Op-eds, commentary and letters from Vermont voices. The views are the authors', not FYIVT's.
Vermont ranks dead last in the nation for economic momentum, according to the Vermont Futures Project. Robert Roper examines the data, challenges an AI analysis, and argues that Vermont's highly progressive tax structure isn't a strength bu
With Vermont’s top legislative leaders stepping aside, Rob Roper argues the state’s long progressive experiment has produced unaffordable taxes, health care, housing, education, energy, and homelessness outcomes. He says voters now face a N
Vermont has a doctor shortage, a school funding crisis, and a demographic problem. School choice helps with all three. Families move here for it. Doctors can be recruited with it. Independent schools often educate students for fewer tax dol
Thirteen Senate Democrats joined every Republican in repealing Act 18, the Clean Heat Standard, but Democrats also advanced the fossil fuel dealer registry on party lines. Republicans split the vote to put lawmakers clearly on record: one v
Lawmakers in Montpelier are pushing back against proposed SNAP reforms that would restrict junk food purchases, arguing it limits personal choice. Critics say that stance clashes with years of efforts to tax sugary products for public healt
H.461- An act relating to expanding employee access to unpaid leave passed both the House and Senate, its fate now in the hands of Governor Scott. Having failed to pass a taxpayer funded paid family leave program, lawmakers pivoted to this
It’s not the governor’s fault your ridiculous plans are collapsing. Senator Anne Watson (D-Washington), chair of the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee and Kool Aid filled climate change religionist, recently penned an op-ed
Are progressive policies creating homeless, or attracting them? Governor Scott and the House and Senate Democrat majorities are at loggerheads over the motel voucher program that pays to put up homeless in, well, motel rooms. The governo
It’s been asked a lot lately with budgetary challenges running up against a lack of tax capacity, and the backdrop of DOGE findings of government waste at the federal level, “Do our elected representatives ever go back and evaluate the prog
The plan is to stall, hope the voters forget, and bring the fuel tax on line in the future. When Vermont voters threw out a historic number of Democrats in the November 2024 elections, including the chair of the Senate Natural Resources
Tax on gas & diesel could start at 26 cents per gallon. When it comes to the unaffordable climate change policies being pushed on Vermonters by the Democrat majority in the State House, the Clean Heat Standard for the home heating se
Vermont Democrats passed the Global Warming Solutions Act in 2020 over the veto of Governor Scott and the Republican legislative minority. That law mandates strict targets and timelines for greenhouse gas reduction set at 26% below 2005 lev
Rep. Kathleen James (D-Manchester) chairs the House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee. She was appointed to that post by Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington). Krowinski also assigned multiple bills that would repea
Time to repeal this unelected, worse than useless committee. While the question remains to be seen if a majority of elected legislators got the message on November 5th that Vermonters want nothing to do with home heating taxes or any oth
Act 18, the Clean Heat Standard law, required the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to design the detailed rules for how the program’s carbon credit market would work in practice. That plan is due, and the PUC’s draft report indicates it do
Will they listen? The big question many pundits are asking in the wake of the major Republican pick-ups in the state house and senate is what will they do with their newfound numbers? Six pick-ups in the Senate and what looks like around
There’s no secret ballot outside the voting booth. Follow BTL on Facebook, on TwitterX, and on YouTube. A political ad for Kamala Harris featuring a voiceover by actress Julia Roberts has sparked a lot of press coverage
Before throwing that word around, look at the history. The accusation of “fascist!” is being tossed around a lot in the closing weeks of this campaign season, which gets me to wondering if these accusers actually know what fascism is. It
It will not cost “pennies”, not just a study, and it will not help poor people. The Public Utilities Commission is soliciting comments on the Clean Heat Standard. Here is the one I submitted. If you want to submit one too, see the email
Front Porch Forum, a Vermont-based social media platform, is funded partly by taxpayer money but has been accused of political bias, particularly against conservatives. Despite its claim of civil discourse and strict moderation, some posts
Vermont’s supermajority is pushing a cap-and-invest program targeting transportation fuels to meet GWSA emission goals. This scheme forces fuel dealers to buy carbon credits, driving up gas and diesel prices. Following California’s model, V
Tuitioning program likely to be scapegoated by government school special interests. Follow BTL on Facebook, on TwitterX, and on YouTube. Before we get into the meat of today’s topic, here’s a quick review of how propert
If EVERYTHING goes right, it’s possible. Follow BTL on Facebook, on TwitterX, and on YouTube. The Vermont Senate contains thirty seats. Democrats/Progressives currently hold twenty-three of them and the office of Lieute
In Vermont's flawed election system, live ballots are being sent to dead voters, non-residents, and non-citizens, raising serious concerns about election security. Examples of multiple ballots, DMV errors, and unremoved names highlight fail
