Killington, Not Woodstock

There is some misinformation in [“Playing With Fire?” July 15]. Killington is the smallest municipality in Vermont with a career fire department, established in 2023. It is true, though, that Woodstock is the closest fully staffed department, as the selectboard in Killington refuses to hire a second man for my shift, so we only have five paid firefighters across three shifts.

Not an ‘Exchange’

The new operator of Burlington’s so-called “needle-exchange program” claims there will be “a renewed focus on safe syringe disposal, including increased collection opportunities” [“Vermont CARES Will Take Over Needle-Exchange Program in Burlington,” June 25]. The previous program was intended to provide clean needles to prevent disease transmission in the interest of public health and harm reduction. It was marketed to the public emphasizing the word “exchange,” arguing that clients would bring in old needles and exchange them for new ones.

However, this facility never actually operated as an exchange; it simply gave away needles with no demand for turning in used ones. The used, contaminated needles often get discarded in public places. IV drug users make the decision to engage in the well-known risks associated with that activity, but innocent children and pets using public spaces have made no such decision yet are now subject to the disease risks, as well. That is not a good harm-reduction strategy or public health policy.

If the taxpayers of Vermont are going to lay out over half a million dollars for this relocated, rebranded program, potentially tainting another neighborhood with the drug activity typically associated with such a facility, there at least ought to be a demand for some truth in advertising. Please stop referring to these programs as “exchanges” and temper the claims that widespread distribution of needles necessarily promotes public health.

‘Vote Correctly’

[“Young People Want to Leave Vermont Over Affordability Concerns, Poll Finds,” July 14, online] states that the reason young people want to leave Vermont is because of the cost of housing, which is primarily due to taxes, meaning property taxes. This is brought on by a severe drop in student enrollment. But that’s not really the issue. The issue is our failure to adapt to the reality that we need far fewer teachers and far fewer school districts. This won’t happen as long as Democrats have the majority in the legislature because of their ties to the teachers’ union. The fact of the matter is, we need a change in our political composition in Montpelier. Gov. Phil Scott, as good as he is and as thoroughly as he understands the situation, can only do so much without a cooperative legislative body. All we need to do is vote correctly.

Veto Power

[Re “The Other Bills,” June 10]: While Vermonters are worried about rising costs, Gov. Phil Scott vetoed three bipartisan bills that would have reduced expenses for taxpayers and ratepayers.

The data center bill (H.727) would’ve ensured that any data centers built here didn’t increase Vermonters’ electric bills, didn’t increase PFAS pollution, and minimized both climate pollution and water use. Unfortunately, the administration thought it was too strict, and the aspect that the administration objected to the most would’ve created impact fees to help pay for Vermonters to transition off of expensive fossil fuels.

S.218, which Scott vetoed, would’ve saved taxpayers and property owners money by creating a voluntary education program for salt spreaders about best management practices.

H.710 would have allowed some solar to be built more cheaply, bringing lower-cost electricity to Vermonters. The governor’s veto surprisingly cited wind generation. Any expansion of a wind project would still go through the normal Public Utility Commission process. Wind wasn’t discussed because there is no new wind generation on the table.

Additionally, Scott’s objection regarding wind was never raised in committee. If it had been, we likely could have adjusted the definition to exclude wind specifically, but that feedback was never offered. His veto wasted taxpayer dollars as a result of his lack of participation in the process. 

By vetoing these bills, Scott rejected opportunities to make Vermont more affordable.

Newcomb Is ‘Out of Touch’

[Re Newcomb, July 15]: Does cartoonist Tim Newcomb know there are more places to live in the United States besides Vermont and the West Coast? It’s an interesting take to poke fun at the young people wanting to move somewhere else, instead of actually discussing the causes behind what is driving our young people to leave. The most expensive health care in the country, perhaps? The lack of affordable, trustworthy childcare? Rising rent and slumlords such as the Handys, Bissonettes and Boves?

Also, the implication that the West Coast is the only place where artificial intelligence is taking jobs is pretty silly. Last I checked, AI is being used in Vermont, too. And the average home cost here is not all that lower than the West Coast. Pretty out-of-touch perspective.

Towns ‘Dissent’

[Re “Empty Desks: Enrollment in Vermont’s K-12 Schools Is Dropping at an Alarming Rate. Communities Are on Their Own to Deal With the Problem,” February 18]: On July 8 we attended a special meeting of the Washington Central Unified Union School District. The agenda was to consider the recent petition to amend our Articles of Agreement, but it soon became apparent that the real agenda was to replace the current representational model of democracy codified in the articles with tyranny from the majority.

