Love Letter to Seven Days

[Re 30th Birthday Issue, September 3]: Writers, journalists, photographers, artists and editors — over time, they earn trust, develop a voice and build a record of what matters. Seven Days has done this every single week. It has chronicled our joys and heartbreaks, our hidden gems and our loudest debates. And in doing so, it has invited us to better understand where we live and how we live.

That is the quiet, enduring power of a paper like this one. Its relevance — its heartbeat. At some point, most of us have been part of Seven Days. A letter to the editor. A business profile. A restaurant review. A photo from an event. A neighbor’s obituary. An opinion column. A story we couldn’t stop fretting about or laughing about. A story that brought us to a new restaurant, nature getaway, new town, new province.

In a state that has seen more than 200 newspapers come and go, Seven Days has not only lasted — it has thrived. It has shaped our civic life and deepened our local culture, week after week, for 30 years.

I am proud of our alternative weekly and grateful to all who have made it possible — from the founders to the interns, from the editors to the delivery drivers, from the contributors to the community that reads, supports and shares it. Even the advertisers step up their game with creative and unique Vermont-style ways to reach out to us.

Happy anniversary to Seven Days and, most importantly, the people whom we know by name and who come to us to hear our stories. Here’s to 30 years of independent journalism — and to many more.

What do you say about 30 years of Seven Days?

Age Does Not Explain It

In last week’s Ways and Means article [“Legislation, STAT!,” September 3], it is stated that the chief factor behind Vermont’s very high health care premiums is the state’s aging population. The percentage of the population over 65 is nearly the same in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Yet average health insurance premiums in Vermont are close to twice those in Maine and almost three times those in New Hampshire. Thus, it seems doubtful that Vermont’s aging population is the chief reason for our extortionate rates.

Health Care Bonuses Are Wrong

It was appalling to read that one of the University of Vermont Medical Center’s cost-cutting measures will be to pause executive bonuses totaling $7 million to $10 million this year [“UVM Health Network Announces Layoffs as Part of Effort to Save $185 Million,” July 29, online]. Why not eliminate them altogether? What other UVM Medical Center employee groups receive that much? What will happen next year? Will UVM Medical Center cut services in order to reinstate the bonuses?

I don’t think consumers realize how much money is diverted to lining the pockets of people who are not providing any direct service to patients and, no doubt, already earn far above the average Vermont income with many additional perks. The same is true of health insurance executives’ bonuses. If you subscribe to a health insurance plan, try asking about the salaries, perks and bonuses that their executives receive. (I once read years ago of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont CEO receiving a million-dollar bonus!)

It’s ironic that we hear over and over that to hire the executives who “cut costs” they must pay exorbitant salaries and bonuses. Yet what about salaries and benefits for the people on the ground who save lives? And how about the many independent providers, such as I was for 25 years, who go for years without even a cost-of-living raise in insurance reimbursement rates, though insurance rates go up annually?

We all know there can be a lot of waste in the health care system, and these bonuses, though not a large percentage of the overall UVM Medical Center target of $300 million, seem to me to be part of the waste!

Lasting Marc

Thank you for the article on Marc Estrin [“Author and Activist Marc Estrin Dies at 86,” August 12]. An example of Marc’s creative genius in the world of social justice was a trifold pamphlet that he produced entitled “What If Israel Invaded Vermont?” This pamphlet is familiar to many Vermonters, as it is a popular handout for those working on the apartheid-free campaign throughout the state. Using his creative writing and graphic skills, Marc attempted to show how Palestinians are forced to live on a daily basis under a brutal occupation.

He imagines: “It’s hard to get accurate information. Seven Days has been shut down … Movement is severely restricted. Passports are required at the Main Street, Riverside Avenue, Route 7 and 189 checkpoints … Life is hard in occupied Burlington. More than 400 homes have been bulldozed … Burlingtonians out-of-city will not be allowed to return to their homes … Running water and electric power are limited to 3 hours/day … The Peace & Justice Center has been shut down, its staff arrested” … and so forth.

