Sign of the Times?

I loved Gov. Phil Scott’s purple suit in Marc Nadel’s cover art for “Balancing Act” [October 29] but felt Nadel missed something. To put a “USA” sign in the hands of one of the people in the “blue” crowd would have highlighted the nuanced argument, one that President Donald Trump, his administration and supporters are trying to not allow: that Americans protesting that day (and every day) love America, we love democracy, we can be in the messiness of it and of our history and keep showing up for it all, to keep doing better. It was a missed opportunity in the cover art but not missed by the thousands who carried American flags on “No Kings” day.

Scott Is Right

In “Balancing Act” [October 29], Gov. Phil Scott said of President Donald Trump: “His trap is to cause turmoil. He’s like a typhoon, and everyone is chasing their tail on a daily basis about something he says or does that is petty and unpresidential.”

Precisely: Scott responds to Trump with reason, not emotion and grand gestures. Why can’t Democrats and Progressives figure that out?

‘Real Patriotism’

“Blue states” Vermont, Maryland and Illinois were denied federal disaster aid by the president [“Balancing Act,” October 29]. “Red states” Alaska, Nebraska and North Dakota were approved. He considers us to be not Americans but enemies. The president of the United States believes me to be an enemy of America, or actually an enemy of him. I’m a veteran. I uphold the Constitution.

The Northeast Kingdom was hit hard by the July flood. The Northeast Kingdom voted for him. Apologies to those who didn’t, but the majority did.

But those who voted for him are Vermonters and Americans. I say we send our personal donations to towns like Sutton and show this asshole what real patriotism looks like.

What ‘Insurance’?

[Re “Prognosis: Higher Costs, Less Coverage for Vermonters,” October 29]: Obamacare has created a structure where buying “insurance” is a terrible, awful, no-good financial deal for any family of four with a household income over $130,000 per year. The math just doesn’t add up.

The cheapest “Bronze” plan for said family of four on the Vermont exchange costs $27,789.96 per year, or 21 percent of its pretax gross income. Yet the “health insurance” policy doesn’t pay a dime until the family has paid actual health care bills of $19,900 for the family, or $9,950 per individual family member.

In other words, the family receives not one penny from insurance until it has paid from $37,739 to $47,689 in premiums and health care bills.

With “insurance” like this, who needs enemies?

Many such families will conclude it is a better deal to forgo “insurance,” bank the $27,279 per year and pay cash for medical care. And they’ll be right.

‘Wonderful, Poetic Article’

[Re “Great and Small: Argentine Cartoonist and Upper Valley Resident Liniers Turns Ordinary Life Into Extraordinary Comics,” October 8]: This is my first response to an article in Seven Days. Just a wonderful, poetic article, and I loved seeing so many of the cartoons.

Missed Opportunity

[Re “Sen. Sam Douglass Resigns Over Racist Chats,” October 17, online]: When it was revealed that former Vermont senator Sam Douglass (R-Orleans) and his wife, Brianna, had participated in an online chat with other young Republicans that expressed hateful, bigoted and racist sentiments, many people, including Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Senate Minority Leader Scott Beck (R-Caledonia), urged him to resign. I didn’t agree. I thought it was a teachable moment. I had hoped that Douglass would show contrition and explain how he came to express such thoughts and use his voice in a positive way to condemn those who do.

Instead, he failed this moment. He showed a stunning lack of character, courage and leadership in his resignation letter. Instead of taking personal responsibility, he changes the conversation to brag about what a nice person he is. And then he shifts the blame to others and claims that he’s the victim. And he concludes with gratuitous flattery that he believes in what Gov. Scott is trying to do for the state, apparently not realizing that he is the opposite of what the governor promotes.

Douglass is not sorry about what he said; he is only sorry it is having bad consequences for him. He does not want to turn against his fellow Republicans who talk like this. He identifies with them and their “values” and prefers their acceptance. That is sad but true.

