BRATTLEBORO-I've known Isaac Evans-Frantz for several years, and I am glad he is running for Selectboard.
Isaac's Brattleboro roots run deep. He was born here, grew up in a low-income family and graduated from Brattleboro Union High School before going on to college.
His hard-scrabble upbringing gives him the experience to understand those in town who can't afford huge increases in local property taxes. So I admire the way he has shone a light on the way the current Selectboard has stonewalled the Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee and its recommendations. I know he will bring a more responsible fiscal outlook to the board.
While he is a property owner and a landlord, he supports tenant protections. He wants to implement the Brattleboro Housing Action Plan to work with developers to increase the supply of housing and create new funding sources and strategies to create and rehabilitate affordable and middle-income housing.
BRATTLEBORO-If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That has been a handy phrase for a long time, often used by conservatives to attack progressive ideas. But the reverse is true today in the Brattleboro District 7 House race where Amanda Ellis-Thurber is trying to unseat Rep. Emilie Kornheiser. A...
This year's Brattleboro Town Meeting ballot has a proposal to stuff some disjointed housing rental regulations into the Town Charter. We should vote it down and work for meaningful changes that will actually help people. I say that as one who was part of the group that launched this...
I'm proud that Emilie Kornheiser is my voice in Montpelier. As a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, she helped pass the largest state-level child tax credit and earned-income tax credit in the country. Further, as a retired person, I appreciate the improvements in the Vermont exemption changes for Social Security, another product of her committee. I understand that she and five other lawmakers will be studying changes to the public school funding mechanism. I am confident that...
The current kerfuffle between the town and Rescue Inc. reminds me of the early days in Rescue's history. The Brattleboro Fire Department then had a - shall we say - “competitive” approach to its dealings with Rescue. But both organizations grew out of it and, to my knowledge, no patient suffered as a result. I am sure the same will be true today no matter what happens. But while the EMS professionals in both organizations know how to take care...
I understand the need for housing units in Brattleboro with rents that are affordable. That means that the out-of-pocket cost to move in needs to be in line with the renter's ability to pay. First month plus last month plus security deposit pushes that move-in cost beyond the means of many hard-working residents. On the other hand, if we are to have residential rentals available in Brattleboro, landlords have to be able to maintain their properties while still making a...
So you want to do something about climate change, but you are stuck at home? No problem! 350Brattleboro is hosting an online divestment panel discussion Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. because now is the perfect time to sit down at your computer and figure out how people can help stop the flow of your money supporting fossil fuel. “Divestment in Place - Cash and Capital” will host banking and investment experts to help people find a checking account or...
I write to support David Schoales in his bid for re-election to his three-year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard. He has been on the right side of many important issues facing us, from the vote to hire a sustainability coordinator to working to get high-speed fiber internet service throughout the town. David is forward-thinking, and that's what we need on the board.