Politics

In the contest for the Democratic nomination for the Windham 9 (old 3) district, we have two candidates with records of community service and good policy values. In part because he is older, David Gartenstein has a much longer history of working for the people of Brattleboro; moreover, he has broader experience, including 20 years as an assistant State’s Attorney and service on Brattleboro school boards.

What really distinguishes Gartenstein is the depth at which he has thought about the issues that matter to Brattleboro. He speaks with more than superficial knowledge on these things and has concrete plans for trying to improve the town’s circumstances. (For evidence, watch the candidate forum on BCTV.)

On a personal level, a disturbing part of Biden’s calculus, and this stalemate, is recalling how my mother became increasingly stubborn and delusional as she progressed into her dementia through her eighties.  She would often make outlandish proclamations, boasts of grandeur, and throw tantrums, which I came to understand were common effects of her condition.

Joe Biden’s stance, digging in and rebuffing the skeptics has that intransigence, but also brings other unsettling questions. His claim to be ‘the only one who can…’(manage NATO, grow the Economy…) is not only Trump-like, but dismissive of the talent now relegated to the bullpen in his own party.

In the first televised presidential debate between JFK and Nixon- I’m not old enough to remember- the tide swung in favor of the more telegenic Kennedy, when Nixon’s candidacy went down awash in beads of face sweat and furtive glances.

In certain matters Americans are forgiving. Will Smith is back. Even Nixon was able to rise again. But in other matters we are an obstinate people. And irrational to boot. I don’t understand it, but have often observed the phenomena. Why are the optics of Jan 6th malleable? Why are Nazi’s back? The world can be mad and maddening, that fact goes back to antiquity.

Returning to the present moment. Biden’s debate performance is fixed in the collective mind, nothing can or will erase his frozen expression and underwater responses to softball opportunities. Leaving for now the conundrum of Biden’s opponent being a recidivist and deranged narcissist, the question becomes: are Americans willing to vote for a dead man over a return to Trumpian autocracy.

Is anyplace or organization hosting a public debate view in town?

The fear of revenge is already having repercussions throughout the world. The credible threat by the American would-be lunatic dictator is being taken seriously and that means that free speech and freedom of expression are under siege. Make no mistake about it. Even though the election is not until November, the fear of a Trump win is making some people act as if he has already won and they don’t want to be on his enemies list.

A case in point has been made clear by New York Times columnist Michelle Golberg in the June 16 Times in her piece titled “The Trump Movie You May Never See”. The movie “The Apprentice” has been recently released. It focuses on the relationship between a young Donald Trump and Roy Cohn. Cohn was a notorious New York “fixer” and a hero worshipped by Trump. Some describe Cohn as Trump’s primary mentor. You only need to look at a picture of Cohn to get a creepy feeling of how evil he was.

Hi! I am trying to start a new minor political party in Vermont.

I need 40 people, 4 from each of ten towns, and they have to be registered Vermont voters.

They will create 10 town committees and have a zoom meeting or meet in person.

United States Marijuana Party

Rhode Island and New York City allow people addicted to drugs to inject themselves at safe injection sites without fear of prosecution. The drugs these people use are illegal but they are given a pass if they go to one of these sites. Vermont is about to pass legislation that would allow cities and towns to set up these sites if the local municipal body approves it.

The bill, H. 72, has passed the Vermont House and is now in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and is expected to be passed into law. Governor Scott has made it clear that he will veto this bill, so the big question is whether or not there will be enough votes to override his veto.

The Brattleboro Selectboard is scheduled to host an informational forum on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the Academy School, with doors opening at 6 p.m. Academy School is located at 860 Western Ave, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

The informational forum will cover Representative Town Meeting articles, including the budget and Bond Vote articles.

Prior to the informational meeting, starting at 6:30 p.m., Town Meeting members from each district will be available to meet with constituents, providing an opportunity for residents to share their views and discuss articles slated for vote at Representative Town Meeting.

There has been a lot of talk about electing someone to the office of President of the United States, perhaps the most demanding job in the world, who is in his eighties. Joe Biden was born in 1942 making him the oldest person to sit in the oval office. People express misgivings about voting for him because of his age, but there is very little discussion of what exactly they fear about his age.

It is time to unpack the issues relating to an octogenarian president to see if they will really make it difficult for Biden to continue in office. The worst case scenario is that he dies in office. Males at 80 years old have a seven year life expectancy. That is based on averages, but when it comes to Biden, he is not your average 81 year old. He remains mostly physically fit and his father died at 86 and his mother at 92, so he has some genetic longevity working for him. He had a physical a few days ago and was declared physically fit to perform the duties of President. His doctor felt no need for cognitive testing.