Vermont – Granite Grok

Clean Heat Standard Will Hurt Poor Vermonters on LIHEAP Heating Assistance

The Equity Advisory Group (EAG) to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) heard testimony on July 9th from Richard Giddings of the Department of Children and Families about how the Clean Heat Standard law would impact low-income Vermonters who receive home heating assistance in the winter. The news was not good for LIHEAP (Low Income Heating Assistance … Read more

“Green” Energy Policy Punishes Those on Home Heating Assistance

by Rob Roper

On Vermont Bashing Christians and Ignoring Its State Constitution

by Skip

Vermont joins Oregon in hating Christians, going after not those wishing to adopt but those who want to give children a foster home while their parents get their acts together (a majority of the cases; I’ll put aside other types of reasons like parental deaths for now).

What “Paying Just a Little More” Really Means

by Rob Roper

Vermonters who don’t pay close attention to politics may have been surprised this month (July 2024) to find their paychecks a little lighter than expected, the result of a new payroll tax passed into law last year (Act 76).

Night Cap: Industry Fraud Brings Down Boeing Planes

by John Klar

Recurrent airline accidents involving Boeing jets have triggered both public alarm and government scrutiny. Despite assurances that manufacturing safeguards would be improved following two high-profile Boeing plane accidents in 2018 and 2019 that caused the deaths of 346 people, recent whistleblower revelations of a “broken safety culture” at the company have prompted ire from federal regulators.

No, a 14% Property Tax Increase is Not a Decrease.

by Rob Roper

If you thought the biggest, most brazen political lie from this past week was “Joe Biden is sharp as a tack,” you would be wrong. That prize has to go to Vermont state Representative Mike Mrowicki (D-Putney), who said in an op-ed that he and the Democrat/Progressive supermajority “…lowered property tax rates — with a yield bill that’s fiscally responsible.”

The First Amendment Odyssey of Julian Assange

by John Klar

The smell of fresh Australian air in Julian Assange’s nostrils is a liberty neither he nor most of the rest of the world thought would ever be afforded a man who so tenaciously defied the planet’s strongest superpower. Credited with having exposed US military actions through the publication of documents leaked by whistleblower Chelsea (Bradley) Manning, Assange has endured a long ordeal. So has the First Amendment.

Happy Independence Day!

by John Klar

I am grateful this Independence Day that our nation still fights for the fundamental liberties our forefathers secured for the world to see. This Substack is itself evidence that Americans still value free speech, as we all seek to find truth in a world of unethical journalism and untrustworthy government.

Fossil Fuel Companies Won’t PAY for “Climate Change” – Vermonters Will

by Steve MacDonald

Vermont has just done something hailed by Climateers as groundbreaking and memorialized by The Week with the headline: ‘Vermont becomes first state to make fossil fuel companies pay for climate change.’

Really?

Mystery Meats for US Troops

by John Klar

Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE), which has received more than $500 million in Department of Defense funding, recently announced it is soliciting proposals to develop “innovations in food production that reduce the CO2 footprint of food production at … DoD operational environments.” Translation: The Pentagon is funding research and development of novel cell-cultured fake meats to feed US soldiers.

Night Cap: Wither Goes the Office of Racial Equity?

by Rob Roper

In my last article, I noted that back in February 2023, the Director of Racial Equity, Xusana Davis, warned in testimony that the Clean Heat Standard in its then-current form was not an equitable piece of legislation, listed a number of problems with the bill, and hasn’t been heard from since.

Equity Advisory Committee Members Souring on Clean Heat Standard

by Rob Roper

Members of the Equity Advisory Group (EAG), which is assisting the Public Utilities Commission in developing “fair and just” rules to govern the Clean Heat Standard (CHS) carbon tax on heating oil, propane, natural gas, and kerosene, made some surprising—and welcome—remarks during their June 11 meeting.

Have Fake Meats Exceeded Their Shelf Life?

by John Klar

Following years of marketing hype proclaiming that fake meats would transform the food industry and modern diets, sobriety has descended on the industry as manufacturers wrestle with declining sales, dissatisfied customers, and difficulties achieving profitability.

Who’s Banning Books Now?

by Rob Roper

The legislature passed just this year S.220 – An act relating to Vermont’s public libraries. The ostensible need for the law was summed up by the WCAX headline, “Vermont Senate advances bill to discourage book banning.” This was, in great part, a reaction by our legislators to parents around the country objecting to highly sexualized materials … Read more

Is EV Manufacturing Exceeding Demand?

by John Klar

Car manufacturers make little, if any, money on EV sales. A dearth of charging stations discourages new buyers, who are also put off by high sticker prices. Sales of new electric vehicles have dropped off, as have used resale values.

Who Made Vermont Use Fossil Fuels in the First Place?

by Steve MacDonald

Last week, I took Vermont Democrats to the rhetorical woodshed over a new law to charge fossil fuel companies for the cost of climate change. It was a fun ride but long-winded, so I published it on Substack.

Night Cap: Expert Gives Masterclass In Why The Thing They Came To Advocate Won’t Work

by Rob Roper

When you’re getting big bucks to hold a public meeting and nobody from the public shows up, what do you do? Get one of your employees to play the role of “good citizen.” This is what happened at the first legally mandated public outreach forum that was supposed to inform the public about the Clean … Read more

The Furor Over Fake Meat

by John Klar

Iowa has become the latest state to signal hostility toward fake meat food products, imposing fines of up to $10,000 on manufacturers who mislabel protein-based products as meat.

Child in bed reading the bible - christian -

Night Cap: Black Christian Nationalism

by John Klar

The politicization of Americans’ faith traditions has recently devolved into the newfound leftist phrase “Christian nationalist,” often combined with race as “white Christian nationalism” and then touted as a threat to the nation. But in seemingly racist arrogance, these Christ-haters ignore the history of black Christian nationalism.

Who Wins “Biggest Dunce” Award for the Biennium?

by Rob Roper

This is the 150^th Behind the Lines post since I started this page eighteen months ago at the beginning of the 2023-2024 legislative biennium. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed, shared, and grown the audience over the past year and a half, and welcome to many new subscribers who have joined in the last few weeks!