Ideas for the Future of Vermont is a collaboration between the nonpartisan Vermont Council on Rural Development, The Times Argus/Rutland Herald and GNAT -TV and the Vermont Access Network. It is an opportunity for Vermonters to learn, discuss and provide feedback on 10 proposition statements that look toward the state's future and long-term viability. Your feedback – in letters to the editor and by taking the survey – is critical to the success of this ongoing process. We hope you see its value and learn from your neighbors as these discussions unfold over the next 11 weeks.
- Proposition 10: Young Vermonters and new Americans must feel welcome and valued
- Proposition 9: Reinvest in the working lands Vermonters value
- Proposition 8: Vermont’s planning and development needs the hub and spoke model
- Thinking broadband
- Proposition 7: Workforce development drives the economy
- Proposition 6: Child care is critical to our workforce
- In agreement
- Jones: Localize it
- Proposition 5: Local: Not just a buzzword
- Proposition 4: Growing Wealth Gap Hurts Vermont’s Economy
In the State of Vermont, a large proportion of the local New American population is made up of individuals who were resettled to the state with refugee status. Refugee resettlement in Chittenden County began in the early 1980s and it is now the most ethnically diverse county in the state. De…
Vermont’s post-European settlement identity and cultural history is inextricably linked to the working landscape. However, the relevance of working lands to the state’s future economic and social fabric is at a tipping point. As fewer Vermonters work the land, more Vermonters lose appreciati…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development’s deep dive into the issues facing Vermont is informed by interviews with and input from thousands of Vermonters.
Thinking broadband
There is ample evidence to illustrate why workforce development is essential.
MONTPELIER — The Summit on the Future of Vermont on May 26-27 will bring Vermonters together virtually to consider “The Vermont Proposition” – a set of bold and transformational ideas for the state’s economy, environment and people by mid-century. The summit is produced by the Vermont Counci…
With the end of the ski season, and now thankfully, the end of the pandemic seemingly in sight, I finally have a little time to pause and take stock of the past year. Uncertainty and the ski industry (like any weather dependent business) are old friends, but making a plan to operate during C…
I completely agree with what Maura Collins stated in Proposition 4: Vermont must reduce economic disparity, advance economic opportunity and rebuild the middle class. I would only add that from my experience great economic disparities heighten divisions in communities and make difficult for …
For a lot of us, the connections between a warming world and our local economy are becoming more and more disturbingly apparent. I hear the sap runs were so low that many maple syrup makers needed 90 gallons of sap to sugar out one gallon of syrup this year. Those climate changed summer days…
The last year has shone a spotlight on the innumerable difficulties the globalized economy has created in all aspects of our community, and we have seen amazing local solutions in response to those challenges. When our supermarkets’ supply chain was disrupted and shelves were empty, it was l…
Proposition 4: Vermont must reduce economic disparity, advance economic opportunity and rebuild the middle class.
Vermont as a model
We are now living and working under accelerated change and disruption.
High-speed broadband internet service is a necessity for every Vermont household, yet one out of every four households struggle without it. H.360, the $150 million broadband bill that passed the Vermont House last week, offers a clear, bold, community-based strategy for universal broadband a…
Proposition 1: Vermont must ensure universal broadband and cellular access, while using digital tools to promote community, civility, and democracy, and to advance local commerce and economic opportunity.
Proposition 2: Vermonters must oppose racism, renew and expand our collective identity, and welcome new Vermonters.I am a proud Vermonter. Born and raised in this state, my husband and I made Vermont our home because there is no place that we love more. We cherish the land, the people, even …
In this most unusual year, we could finally see how “short” we are on broadband. Perhaps you were one of the 22 million Americans over 70 who didn’t have an internet account to get a vaccine appointment. You may have seen the cars pulled up around the town clerk’s office or the library. Look…
We need to hear from you. It comes down to that.
Vermont’s pandemic recovery is a catalytic opportunity for creative renewal. How do we work together to revitalize Vermont? Where do our values, principles, culture and economy fit together as we search for common paths to a more resilient, prosperous and welcoming state?
Most of us are thinking ahead to gardens, lawns, and spring and summer projects. It’s like that every winter, but this winter felt more acute with the pandemic outside the door, adding to the chill in the air.
