Opinion

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Brattleboro Candidate Petitions Due

by Not Signed In | Politics

The Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office would like to remind those interested in running for Brattleboro Town Officers, Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Board Members, and Town Meeting Members, that Consent of Candidate forms are available at our office. Please call or email our office to request the form. Due to the pandemic, petition requirements were recently waived for candidates to have their names placed on the ballots for this election. Town elections will be Tuesday, March 1 at the American Legion – 32 Linden Street, and the Annual Representative Town Meeting , Saturday, March 19, location and format will be announced at a later date. Consent of Candidate forms must be filed in the clerk’s office no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, January 24 in order to have their name placed on the ballot.

If USA Were Reminded of 1967 Headlines! King Calls U.S.“Greatest Purveyor Of Violence In The World”

by jay janson | Op/Ed

If, during the three day Martin Luther King birthday holiday, a world attention getting source, for example, a Chinese government spokesperson, would point out that the government of the United States of America was condemned as the most violent in the world by America’s own idol, this writer believes it would be a sensation, and a most difficult moment for the U.S. government and America’s wars supporting mainstream media.

“What If It Was Your Family Starving To Death?” UN World Food Program Director Asked Musk and Bezo

by jay janson | Op/Ed

“Our lives are now shaped by the pursuits, products and priorities of the world’s wealthiest people.” … “Like it or not, we are now in Musk’s world.”

TIME Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief

TIME Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief in his explanation of why Elon Musk was chosen as TIME’s 2021 Person of the Year mentions quite insightfully that to Musk

“steering capital allocation away from the government to those who will be good stewards of it, is progress.

Robert’s Rules of Order: A primer for Representative Town Meeting (RTM)

by Not Signed In | Politics

Robert’s Rules is the most widely used set of parliamentary procedures in the United States. It
offers a fair and structured method of decision-making in diverse organizations of all sizes.
Andy Davis is an educator who joined RTM in 2009. Andy will review the basics of how Robert’s
Rules function in Brattleboro’s annual Representative Town Meeting and understanding these
basics will help members of RTM to participate effectively. This session is open to all, including
past present and future “town reps”.

No USA Christmas Charity for Afghani Venezuelans Cubans Syrians Iranians North Koreans

by jay janson | Op/Ed

This Christmas season, as always, CIA controlled mainstream media is filled with unctuous images of the hungry homeless in America being charitably served food by private citizens and institutions. It has long become an American tradition of kindness during the season celebrating the birth of all loving Jesus along with gift giving Santa Claus, and along with the encouragement and participation of churches, this tradition often receives government support .

The Christmas time Christian tradition of charitable feeding of the hungry homeless in capitalist USA never extends to include those millions of men, women and children made hungry by heartless US sanctions on countries overseas. The hard hearted Deep State investors in war of the Military Industrial Complex would never allow any of its captive US presidents to be gracious to the hungry in sanctioned nations at Christmas time.

The Campaign Season Has Begun

by RDavis | Op/Ed

When Senator Patrick Leahy announced his retirement recently he set off a political chain of events that marked the start of the campaign season. Leahy served almost 50 years in the Senate and he proved to be one of Vermont’s best political assets.

Rep. Peter Welch has served Vermont in Washington since 2007. He is the heir apparent to Leahy’s seat. There will be contenders for the office but it is clear that Welch will be the frontrunner and the person most prepared to represent Vermont in the Senate.

20 Years Unable to Defeat Taliban Now USA Freezes Afghanistan’s $9B Bank Deposits Causing Starvation

by jay janson | Op/Ed

In freezing Afghanistan’s money the government of the United States of America is committing genocide in Afghanistan and trying to have its CIA controlled Western media portray those dying as the fault of the Taliban government, which the US 2001 invasion overthrew but which easily and quickly reinstated itself when the American military withdrew 20 years later in August of 2021.

