To the editor:

The Young Republicans Chat Group scandal has eclipsed events that have far greater implications for Vermonters than the impropriety committed by young adult political leaders in a private conversation.

While former Senator Samual Douglass has been publicly chastised and physically threatened for statements in a chat group for which he is not personally responsible, two prominent state Senators quietly escape public scrutiny of ethics charges filed against them for their participation in education reform; the impacts of which will be detrimental to all Vermont students and their families, regardless of their race, origin, religion, identity, or political affiliation.

Senator Scott Beck is the subject of two ethics complaints that allege conflict of interest for his participation in education reform under Act 73.

Beck is the Senate Republican Minority Leader. He currently serves on the School District Redistricting Task Force created under Act 73. He also teaches social studies at  St. Johnsbury Academy, an independent school that will continue to receive state Town Tuition funds under Act 73, while many other private schools will no longer be eligible.

Two ethics complaints have been filed against Beck: one, filed on October 15 by Clayton Cargill, Danville School Board Chair, alleges that Beck is using his legislative position to pressure Danville and Cabot school districts to consider closing their public high schools; a move that would benefit Beck’s employer, St. Johnsbury Academy, and himself as an employee of the academy.

Earlier ethics complaints filed on June 30, 2025 by Geo Honigford, Board Member, Friends of Vermont Public Education (FVPE) , allege that Senators Beck and  Bongartz, who both served on the House-Senate conference committee to negotiate terms of H.454 (Act 73), leveraged their positions to benefit their personal interests.

Bongartz, a Democrat who serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, served 15 years as Chair of Burr & Burton Academy and allegedly performed consulting work for Maple Street School: both are independent schools.

The FVPE complaints allege that both Beck and Bongartz violated III VSA Chapter 31 § 1203 and § 1201 (5), Conflict of interest, appearance of conflict of interest.

Act 73 negotiations wiped out many private schools’ eligibility under Vermont’s school choice law, except for a select few, including St. Johnsbury Academy and Burr & Burton.

In my opinion, an ethics charge against Senators Beck and Bongartz under Rule 71 regarding legislators’ Oath of Office under Vermont Constitution, Ch. II, §§ 12 and 17, for passing a law that has “a tendency to lessen or abridge their [people’s] rights and privileges,” under the state’s Town Tuition law might also aptly apply.

The Senate Ethics Panel, whose members include radical, Marxist-influenced public-school tyrants – Senators Martine Laroque-Gulick and Tanya Vyhovsky – is not required to disclose either the details of its investigation or its findings to the public, so we can all expect these ethics complaints will be swept under the ethics panel rug.

Republicans had enough power in the 2025 legislative session to hold the line against public school consolidation: they could have insisted the legislature conduct due diligence by investigating the option of expanding school choice in Vermont. Instead, under the guise of “teamwork” and cooperation with “Democrats,” Republican legislators allowed themselves to be led by the nose under Governor Scott’s consolidation bill, while Senators Beck and Bongartz appear to have used their position and power to protect their own private interests, at the expense of the people they represent.

While public scandals that lack investigative due process and “No Kings” protests are far more tantalizing than the tedious details of state legislators’ actions, such distractions should not lure our attention away from issues of higher consequence.

Senator Beck called for Douglass’ resignation based upon others’ ugly written remarks in a private chat.

I now publicly call for Beck’s resignation based upon his own questionable actions.

You, too, Bongartz.

You are both individuals of questionable character and integrity who appear to be serving your own interests above your constituents.

-Renee McGuinness, Addison County resident and “VTGOP escapee“

To the editor:

Re: October 20 news story ‘Bike Council drops barriers on North Avenue’: They are saying this is a ‘pilot’ but that is how they always pull off this crap – can you believe how ugly this is? “Temporary?” Yeah, right.      

Also they took out two turn lanes going both ways at the end of Plattsburg Ave. So we all sit there in long lines putting carbon in the air. They just try to intentionally make driving irritating.

All they had to do was pave the sidewalks and make them a little wider when they did and all bikers and walkers would be safer on the sidewalks. Sidewalks on these types of roads don’t have a ton of traffic. So that would have worked. But no! That wouldn’t inconvenience a motor vehiclist – so that is out.   

This is the lie they are telling us. So our way of life is compromised because we have to live in a permanent construction zone. Ugh!

-Karen Rowell