Envelope graphic

‘A Breath of Fresh Air’

I read Seven Days from Michigan. I used to live in Vermont and miss its people. I write a monthly newsletter, and many times I share an article that I believe my followers would enjoy. Keep writing the type of articles that you are generating. Your paper is a breath of fresh air. Keep fighting the good fight.

City Should Stand Up

Lucy Tompkins’ excellent report, “ICE Detains Somali Taxi Driver in Burlington Amid Crackdown” [January 30] shows us what can happen to our immigrant neighbors when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes to town. Inevitably, with its swollen budget, it will arrive with more agents and more weapons.

After studying and writing for years about the anti-Nazi resistance in the Netherlands, I learned there is a continuum of resistance and a continuum of collaboration. There are, of course, some limits to what the city can do, but we should go right to the edge of those limits and push them. No one in the employ of the City of Burlington should be assisting ICE in any way whatsoever. In fact, prohibiting them from doing so might be a meaningful piece of legislation, along with the other measures the city is considering.

As the mayor and city council consider what we can do as a municipality, I am glad they are reaching out to other cities to strategize and take the strongest possible action. The degree of lawlessness in Minneapolis shows us that ICE considers itself above the law, and its agents will do what they want regardless of constitutional or other rights. But we don’t have to make it easy for them.

The tide will turn, and we all want to be on the right side when it does.

Politeness Goes a Long Way

[Re “Dividing Line,” January 21, which describes an incident in Jeffersonville]: A bright spark in the U.S. Border Patrol should have noticed that the roofers live in plain sight, send their kids to school and are gainfully employed. The contractor could have been asked if proper paperwork was on file. A couple of polite questions and the chaotic and, according to witnesses, violent incident could have been avoided.

The publicity did the Border Patrol no favors.

Flavor of the Year

New Ben & Jerry’s ICE cream flavor: IMPEACHMINT!

Why Wetlands Matter

[“All Wet? Gov. Phil Scott Wants to Relax Wetlands Regs to Spur Housing Construction. Critics Say the Change Would Endanger the Environment — and Homes,” January 28]: Gov. Phil Scott’s intent to reduce the wetland buffer restriction for housing development from 50 to 25 feet would do incalculable damage to sensitive wetland ecology in Vermont, because it would restrict free soil water capability, drainage and soil filtration, as well as impact sensitive wetland habitat ecology of birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, wetland trees and wetland vascular plants.

Wetlands play a critical role in carbon sequestration and are a natural remedy in combating climate change.

‘Float Boats, Not Houses’

“All Wet?” [January 28]. We will be if Gov. Phil Scott’s wetlands regulation changes are allowed.

Float boats, not houses.

Two-Faced?

I read the letter from Lori Wilson [Feedback: “‘Agreement Is Possible,’” January 21] with some confusion. The first paragraph sounds as if it were written by a different person than the other two.

She began well with the idea that agreement — or at least respect — can be reached among people of differing opinions if they just communicate.

But her second paragraph uses derogatory terms about Democrats that come from certain politicians and commentators. If she’s interested in talking with somebody who votes Democratic who doesn’t match her current opinion, I’m glad to try.

Her last paragraph touts the virtues of Republicans in ways that simply don’t match what many of us are seeing on the ground.

So, which is it? Is she interested in talking with her neighbors who have different opinions? Or does she come into it with her own prejudice intact?

Angels’ Advocate

I appreciated Lori Wilson’s mention of Braver Angels Vermont [Feedback: “Agreement Is Possible,” January 21]. I had the privilege of attending my first Braver Angels workshop recently. I experienced outstanding guidance by red-leaning and blue-leaning moderators, who led our equal numbers of red-leaning and blue-leaning participants in the work we did together. It was an amazing opportunity to get to know each other personally, across our red-leaning and blue-leaning views.

One valuable exercise involved naming stereotypes that we think are sometimes applied to us because of our political views. Notably, there was no sense of any participants hating the people who might have different points of view. I just don’t believe that most Democrats hate Republicans, or vice versa. I encourage Lori and others who are looking for this positive and respectful kind of “farm porch” discourse to check out a Braver Angels workshop.

