Opinion

For opinion pieces on any topic.

The Death of Democracy

by RDavis | Politics

As the second Trump impeachment trial comes to an end it is clear that the Republican party has put the final nail in the coffin of democracy. The Democrats share a lot of the blame, but it is the Republicans who have made it clear that the pursuit of truth is no longer a guiding principle of the American form of government and that justice is an ideal that is not attainable.

Politics has always been a dirty business and most people have been willing to accept a high level of bullshit, lying and corruption over the decades and centuries. But we are now at a point where it has become clear that this country has not dealt with what is wrong with the way government works for far too long. The political process is beyond repair.

When a president is allowed to break the law at will and openly trash the constitution then it is impossible for our form of government to have any credibility in the eyes of fair-minded people in this country and around the world.

What I Don’t Understand About the Impeachment Indictment

by SK-B | Politics

The single impeachment allegation is inciting insurrection. Trump’s case is that, several times, he asked his followers to be peaceful.

This allows his supporters to argue that responsibility for the insurrection is solely that of the rioters, not Trump. This ends up in a quarrel about the true intent and impact of Trump’s conduct.

What I do not understand, is why there was not a second allegation of criminal breach of duty for watching the invasion of the Capitol Building on TV for a couple of hours, while failing to activate the National Guard, or take any measure to protect the Capitol and protect Congress.

Brattleboro Selectboard Candidates Forum February 23, 2021 at 6 PM

by cgrotke | Politics

Brattleboro voters are encouraged to watch the Brattleboro Selectboard Candidates Forum on Tuesday, February 23 from 6-8 PM to learn about this year’s slate of candidates. The event is being presented by iBrattleboro.com and BCTV and will be live streamed to Comcast channel 1085 and BCTV’s Facebook page. 

It’s a virtual forum this year, held via Zoom.

Brattleboro Absentee Ballots Available

by Not Signed In | Politics

Absentee ballots for the Brattleboro Annual Town Meeting and Windham Southeast School District vote to be held March 2, are now available. Due to the pandemic, the doors to the Municipal Center are locked to the public and there will be NO IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING this year.  Absentee ballots for these two elections must be requested. Anyone wishing to vote absentee may apply for an absentee ballot until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 1, although we recommend doing so as soon as possible for mail time purposes.

Absentee ballots may be mailed to the voter by the Clerk’s office, picked up by the voter, or if a voter is in need can be delivered outside of the voter’s residence by two Justices of the Peace.  All voted ballots must be received by the Clerk before the polls close on election day in order to be counted.  For more information or to request an absentee ballot call 251-8157.

Brattleboro Selectboard Candidate Interview: Jessica Gelter

by cgrotke | Politics
Jessica Gelter

Jessica Gelter is running for a one-year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard.

Tell us about yourself….

I’m an artist, a nonprofit executive, small business coach, and an engaged citizen. For many years, theater has been my way into conversations about politics, conflict, and the human condition. In 2016, I got involved Brattleboro’s Planning Commission because I wanted to learn how our local government systems work and play a role in crafting our town’s future. 

Brattleboro Selectboard Candidate Interview: Evan Chadwick

by cgrotke | Politics
Evan Chadwick

Evan Chadwick is running for a one-year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard.

Tell us about yourself….  

I have lived in Brattleboro since 2006.  I graduated from Keene State with a bachelors degree in social science.  I then enrolled in a 4 year legal clerkship at the the law office of Thomas Costello.  I took the bar in 2012 and began my own law firm now named Chadwick and Spensley PLLC.  We have three offices located in Brattleboro, Pittsford and Randolph.  A large part of our practice is prosecuting police brutality cases against cities such as Burlington and Saint Albans.  For seven years I was the head boys basketball coach at Bellows Falls Union High School.  Last year I served as the freshmen coach at Brattleboro High School.   

Gone, But Not Forgotten

by tomaidh | Opinion

He ain’t goin’ away, folks!

Trump has just established an official post-presidency office in Florida. “The Office of the Former President” will manage Trump’s correspondence, public statements, appearances and official activities.

According to a press release, “President Trump will always and forever be a champion for the American People.”