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. The Afghan central bank had $9.4 billion in reserve assets as of April, according to the International Monetary Fund, which is equivalent to about a third of the country’s yearly economic output.

Balint Campaign Raises $125,051 On First Day of Campaign

by Not Signed In | Politics

Montpelier, VT— Vermont Senate President, Becca Balint, launched her campaign for United States Representative yesterday, Monday, December 13. The Balint campaign is proud to announce that in the first 24-hours of the campaign, Balint raised $125,051 – all from individual, grassroots donations – earning support from all 14 Vermont counties.

 “I am astonished and overwhelmed with the level of support we received yesterday. This is a hard time for so many families and the fact that people chipped in where they could means so much to me. This is going to be a campaign powered by people and yesterday showed me just how many people that is,” Balint said. “I’m running because we face immense challenges, but I believe we cannot back away from fighting for each other. We have to deliver on some big promises for Vermont working families and that is going to take all of us. I’m ready for this fight.”  

Brattleboro Petitions, Election Schedule, and Consent of Candidate Form for March Elections Now Available

by Not Signed In | Politics

Petitions for Brattleboro Town Officers, Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Board Members, and Town Meeting Members are now available at the Town Clerk’s office.  Town elections will be Tuesday, March 1 at the American Legion, and the Annual Representative Town Meeting will begin on Saturday, March 19, location and format will be announced at a later date.

Petitions for Town Officers and WSESD Board Members must contain at least 30 valid signatures of registered Brattleboro voters and be filed in the clerk’s office no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, January 24 in order to have their name placed on the ballot.

Candidacy for Brattleboro Town Meeting Moderator

by DavidGartenstein | Politics

I will be a candidate to be elected Brattleboro Town Meeting Moderator.

A lawyer by trade, I have worked for 17½ years at the Windham County State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuting serious felony and other cases.  My municipal service in Brattleboro includes 6 years on Selectboard with 4 years as chair, 3 years on the High School Board, 2½ years on Town School Board, 9 years on Development Review Board with 5 years as chair, and being a Town Meeting representative.

U.S. Representative Peter Welch Announces Candidacy for United States Senate

by Not Signed In | Politics

BURLINGTON, Vt. — U.S. Rep. Peter Welch on Monday announced he is running for U.S. Senate. Welch called on Vermonters to join him in fighting for a progressive agenda in the Senate.

“We are at a pivotal moment,” Welch said. “Vermont families are struggling through multiple crises: a global pandemic, the consequences of climate change, and a racial reckoning generations in the making. The result of this election will determine control of the Senate and with it, what we can accomplish for Vermont families. If Vermonters elect me to the U.S. Senate, I will be ready to fight for progressive change on day one.”

Vermont Senator Leahy To Retire

by cgrotke | Politics
Senator Leahy

Senator Leahy just announced that he will not be seeking another term as Senator for Vermont.

He went to the Vermont Statehouse to deliver his speech this morning. He recapped his career highlights and things he was especially proud of over the years. Helping Vermonters, especially for women and children, agriculture, protecting the Constitution, the Violence Against Women Act, protections for LGBTQ and Native Americans, civil liberties, judicial nominations, Small State Minimums, and federal funds for Vermont.  He mentioned his wife Marcelle often.

How Would Americans Feel if Bombed & Invaded by Their Veterans Like 13 Smaller Countries Were?

by jay janson | Op/Ed

If Americans could only imagine what it was like for the citizens of thirteen much smaller nations to have been bombed and invaded by the American veterans who are celebrated on Veterans Day in the USA every November 11.

How would Americans take its own countryside being high altitude carpet bombed the way Laos, South Vietnam, North Vietnam and Cambodia suffered? What if twice the amount of bombs dropped in Europe, Asia and Africa during the Second World War, were dropped on the United States of America over a 15 year period like was done to Vietnam? – if USA were invaded over the same period by of a superpower army of up to a half-million better armed soldiers with tanks and napalming air support?

