News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
How a non-vote exposed the Democrats’ true attitudes regarding the housing crisis When new Vermont House members receive their orientation to how things work in the legislature, one point of etiquette driven home is that it’s not good form to spring amendments to bills onto the floor without a healthy heads up. “No surprises,” goes … Read more
Growing awareness about a progressive Vermont land-use measure has sparked widespread populist backlash. Act 181 was passed in 2024 by the Green Mountain State’s progressive supermajority, overcoming Governor Phil Scott’s veto. Falsely framed as a pro-housing bill, the stealth measure seeks to preserve natural resources at the expense of traditional development rights, draining wealth from property … Read more
Vermont is suffering from an early childcare availability crisis and an affordability crisis. We are suffering under crippling state taxes, particularly, but not limited to, property taxes. If you want to solve these issues, a hard NO vote on S.206 – An act relating to licensure of early childhood educators by the Office of Professional … Read more
This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and Mike discuss this week’s tax legislation, the Senate’s healthcare legislation, and S.325. Listen on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the embedded video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or … Read more
Welp…. Looks like the Democratic Socialists in Vermont learned nothing from the 2024 election that saw massive public opposition to their Clean Heat Carbon Tax, which played a starring role in the shellacking they took the hands of the voters. Today the House Democrats voted near party line (by my count only four broke ranks) … Read more
This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and I discuss more of the active legislation in Montpelier incluindg more on land use, education reform, and H.933 – a whole lot of taxes. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the embedded video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not … Read more
I read the Vermont Democrats’ post-mortem report following their 2024 election debacle, in which Republicans picked up 19 House seats, 6 Senate seats, and the lieutenant governorship (the first time an incumbent LTG was ousted from office since 1815), ending their supermajority status in both chambers. The key insight in the document leaves me wondering … Read more
Most Americans don’t realize it, but Vermont has become quite progressive. Even some liberal Californians who moved to Vermont have remarked how much more extreme the Green Mountain State is today compared to the land of Gavin Newsom. For years, those progressives have been taunting the federal government to dispatch ICE for a visit. On … Read more
One Big Beautiful Bill gives scholarship donors $1700 federal tax credit – but Dem majority doesn’t want it Vermonters will not be allowed to take a federal tax credit for contributing to a private/independent school scholarship program, if a House Ways & Means Committee miscellaneous tax bill introduced yesterday becomes law. H.933, titled “miscellaneous administrative … Read more
This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and ike discuss housing reform, land use planning law, H.606 ( A new gun bill), and Edwatch Vermont, ” a nonprofit organization advocating for education independence, accountable spending, and student-centered education policy.” Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the embedded video does not load.* *Some browsers’ security settings … Read more
Remember back in 2024 when the Democrats and Progressives in the Vermont legislature passed H.72 (Act 178), establishing a much hyped “overdose prevention center” in Burlington? (No Republican voted for it, and the Governor vetoed it only to see that veto overridden by the supermajority.) The law basically gave the Queen City around $2 million … Read more
Vermont ranks low when it comes to political ethics accountability. According to the Coalition for Integrity’s S.W.A.M.P. (States With Anti-Corruption Measures for Public Officials), Vermont ranks in the bottom ten nationally. The Center for Public Integrity gives us a D-. The general reasoning behind the bad grades is we have few rules governing our politicians’ … Read more
This week on Right Side Up, Alison and I discuss Act 73 issues, Medicaid data requests from the Feds, and some miscellaneous bills in the legislature. You Can Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the embedded video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok … Read more
The Cost of Joining New York’s (Still Non-Existent) Cap & Invest Carbon Tax Scheme As the Vermont House Energy & Digital Infrastructure (HEDI) Committee debated whether or not to blow $800,000 (and $500,000 every year subsequent) establishing a new fossil fuel registry (H.740), Treasurer Mike Pieciak (D-VT) chimed in with a February 25, 2026, letter … Read more
This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and I discuss land use policy, energy policy, and Act 73 versus tuitioning statewide. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Disagree, agree, Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. … Read more
An anti-Israel group will rally the day after Town Meeting to celebrate what it hopes will be Town Meeting referendum victories. The referendum asks voters to approve several initiatives, including withdrawal of Vermont Air National Guard F-35’s from the strike force now aimed at further military action against Iran. The Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation … Read more
Stop Giving It More Money! As Vermonters gear up for Town Meeting Day and prepare to vote on the local school budgets that will determine our statewide property tax bill, please consider that the post-Act 60 public school system we have created is destroying our state. It has become a money-sucking vortex of incompetence eating … Read more
This week on Right Side Up, we discuss written testimony on Act 181 (Vermont’s land use planning framework and use jurisdiction) because your rights matter.” Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Disagree, agree, Got Something to Say, We … Read more
Voter ID Is Critical, Especially Now In order to ensure anything we decide as a society by voting – elections, referendums, budgets, etcetera – is a fair and accurate reflection of the voting public, the system has to be able to safeguard the principles of one person/one vote and the secret ballot. If the system … Read more
A Vermont couple has regained their foster care license following a legal dispute with state officials over required LGBTQ-related training, according to a report by Fox News. Melinda Antonucci, 45, and her husband, Casey Mathieu, 43, reached a settlement with the Vermont Department for Children and Families after their foster care license was revoked amid disagreements … Read more