With the open support of the majority of the board, the petitioners are certain to achieve their ends and once and for all remove the towns of Calais and Worcester as parties to the Articles of Agreement — replacing the vested interests of our small towns with the interests of the district voters in the largest towns. This will complete the decade-long agenda of the former board chair and her allies. In truly Orwellian language, the petitioners celebrate this strategy as “democratic” and an example of “district unity.”

We dissent.

As we clearly conveyed through our vote in February, the citizens of Calais and Worcester want our children to receive the benefits of a rural education. If we lose our local schools, then we will organize and educate our kids through home study. Once this affordable and decentralized educational model gains traction, we hope it will serve as a multiplier to declining enrollment and exacerbate the unaffordability of consolidating Vermont schools across the state.

Unless education is returned to local control, Vermonters will take it back ourselves.

Parkway Problems

With the recent opening of the Champlain Parkway, I’d like to offer some ideas to enhance this new “experience” [“Road Not Taken,” July 8].

First: When traveling north on Route 7, the sign that shows which lanes exit to I-189 need to be shifted to the left (west) so the arrows are over the lanes. The old signs were awfully misplaced, and they almost fixed this. It causes confusion and a crush of cars into the right-most lane. 

Second: Why did they keep the “scaffold” signposts? They cause so much visual clutter, and I thought this would be the chance to finally get rid of them. Next time you drive on Route 7, just observe this. It causes slowing and unnecessary traffic. Probably too late. 

Third: When you drive west on I-189, one sign says “Burlington or Shelburne” and the other sign just says “Champlain Parkway.” Why would anyone who doesn’t already live here go that way? Where does it go? You wouldn’t think it goes to Burlington. Is this on purpose? Are they assuming everyone uses Google Maps? WTF? 

Finally: It was great to see the road race on the parkway before it opened. Why not shut down the road one Sunday a month in the summer? Or every Sunday? Set up basketball nets or street hockey? Let it fill with bikes and walkers. It would be great for the community. 

George v. Kranichfeld, continued…

Voters are paying close attention to the race for Chittenden County state’s attorney. Incumbent Sarah George is being challenged by a former colleague, Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kranichfeld, in what many view as a referendum on law enforcement in the Burlington area. This is the second and final batch of feedback about our July 1 cover story, “Pleading Their Case.”

What Is Restorative Justice?

In his article about the contest for Chittenden County state’s attorney, Colin Flanders describes restorative justice as “a victim-involved process that focuses more on mediation than punishment.”

Restorative justice is not mediation. Mediation is a facilitated process designed to help parties reach a mutually acceptable resolution. It typically involves compromise and does not require an admission of responsibility or a commitment to change.

Restorative justice, by contrast, begins with the recognition that at least one party has caused harm. That person is expected to acknowledge the harm, take responsibility for their actions and work to make amends. Accountability in restorative justice is active, unlike purely punitive responses in which the state imposes consequences. Restorative responses seek to understand and address the needs and wishes of the person who was harmed.

Although restorative responses may include dialogue between the harmed and responsible parties, participation by the victim is voluntary, and there is never pressure to take part. Restorative responses can be interwoven with punishment, but punishment becomes a last resort rather than the default option.

Sarah George recognizes that punishment is costly and does little to change behavior for the better. Her desire to find effective responses to harm, including restorative responses, is what makes her a courageous prosecutor and the right choice for Chittenden County state’s attorney.

‘We All Win’

Sarah George believes in accountability and justice for all of us. For that to happen, there needs to be compassion and empathy in the courts.

Accountability begins within each and every one of us saying to ourselves: “I am responsible for my own life and behavior, and only I can fix what is broken in my world.” But that’s a daunting and challenging task, which is why we may need help from others, including judges and lawyers who have the skills to help fix what is broken — for example, a drug or alcohol problem.

Over her now-long tenure, and with a supporting public, George has built what she calls an “accountability court” that helps offenders get their lives back on track and become productive and useful members of society. We all win!

Sarah George is just getting started. Please vote for her on August 11.

Burlington Needs Bram

The primary for the position of Chittenden County state’s attorney is the most important election in the state this year. No Republican can win the general election, so the primary will decide who wins.

Running again is Sarah George, whose soft-on-crime philosophy has contributed to turning Burlington, once the “Queen City,” into a virtual cesspool of vagrants, drug addicts and repeat offenders. George is such a bad prosecutor that the former attorney general took on murder cases that she refused to prosecute. She has repeatedly let aggressive and disruptive protesters off the hook, even when they trespassed on private property and had to be dragged away by the police. I hear from folks all over the state about how they avoid Burlington for fear of being attacked, having to witness a fatal overdose or stepping in human feces. Why do the county’s citizens keep voting for her? Do voters want to see our once-beautiful city defiled? Or, like most voters, do they just check off familiar-sounding names in the “down ballot” races? 

