FYIVT was the first to report that the City of Rutland’s 132nd Annual Report was printed and distributed with a doctored version of the city seal. The altered seal included the Latin phrase “Quidam amici optimi mei sunt Musulmanus”—a carryover from a 2017 satirical blog post. The phrase translates roughly to: “Some of my best friends are Muslims.”
The version of the report bearing the altered seal was distributed to residents on Town Meeting Day. A second version—with the cover page removed—was later uploaded to the city’s website without public notice or clarification.
FYIVT Broke the Story—Then Got Ignored
On Thursday, FYIVT sent a respectful and direct email to Mayor Mike Doenges requesting comment on the origin of the seal, whether the city had reviewed proofs, and what steps were being taken to address the issue. A copy of the altered seal was included for reference.
We received no response.
Instead, the mayor provided comment to the Rutland Herald, which published its story after FYIVT’s report had already circulated.
How Did the Fake Seal End Up in Print?
According to the Herald, the Williston-based print shop responsible for producing the reports was dissatisfied with the resolution of the seal image provided by the city. They reportedly requested a better file, but upon receiving one that still didn’t meet quality standards, they went online and mistakenly sourced the parody version instead.
Rather than confirm the source of the replacement or notify city officials, the shop used the satirical version as-is.
City officials described the incident as unintentional and not politically motivated. Still, a fake seal ended up in a taxpayer-funded city document—and no one caught it.
Talbott’s Public Response: Deflection and Mockery
When FYIVT posted the original article, Alderman Michael Talbott responded not with information—but with insult. He entered the conversation unprompted, calling the article “AI-generated propaganda,” and later posted a Pulp Fiction meme instead of addressing any of the questions posed. He punctuated the exchange with a laughing emoji.
FYIVT’s questions remain unanswered:
- Who reviewed and approved the final version of the report?
- How much did the city pay for the out-of-town print job?
- What internal quality control process—if any—was in place?
- Why was the altered seal not caught before distribution?
- Why was the online version changed without announcement?
Talbott responded to none of these. His public posture has remained dismissive.
One has to wonder: if the story was truly beneath him, why engage at all? What compels a sitting alderman to mock public concern rather than simply ignore it—or better yet, answer it? After all, the public reached out to FYIVT to cover the story.
Resolution Matters: The DPI Problem
Print professionals generally require 150–300 DPI (dots per inch) for quality output. The satirical seal used in the report was just 96 DPI. The city’s own available seal is 72 DPI—a standard web resolution, not suited for print.
That means the parody version was in better shape than the city’s official file. No one involved—at City Hall or the print shop—seemed to have access to a proper high-resolution version of the seal.
To help avoid this in the future, FYIVT has created several high-resolution, print-ready versions of the official city seal (SVG, PNG, TIFF at 300 DPI) and is offering them to the city at no cost.
Public Money, Public Trust
This isn’t about politics. It’s about the basic responsibilities of government: protecting the city’s visual identity, maintaining public records, and managing taxpayer resources with care.
Rutland residents paid for a botched print job. They deserve transparency—not memes. They deserve accountability—not laughing emojis from elected officials. They deserve a city government that takes public communication seriously.
FYIVT remains open to publishing any clarifying statements from the mayor or Board of Aldermen—unedited and in full.
We’ll be here when the city is ready to provide answers.
Still waiting.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
You can find FYIVT on YouTube | X(Twitter) | Facebook | Parler (@fyivt) | Gab | Instagram
#fyivt #rutlandvt #citygovernment #accountability
Support Us for as Little as $5 – Get In The Fight!!
Make a Big Impact with $25/month—Become a Premium Supporter!
Join the Top Tier of Supporters with $50/month—Become a SUPER Supporter!
Leave a Reply