Opinion

For opinion pieces on any topic.

The Final Solution to the Palestinian Problem

by Namaya | Op/Ed

The Palestinian problem has been an enormous thorn in the relations between Israel and the greater world. This has prevented a capable Western styled government from bringing the full fruits of its democracy to the Middle East. With the constant niggling and debate of rights, it is time for Israel to assert its full historic right to the full and final occupation of Greater Israel from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River to Lebanon and south to Sinai. We can stop the illusion and fantasy of a Palestinian state in the West Bank. Historically, this land was Israel, with stretches of time occupied by every power in the region. Though we had a period of Diaspora and left the area for two thousand years does it matter whether it was two days or two thousand years? Of course not.

Cuba Sí, ZunZuneo No!

by tomaidh | Opinion

I have always been led to believe that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was a humanitarian agency, providing assistance to people around the world to improve their lives, not to overthrow their government (AKA “Regime Change”). Silly me!

According to the Associated Press, Yahoo News and other sources, an intelligence program, known as “ZunZuneo,” was created through a cleverly crafted network of unsuspecting executives and an offshore Cayman Islands bank account, all funded through the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID.

Supreme Court Voids Campaign Spending Limits

by Not Signed In | Politics

WASHINGTON, April 2 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today blasted a Supreme Court ruling that voided legal limits on contributions by individual donors to political campaigns.

“Freedom of speech, in my view, does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government,” Sanders said.

The ruling gives wealthy donors like the billionaires Charles and David Koch more power to influence elections. An earlier ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC resulted in a record $7 billion being spent in the 2012 election cycle, including at least $400 million by the Koch brothers alone.

Sanders Welcomes Progress on VA Backlog

by Not Signed In | Politics

WASHINGTON, April 1– Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed significant progress by the Department of Veterans Affairs in reducing a disability claims backlog.

The VA announced today that its current backlog of claims pending more than 125 days is at its lowest point in three years. The backlog was reduced from 611,000 one year ago to 344,000 claims pending today, a 44 percent reduction. The VA also said the accuracy of the decisions on disability claims has improved.

New Take on Police/Fire Project?

by MichaelB | Op/Ed

On March 22nd Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting defeated the 1% optional sales tax and approved the FY15 budget, which includes the first interest payment on the second police/fire facilities bond.  So, what happens next?

First let’s state the obvious:  Brattleboro is in a bind.  It took many of us to get it there, myself
included.  We initially approved the police/fire facilities project and then rejected cutting the overall budget
enough to scale it back.  Meanwhile, we defeated the 1% sales tax multiple times.

Is Gov. Shumlin’s Rumored Single Payer Health Care Funding Plan Merely Fool’s Gold or Real Thing?

by Norsehorse | Politics

(cross-posted from Green Mountain Daily, ; originally posted to Vermont Watch, here)

Although one is left to wonder about whether or not it is merely fool’s gold or the real thing, there have been recent rumors about how, on condition of anonymity, a top administration official is reported to have disclosed that Governor Peter Shumlin‘s plan to fund his single payer health care initiative could potentially include instituting taxes on what currently is non-taxable food and clothing purchases.

Petition On The Brattleboro Town Budget

by JohnWilmerding | Politics

If you’re not a Town Representative, you might not know that there is an initiative happening right now to gather enough signatures to put the 2014-15 Town budget up for a referendum.

I support this initiative because the Town Representatives (elected representatives to Town Meeting) are not the be-all and end-all of Town politics … the people of Brattleboro ourselves are. The possibility of a referendum exists for this precise purpose; for a process to be invoked where the Town’s voters can over-rule the Town Representatives.

U.N. Issues Climate Change Warning

by Not Signed In | Politics

WASHINGTON, March 31 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today that the latest report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is another jolting wake-up call for nations around the world.

The report by the U.N. panel said the effects of global warming already are occurring on every continent and across the world’s oceans. The scientists warned that the problem was likely to grow much worse unless greenhouse gas emissions are brought under control.

Phone Etiquette in Vermont

by Holland Mills | Op/Ed

Ever since I’ve moved to this town, I’ve noticed that virtually all except those I’ve conveyed the following sentiment to who call me on the phone employ the most miserable phone etiquette I’ve encountered in the many states and provinces I’ved lived in.

When I was a child, I lived on the Upper West Side in a communal situation that had three women (including my mother) under 30.  It being NYC and Ma Bell being the only game in town, it was standard practice for women to only give their first initial and last name when listed in the phone book.

Welch Highlights Climate Change Impact on VT Maple Industry

by Not Signed In | Politics

Climate change is having a real impact on Vermont.  For example, Rep. Welch regularly hears from Vermont’s maple producers about how changes in temperature and shifting seasons are affecting their businesses.  He  last week with Dave Marvin, owner of Butternut Mountain Farm, and Tim Perkins, Director of Proctor Maple Research Institute at the University of Vermont, about the impact of climate change on Vermont’s maple industry.  Rep. Welch will be bringing the voices of Vermonters like Dave and Tim’s to Washington to demonstrate why urgent action on climate change is needed.

Live Free or … Bernie?

by tomaidh | Politics

Editorial from the Concord Monitor:

As it turns out, Scott Brown isn’t the only politician from next-door New Hampshire voters should be watching.

In an interview with The Nation magazine this month, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says he’s thinking about launching a campaign for president in 2016.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/03/25-1

Sanders Statement on NSA Surveillance

by Not Signed In | Politics

WASHINGTON, March 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today on reports that President Barack Obama intends to seek another 90-day extension of the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records before asking Congress to make private phone companies store the records:

“As someone who voted against the Patriot Act and opposed its reauthorization, I have long been concerned about out-of-control intelligence agencies.

Sanders to Host Four Simultaneous Town Meetings Sunday on Income and Wealth Inequality

by Not Signed In | Politics

BURLINGTON, Vt., March 24 – At a time of growing income and wealth inequality in the United States, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday will host free screenings of the Robert Reich documentary “Inequality for All.”

Sanders has held hundreds of town meetings across Vermont. This Sunday’s events will mark the first time he has held four town meetings simultaneously.

The documentary, featuring former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, will be shown in Middlebury, Brattleboro, St. Johnsbury and Bennington. Afterward, the audiences will come together via video conference for a discussion led by Sanders from Middlebury Union High School.

The 2014 RTM Message

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

Representative Town Meeting members repeatedly tried to “send a message” to the Brattleboro Selectboard at their most recent meeting. Throughout, representatives also stated that they didn’t think the Selectboard was getting that message.

As an outside observer, the message was simple: Taxes are too high. If you are going to cut something, cut additional Police Fire bonds and not the Library or Recreation and Parks departments. The bonds can wait.

Interesting Query On Money From The Net

by tomaidh | Economics

“What shall we call “hard” non-fiat currencies?

I propose the following: Gold based currency and Oil based currency.

The Gold Based currency should be called the Trojan because its value is reckoned on a troy ounce of .999 fine gold

Vt House Notion to Kill School Boards Deserves Similar Fate

by DonInGuilford | Op/Ed

I eavesdropped on ibrattleboro’s excellent coverage of your town mtg, & was pleased to see the discussion about the ill-conceived proposal from the legislature to kill our local school boards.  I believe the Vt legislature originally met for much shorter sessions, and like so many institutions has grown bigger just because there was time available for it to do so. This proposal suggests they have too much time on their hands and are inventing fixes for things that ain’t broke.

Sure, we can always use improvements to our public education system, but abolishing our citizen school boards seems misguided, especially since they cost almost nothing to maintain (in Guilford, for example, just over $2,000 a year in a school budget of some $2 million!)