Music in Montréal

[Re “The Montréal FAQ: Nine In-the-Know Vermonters on Their Favorite Ways to Experience the City,” December 3]: You’ve done a few write-ups about Montréal, but you never mention the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, maybe the best orchestra in North America. The conductor is the young, dynamic Rafael Payare. The orchestra performs in the state-of-the-art Montréal Symphony House in Place des Arts, on rue Sainte-Catherine. This orchestra is fantastic!

Also, you don’t mention the lively jazz scene. I recommend catching a set at Diese Onze on rue Saint-Denis.

Thanks for the Memories

Thank you for your wonderful article celebrating Meyer Schapiro and Phong Bui, which I read with a sense of delight [“Common Ground: Curator Phong Bui Honors Art Historian Meyer Schapiro in Brattleboro,” November 26].

In the early ’80s I was a new administrator at Columbia University, and office space in Low Library, the main central office building, was in short supply. I was asked to share a small private office suite then occupied exclusively by professor Schapiro and his longtime assistant, Dr. Miriam Bunim. My incursion into their heretofore private and very academic space was initially met with understandable disdain, but their generous natures soon accepted me as an officemate and sometimes unofficial student. There I suddenly became witness to a wondrous world of art, learning and intellect. My special office arrangements ended after a few years but sparked a lifelong interest in art history.

‘State of Shock and Sorrow’

Seven Days was accused of “fearmongering” in a recent letter [Feedback, November 26]. If so, the paper is in good company. U.S. Marine Corps general John Kelly, former chief of staff for President Donald Trump, stated that Trump “certainly falls into the general definition of a fascist” and “prefers the dictator approach to government.” Was he fearmongering?

Conservative columnist George Will wrote that “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to be a war criminal … The killing of the survivors by this moral slum of an administration should nauseate Americans.” Is Will fearmongering?

Attorney Gen. Pam Bondi is prosecuting Trump’s perceived enemies, including John Bolton! The list goes on of a never-before-seen demolition of barriers by Trump. May we complain?

In my nearly 70 years, I have seen a lot of things but nothing close to the behavior of this POTUS, a man who instigated a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol and then pardoned thugs who assaulted the police.

Resistance from honest conservatives still occurs but has no real effect because nearly every GOP moderate has been driven out of Congress. Over the past 10 years, I have watched in amazement as the majority of conservatives and Republicans have left their previous moral convictions behind. Am I fearmongering?

I am not a member of the far left. I reside in the vast ideological chasm between the far left and far right. Many of us are in a state of shock and sorrow that the American presidency could have fallen to such a low level.

Single Payer or Die

It is excruciating to read article after article about cherished, essential Vermont institutions — public schools, birth centers, Seven Days, you name it — closing, shrinking or forcing costs onto their employees due to the skyrocketing price of health insurance [From the Publisher: “What I Should Have Said,” December 3]. And it’s about to get so much worse.

Earth to Vermont legislature: How many encyclopedias’ worth of writing on the wall do you need to see before you get to work on the universal single-payer health care system we thought we’d be getting 15 years ago?

“But how will we pay for it?” How will we pay for what we have now? The fact is, we are paying already, every day, with pounds of our flesh. Get your best people on the case and start figuring it out before Vermont drops dead!

‘Embrace Abundance’

[Re “Vermont Faces a 12 Percent Increase in Education Taxes,” December 1, online]: Another year, another double-digit tax hike. Vermonters know the story: wages flat, bills climbing, politicians punting. Committees meet, maps are drawn, schools close — but the root causes go untouched. Health care eats nearly a quarter of education budgets. Housing shortages drive families away. Demographics tilt against us.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Scarcity isn’t destiny. Vermont can embrace abundance. Rahm Emanuel’s call to make education our lodestar resonates here. Imagine a system that doesn’t just shuffle students between districts but equips them to thrive in the real world.

We should be training welders, electricians, coders and builders. We should be investing in technical education and the trades, raising a generation that can literally construct Vermont’s future. That’s how you tackle affordability — by empowering people to earn, create and stay rooted here.

The abundance agenda is about optimism. It says Vermont can be more than a place of rising costs and shrinking opportunities. It can be the state that proves education reform isn’t about cutting — it’s about building. Let’s stop managing decline and start imagining growth.

