Open letter to the editor, Stowe Reporter/News and Citizen – The next five months will bring issues and local candidates before the true deciders, the voters. As a moderate Republican, I wonder if the editor, Greg Popa, of the Stowe Reporter and the News and Citizen would be willing to consider a few simple suggestions to ensure transparency and fairness during this election cycle? Please consider these suggestions beginning as soon as possible and ending after the voters have spoken. Here are a few thoughts:
1. Restating and then expanding upon the editorial policy regarding what are acceptable submissions. And how equality is to be presented and measured.
2. What fairness will look like from both newspapers and the articles they print. That way readers can measure an article against prior described standards.
3. How candidate debates and debate questions will be crafted and presented. Avoiding charges of favoritism is important. I have a few simple suggestions to offer having been through more than a few of these exercises in the past.
4. Letters to the editor policies – How many from each candidates supporters will be allowed and when might they be submitted/printed? Where will they be printed in the newspapers? For example, a candidate might express concern if their letter is printed on page 32 vs one from their competitor printed on page 5.
5. Convening a small panel to assist the editor with challenging and vexing situations. That will help rebut any charges against a local newspaper. Given I have made this suggestion I am removing myself from consideration. However, there are many Lamoille County citizens eminently qualified to serve.
6. I am available to discuss these and other suggestions at mattkraussvt@gmail.com
Stowe wasn’t treated very nicely during the recent redistricting process by the legislature. It’s even more imperative now that the voters, readers and the candidates are entitled to a robust, balanced, and fair election process. Discussing these issues ahead of time with input from the readers, candidates and communities will ensure that regardless of the election outcome all will be happy with the process. – Matt Krauss, Stowe
Endorsing Malloy – I am writing this letter in support of Gerald Malloy for United States Senator from Vermont. Gerald graduated from West Point in 1984, served as an active duty field artillery officer and a paratrooper. He served our great nation honorably and with distinction for 22 years. He has a MBA from Temple University.
I have met Gerald and his wife Stacey at their home in Weathersfield. I have spoken with them at length about the grave issues facing our constitutional republic and the bad economic direction we are heading.
Gerald has an abiding passion for the principles upon which our nation was founded. He will unapologetically defend life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all Vermonters and every American regardless of background. Gerald understands we all share a common humanity. He will defend our natural rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights of our great Constitution. He will also pursue proven, common sense and constitutional solutions to out of control inflation, our unsustainable national debt and energy costs.
Gerald has the proven character, leadership skills and experience defending our nation that makes him the preferred candidate to represent Vermonters in the United States Senate. To learn more about Gerald Malloy’s candidacy please visit his website.
Please join me in supporting and voting in the primary election for Republican Gerald Malloy for United States Senator from Vermont. In person voting for the primary election is Tuesday, August 9th at your local polling station. Early voting by mail is available starting Friday, June 24. – Stu Lindberg, Cavendish
Categories: Opinion
The Vermont press fair and balanced?
Ain’t gonna happen!
To many of the MSM here the center is an unnaceptable sharp turn to the right.
chrisanddianehoyt…AGREED only more and more divisiveness is newsworthy these days …….as in Washington so goes State…..and Local…….its the Trickle Down in Real Time…….
I believe there is an imbalance in the US Congress. Primarily due to lack of diversity of backgrounds of those in office. There is a need for more different backgrounds in careers rather than 70 to 80 percent of the folks being Lawyers. Vermont has the chance to get ‘non-lawyers’ into House and Senate seats. God Bless Vermont
Interesting point – lawyers have sole access to one of the three legs to the government stool, the Supreme Court. Why we as electors then grant them additional access to the Presidency and the Congress is a mystery to me. Only Israel and Gibraltar have more lawyers per head than the US. And we create about 45,000 new ones a year. The argument could be made that their primary concern is their perpetuation (somebody has to buy them out of their law practices when they want to retire) and that this is antithetical to the greater good.
If the presses won’t cover you…do what I do: Call/write incessantly, then call their publishers, then contact the RIGHT media to let them know the type of DISCRIMINATION & BIAS which exists in VERMONT!
Surely the definition of a free press in a capitalist system is that they can be as biased and discriminatory as the market will allow them to be? Isn’t this site proof of that, and to those on the right VT Digger would also be proof.
Barriers to entry are minimal now – start a website, no printing press needed. Then see if your message resonates with enough people to ‘make a go of it.’