(For Rightist Viewers:) *** (For Leftist Viewers:) Negative 117 stars This is a sad time for polite public discourse. But there is a happy silver lining: Fake News has been added to the national vocabulary. No matter what side you’re on and what newspaper you are looking at, there’s a voice in the back of your head telling you that you’re reading some biased jerk’s opinion – not facts. There isn’t just some Fake News, there is a ton. The primary narratives of politics are pathetically partisan. If you listen to the Right, our former president was a peacenik communist who hated America, secretly prayed to Allah, and was super close to busting down your door to confiscate the gu…

Dear Editor, Recently I heard on NPR that thousands of homeless veterans were unable to get housing on the 388 acres of land owned by the Veterans Administration in Los Angeles. Only 150 people are now lucky enough to be living in the one building that the VA has built there for them. Over the years the government started leasing out the property to all sorts of projects that have nothing to do with the welfare of veterans: A baseball stadium for UCLA A golf course A Japanese garden Several large parking lots for cars and trucks A parrot sanctuary A working oil well A 20 acre athletic field for an exclusive prep school What kind of insanity is this? Our government…

By Tyler Colford A government mandated minimum wage sounds nice; I mean doesn’t everyone deserve to make a livable wage off of 40 hours, or less, of work a week? Let’s unpack what happens when a government enforces a minimum wage. A minimum wage does not mean that workers will receive a livable wage. It means that, at a particular time, the (local, state, or federal) government, in a particular area, thinks that workers should be paid a set minimum wage. That set wage might or might not be a livable wage depending on where and when the mandated wage is actively enforced. The dollar’s buying power can strengthen or depreciate in value; but knowing where and when, in a market, is hard…

To the Editor: On Thursday, August 2, Vermont Yankee announced that the transfer of all spent nuclear fuel into dry cask storage was completed safely, under budget, and nearly two years ahead of schedule. This marks a major milestone and establishes a strong foundation for accelerated decommissioning by future owner NorthStar Group Services upon regulatory approval.  The estimated $143 million project was completed without withdrawals from the Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Trust Fund (DTF). The DTF, along with many other funds and financing tools, will provide maximum financial assurance for the decommissioning project NorthStar expects to complete by 2026. We look forward to the n…

By Dan Freilich We Americans are at each other’s throats because we’re fighting over scraps, like what occurs in underdeveloped countries with severe wealth inequality. Basically, our national wealth is being amassed and horded by the ultra-rich and corporations, neither of which pays their fair share of taxes anymore. There’s little revenue for critical public good projects to help working and middle class Americans better their lives who ironically are the ones actually shouldering the burden of funding the government. Economic stress is instigating political and social stress. The most unfortunate part of all this is that pain being afflicted on working and middle class Americans is un…

Dear Editor, Governor Phil Scott is seeking a second term as our governor. He has been criticized by the gun constituency for recently signing new gun restrictions into law. We the public need laws that try to stop the wild proliferation of random school massacres in our country. The Fair Haven incident this past spring, a very close call, is a case in point. It put Gov. Scott between a rock and a hard place. He knew his legislation would disappoint gun owners but knew that he has a higher call to answer to al citizens of the state of Vermont. He has an obligation, duty, and responsibility to all Vermonters in protecting their safety and well-being. Although he knew his decision would…

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I think that our country’s child labor laws are strict and hypocritical. Our policy seems to be something like this: Dear Pakistan, We Americans are morally superior to you. In our enlightened country, we toss industrialists in federal prison if we catch them employing young people. Shame on you. Sincerely, Old Navy P.S. We would like to place an order for 4 million super cheap Pencil Skirts for our fall collection. In the early 20th Century, it was fairly normal for working class children who didn’t love school to leave and join the labor market. I am not pining for a return to those days, but I am confused about the people who are…