News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
Rob Roper 
Nothing good to report for Republicans after yesterday’s off-year elections. The gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, who distanced herself from Trump and was not endorsed by him, lost by fifteen points to an “Orange Man Bad” strategy. The psychopath “two bullets and watch his children die is his arms” Attorney General candidate even won, illustrating that … Read more
After decades of spewing – and funding — climate alarmist rhetoric of the most virulent kind, multi-billionaire Bill Gates shocked the Left by admitting what some of us have been saying all along: Yeah, the climate is changing (it does that), but it’s totally manageable and not a crisis. So, y’all just chill the heck … Read more
In these days of political polarization, I’m hearing a lot of complaints about “whataboutism,” the phenomenon of answering a question about the actions of one person or group with an example of something similar done by someone else. Trump mishandled classified documents! What about Hillary Clinton, for example? But yeah… what about Hillary Clinton? Were … Read more
With SNAP (food stamps) and LIHEAP (home heating) benefits for low-income Vermonters set to be turned off in November if the federal government doesn’t reopen ASAP, state and local politicians are scrambling to find alternative solutions. So far, despite vague promises, they don’t have any. Nothing concrete and actionable, at any rate. LIHEAP in Vermont … Read more
Senator Sam Douglass was in a group chat of Young Republicans where some people did say some truly disgusting things. There were undeniably antisemitic and anti-black racist terms used, and comments made. This came to light in an article by the hard-left, deeply partisan site, Politico, based on leaked transcripts. The Politico article was posted … Read more
As of this writing, there have been ten votes to reopen the government since October 1. The 53 Republican senators need at least seven Democrats and Independents to break with Chuck Schumer to reach the 60-vote threshold to break the Democrats’ filibuster, and while a few have put their constituents above partisan politics, Vermont’s two … Read more
My cellphone binged with a request to take a poll about Vermont issues. Sure, why not? They might be curious about what’s on my mind, but I was equally curious about what was on the minds of the pollsters — and who they’re working for. The answer to my latter question is they are working … Read more
The Committee on the Future of Public Education is circulating an online survey to gauge public awareness and opinions regarding Act 73, the public education reform law that intends to restructure and consolidate Vermont’s school districts. While the introduction to the survey references that “The law was enacted in response to residents’ concerns about high … Read more
In the wake of multiple tragic incidents of political violence, Rep. Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) recently penned an op-ed calling for respect, participation, open-mindedness, and dialogue with those with whom we disagree. “Too often,” she writes, “when people talk about those they [emphasis added] disagree with, I hear ‘they’ or ‘them.’ Used this way, these words are vague … Read more
State Auditor Doug Hoffer’s latest newsletter called out a remarkable statistic about Vermont’s homeless crisis. In less than a decade, we have spent over $800 million to “fix” homelessness. Nearly $100 million on the motel voucher program in 2023 alone. But that’s not the really remarkable part. The truly remarkable part is that, despite the influx of … Read more
Speaking on WVMT’s Morning Drive, Republican Senate Leader Scott Beck (R-Caledonia) outlined a few agenda items that his caucus would be pursuing when the legislature reconvenes in January. Another attempt to repeal the Clean Heat Standard (Act 18). Setting the stage for public safety initiative that would require a constitutional amendment process beginning in 2027. … Read more
I wasn’t planning on writing about Charlie Kirk for a couple reasons. One, though very much aware of him, he wasn’t someone I followed closely. Not because I had anything against him, but because there are only so many hours in the day, and I, firmly entrenched as I am in middle age, wasn’t really … Read more
Seven Days ran an article recently about Vermont’s solar industry and the impact of federal cuts to the subsidies they’ve enjoyed for years. The headline authors called the cuts an “attack.” No, it’s not an attack. No private business is entitled to taxpayer funds to keep it afloat. Be grateful for what you got and … Read more
National test scores are out for our K-12 students, and the results – again – are not good. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that in 2024, barely half of high school seniors had a basic proficiency or better in math, and a third scored “below basic” in reading. This trend of declining … Read more
Two and a half years ago, I wrote a piece titled “Auditors Report: Just How Bad Lawmakers Screwed Up the Broadband Buildout.” This followed a post nearly two years before that, when Covid was raging, schools were closed, and kids in rural communities were doing their online homework from their cars in McDonald’s parking lots, … Read more
It has often been pointed out that Vermont’s news outlet of record, VT Digger, is really just a bunch of juvenile left-wing activists cosplaying as legit reporters, but this past week they dropped the costumes and makeup. The article “How a Koch-funded campaign is trying to reverse climate action in Vermont” is a 3500-word, all-hands-on-deck … Read more
Third Way, which bills itself as center-left, featuring a list of 45 “woke” words Democrats should never say again got a lot of attention recently – much of it hilarious.
Requiring ID to vote is one of those commonsense issues everybody (or almost everybody) agrees is a good idea.
Phil Scott has always campaigned as a proponent of school choice, though it has never been high on his priority list.
Cue up the sad violins. On August 6, 2025, South Carolina Judge Roger Young dealt the latest blow to the shakedown scheme masquerading as climate justice popularly known as “Make Big Oil Pay” and officially, in Vermont at least, as the Climate Superfund Act. In another example of fraudulent misnaming by lawmakers, it is neither … Read more