News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
As we edge toward the second year of the legislative biennium in Vermont, politicians on the Left have glommed onto the word “affordability” – a long-time campaign theme on the Right – in an unbelievable attempt to make it their own. I say unbelievable, but if the New York mayoral race was any indication, at … Read more
The operator of a Swanton convenience store, an Indian national, was detained by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities earlier this month for illegal entry and due to alleged crimes committed in India, an ICE spokesperson told VDC this morning. Premkumar Pankajkumar Patel – known to Grand Avenue Quick Stop patrons as Pete – is … Read more
This is not breaking news but deserves repeating. Mill Moore, writing for Campaign for Vermont exposed this startling new reality earlier this month in a terrific article highlighting Vermont’s decade-long public school performance nosedive, which has coincided with an upward trend in math and literacy scores in Mississippi. Yeah, that Mississippi. The (formerly) “Thank God … Read more
We knew the DEI folks were never going to give up on their broken system or the power it affords their virtue signalling. Threats of defunding have not been exactly delivered, while the purveyors of cultural Marxism continue to find ways to subvert or skirt rules if brought into play. Remember, they still think they … Read more
I recently noticed this article: CT men busted as fentanyl dealers after driving north on I-91 in stolen car. I have been explaining to Vermonters for years that drug trafficking is a lucrative business that doesn’t care about race (well except that gangs move most of the fentanyl in the US, and 90% of gangs are comprised … Read more
A fraud detection expert and web software developer claim that at least 13,000 voted ballots from the 2024 Vermont election were from addresses deemed “undeliverable,” and they call for further investigation. This is among several concerns in their new report titled the Vermont Voter Roll Integrity Analysis, prompting a response from the Secretary of State’s Office, … Read more
The committee tasked under Act 73 with coming up with a menu of consolidated school district maps for the legislature to consider in 2026… just didn’t do it. It was their whole job under the law, and after six months of hearings and consultants and cashing those taxpayer-funded per-diem checks and blowing through their $170,000 … Read more
The City of Burlington will go slow on a plan to increase the property tax exemption and shift the burden to higher-value properties. The City Charter Change Committee had planned to move forward Monday night with discussions on a new homestead property value exemption of up to the first $50,000 of real estate value. The exemption – … Read more
Hat tip to Compass Vermont for their recent article highlighting the state’s public input survey on the choices our legislature will have to make when they return to Montpelier in January, End of the Easy Money: Vermont Braces for Its Hardest Budget in 10 Years. The main point: Vermont is running out of money and … Read more
As the federal government shutdown threatens to halt food benefits next week, Governor Phil Scott said Monday that Vermont is prepared to join other states in suing the federal government if Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments stop after November 1. In a separate action, Vermont House of Representatives’ leaders said they will seek to … 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
To any Republican who finds themselves caught up in a scandal over which Democrats are demanding they resign, say Jay Jones. Jones not only talked about killing a Republican, his wife, and their two children. When asked to recant, he doubled down. His own party is as incapable of denouncing his threats of political violence, … 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
Welcome back to another installment of Right Side Up with Mike Tagliavia. 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 Please like, follow, or subscribe to The ‘Grok on Rumble and YouTube for … 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
This week on Right Side Up, we discuss mistakes made by past legislatures that should be fixed this coming session. 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 Please … 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