Following his presentation of life in Burlington under occupation, he closes with: “An unimaginable dystopian fantasy for us, but a compendium of real daily experience for Palestinians, with all mechanics and ammunition funded by US tax dollars. Is this really how we want to spend our money and our moral and political capital?”

Thank you, Marc. RIP.

Vouching for Lamell

[Re “ICE Detains Lumberyard Workers in Targeted Raid,” August 4, online]: For what it’s worth, I’ve known the owner of Lamell Lumber, Ron Lamell Jr., and his father before him, for several decades, and I truly believe you will not find a businessman more dedicated to being a good citizen as well as a good businessman. I have found him to be honest to the highest degree and would greatly put more trust in his word than that of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent!

Remembering the Dead

[Re “Dead-icated: It’s Been 30 Years Since the Grateful Dead’s Demise. But for Fans and Tribute Bands in Vermont, the Music Never Stopped,” August 6]: I’m relatively new to the Grateful Dead shows. My first concert, in fall 1973, was at Boston’s Music Hall, where, upon exiting, we were clubbed like baby seals by cops on horseback, as some rowdies had trashed the entrance. I saw my last show in 1992, I think; I’ll have to check my stubs.

I really enjoy the cover bands and was impressed by the Dark Star Orchestra’s shows up here at Jay Peak but could not stand the crowd’s constant sing-along, like that old Mitch Miller TV show where one “followed the bouncing ball” on the screen’s lyrics. It ruined the whole experience for me.

Why not sit back and enjoy the music?

‘Democracy Is Not a Spectator Sport’

[Re “Activists Urge Burlington to Block ICE From Using Airport,” August 6, online]: Democracy is not a spectator sport in which we watch two teams competing to score a goal. Rather, it is a participatory endeavor that requires action. Let me make an analogy to soccer, as I was a player and coach in that game.

In the game of soccer, there are essentially four position groups: forwards, midfielders, fullbacks and goalie. These groupings could be compared to those in resistance groups: thought leaders, organizers, rally attendees, lawyers and the courts. The main difference here is that in soccer these groups are a finite number, and in the resistance these groups need to be continuously growing. We need to build the democracy team with as many folks as possible. The authoritarian team is moving fast, and each of us needs to claim a position in the democracy team and act now. Time is running out!

From the position of forward, I am asking you to write to your state legislator and ask them to enforce the rule of law against the abductions of people without due process. Ask them to deploy state personnel to Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport to ensure that no one is transported illegally to some gulag outside the jurisdiction of our state. Convince them that defiance of tyrannical abuse of power is the only solution to prevent the dissolution of the U.S. Constitution and democracy in our country.

When we say “God Bless America,” remember that “God helps those that help themselves.”

RTO Mandate Is Misguided

[Re “State Workers Ordered Back to the Office,” August 28]: Gov. Phil Scott’s new return-to-office policy will force many hardworking Vermonters out of their jobs just weeks before the holidays and will cripple the state government’s ability to function.

Many state workers were hired during the pandemic and live in rural parts of Vermont. Remote work has allowed them to serve state government, bring rural perspectives to their work, and return income to local communities and small businesses. The new RTO policy is effectively a forced resignation for workers who would be required to commute many hours from across the state to Montpelier and other state hubs, reducing time for family and local community involvement, including volunteer first responders.

There is no evidence that remote work reduces productivity. Studies, including surveys of the state’s own employees, show remote work improves performance, retention and morale. Remote work also helps attract talent to the state government, especially since state jobs often pay less than comparable private-sector positions. Other states that tried strict RTO policies, only to reverse course quickly, lost 30 to 40 percent of their workforce.

For taxpayers, this policy will slow state services, delay critical programs and legislative initiatives, and increase costs as positions go unfilled or new employees must be recruited and trained. Losing experienced staff will result in higher costs for taxpayers for lower quality of services that Vermonters rely on every day.

Gov. Scott has promised to make Vermont affordable and support working families. Respecting those commitments means reversing this RTO mandate.

This article appears in Sep 10-16 2025.

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