Opinion

For opinion pieces on any topic.

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 Cris Ericson | 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.”

President Donald Trump Signs Executive Order Re: Department of Education

by Cris Ericson | Op/Ed

Ah! Of course! Education should only be for the rich, and closing the federal department of EDUCATION will help to reduce the flow of our tax dollars to teaching illegal migrant children English, and it will help reduce the flow of our tax dollars to teach children with Downe’s Syndrome that they CAN hold down a respectable job, nothing fancy, but something to give them a worthwhile contribution to society, after all, who can serve you food at a restaurant, who can clean toilets, who can hold a sign to beware of workers during highway repairs, who can make bars of soap in a factory?

O.K., so I had a cousin who is now buried in Jericho, Vermont and his mother, my great Aunt Annie Ericson Wheeler, worked sooooooooo hard for so many years for the right of kids just like him to have an EDUCATION.

Attack From The Left

by RDavis | Op/Ed

Disguised as socially responsible budget cutting, the anti-government juggernaut has come to little Brattleboro, Vermont. Don’t be fooled. This is the 2025 version of the Trojan Horse. Our town only has 12,000 people but recently factions have formed to override the decisions of the selectboard as well as trying to push back on an increased police presence after safety issues were identified.

What appears to be a sizeable faction does not want to see the town pass any kind of ordinance that would restrict socially unacceptable behavior because they feel it would unduly target the more vulnerable people in town.

In addition, they want Brattleboro to continue to be an outlier in relation to towns in Vermont as well as around the country by allocating two percent or more of the overall budget to support human service organizations. That amounts to over $400,000. Most towns have either eliminated this support or cut it drastically.

Brattleboro Needs Responsible Budgeting—Not a More-than-12% Tax Hike and Deferred Maintenance

by IsaacEF | Politics

The Selectboard’s proposed budget raises property taxes by more than 12% and defers expenses—setting residents up for even higher taxes down the road. And over the past several months the Selectboard has chosen to deplete Town funds to hire new positions and cover new expenses. Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Finance Committee recently issued a clear warning: The Selectboard must take a more responsible approach to budgeting. I agree. We need longer term financial planning and political courage for responsible budgeting, and the Selectboard and Representative Town Meeting can help us get there.

The Selectboard placed an opinion poll on the March 4th ballot regarding the 2% of the Town budget allocated for human services. But there’s another 98% we need to consider. That’s where the biggest opportunities are for savings.The Selectboard should have taken the Finance Committee’s recommendations seriously. The committee exists to advise Representative Town Meeting members—the ultimate deciders on the budget. To increase the chances of the budget passing, the Selectboard should carefully consider the Finance Committee’s guidance.The Finance Committee expressed concern about the lack of a long-term financial plan and called on the Selectboard to direct the town manager to present a list of potential staff cuts for the coming budget and to identify cuts and deferrals that will likely reappear a year from now when we are considering the following year’s budget. The outgoing Selectboard chose not to implement any of these recommendations.

Declaration of Independence From the Arbitrary Rule of Tyrant Elon Musk

by Cris Ericson | Politics

I HEREBY DECLARE A NEW 2025
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
FROM the ARBITRARY RULE OF TYRANT ELON MUSK, advisor to President Donald Trump
Declaration of Independence from all orders, usurpations of our tax dollars, directives and firings and threats by Elon Musk!

WE THE PEOPLE of the United States of America declare that
when in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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. 

Thank You, Brattleboro Voters!

by IsaacEF | Politics

I am proud of Brattleboro voters who showed up on Election Day in unusually high numbers. At a moment when our country faces unprecedented challenges, the people of Brattleboro made clear they want a town we all can afford, a town where our young people can play safely, where we all have a warm place to sleep at night, and where we treat one another well. I congratulate my fellow candidates for putting themselves out there in this moment of political turmoil, and to Franz Reichsman and Richard Davis for their current service on the selectboard.

Brattleboro Election Night Email Report – Unofficial Results

by Not Signed In | Politics

Please see attached for Brattleboro’s Unofficial Town Meeting Day and WSESD election results. These are the results from the ballot tallies, not including write-in votes, and not including other towns’ results for the WSESD races. The projected winners are in bold.

Note that these are numbers that were crunched after a VERY long day. I will reiterate that they are UNOFFICIAL.

