Archive

Periodically, we must relearn old lessons. A key such lesson is Franklin’s “Ounce of prevention…” adage – as relevant today as when Franklin applied it to fire prevention 250 years… Read More

As the new legislative session ramps up, I’d like to offer some thoughts. Don’t micromanage complex issues. We already have too many laws and administrative statutes, many poorly drafted, ambiguous,… Read More

How does a tiny state with a $5.5 billion budget – half of which is allocated to help struggling people and communities, a philanthropic community that contributes almost $3M to… Read More

The national media’s rife with bread-and-circus candidates of every ideological stripe and I.Q. and that’s gotten me thinking about what I’ll want to see in Vermont’s next governor. There are… Read More

I’m not one to spoil a party but I remain puzzled by Castleton’s decision to become a university. It’s a fine school and President Wolk deserves kudos for making it… Read More

I no longer believe in economic development. There, I said it. Now, let me clarify. I believe the best business development strategy is being a great place to live, educate,… Read More

I just searched Senator John Campbell’s official State website and typed in “ethics.” The site yielded “no results” and urged me to check my spelling. Campbell has been an outspoken… Read More

The legislature has a four-speed gear box: inaction, study, nibble around the edges, and overdrive. The under-utilized overdrive gear brings forth bold action and initiates substantive change. The perennial re-appearance… Read More

We can’t keep doing things the way we are in education. The costs are unsustainable and results are questionable, especially as connectivity, content distribution, and career options evolve. It’s not… Read More

Sixty years ago, our family drove to Burlington two or three times a year. This was before the interstate, car culture, and paved roads wove Vermont together into a rural… Read More

Don’t look back… except to learn from past mistakes and make change. Look ahead, and welcome new opportunities. In the ‘80s, when cable and satellite opened unlimited channels to the… Read More

Listen Sometimes it seems like the only question I’ve been asking myself recently, besides “how cold is it this morning?” is whether I’m just getting old or whether the world… Read More