Be Prepared to Vote!

by RobertOeser | Politics

*Elections*

Town Meeting Day and Windham Southeast School District elections are coming up on
Tuesday, March 2, 2021.

Your vote is your voice! Use it!

Selectboard Candidate Questions Have Been Sent

by cgrotke | Politics

Questions for this year’s slate of Brattleboro selectboard candidates have been sent. We’ll publish the answers as we get ’em.

Reminder to those running for other offices – feel free to publish your own candidate statements and opinion pieces anytime. Voters are interested and looking for information.

Democrats and Democracy After Trump

by Woody Bernhard | Politics

Nick Biddle PhD. will offer brief comments assessing the nature of the Trump presidency and its consequences. In light of those consequences, how might Democrats repair democracy’s damage as they face pandemic, economic turmoil, un-civil cultural war and raging climate crisis? Democratic leaders compare this moment to World War II. What bold steps will work to repair ourselves and our world? General discussion will follow.
Please join the conversation.
Nick has lived in Brattleboro since 2013. He is a retired professor of Latin American History.

The National Nightmare Is Over – Trump’s Fascist Coup Defeated

by David Van Deusen | Politics

*Trump Vacates Whitehouse;
*Democratic Joe Biden Assumes Presidency;
*Threat of Fascist Violence Remains;
*The Left Must Now Advance a Progressive Agenda;
*Labor Must Continue To Defend Democracy!

Today, as the American voters directed, Democratic Joe Biden took the oath of office for United States President. Joe Biden was endorsed in the November election by the National AFL-CIO, received seven million more votes than Trump, won in key battleground States, and claimed an overwhelming victory in the Electoral College. Despite Trumps treasonous claims to the contrary, there were ZERO examples of significant voter fraud (or evidence of such) concerning the November election.

100 Anti-Fascists Rally in Montpelier For Democracy – Threatened Armed Fascists A No-Show In Vermont Capital

by David Van Deusen | Politics

On November 3rd Trump lost the Presidential election in Vermont by a wider margin than in any other State in the union. But that did not prevent a couple dozen (peaceful) pro-Trump supporter from demonstrating in front of the Statehouse on January 6th. It was also feared that Trump’s lack of support in the Green Mountains would not prevent a minority of armed extremists from committing acts of violence today [1/17/21] in our Capital.

Warnings that fascists, those who supported the Trump coup, were planning armed actions in all 50 State Capitals in the U.S. were taken seriously here in rural Vermont. Throughout this morning and into the afternoon police in bullet proof vests, military grade helmets, and with automatic rifles in hand patrolled the streets of our Capital City of Montpelier (population: 7,800). The Mayor and City Council issued prior warnings encouraging residents to stay home. Many businesses were closed. And despite the threat of rightwing violence 100 anti-fascists converged on City Hall to demonstrate their support for democracy and unwillingness to concede to fascist threats. And the armed fascists? They were nowhere to be seen.

King, “Americans Betrayed Their Country In Vietnam!” Now in Yemen Syria Libya Somalia Iraq Afghanistan

by jay janson | Op/Ed

During his 1967 New York sermon, which made bold headlines in newspapers across the world, Martin Luther King cried out”A time comes when silence is betrayal.” And that time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.” What would Rev. King say today about Americans bringing massive death and destruction to the innocent citizens and their children in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan?

Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting – Fix It or Toss It?

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

As I continue to ponder Representative Town Meeting system used by Brattleboro, I find myself coming to the same conclusion: it either needs to be reformed, or it needs to go.

The biggest problem is representation. While voters can elect “representatives” to participate in Representative Town Meeting, there is almost no representation going on. Unlike selectboard candidates, reps rarely state to voters what they stand for. Reps rarely hold district meetings to discuss issues. Voting records of reps aren’t tallied or made public. And almost all the information reps take to Representative Town Meeting is given to them by town officials, not constituents.

Voters, despite picking names on district ballots, often don’t know who represents them, how to reach them, or how those reps have voted. Writing in names of people better known to a voter has been eliminated, unless that person is deemed “official” through registering as a candidate. Sometimes reps get slots through the caucus process, under the radar of most district voters.

There is almost no accountability in this system.

