Man of the Year.’ Let Americans become aware of the reality of their government’s horrific most monstrous ever crime against humanity. Though there is currently an international arrest warrant for Biden’s partner in the crime of genocide, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the International Criminal Court lets Biden off the hook.

Why Aren’t Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch & Becca Balint Listening to Rockingham, VT People in Windham County?

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

United States Senator Bernie Sanders and U.S. Senator Peter Welch and Congressperson Becca Balint are showing total disrespect for Rockingham, Vermont people in Windham County including the village of Bellows Falls, most of whom are just regular hard working Vermonters living in a typical small town in southeastern Vermont along the Connecticut River who definitely need a local health care clinic!

Israel’s Own Leaders Incite Anti-Semitism by  Ordering Jewish Pilots to Murder Thousands of Children

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Anti-Semitism has a long and tragic history, rooted in various cultural, economic, religious, and political factors, yet at the same time, anyone with half an education can reel off names of the inordinate number of renowned Jewish thinkers, philosophers, inventors, composers, physicians, artists, singers, musicians, educators, actors, movie producing moguls and comedians revered as seminal contributors to Western civilisation from Maimonides and Spinoza through Einstein and beyond. A student of human history cannot but be amazed at this impressively high proportion of beloved and respected household names being of Jewish descent.  Sociologists tend to attribute this disproportionately high number of geniuses and great achieving stars in the firmament of human development in the West to the emphasis given to study and learning in Jewish religious observance, stressed as an obligatory search for moral intelligence.

Opinion = Emotion | We Are Not Required To Have Opinions

by Lise | Op/Ed, Opinion

As a person whose political views center around ways to foster peace, harmony, fairness, and nature, I’ve been struggling lately with all the things there are to feel terrible about in our difficult and unpeaceful world.  I disapprove of so many things.  I deplore, dislike, even despise a growing number of things, all of which fill me with dismay.  In short, I’m mired in the D words.

As I was thinking this morning about yet another thing that makes me feel lousy, there came, out of the blue, this thought: I’m not required to have opinions.  And I thought about this, because on the one hand, it’s true and I would probably be calmer if I didn’t; on the other hand, I would feel like an unfeeling creep not to have them.  Shouldn’t I care?  Shouldn’t I show that I care by forming opinions and stating them?

Acres of Dead

by Lise | Op/Ed

I wrote today’s date in my date book and suddenly it clicked — 11/11, Veterans Day. I knew that it was Veteran’s Day, but somehow I didn’t know it. I had forgotten what it meant. So I opened a book and then I remembered — “acres of dead.” That kind of put things in perspective for me.

Many News Media In Vermont Are Reporting On the Homeless Crisis, Here Are My Ideas For Solutions

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

Many news sources in Vermont are reporting on the homeless crisis. People are being kicked out of hotels or motels they have stayed in because there is a new cut-off limit of 80 days.

I have added up how much money the state of Vermont spends, and in this video I offer alternative ideas to solve the problem that we are violating the United States Constitution, in my opinion, because twice in the U.S. Constitution it says the purpose is to promote the general welfare.

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

by CrisEricson2016 | 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.

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.

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. 

“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.

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.)