Danville Can Pay

[Re “Danville Residents Vote to Keep School Open,” December 8, online]: If Danville residents value their high school and community and want to keep their school open, they should have a town bonus tax to keep it open. Subsidized schools don’t need to be a part of my state taxes when they are not necessary, especially when my taxes are predicted to go up another 10 percent this year. Community is a very good thing that keeps crime down and fosters cohesiveness, but the times they are a-changin’.

Capitalism Is Not the Answer

I read, with tears, Courtney Lamdin’s article on the status of the Chittenden County homelessness crisis as winter sets in [“Frozen Out: With Few Places to Go, Unhoused People in Burlington Prepare to Hunker Down in Tents for a Long, Cold Winter,” November 12]. I see the struggle, even as so many people are trying to make headway and offer help, as a huge pile of Band-Aids delivered to a war zone. The Band-Aids are needed, but the real issue is the war chewing up people and spitting them out dead and wounded.

We are facing massive levels of suffering as a direct result of the capitalism in which we have so much faith. The increased levels of racial hatred and the intolerance of minorities, the homeless, the poor and immigrants being promoted by the president and Republicans make it all much worse. The system itself is intolerant enough of the weaker and less fortunate among us, but now our leaders are intentionally exacerbating the issue instead of helping.

On the streets of Burlington, if property owners continue to escalate rents and there is a continuous flow of tenants who will pay the ever-increasing rents, the issue will only become worse. The majority of us are one or two paychecks away from homelessness ourselves, and we avoid that realization like the largest monster under the bed. Not us, we think. We’re college-educated and work hard at two jobs. Meanwhile, the mainstream continues to dismiss or ridicule Sen. Bernie Sanders and socialism.

Task Force ‘Listened’

[Re “Different School of Thought: A Group Tasked With Redrawing School District Maps Has Suggested an Alternative Scenario, Rankling the Scott Administration,” November 26]: The simple truth is this: The task force fulfilled its mandate far better than any top-down map ever could. It listened.

Commentary casting the panel as a political containment strategy or quiet rebellion is rooted in misinformation and outdated assumptions. It relies on a persistent myth — that Vermont can fix education costs by drawing bigger maps and dissolving local boards. That theory appeals to those far from the towns whose schools would close, but it is not grounded in rural reality or in the evidence from years of consolidation. Across Vermont, communities were clear: Forced consolidation is not reform. It is a blunt tool aimed at the wrong target.

Property taxes are rising because of inflation, health care costs, special-education obligations and long-term state underfunding. Merging districts does nothing to address these pressures, and if the hard-line version of Act 73 proceeded, young families would leave or avoid Vermont entirely. Act 73 assumed that mega-districts with 4,000 to 8,000 students would save money. If that were true, Act 46 would have done so. It did not. Research confirms what former education secretary Rebecca Holcombe has stated plainly: Consolidation shifts who decides, not the costs they must manage. The task force refused to repeat that mistake. Its Cooperative Education Service Areas model preserves local control, keeps schools open and promotes shared services without coercion. It reflects Vermont’s geographic diversity and democratic values.

The task force did its job. Now Montpelier must do the same: Respect local voices, keep schools open and adopt reforms grounded in evidence, not ideology.

Learn From Act 46

[Re “Different School of Thought: A Group Tasked With Redrawing School District Maps Has Suggested an Alternative Scenario, Rankling the Scott Administration,” November 26]: As a former member of the Vermont Board of Education, I remember well the promises made during Act 46: Mergers would bring “opportunities, equity and efficiencies.” The implication was that mergers would save money. Years later, a statistical analysis by a former Vermont student at Yale University confirmed what many suspected: The savings never came, and per-pupil spending disparities remain. Vermont reorganized districts without addressing the real cost drivers.

As the legislature reviews Act 73’s recommendations and the December 3 health care briefing, the parallels are striking. The Act 73 task force spent months reviewing whether large, forced mergers would save money. Its conclusion? The research does not support that assumption. Yet the administration criticized the task force for not producing predetermined consolidation maps — even though the evidence pointed elsewhere. This is politics overruling data.

What makes this more astonishing is that, on the same day, members of the governor’s administration told lawmakers that regionalization and shared services are exactly what Vermont needs to lower health care costs. Vermont now has the highest per-person health care costs in the nation, with Vermonters spending 19.6 percent of their income on care and hospitals facing multibillion-dollar deficits.

