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If the Pentagon bases its new F-35 nuclear-capable attack fighter at Burlington International Airport, it is expected to put 1,366 nearby houses into a noise zone that the federal government defines as “incompatible with residential use” This from the Air Force’s own draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which was released in April.  Grassroots organizing and opposition has been growing steadily at the local level against the F-35 plan, and cuts across party lines. The real battle is agains

As President of the United States of America, President Obama has his guard up constantly. With the public eye always focused and the media hanging on his every word, we’re surprised he takes the risk to tell jokes in the first place. Rest assured, he has and we are pleased to present you with the top ten giggle-worthy Barack Obama quotes. "I've been called worse on the basketball court." The President said this after a particularly vicious round of political boxing, following personal attacks

The War on Drugs symbolically made it to President Obama's doorstep today, as David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, was arrested after locking himself and twelve hemp plants in a steel cage in front of the White House. The businessman was protesting policies preventing the cultivation of industrial hemp plants. In addition to wagering a "beer bet" with President Obama, Bronner had planned to press fresh hemp oil on hemp bread and serve it to the public. His protest was cut short afte

A five person panel in Vermont offered vague reassurances recently that implementing a smart grid would be a good for everyone. But when an audience of about 30 people started peppering the panel with questions about security, privacy, cost, and threats to human and non-human health, the panel had little more to offer beyond those vague reassurances. Kevin Jones, leader of the Smart Grid Project which is supported by a $450,000 federal stimulus grant, described how a smart grid could lead to an

Our political campaigns have a serious and growing problem. Candidates for office rarely mention major issues facing their prospective constituencies, much less propose solutions. Instead, the focus is too often on attacking their opponents in the race or painting pretty PR images of themselves. This does a disservice to democracy, to voters, and to the country at large. If we never have genuine discussions about troubling problems then we’ll never resolve them. Instead, such issues will be glos

One of the most enduring myths in US politics is the assertion that there are no alternatives to the candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties. Many would-be voters who are fed up with the forced choice between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dumber are undoubtedly more likely not to vote than head to the polls and cast their ballot for a third party or Independent alternative. Given the lack of media coverage devoted to third party and Independent candidates, a large portion of the electorate

If your state was installing a new technology that would impact virtually everyone, you might assume your state was acting based on the most complete and current science available to protect everyone’s health. If your state was Vermont and it was intent on installing wireless smart grid technology in every home and business, you’d need to know that your state is acting based on very limited science, most of it more than 25 years out of date, with little concern for anyone’s health. Making this

D’Marie Mulattieri, Independent candidate for the District 39 Congressional seat, is a radical thinker in a rational package.  She’s a fearless competitor who doesn’t mince words about how she would succeed without party backing if elected to the House. “I’m a system smasher, a change-maker,” she said in an interview. Her role models are Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Justice Party presidential candidate Rocky Anderson, the former mayor of Salt Lake City. “I admire Sande

Generating electricity from a controlled nuclear reaction is an interesting idea. Unfortunately, human beings do not currently demonstrate sufficient intelligence or wisdom to do it safely or economically. Take for example the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant, located in Vernon, Vermont. It went online in 1972 with a license to generate 500 megawatts of electricity for forty years. It is now in its forty-first year of operation, and since 2006 has been operating at 120% of original capacity, genera

Jobseekers might consider moving to fly-over states instead of perhaps making dismissive comments about them while on transcontinental flights. With a few exceptions, the lowest unemployment rates are in the heartland. Those looking for jobs there should also get ready for living in the country because the bulk of such jobs are in rural and exurban areas. This certainly is the opposite of the commonly accepted knowledge that big coastal cities are the primary drivers of employment and job growt