‘Total Market Failure’

[Re “Manage Your Care: To Lower Health Costs, Vermont’s Largest Insurance Company Is Urging Patients to Shop Around,” January 14]: The Blue Cross Blue Shield ad campaign urging patients to “shop around” and avoid the University of Vermont Medical Center when possible is a textbook example of late-stage capitalism: one powerful institution accusing another of exploitation. Framed as consumer advocacy, the state’s largest insurer fancies itself as a protector of patients against an overcharging hospital.

In reality, BCBS is not a neutral watchdog; it is Vermont’s dominant insurer, shaping premiums, reimbursement rates, benefit design and access to care. Rather than empowering patients, BCBS deflects blame while obscuring the exorbitant premiums, growing cost-sharing and administrative complexity, not to mention the Vermont CEO salary nearing $1 million annually.

As the dominant provider for northwest Vermont — and having consolidated six area hospitals, including some in New York — UVM Medical Center realized $1.9 billion in excess revenue last year. With these two giants accusing each other of driving up costs, we are witnessing a total market failure.

The absurdity is that Vermonters facing cancer, cardiac emergencies or complex chronic illness cannot simply comparison-shop hospitals and care. Rural residents often have no viable alternatives within a reasonable distance; insurance networks, referral requirements and coverage rules constrain choice long before patients ever see a bill.

Health care should not be viewed as a competitive marketplace; it should be a public good, and this requires a publicly funded system. A single-payer model — just like veterans, very low-income households and people over the age of 65 have — delivers real price control and affordability.

In Memory of David Crawford

[Re Life Lines: David Allen Crawford, January 12]: On behalf of the staff and board of the Winooski Valley Park District, we wanted to deeply thank David for his years of service as WVPD trustee and for being a good friend, adviser and trusted colleague. We were all well served by his presence, wisdom and dedication. Public service was his calling card, and Vermont is a far better place because of him. 

We miss you, David.

A Conservative Voice

[Re “Barre Residents Criticize School Board Chair’s Turning Point Ties,” January 15, online]: Michael Boutin should stand tall, and he is within his full constitutional rights to participate in a Turning Point USA event and remain fair and objective as chair of the Barre Unified Union School District.

Are all school board members subject to such scrutiny in how they choose to conduct their personal lives?

What is Turning Point USA? Its mission statement is to engage primarily college students to embrace fiscal responsibility, free markets, limited government and respect for free speech — to have a voice when many students live in fear of expressing any type of support for conservative, traditional values.

Ask yourself: Should someone have to change their beliefs or how they conduct their personal life in order to stay in a political or work position?

Will someone in Montpelier stand up and shout out: “Mr. Speaker, I have a list of the names of 50,000 or more conservatives here in Vermont to banish and suppress that may be members of other groups that oppose our political and religious or nonreligious beliefs”?

That is what is happening to Michael Boutin: a far-left form of McCarthyism that has almost no tolerance for freedom of speech and expression outside its socialistic beliefs and agenda.

The Vermont I grew up in once tolerated and encouraged civil discussion and debate, hearing all sides on issues of social and political concern.

‘Wonderful Show’

Thank you for [“Picture Perfect: New City Curator Maedeh Asgharpour Brings a Show of Illustration to South Burlington,” January 14]. After reading it, my wife and I went to the South Burlington Public Library to view “The World in Our Mind.” The show was much richer than I anticipated. As a children’s librarian at the Richmond Free Library for over 30 years and a cartoonist-artist for many more years than that, I found this show a true pleasure. I was aware of and/or had seen work by only three of the eight artists represented. Thanks to Asgharpour for curating this wonderful show.

The Other F-Word

[Re Feedback: “Oh, F*ck,” January 7]: Freedom, our most valuable right — or is it a privilege? — tempts anyone willing to test its perceived limitations. Illustrated by the excessive use of a certain four-letter word in print recently, it threatens the journalistic integrity that permits its service. We shouldn’t allow taking liberties to cloud our judgment of what is socially proper, lest we lose track of what is the nastiest, most deceptive four-letter f-word in the English language. It’s right there on the cover of every print copy of Seven Days. It is: FREE.

Correction

Last week’s story “Pedal to the Medal” incorrectly stated that Ben Ritchie of Waitsfield would compete in the Olympics as an Alpine skier. Because his qualifying race occurred after the U.S. Ski Team’s deadline, he will not be allowed to compete.

This article appears in Love & Marriage Issue • 2026.

Got something to say?

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