If regional collaboration is the right strategy for health care, why force top-down consolidation in education — especially when the evidence suggests it won’t save money and may harm rural access?

Act 46 taught Vermont a costly lesson. Act 73 points toward a better path. Health care reform should follow the evidence, too — not political conclusions in search of justification.

Think Creatively

The newest education debacle is upon us [“Different School of Thought: A Group Tasked With Redrawing School District Maps Has Suggested an Alternative Scenario, Rankling the Scott Administration,” November 26]. We have a governor who seems to have an idea of how to fix it, so a committee is created to study and come up with a way to solve the problem of financing education. When it doesn’t come up with the plan of his dreams, he calls it “a failure.” Why doesn’t he just create a plan and submit it to the legislature for consideration? If a committee is created and doesn’t come up with your design, it is not a failure; its solution simply does not match your way of thinking.

If the biggest driver of education costs is health insurance, why not start by addressing this problem? The state employees have a health insurance plan. Why not consider having teachers statewide join this insurance plan or create one of their own? It would be a large pool of people and could lower the costs by the numbers of people being insured.

Vermont has a history of community schools that widely serve as the centers of towns and villages, with the buildings often serving multiple functions for the communities. Undoing these historical functions is changing the complexions of the towns.

Moving some functions from school to school is much more practical than moving busloads of children to the services. It’s time to be creative. Are we serving our children, or are we serving health insurance companies?

My hope is that the legislature works independently of Gov. Phil Scott and Education Secretary Zoie Saunders and takes the time to make and keep our state education system strong and independent.

Protect Refugees

[Re “Asylum Angst: Volunteers Helping Asylum Seekers in the Northeast Kingdom Face a Perilous New Immigration Landscape,” August 27]: As a refugee, I have navigated the complexities of undergoing background checks and interviews to be admitted to the U.S., while also applying to college. Memories of residing in a small apartment, where my parents sacrificed their comfort, form the essence of my commitment to education. This country gave me the opportunity to repay my family’s sacrifices. For this reason, I raise my voice for those children waiting in refugee camps in uncertainty, dreaming of the same chance I was given. Refugees strengthen our communities by working, attending our churches and schools, and paying taxes.

Some facts:

• In Vermont, immigrants and refugees contributed $171.3 million in state and local taxes and $332.7 million in federal taxes in 2023. (Vera Institute of Justice)

• In 2019, 188,000 refugee entrepreneurs generated $5.1 billion in business income, contributing $25 billion in taxes. (New American Economy)

• And refugee entrepreneurs employed more than 240,000 people nationwide, including U.S. citizens. (American Immigration Council)

I extend my gratitude to U.S. Sens. Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint for their ongoing advocacy on behalf of these hardworking families. I urge you to support robust investment in foreign assistance and refugee protections in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations to begin realigning our nation’s spending priorities away from division and closer to peace, security and upward mobility for our communities.

‘Another Illegal Alien Tearjerker’

Surprise! Yet another illegal alien tearjerker in Seven Days [“Standing By: Vermonters Who Fear Deportation Are Lining Up Legal Guardians for Their Children,” September 24]. If your business model needs modern-day slaves to milk warehoused animals that never go outside, never feel the sunshine and run through vats of formaldehyde to control strawberry hoof warts, then maybe, just maybe, you should be in another business. Or we could pay a few cents more for organic dairy products.

As for all the folks aiding and abetting these criminals, just try and work in Mexico or Canada or any other country without a permit! It’s Adios, muchacho, right back to the U.S. border. These large farm operations, referred to as “cow-schwitzes” (animal concentration camps) hereabouts, are beating up the land and are responsible for the massive algae blooms in the lake every summer.

Slaves, cruelty, pollution — who could defend that?

Hardworking New Americans

[Re “Vermont Afghans on Edge Following Shooting of Guard Soldiers in D.C.,” November 28]: Deportations from New England are up tenfold in 2025. Do we really believe that all of these 10,000-plus immigrants posed a threat to national security and our local safety? The president of the U.S. calls an entire nationality “garbage.” He blames all Afghans for the horrific act of one individual. He would have us believe that our neighbors are bad people, that they are here to go on welfare, deal drugs, commit crimes and destroy the sense of (white) America. History shows how this can play out — pogroms, ethnic cleansing, even genocide. That is not the America we know and love. Many of us know our Somali and Afghan neighbors to be hardworking folks committed to raising their families in a country of peace and fairness. Let’s stand by these new Americans and remind our local, state and federal officials that we value these newcomers’ humanity and their presence here in our communities.

