Vermont’s fiscal pressures extend far beyond education funding. Housing scarcity, healthcare costs, workforce readiness, regulation, and demographic decline are compounding in ways that no single policy fix can resolve. Part 2 continues the
Vermont’s education funding crisis is not the result of a single law or a broken formula. It is the visible collision point of decades of policy decisions that constrained growth, increased costs, and expanded obligations without regard for
Vermont’s shrinking pool of buildable land and new statewide zoning mandates are steering the state toward a dense, walkable future. Act 47 accelerates this shift by overriding local control, pushing higher housing density, and limiting rur
Vermont’s land base is far more limited than commonly understood. With roughly three-quarters of the state already conserved, publicly owned, or in long-term Current Use, the remaining buildable acreage is small and shrinking. As conservati
Vermont’s latest tax letter confirms another double-digit property tax increase, following last year’s nearly 14% jump. With education spending rising and enrollment falling, the state continues raising the cost of housing while expressing
Vermont's effort to lead on climate change is turning into a cautionary tale. With firewood now in the crosshairs of environmental policy, Montpelier risks alienating rural residents while showcasing the economic harm of overreaching green
Vermont’s Act 180, passed in 2024, expands restorative justice statewide, aiming to reduce court congestion. However, shifting the burden to local police without added funding is straining community resources. Small businesses feel the impa
Vermont enters another winter still struggling to balance compassion with public order. Communities face rising costs, limited enforcement tools, and growing pressure as individuals decline available shelter but remain in public spaces. Unt
Vermont celebrated Marble Village as a “$13 million affordable housing success,” but the building’s own Act 250 filings show just $7.56 million in actual construction cost. The rest was swallowed by regulatory layers, soft costs, and public
Vermonters aren’t imagining it — rising costs, housing shortages, and ignored concerns all trace back to a structural issue called a policy preference cascade. When activist groups and NGOs shape laws more than voters do, daily life gets ha
Vermont towns are increasingly unsure where statutory planning requirements end and agency-driven preferences begin. Pittsford’s recent Selectboard discussion highlights this statewide tension, especially around Enhanced Energy Plans and id
Vermont’s housing debate is stuck on three incompatible goals: building far more homes, keeping them affordable, and maintaining strict environmental protections. Policymakers and advocates avoid acknowledging that the state can only achiev
