Vermont’s largest online news outlet, VTDigger, announced on December 7th (probably some irony there in the day that will live in infamy) that they brought on Gaye Symington to be the organization’s board president.
Rob Roper
An 18 Percent Property Tax Increase Will Not Fix Our Public Schools
The Scott Administration made big news last week when they warned of an unprecedented impending property tax increase for next year of 18.5 percent. Driven by a 12 percent year-over-year increase in public school spending, they anticipate this will add another $650 to the bill of a $250,000 home.
Clean Heat Standard “Not Cost Effective”
So, even the advocates’ number crunchers looking at the Global Warming Solutions Act’s Clean Heat Standard have to admit that the costs Vermonters will have to cover to meet greenhouse gas reduction mandates exceed any potential benefits — by a lot — even after those advocates apply two and a half billion dollars in totally made-up benefits to the ledger via the bogus “Social Cost of Carbon.”
Dem/Prog Supermajority is Super Out of Touch
Campaign for Vermont released some initial teaser numbers from a poll they conducted as we head into the 2024 legislative session just about a month away. They are not good for the Democrat/Progressive supermajority. They are very good for Governor Phil Scott. Are they good for Republican legislators?
More Vote Fraud that Never Happens Happened Again. And Again and Again.
A few weeks ago, I did a piece on the alleged voter fraud that took place in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in which a Democrat Party official was caught on video stuffing absentee ballots into drop boxes around the city.
Two New Studies Show Renewable Energy Policy Is All Cost/No Benefit for Ratepayers
Two new reports on Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard, one by the Department of Public Service and Sustainable Energy Advantage and the other by an organization called Brattle, confirm what we’ve been pointing out for a long time – Vermont’s so-called green energy mandates are all cost and no benefit for the Vermonters who get stuck paying the bills.
To Pay for Administering the New Carbon Tax on Home Heating Fuels They’ll Need a New Excise Tax on Home Heating Fuels!
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which is charged under the Clean Heat Standard (Act 18/S.5) with operating the “carbon credit” system created by the law, is now soliciting ideas for how to fund said operation.
Top GOP Candidates Shouldn’t Participate in Any More Debates
Wednesday night’s debate between the five qualifying GOP candidates for president (not named Trump) was by far the best of the three held so far, at least in my opinion. One critic complained it came off more like a TED Talk than a debate. I agree! But I thought that’s what made it good.
The Hamas/Israeli Conflict Exposed a Horrible Flaw In How We’re Educating Our Own Kids
Six years ago, following the incident in which a violent mob of Middlebury students chased author and social scientist Charles Murray off the stage, assaulting and injuring a faculty member in the process, I wrote an article titled “Stop Calling Them Snowflakes.”
Where Talking Llamas Teach Kids the “F” Word
In September 2021, the voters in the district for Windham Elementary School narrowly voted to close the school, which only has a little more than a dozen students, allowing those students to instead participate in Vermont’s “tuitoining” school choice system.
Absentee Ballot Fraud Is Real! (When It Happens to a Democrat…)
Connecticut Democrats weren’t thrilled at the idea of a convicted felon (and, LOL, seven-term incumbent) winning their primary for the city of Bridgeport’s mayoral race. They were relieved when going to bed on election night that challenger John Gomes appeared to have pulled off a 487-vote victory.
VT Energy Policy: Saving the Planet, or Feathering Nests?
The Renewable Energy Standard Group Committee met again on October 25 to hash out what next year’s laws regarding energy policy will be, and again, utilities managers questioned the ulterior motives behind how some of the proposals seem to be favoring certain actors. And this crony favoritism, they say, will come not just at greater … Read more
Why Can’t Kids Read?
Earlier this month, Seven Days ran a remarkable story titled Too Many Vermont Kids Struggle to Read. What Went Wrong — and Can Educators Reverse a Yearslong Slide in Literacy? It’s long. 5000 words, but very much worth the time.
Former Rep Tries to Hoodwink Vermonters
Former Representative Dave Sharpe (D-Bristol) recently penned a truly execrable op-ed blaming private schools, lack of funding for public schools, and 60s era “white-flight” for the persistent and growing performance gap between higher income students and those living in poverty. He opened his piece exclaiming, “It’s no surprise….” Well, it’s no surprise to anyone who … Read more
Vermonters Really Don’t Support State Energy Policy
The Vermont Department of Public Services conducted a poll and a series of focus groups over the summer regarding state energy policy, specifically support for or opposition to using more renewable energy. They just released the 87-page report on what they found out.
Renewable Energy Standard: A “Shell Game” of “Picking Winners & Losers”
This past week’s discussion in the Renewable Energy Standard Working Group, charged with drafting legislation to be considered by the General Assembly during the 2024 legislative session, highlighted some serious problems with Vermont’s energy policies, both philosophical and practical.
Thar She Blows!
Before we figured out how to replace whale oil with cheaper, more efficient petroleum, we killed a lot of whales throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in order to light our homes and lubricate our industries, driving most species to the brink of extinction.
Why is the Vermont Media Ignoring the Slate Valley School Board Story?
About a month ago, I wrote a story about Slate Valley School Board member Curtis Hier’s battle with both the school officials he was elected to oversee and his fellow board members, who don’t seem to appreciate Hier’s desire to get to the bottom of some serious problems in the system that are negatively impacting students.
More Confusion/Delay Ahead for Carbon Credit Banking Scheme
My last article highlighted the fact that the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is only now beginning to contemplate how to write the rules regarding how Vermonters can retroactively “bank” so-called “Clean Heat Credits” back to January 1, 2023, and continue to bank them until the Clean Heat Standard goes fully into effect sometime in 2025.
The Entity Charged With Implementing a Carbon Credit System Has No Idea How To Do It
The legislature passed the Clean Heat Standard (S.5) into law in the Spring of this year (over the governor’s veto) with a provision that Vermonters can start banking the so-called “Clean Heat Credits” – earned by installing heat pumps, insulating buildings, etc. – retroactive to January 1, 2023.