Now there is a good alternative to George: Bram Kranichfeld is an experienced prosecutor who previously served in the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office. Kranichfeld is now the state’s attorney in Franklin County, having been appointed to fill that vacant position by the governor. Kranichfeld is a resident of Burlington, with a young family. He has a real stake in seeing Burlington return to its former status as a lovely place to visit or reside.

‘Academic’ Argument

As academics who study the criminal-legal system, we enthusiastically endorse the reelection of Sarah George. She has paired accountability with evidence-based policies to promote a more effective, fiscally responsible and equitable legal system.

On cash bail, which George’s opponent proposes reinstating, research shows it disproportionately harms the poorest defendants without reducing court absences. Even brief pretrial detention due to inability to pay can cost people their jobs and housing, increasing instability that contributes to reoffending. It is also expensive: Vermont spends more than $100,000 annually to incarcerate one person, without evidence that cash bail improves public safety.

What does work is investing in court resources. George’s advocacy for addressing the post-COVID-19 case backlog led to the creation of the accountability court, which has significantly reduced that backlog while integrating social services. This approach reflects research showing that many low-level offenses are linked to poverty, homelessness, addiction and mental illness.

The candidates also differ on prosecuting charges from non-safety-related traffic stops. Research shows that these stops disproportionately affect Black drivers, although white drivers are more likely to be found with contraband. Declining to prosecute charges from these stops has been shown to reduce racial disparities while allowing law enforcement to focus limited resources on traffic safety.

These examples illustrate how research can guide prosecutorial policy. Sarah George has demonstrated a commitment to data-driven approaches that promote equity, fiscal responsibility and public safety.

Lawyer for George

I practiced criminal law in three states, including 25 years in Vermont, mostly in Chittenden County. I have been a prosecutor, public defender and private attorney. George is one of the best prosecutors I have seen. She has greatly strengthened the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office. The office takes all crime seriously. It works hard to minimize its effect on the community. Doing this successfully requires creativity and insight into people — virtues that George possesses.

George vigorously prosecutes the most serious crimes, keeping people in jail who are truly dangerous. Jail space is limited and must be used for the most threatening cases.

George’s bail decisions reflect this fact and the fact that the Vermont Supreme Court has made it clear that the norm is release without bail. In murder and a few other cases, defendants can be held without bail because of the risks they pose. As I know personally, George does consider this.

I support her reelection wholeheartedly.

Lawyer for Kranichfeld

As a practicing Burlington attorney for over 40 years, and a co-owner of an iconic Church Street building on the National Register of Historic Places that was repeatedly tagged by graffiti vandals throughout the tenure of Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, I can vouch for her abject failure to execute her oath to uphold the rule of law. 

The pervasive and long-standing graffiti vandalism that has plagued our city is an obvious sign of inner-city decay.

After George repeatedly failed to prosecute graffiti vandalism to our building, we spent thousands installing video surveillance cameras. The cameras caught the vandals red-handed. We turned the rock-solid proof over to the Burlington police, but George refused to prosecute. A single prosecution resulting in a jail sentence would have spread like wildfire among the small squadron of graffiti vandals, with resulting instantaneous effect.

But George’s self-proclaimed “empathy” trait clouds any responsible vision of the duties of her office. She is on record espousing the view that shoplifters, graffiti vandals and other “property-only” criminals are somehow the victims of society’s failure to them, a perverse interpretation of the rule of law and our bedrock principle of individual responsibility.

George would make a good social worker, but that’s not what we want or deserve for a state’s attorney. Her tolerance for anarchy that she justifies with her personal concept of socioeconomic injustice is contrary to the rule of law and the oath of office that all state’s attorneys are subject to.

No Contest

The contest between Sarah George and Bram Kranichfeld seems to be a reprise of the challenge Ted Kenney mounted four years ago, sensing that George was vulnerable because of trepidation over public safety. The soft-on-crime slur commonly hurled by Republicans against Democrats didn’t work even in that context. Now that public safety trepidation has subsided substantially, any plausible rationale for replacing a seasoned state’s attorney who is doing a good job falls apart instantly under scrutiny. No one is pro-crime — least of all a state’s attorney like George working consistently to move the arc of the moral universe toward justice. I understand that Kranichfeld wants the job and sees a potential opening, but George is doing the job and deserves our continued support.

This article appears in July 22 • 2026.