Archive

Besides his books, Bill has written a variety of poems, short stories, opinion pieces, and more.

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Will Free-market Capitalism Survive our Abuse of It?

There’s some discussion these days about the survival of free-market capitalism. Conservatives believe it suffers from too much regulation and taxation, while liberals believe it needs more of both. Conservatives...
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The Rationale for Smart Regulation

A relentless conservative theme in this election is “less government regulation.” And I can support conservative calls for lowered government spending if done strategically, since I have come to regard...
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Vermont Needs Better Government Transparency

When the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United, there was little dissent from the justices about transparency. If businesses and those with the means were now free to...
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The New Civil War

The accords we’ve long used to organize ourselves into a functioning society have traditionally been shared among three sectors: government, business and the non-profit sector. Government has traditionally been the...
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Deport the Poor and Sell Green Cards to the Rich?

The legal underpinning driving the planned economic renaissance in Northern Vermont is called the “Immigrant Investor Program” or EB-5 program. The federal program offers green cards to wealthy foreigners willing...
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Should Non-profits Compete or Collaborate?

LISTEN (3:21) MP3 | Download MP3 Competition works pretty well in the business sector if it’s fair and business plays by the rules. Competition in the non-profit arena is a problem, as it...
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You Can’t Have It Both Ways

When my daughter was in kindergarten in the small town of Lincoln, a wave of enthusiasm swept through her small classroom for vegetarianism and, like many of her friends, Anna...
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Our Easy Titles May Mask Violent Realities

As headlines about young men massacring random or specific targets multiply, we must repress our implicit bias and the tribal labels we apply to these troubled young men. Otherwise, we...
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Time for a National Service

When I turned 18, my stepfather drove me to Hyde Park to apply for my draft card. When it came, I looked at it and asked him why I was 4-A unlike...
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Ethics and Strategy

Whomever we elect to lead us for the next two years, we’ll need to confront two gaping holes in our governance: strategic planning and ethics. Our last few decades ought...
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Nonprofit Boards and Leadership Failures

Some 20% of Vermont’s economy and much of our social safety net depend on Vermont’s nonprofits. Yet the governance principles that help them achieve their missions are widely misunderstood or...
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The Right to Vote is Also a Responsibility to Vote

The right to vote becomes a moral obligation when voting is understood as fundamental to the functioning of our democracy. In Australia, voting is mandatory – and failure to vote is punishable...
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