The evil of “Inequality” has always been a rallying point for advocates of socialism. In 2013 the publication of Capital in the Twenty First Century by French economist Thomas Piketty stimulated a new wave of debate. The title was a takeoff from Karl Marx’s seminal Capital, published in three volumes between 1867 and 1894.

Last week was a banner week for climate crisis headlines. Washington Post: “The world is hotter than it’s been in thousands of years.” AP: “For the third time this week, Earth sets unofficial heat record.” Politico: “Scientists are freaking out about surging temperatures.”    

The legislature’s enactment of the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act is another troubling example of how massive changes in Vermont are being engineered these days, whether the democratically elected governor likes it or not.

In this era dominated by aggressive steps to deal with “climate change”, it’s worth inquiring into what the climate activists are working to install in our public school system, presumably to lead their pupils into supporting a long list of policies on the climate change agenda.

The word “historic” is seriously overused these days, too often to describe events more curious than momentous. A case can be made, however, for the events taking place this week in the “veto session”, in which the supermajority Democratic legislature confronts a popular Republican governor. Consider this combination of facts.

In this era dominated by aggressive steps to deal with “climate change”, it’s worth inquiring into what the climate activists are working to install in our public school system, presumably to lead their pupils into supporting a long list of policies on the climate change agenda.

The following tribute was delivered by Mr. Chris Demuth at the Ethan Allen Institute 30th Anniversary Dinner at Burlington, Vermont, on May 31, 2023. At dinner, Mr. John McClaughry was presented with the Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his public policy work in service of Vermont and her people.

The red hot policy issue in the state right now is S.5, the (un)Affordable Heat bill passed by the Democratic supermajority in the House and Senate. Gov. Scott vetoed it last Thursday.

One interest group fared extraordinarily well during the just-completed legislative session. That’s the interest group comprised of Representatives and Senators. Unlike other interest groups, who have to lobby legislators for the benefits they want, the legislators themselves get to vote on their own benefits. This was an opportunity not to be missed.