Why I Support Donald Trump
Thank you, Valley News, for initiating coverage of my campaign for U.S. Senate. Sadly, it was a Donald Trump dog whistle that awoke you from your slumber rather than my positions on the major issues and my differences with incumbent Kelly Ayotte.
To your great credit, I had a long and detailed interview with your staff writer, Tim Camerato. Unfortunately, his story and your editorial attacking me did not include the three reasons I endorsed Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has advocated restraint in military policy, stating, for example, that he would talk with Russia rather than, as almost every other candidate, saber rattling for a shooting war. In contrast, notwithstanding prescient advance warning by our military leaders not do so, Hillary Clinton and Kelly Ayotte pushed President Obama to bomb Libya and to arm, fund, and train the so-called “moderate” rebel groups in Syria and Iraq. The result in Syria is ISIS. The result in Libya is another failed state and a beachhead for ISIS. Americans are less safe as a result.
I strongly agree with Donald Trump in his concern for middle-class jobs and wages. Unlike Clinton and Ayotte, I oppose further lopsided trade deals and radical increases in legal immigration, which export jobs and drive down American wages. Unlike Ayotte, who broke her promise and voted for the “Gang of 8” open borders-amnesty bill, if elected to the Senate, I will fight for borders and border security and jobs for American citizens.
Finally, I agree with Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in their honesty about the pervasively corrupt Washington political system. Where average Americans have little to no actual influence, lobbyists and special interests dole out millions in campaign money and get pork, tax loopholes and regulatory favors in return. I am alone among Republicans running for U.S. Senate in advocating tax rebates to empower small donors.
Readers can learn more about my positions at JimRubens.com.
Jim Rubens
Etna
Kale, Dyspepsia and the Co-op
Jim Kenyon can usually be taken with a grain of salt, but his latest dyspeptic diatribe about the Co-op is beyond the pale. He apparently has no clue how the Co-op board works nor how much effort the elected members put into their volunteer tasks.
I was on the Co-op board for nine years back in the 1990s and know personally the importance of the board’s work and the hours the many dedicated board members and Co-op administration put in to assure that the Co-op maintains and expands services to members and the community. Current board members put in even more hours dealing with the much-increased complexity of a larger business. Perhaps Mr. Kenyon missed the development of the Lebanon store and the revitalization of the White River Junction grocery store, and he may have missed the huge expansion of local product sourcing that benefits members and producers alike. And he has no clue how the $70 million annual business achieved that size — it has tripled in the past 20 years. The number of satisfied employees has also grown greatly and they, by their own evaluations, mark the Co-op as a great place to work.
Mr. Kenyon is happy to take a low road, throwing out snide aspersions as to the motivation of Co-op board and staff alike in guiding and running this valuable community resource. “Glorified garden club,” indeed! For shame to so characterize a group of volunteers who dedicate 20 hours or more per month on Co-op meetings and committee work to keep the Co-op strong and improving. And to characterize the board’s concern as focused on dinner choices is really insulting.
The Co-op has some hard work ahead. Replacing Terry Appleby’s wisdom in cooperative business is a daunting task — there are very few folks with his talents in the cooperative universe, so as with Supreme Court positions, it behooved board members to act expeditiously in their search. As Mr. Kenyon could find out, there is nothing in the Co-op bylaws that says the board should abrogate its responsibilities by waiting for the board elections to begin the difficult search for the next general manager.
Mr. Kenyon comes to issues with a mindset that all information should be openly available to him. It would be a rare business indeed that would open its books to potential competitors — I’d bet the Valley News would shy away from revealing Mr. Kenyon’s pay rate. I realize that there’s a difference between a privately owned corporation and a member-owned cooperative. Still, there are business issues that no responsible Co-op member would want in the hands of, say, Coop Foodstore “wannabes.” So, Mr. Kenyon, please chill out and be a little more respectful of those who serve you and your local community through working for and being on the board of the Co-op . . . and keep buying that locally produced organic kale. I’ve heard it has a calming effect.
Andrew Daubenspeck
Lebanon
School Spending Priorities
In these days when a majority of Upper Valley homeowners are begging for relief from property taxes (nearly 70 percent of which go to schools, many with shrinking enrollments), it’s not surprising that many are concerned and closely scrutinizing school budgets. But recent issues raised in our local newspapers (Vermont Standard, Valley News) reveal some very confusing ideas about the complex issue of school spending.