Federal Election Commission Ruling March 3, 2025 Allows Vermont Bullies To Exclude Some Candidates From Debates and Forums!

by Cris Ericson | Politics

We do not have free and fair elections in Vermont because some candidates, even though their names are on the official election ballot and even though they fulfilled the legal requirements and submitted just as many petition signatures as all of the other candidates, are excluded from candidate debates and forums.

The public is deceived, we do not have free and fair elections when voices are suppressed and political issues of importance to voters are not heard.

Selectboard Candidate Interview – Tim Wessel

by cgrotke | Politics
tim wessel 2025

Tim Wessel is running (again) for a one year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard.

….

You again?  (just kidding)

I’m baaaack lol.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you and why are you running for a one year seat?

The people of Brattleboro have elected me to the Brattleboro Selectboard 4 times. I served on the board for a total of six years, from 2017 until March of 2023. During those years I worked hard to be a voice of moderation, of fiscally conservative values, and I became a well-known supporter of both our Fire and Police departments. I’ve lived and worked at my own video production business in Brattleboro since 2007. I live downtown with my wife and young son, and my older son has returned to Brattleboro as well. I am deeply invested in my community. I love Brattleboro.

Selectboard Candidate Interview – Cristina ShayOnye

by cgrotke | Politics
Cristina ShayOnye

Cristina ShayOnye is running for a one year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard.

……

Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you and why are you running for a one year seat?

I live right outside of Downtown Brattleboro with my two young children and Partner.  We both work and struggle to make ends meet but are dedicated to providing affordable essential services to our community.  My partner is an auto mechanic and I provide childcare, work as an assistant slate roof repairman, and mason’s helper.  I also co-run The Vermont Village School which is a multi-generational village of families and individuals that come together to meet one another’s needs and learn together.  On March 17th we will be starting a Civics Class at Brooks Memorial Library every Monday morning from 10-11am for the Spring season.  All ages are welcome to come and learn how to “citizen”.  

Most importantly, I am a Town Government nerd.  I see how important the decisions made by our Selectboard are to all those who live, work, or visit Brattleboro.  I was raised in a big city and am inspired by how accessible our local government is here in this small town.  I chose to run for a 1 year seat because I support Oscar Heller and did not run against him.. AND because I do not feel represented by the two incumbents running to extend their term on the board.  

Selectboard Candidate Interview – Oscar Heller

by cgrotke | Politics
Oscar Heller and dog

Oscar Heller is running for a three year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard.

….

Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you and why are you running for a three year seat?

Hi there! My name is Oscar Heller. I live on Elliot Street in an apartment I used to rent and now own. I’ve started two small businesses, 10F Design and Winterland Marketing, and we work out of the Hooker Dunham building downtown.

I’ve been involved with Brattleboro’s town politics for eight years. I think local government is now more important than ever, and I’ve always felt a pull to be involved and contribute what I can. I started on the Energy Committee, am currently a Town Meeting representative for District 9, and have served on the Finance Committee for the last six years, including this year as chair.

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!

Vote Isaac Evans-Frantz, Selectboard 1 Year Seat

by MD | Politics

There are a number of qualities I look for in an elected official, whether local or on the larger stage.

I think it’s important that those who represent me research to learn the history and contributing factors for each issue they’ll deal with. They must talk to the people involved and affected and listen well to each. They need to relay comprehensive information to others clearly, in a concise, respectful way.

Oscar Heller for Selectboard

by fidel | Politics

Oscar Heller will be a thoughtful member of the Brattleboro Selectboard, progressive in his values but mindful of the financial facts of life. I have served with Oscar for several years on the Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee (both of us have chaired in different years) and I know his abilities well. Heller is diligent and well-informed. He respects different opinions, listens well, and has an admirable ability to contribute to the development of reasoned decisions while maintaining group cohesion.

It is clear from this year’s Finance Committee work that Heller strongly believes in the necessity of multi-year financial planning and rigorous consideration of budgetary alternatives. He knows that nothing good can come from undisciplined spending.

Brattleboro March 4, 2025 Local Election Helpful Information

by Not Signed In | Politics

Below is some helpful information for the March 4th Town Meeting and WSESD School Board Director Elections.

Absentee Ballots
Absentee ballots for these elections were mailed by request. Please make sure to follow the instructions provided
with your ballot, including:
• Signing the certificate envelope and ensuring your ballot/s are inside the certificate envelope.
• Using a black pen to mark your ballot.