News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
The Vermont School District Redistricting Task Force met for the first time on August 1st. I’ve been checking the Agency of Administration’s web page for the group, hoping they’ll post the meeting recording or at least the minutes for review. So far, no good. But they did post the agenda (no actual work involved; just a meet … Read more
This week, we discuss Federal regulatory “common sense”, the unintended consequences of Act 59, and the five political camps in Vermont.” Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com … Read more
Southern Border states get the bulk of the news stories about illegal entrants, drugs, and human trafficking, but in late 2023 to early 2024, Northern Border states began to steal some of the spotlight. The Biden Cartel and others were using the distractions in the south to take advantage of opportunities in the north. The … Read more
The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) contains a provision that gives standing to anyone who wants to sue the state, at taxpayers’ expense, if we fail to meet that law’s unrealistic, unattainable greenhouse gas reduction mandates. It’s known as the “private right of action” clause. The first case brought under the private right of action … Read more
This week, we discuss $68 million in federal flood recovery money, SNAP Program money, and the VT250TH Logo. Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com Follow these links … Read more
The financial website Wallet Hub just came out with state rankings for public education, and Vermont came in overall 19th out of the fifty states. Pretty “meh” on the surface. But the overall score was based on components of outcomes and safety, and purely on the outcomes side, Vermont ranks 25th. That’s more like a … Read more
The emissions lawsuit opera continues after a court told the environmentalists suing the state of Vermont for missing its made-up emissions target that you can’t sue them for missing a target we won’t know we’ve missed until 2027. Oh, but they guessed and we guessed and the official unofficial estimates are that they missed it. … Read more
There is an overwhelming psychology on the Left that if the government isn’t doing something, nothing is being done. It’s an expensive, inefficient, and often counterproductive mindset. However, sometimes reality and common sense prevail, as recently demonstrated in neighboring New Hampshire, where the state has eliminated its vehicle inspection mandate. According to the Josiah Bartlett … Read more
This week, we discuss some “inconvenient” facts about CO2 from Gregory Wrightstone’s book, “Inconvenient Facts.” Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com Follow these links for additional content … Read more
America isn’t the only one celebrating its 250th anniversary. It’s Vermont’s birthday, and to properly mark and market the occasion, they made a series of mistakes that ended with the uninspiring crap featured above. “Governor Phil Scott created the Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission through Executive Order in December 2020.” From a press release following the Executive order. … Read more
This week the online news outlet VT Digger hosted an event in Brookfield titled, “In Facts We Trust: Local Journalism in the ‘Fake News’ Era.” They described it thus, “In an era of misinformation, how do we know the news we’re seeing is accurate? Let’s talk about it together.” Uh huh. And, yes, let’s! Full … Read more
The so-described education reform law, Act 73, is in effect. Its first order of business, creating a Vermont Redistricting Task Force, is done, and now said Task Force is getting down to its task of drawing up at least three maps of new mega-school districts for the legislature to consider next year, scrapping our current … Read more
This week we tap into some inspiration from Victor Davis Hanson’s commencement address, and … How VT Saves without asking first???” Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com … Read more
State Sen. wants constituents to pay for her policy failures In a recent VT Digger article with the misleading headline, “Clean Heat Standard is Dead. What comes next?” (It’s not, it’s just temporarily dormant until it can be fully implemented), Senator Anne Watson (D/P -Washington) expressed her hope and desire that the state be sued … Read more
The state will start deducting 5% of some workers’ wages unless they actively opt out of VT Saves In 2023, the Vermont legislature passed a law spearheaded by Vermont State Treasurer Mike Piecack (D-VT), Act 43 – An act relating to the establishment of VT Saves. What it does is mandate that employers with more … Read more
I’ve spent a lot of time discussing the Clean Heat Standard and Cap & Invest proposals to meet the mandates of the Global Warming Solutions Act, and have noted often but perhaps too obscurely in passing that even these monumentally expensive and disruptive programs won’t, on their own, do the job. Other programs, each with … Read more
This week, the topics include the massive cost of Illegal immigration on school funding, the northern border, and the Hunga Tonga Volcano. Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds … Read more
The White House responds to Rebecca Balint’s comparing ICE agents to “vigilantes,” and tune in to hear a live performance of an original song by Paul Bean called, “The Ballad of Butt Wipe Becca.” at about the 19 minute, 40 second mark. Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, … Read more
In a virtue-signaling display of institutional Trump Derangement Syndrome, the city of Burlington, Vermont, passed a resolution to spend $3,000 to rename its main shopping corridor from Church Street to Canada Street. The silly effort is premised on the goal of attracting more shoppers to the progressive Gotham’s dying commercial sector in a spiteful swipe … Read more
This week we discuss the Climate Scam, including solar and the looming wave of bankruptcies.” Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com Celebrate Independence Day by Supporting Independent … Read more