One school union, Woodstock Middle/High School, faced with the need to hold down costs, often resorts to cutting teaching positions; however, it is planning to hire and pay “consultants” to remedy the simple issue of dress codes. Now I ask, are there really experts on this topic? Are not sensible parents/teachers/staff capable of formulating and enforcing a code? How about: all students/teachers/staff be minimally clothed from the collar bone to top of knee. No 3 inches here, 7 inches there nonsense. Collar bone to knee. The end. Free of charge.
In the June 6 Sunday Valley News Perspectives section we had an educationally thoughtful and fiscally sound article headlined “Do We Really Need School Sports?” Yes, a very controversial issue, but one deserving attention and consideration rather than being dismissed as non-negotiable. The author, Skip Chalker, raised many serious points that speak to the common claims of building health, character and discipline and counters with facts and sensible views that should make us think rather than give a knee-jerk reaction to a (recently enshrined) sacred cow.
However, directly below Mr. Chalker’s take on cost-cutting is columnist Noah Smith’s view: “World Travel Is Good For Young People; Let’s Pay for It.” Indeed, world travel is good for all people, but isn’t it a bit odd to propose an $8 billion travel program while we are cutting teaching positions for foreign languages, to say nothing of art and literature, the very standard doorways to understanding other cultures?
My point is not to ban sports or travel (I would ban frivolous consultants), but sadly to outline how scattered is our thinking about the crucial issue of education in and for today’s world. We are all over the map.
Terrie Curran
South Woodstock
Thanks for Helping the Buses Roll
On behalf of the staff and board of directors of Advance Transit, we would like to take this opportunity — following completion of all town meetings — to express our sincere thanks to the voters of Hanover, Lebanon, Hartford, Norwich, Enfield and Canaan, for again generously supporting our valuable services for Upper Valley residents.
Last year Advance Transit saw over 900,000 boardings on its commuter and shuttle routes, in addition to its trips for those with disabilities. As this ridership continues to grow annually, AT is even more appreciative of the support of communities, businesses and individual donors who make our important services possible.
We would also like to take this opportunity to alert the residents of the Upper Valley of a new smartphone app which will allow riders — and hopefully, riders-to-be — to more accurately track their desired routes and coordinate boardings with their work and personal schedules. The Advance Transit app may be found in both Google Apps and Apple. Try it out; see how it works for you.
Again, our sincere thanks for the wonderful support.
Jim Tonkovich
President, Advance Transit Board of Directors
Van Chesnut
Executive Director
Another Winner From Mahler
Once again, Don Mahler wrote a thoughtful and touching article about Muhammad Ali (“Out of the Ring, Ali Spoke to Issues of Larger Importance,” June 5). I miss his regular sports reporting since his retirement!
Karen Carter
Hartford
Save Energy and Money
Did you know you can cut your fossil fuel use by 50 percent or more? To find out how to increase efficiency and switch to renewables, attend the free Zero Energy Now workshop coming on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodstock Town Hall.
This session will introduce a new customized approach to home energy savings that connects you with one certified energy contractor who will present options for improvements and coordinate whatever work you choose to do. The Sustainable Woodstock Energy Group is hosting this event, which will cover low-cost financing options, heat pumps, wood stoves, eliminating cold drafts, solar panels and more.
In today’s market, when rebates and incentives are combined with low-cost financing, it’s not unusual for monthly energy savings to be greater than the cost of a loan. Participants in Zero Energy Now can receive up to $2,500 in incentives through Efficiency Vermont for home weatherization, as well as 30 percent federal solar tax credits. For a limited time, up to $5,000 in extra incentives is available for many Green Mountain Power customers.
Learn how easy it can be to take advantage of energy savings while improving the comfort and safety of your home. To find out more about this program, visit www.ZeroEnergyNowVt.com.
Sally Miller
Woodstock
Always Have a Bag Handy
I frequently read Dan Mackie’s columns and was intrigued by his June 11 column, “Tilting at a Plastic Windmill.” His excuse for not always using reusable bags calls for encouragement. Leaving them at home or in another car is a poor excuse: For a dollar apiece or for free, bags aplenty can be stored in each car. It’s an easily formed habit to take them into not only grocery stores, but also other stores. It’s over easy, Dan.
Sherry Taylor Belisle
Woodstock