McKibben Is a Hero

Thank you for featuring one of my heroes, Bill McKibben, who has kept his finger in the dike of the climate crisis for decades and never quit sounding the alarm [“Star Power: Ripton Writer and Activist Bill McKibben Has Surprisingly Sunny News for Our Gloomy Times: The Solar Age Has Dawned,” November 26]. What sweet justice that now people around the world are turning to the sun, away from fossil fuels and the criminals who still cling to the “hoax” while destroying life on this planet to line their pockets. Victory is within our grasp, thanks to those who have never given in or given up.

Conservation Is Key

Thanks for giving Bill McKibben the spotlight [“Star Power,” November 26]. He has proven to be one of the most durable and focused writers on climate change in this country, quick to notice and spread the news about the solar revolution replacing fossil fuels.

But I would like to point out that a new source of clean energy is only part of the change we need. In this, I would point to Amory Lovins, who began writing about energy about the same time as McKibben but focused on the greatest source of new power: energy conservation. As much promise as solar energy has, it will do nothing to change our future if we handle it as wastefully as we do all other energy.

This, of course, goes against the basic economic assumptions this country has built into every aspect of our daily life. To change that would be even more challenging than replacing our source of energy.

Charlotte Coming Around

[Re “Star Power,” November 26]: I was thrilled to see Seven Days upon returning from Thanksgiving in Washington, D.C. I first saw Bill McKibben’s reporting on the new age of renewables in the New Yorker and immediately sent it to several friends as the most hopeful thing I’d read in months. In addition to the good news, your story delved deeply into McKibben’s background and approach to activism. It was inspirational.

Closer to home and also inspirational, the Charlotte Selectboard recently voted unanimously to proceed with the Town Energy Modernization Project. With more solar and heat pumps, this will essentially eliminate the town buildings’ reliance on fossil fuels and save taxpayers $700,000 over the next 25 years.

It was a gutsy vote, expertly marshaled by board chair Lee Krohn, driven by the need to secure federal subsidies that expire at the end of the year. It could be the end of the “Charnot” era in town.

Thank you for featuring one of my heroes, Bill McKibben, who has kept his finger in the dike of the climate crisis for decades and never quit sounding the alarm [“Star Power: Ripton Writer and Activist Bill McKibben Has Surprisingly Sunny News for Our Gloomy Times: The Solar Age Has Dawned,” November 26]. What sweet justice that now people around the world are turning to the sun, away from fossil fuels and the criminals who still cling to the “hoax” while destroying life on this planet to line their pockets. Victory is within our grasp, thanks to those who have never given in or given up.

Conservation Is Key

Thanks for giving Bill McKibben the spotlight [“Star Power,” November 26]. He has proven to be one of the most durable and focused writers on climate change in this country, quick to notice and spread the news about the solar revolution replacing fossil fuels.

But I would like to point out that a new source of clean energy is only part of the change we need. In this, I would point to Amory Lovins, who began writing about energy about the same time as McKibben but focused on the greatest source of new power: energy conservation. As much promise as solar energy has, it will do nothing to change our future if we handle it as wastefully as we do all other energy.

This, of course, goes against the basic economic assumptions this country has built into every aspect of our daily life. To change that would be even more challenging than replacing our source of energy.

Charlotte Coming Around

[Re “Star Power,” November 26]: I was thrilled to see Seven Days upon returning from Thanksgiving in Washington, D.C. I first saw Bill McKibben’s reporting on the new age of renewables in the New Yorker and immediately sent it to several friends as the most hopeful thing I’d read in months. In addition to the good news, your story delved deeply into McKibben’s background and approach to activism. It was inspirational.

Closer to home and also inspirational, the Charlotte Selectboard recently voted unanimously to proceed with the Town Energy Modernization Project. With more solar and heat pumps, this will essentially eliminate the town buildings’ reliance on fossil fuels and save taxpayers $700,000 over the next 25 years.

It was a gutsy vote, expertly marshaled by board chair Lee Krohn, driven by the need to secure federal subsidies that expire at the end of the year. It could be the end of the “Charnot” era in town.

This article appears in Dec 24 2025 – Jan 6 2026.

Got something to say?

Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!