Brattleboro Budget Process – A Look Back 20 Years

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

The Brattleboro Selectboard has begun budget season. It’s the time of year when citizens should speak up if they want something funded or defunded. 

It’s also the time of year Representative Town Meeting Reps should be paying close attention, attending meetings, asking questions, and sharing information they learn with those they represent.

It’s quite easy to do nowadays, but wasn’t always this way. The current board likes to mention that they have traditions and that things are done a certain way, but that’s only been the last few years.

More Goals For The Brattleboro Selectboard To Consider

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

The Selectboard was reviewing and adding to their goals at their most recent meeting. There are a few more items they should take up:

End Weigher of Coal Position

This is just embarrassing in 2021. Brattleboro should rid itself of any mention of coal. It’s such an easy thing to do.  Town Managers since Barb Sondag have promised to get this done. All it takes is sending an article to Representative Town Meeting.

Nuclear War is Being Planned! Henry George & Thorstein Veblen Warned War Is Capitalism’s End Game

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Preparations for nuclear war have been in the news, even mainstream news, more than just occasionally:

NATO unveils master plan to defeat Russia in nuclear war, Voice of London, UK., October 23, 2021 [1]

America’s failed weapons test shows Washington is currently hopelessly outgunned by Beijing in the race for hypersonic supremacy International Journal, Oct. 22, 2021 [2]

China says new hypersonic missile a blow to US ‘strategic superiority,’ New York Post, Oct. 17, 2021 [3]

This writer is puzzled by the absence of fear of nuclear war as a topic of concern.

Tax Retail Sales, Churches, Corporations to Reduce Consumer Carnage Holidays

by Vidda | Op/Ed

Holidays are lethal. The undue stress of celebrating holidays wrecks the health of our little golden biosphere. Holidays are also not necessary for our personal well-being, and, in some cases, they are stressful and unhealthful to too many people.

Since the turn of the 20th Century when southern soft drink brands started using Santa Claus as an advertising ploy to increase soda sales in the northern winter markets, the lethal nature of human holidays has been tearing earth’s resources asunder.

Oscar Wilde said, “Give me the luxuries, anyone can have the necessaries.” Even Oscar Wilde would agree today that consumer carnage holidays are a luxury we can no longer afford. The fact that too many of the holidays are religious-based means nothing in the context of people hell-bent on the self-destructive nature of continuing holidays.

Foreseen! A Celebrities Led Movement To Halt USA Nuclear War Preparations

by jay janson | Op/Ed

USA Congress plans to spend a $1.5 trillion on improved nuclear weapons! [1]

“If We Don’t End War, War Will End US,” [2]

Twenty years after the end of the Cold War there are at least 23,000 nuclear warheads still in existence, with a combined blast capacity equivalent to 150,000 Hiroshima bombs. The U.S. and Russia together have over 22,000, and France, the UK, China, India, Pakistan and Israel around 1,000 between them.

Cannabis is Coming – Will Town Taxpayers be the Losers?

by Timmy | Op/Ed
cannabis

As some may already know, I was appointed by the Vermont Senate to represent municipalities’ interests on the Cannabis Control Board’s Advisory Committee. While I wouldn’t claim to have the level of “expertise in municipal issues” that some other longer-serving Selectboard members in Vermont might have, I feel that my past work advocating for the rights of towns, cities and villages does give me some insights, and I’m doing my best to represent local taxpayers during many rapid deliberations over the shape of the upcoming retail cannabis marketplace.

I want to make very clear my opposition to a hastily made decision by one of our sub-committees, the Market Structure, Licensing, Taxes and Fees Sub-Committee, without reasonable input taken and considered from the Vermont municipalities. This committee has evidently already voted to “cap” what local town clerks can charge for a cannabis license to $100 yearly, a laughable amount considering the fact that the state portion of yearly fees being currently considered are between $5,000 and $10,000.