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Brett Yates Brett Yates

Can we talk about housing now?

Why Burlington’s next election needs to be about housing, not policing; and how socialists should approach housing development under capitalism.

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Champlain Valley DSA Champlain Valley DSA

CVDSA’s Socialist Voting Guide for the Aug. 9 Democratic Primary

The membership of the Champlain Valley Democratic Socialists of America votes on the chapter’s endorsements. You can see three candidates’ responses to our questionnaire here. But since we didn’t endorse a candidate in every race, our electoral working group put together this guide to offer some unofficial recommendations and guidance on harm-reduction voting to help fill up the rest of your ballot if you’re so inclined. (Several candidates running for the Democratic nomination are members of the Vermont Progressive Party, whose own ballot does not feature any competitive races.)

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Champlain Valley DSA Champlain Valley DSA

Local DSA Members Debut Equal Time Radio (the Podcast)

Looking for an in-depth analysis of current events in Vermont and nationally, from a Left and Labor perspective? Check out Equal Time Radio with DSA member Traven Leyshon. Equal Time began as a progressive initiative driven by State Senator Anthony Pollina back in 2007…

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Opinion Paul Fleckenstein Opinion Paul Fleckenstein

Defunding the Liberal Police

Last week, Burlington acting Chief of Police, Jon Murad, was allowed to address a 1,000-person Black Lives Matter rally in Burlington. Faced with pressure from hundreds of residents at public hearings demanding the City defund the police and remove 30% of cops from the street, Murad gave a skillful, liberal defense of expansive policing and the large budgets this requires. The affect of this was not exactly clear (he wasn’t booed off the stage), but the message did conflict with popular chants to abolish the police later on the march.

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Opinion Natalie Stroud Opinion Natalie Stroud

Trauma in the Time of COVID

Our nation is experiencing collective trauma right now. Trauma happens when what we individually assume to be true about the world or ourselves is challenged, making it hard to cope and impossible to go back to how things were before. We will all be changed forever by this pandemic. That is trauma.

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Letters CVDSA Covid-19 Response Working Group Letters CVDSA Covid-19 Response Working Group

Thanks, But No Thanks

We are thankful to the essential workers serving in the military, especially for your hard work in building surge facilities and distributing food around the nation. Although workers appreciate the sentiment behind the display of the military jets by the United States Air Force, we do not believe this is the best way to thank us. Every flight is a massive financial expense, with the price of up to $44,000 per flight. The cost doesn’t stop there. There are health care impacts associated with these jets including excessive noise, a huge carbon footprint, and other environmental damage.

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Opinion Helen Scott Opinion Helen Scott

Fighting the Cuts at UVM

After endless messages thanking us for our hard work and dedication during these challenging times, last week the administration at the University of Vermont announced budget cut plans that show nothing but callous disrespect for the lives and work of faculty.

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Opinion Adam Norton and Ashley Smith Opinion Adam Norton and Ashley Smith

If We Fight, We Can Win! Where Next in the Struggle to Save Vermont’s State Colleges?

The working class of Vermont has scored an initial victory against a tidal wave of austerity measures that Governor Phil Scott is threatening. But no one should be under any illusions that the state colleges are safe; the Governor made clear that he wants the legislature to pass a budget with devastating cuts to our public institutions.

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Opinion Kason Hudman Opinion Kason Hudman

Sometimes Antisocial - Always Antifascist

The BTV Clean Up Crew began as an idea in August 2019, when I was looking for a clever way of removing fascist propaganda that had been cropping up in Burlington. At the time, I had just come across a large poster for the neo-Nazi group the Patriot Front, plastered on the window of Memorial Auditorium, urging Burlington residents to call ICE on their immigrant neighbors.

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