Patricia Sheehan

After the horror of these past years, there are still people who will throw away their votes

Sorry, what?! Susan Odegard, who cares for pets and gardens, says the following, and it is not clarified in her commentary whether she has now changed her mind:

“A month ago, I said to hell with it and planned to forgo voting in the presidential election. In my view, both parties are corrupt and care more about maintaining the oligarchical leanings of our republic than promoting any semblance of true equality.”

If she has now decided to vote for Biden, which is, of course, between herself and the ballot box, good. I'm glad she's seen the light.

If, however, even after laying out the differences and risks we face in the next election, she decides to forgo her right to vote, I need to say something about that. And to anyone else so disconnected to pain, to torment, that they will blithely throw away that right in order to feed their ego matters more than the lives Trump and his death cult have destroyed:...

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Chaos and exclusion

A small-business owner tries to figure out where she stands with state grant opportunities for urgent COVID-19 economic relief — an adventure that includes disqualifications for sole proprietors, contradictory advice from state agencies, and unwritten rules applied retroactively

On Aug. 19, the governor announced more money for an initial tranche of grants, announced at the start of July, which gave small businesses 10 percent of their revenue from 2019, up to $50,000. This is the collection of grants administered by the state Agency of Commerce and Community...

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Questions for the governor

‘Are you a subscriber to the notion that sacrificing the very lives of our most vulnerable, or those least able to risk losing everything, to mitigate economic anxiety is worth it? Is this the Vermont way?’

Gov. Scott: I watched with interest and concern your COVID-19 press conference on May 1 outlining the reopening of businesses. You talked at length about the requirements you were putting in place to make workplaces safe for returning workers. Yet you then went on to say that those businesses...

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In Iowa, people with varying viewpoints worked together for the greater good

I watched the Iowa caucuses - and the resulting mayhem - with a mixture of curiosity, astonishment, and hope. Despite the sometimes haphazard madness of it all, I found myself buoyed by so many of the participants declaring that, if their candidate did not make the cut, they would absolutely be prepared to vote for whoever did get the candidacy. I was also struck by the camaraderie between so many of those caucusing, from old friends to couples to people...

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A few questions about violence, respect for human life

Hey, Timothy Grant: I'll be happy to read your opinions about violence and your respect for human life when you tell me all about: • Whom you're contacting to demand we help our allies, the Kurds, who, along with their families and including babies, are being slaughtered thanks to the demented ego of the criminal in our White House. • What you're doing to help and stand up for people struggling without health care who are losing their homes, their...

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For health and compassion, not derision and ignorance

I had to read Gerard Cloutier's submission twice to be sure it wasn't a joke. The sheer volume of misinformation imparted while crowing about his selfish lifestyle was truly breathtaking. A few points: 1. Universal health care is not free. I lived in England for over 20 years. I paid for my health care through taxation and National Insurance contributions. When my British husband and I decided to move to Vermont, the scariest part of the decision was leaving the...

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With current events like Gaza, kids can grasp the truth

This I know to be true: The Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not represent all Jewish people, let alone all Israelis. It's baffling that anyone with the ability for reasoned thought can continue to spread this ridiculous notion. To believe this lie, one must therefore conclude that the crimes of Netanyahu, and the Israeli government, including illegal land grabs, settlement building and, most importantly, the murder by the government-sanctioned Israeli army of Palestinian men, women, and children...

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Calling BS on anti-gun-control Viewpoint

David Van Deusen: With any due respect, I call BS on your lies. The vast majority of Vermonters, including gun owners, want, even demand, sensible gun control, including background checks, a ban on military-grade weapons, and appropriate waiting periods for potential gun owners. Half of Vermonters support restrictions on open-carry. You are engaging, under the pretense of representing “leftist” views, in the exact same lies and fear tactics employed by the NRA, Trump, and the GOP as they attempt to...

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