Scott was a great boss at VPIRG when I interned there in the late 70's. I learned a lot from him.
I never understood the nostalgic attraction that the Moran building seems to hold for so many people. This plan gets rid of a rust belt industrial edifice better suited as a setting for a post apocalyptic movie while retaining its "place." Everyone wins.
Thanks for the series. I know how much we romanticize small towns, but I wonder about the reality. Would you ever consider going deeper on this topic? I would like to know numbers. Look at data points correlated to location (towns). The per capita data points I'm thinking of might include such things as:
* per capita education outcomes - how many go on to college? how many drop out of school? how many earn degrees or career certifications in four years?
* per capita health outcomes - rates of obesity, alcoholism, drug use, heart disease, cancers, etc.
* per capita fiscal outcomes - per capita taxes paid, per capita public expenditures received
* per capita economic data - per capita income, per capita living expenses
* per capita social outcomes - per capita divorce, per capita single parent households, per capita suicides, per capita incidences of domestic violence
* demographic data - age, diversity, incomes, education levels, etc.
* per capita carbon footprint data - miles driven or gallons of gas consumed, heat source (wood, oil, gas), acres used for lawns,
Perhaps the data could be sorted by population quintiles.
You get the picture. I think looking at such data might get us to ask some very interesting questions.
My take-away from reading this article and hearing the voices from these towns is that small-mindedness must be a comforting thing.
My guess is that O'Keefe is looking for a publicity event so the best response is to totally ignore him. Don't go near the place.
It sounds like O'Meara Sanders may have exaggerated the number and/or the amount of pledges promised to Burlington College in order to get a loan so that the college could purchase the church property. Buying the church property was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to transform Burlington College into a "real college." I suppose the presumption was that once the college acquired the "campus", it would attract more donors and blossom. That strategy apparently didn't work. If there was no deception involved, then I applaud her for taking that risk and going for it. It was the right thing to do even it if it didn't work out.
Re: “Bandwagon Preview: UVM vs. Florida State”
Like the tone of this preview. Thanks.