Absentee Ballot Requests for Brattleboro March Elections

by Not Signed In | Politics

Town Meeting Day and Windham Southeast School District elections are coming up on Tuesday, March 2, 2021.

Due to the pandemic, the Municipal Center is closed to the public and there will be no in-person early voting in Brattleboro for this election. All voters are encouraged to visit their My Voter Page (https://mvp.vermont.gov) to update your registration address, including their physical AND mailing address, and request an absentee ballot to be mailed to you. If you encounter problems logging into your My Voter Page, please contact your Town Clerk. In Brattleboro, that number is 251-8157.

Always Anti-Fascist – Defend the Democracy We Have and Build A Deeper More Direct Democracy Along The Way!

by David Van Deusen | Politics

When Ben Franklin exited the room where the future of the United States was being decided, he was asked what kind of government we would have. He answered “a Republic, if you can keep it.” More than 200 years later, Just days ago, we witnessed a challenge to that democratic Republic. Fascists, at the direction of Donald Trump, attempted to subvert our Republic by legislative process and by violence in the streets and in the halls of Congress. That coup was defeated.

In the aftermath, our Vermont Governor, Republican Phil Scott, denounced the coup, defended democracy, and called for the immediate removal of Donald Trump from the office of Presidency. So too did our Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy and our Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders. In the VT General Assembly, a tri-partisan resolution overwhelmingly passed in the House and Senate (supported by Republicans, Democrats, and Progressives) demanding Trump to be removed from office. Further, Vermont’s Attorney General, TJ Donovan, demanded the immediate termination of a VT State Trooper who publicly voiced support for the coup. As President of the 10,000 member Vermont AFL-CIO I also denounced the failed rightwing insurrection (and our State Labor Council again confirmed our commitment to a General Strike in the event that a transfer of power does not take place on January 20th). And unlike in Washington DC and various State Capitals around the nation, demonstrations of support for the coup have been near nonexistent in the Green Mountains. In brief, Vermonters, regardless of party affiliation or political differences, remain united in our support for democracy. I am proud to call these Green Hills my home.

Governor Scott’s Inaugural Address 2021

by Not Signed In | Politics

I’m honored to speak with you tonight, to have earned your trust through challenging times and to serve as Governor of the state I love.

The past year has been tough on all of us. We’ve faced a global pandemic that’s tested us in ways we never imagined. We’ve confronted racial injustice in America that’s been ignored for far too long. We’ve seen the worst of our politics and from our politicians. There is no greater example than the rioters at the U.S. Capitol yesterday. As I said, it was a shocking attack on our democracy and make no mistake: President Trump is responsible for fanning these flames.

All this comes at a time when our country feels more polarized, more divided, than I can ever remember. But in Vermont and across the country, voters came out in record numbers and sent a clear message, calling for moderation and unity and for leaders to treat everyone with dignity and respect, to work with anyone of any party to best serve all Americans.

The challenges we face demand the very best of all of us, that we rise above the partisanship and division, the pettiness and political games, to commit to the tough work ahead, to get through this crisis safer and stronger, and to do it together.

Trump & Fascists Attempt Coup in DC – Unions Need To Fight

by David Van Deusen | Politics

Today [1/6/21] thousands of neo-fascist Trump loyalists converged on Washington with the aim of forcing the annulment of the November election (which Democrat Joe Biden won by seven million votes). There they were met by Donald Trump himself who addressed the mob, falsely claiming that he won, that he would never concede defeat, and encouraging them to fight to keep him in power.

Meanwhile, Inside Congress Republican Representatives and Senators from the extreme right issued formal challenges to the Electoral College vote (which also spelled overwhelming defeat for Trump). Like their neo-fascist counterparts outside the Capital Building, these anti-democratic, anti-union law makers were actively seeking to carry out a coup against the majority will of the American people.

2021 Brattleboro Town Meeting Election Calendar

by Not Signed In | Politics

Thursday, January 14 Last day (5:00 P. M.) to file petition requesting that an article be placed on the Warning for Annual Town and Town School District Meeting (47 days preceding election).  Approx. 469 (5%) signatures of registered Brattleboro voters required.  17 VSA 2642 

Thursday, January 21 First day to post Warning for Annual Town and Town School District (not more than 40 days preceding election)  17 VSA 2641 (a)