I am disappointed that he failed this teachable moment by not showing character, courage or leadership.

Schools = Community

[Re “Rural School Boards Feel Pressure Amid Ed Reform Speculation,” October 1]: Act 73 entrusted members of the Commission on the Future of Public Education with a solemn duty: to preserve the voice of communities in governing their schools. That voice cannot be reduced to a survey or replaced by centralized decision-making outside the community that funds its school — and this state — through taxes. It must remain a vote: a deliberate, warned democratic act by those whose children, future and identity are bound to that schoolhouse.

Local control is not a privilege; it is the foundation of legitimate government under the Vermont Constitution and U.S. Constitution. Removing a community’s right to vote on its school’s fate denies consent of the governed and violates due process under 14 V.S.A. §1 and public participation rights. A voice without a vote is a hollow gesture — an illusion of democracy.

Closing a school reshapes a town’s civic, social and economic fabric. Such action must be approved only by a warned local vote. Anything less is unjust, unconstitutional and arguably illegal. If the legislature removes this right, it will not withstand legal or moral scrutiny. The people of Vermont will remember who silenced them.

Closing schools also damages children, fails to save money, deepens inequity and erodes communities. These closures harm students, waste resources and weaken Vermont’s rural heart.

Committee members should stand with the people — the parents, teachers and children whose liberties depend on your judgment.

People Need Homes

Gov. Phil Scott has it all wrong [“Gov: ‘Surge’ of Aid to Burlington Will Start a ‘Community Accountability Court,’” October 10, online]. Burlington does not need another prosecutor and court to further go after our homeless and those who need the help the most. Maybe Gov. Scott would better understand the need if he spent a month homeless in Burlington, experiencing the indignities of not having a place to call home. We are now reaping the consequences of not protecting our most vulnerable citizens. Jailing them will not make fewer homeless nor fewer breaks of the law. No research shows this as an effective tool. Providing homes would.

Tag Graffiti Criminals

[Re “Tag, Who’s It? Burlington City Officials Have Few Strategies to Crack Down on Unsightly Graffiti,” October 8]: Seven Days reporter Courtney Lamdin’s investigative report concludes what we all have suspected: Graffiti enforcement has not been a city priority since a specialized Street Crimes Unit was eliminated in 2021. Its disbandment was, of course, a direct result of the infamous city council vote in July 2020 to defund the police department.

Even after the city has been grossly defaced by graffiti, Lamdin finds that Burlington lacks a “comprehensive plan to tackle tagging.” Recently, this was sadly apparent after city officials spent $14,000 to install artwork around Memorial Auditorium; it was soon vandalized with graffiti.

The negative effect of persistent graffiti should not be underestimated. Urban planners concur that it has significant negative economic and social effects on a city, contributing to urban decay and perceptions of lawlessness.

So, what is Burlington to do? For starters:

1. Reinstate the Street Crimes Unit, and charge it with developing a Graffiti Abatement Plan.

2. Since city budgets are stressed, consider a hybrid funding model using private donations, contributions from local businesses and civic crowd-funding initiatives.

3. Revise ordinances and restorative justice programs to fully and effectively support plans.

Nudity Is Not the Problem

As someone who’s experienced homelessness firsthand, I’m compelled to speak out about the city’s priorities [“Burlington Officially Bans Public Nudity,” September 29, online]. It’s disheartening to see Democrats focus on public nudity as a major crisis when more pressing issues, like homelessness and crime, plague our community.

Personally, I’ve faced harassment from police, had my car towed and been targeted for simply existing while homeless. Despite contributing to this city for 30 years through volunteer work and community service, I’m treated like a nuisance.

It’s time for our city’s leaders to refocus on real issues. We need safe spaces for homeless individuals to park and sleep without fear of persecution. We need support services that actually help people get back on their feet.

Let’s work together to address the root causes of homelessness and crime, rather than scapegoating vulnerable populations.

This article appears in Nov 5-11 2025.

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