Simeon Marsalis ‘13 is an author and a professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark. However, he was once a student at the University of Vermont, an experience he drew on heavily in his 2017 novel, “As Lie is to Grin.” The novel follows David, a Black student in his first year at UVM, who grapples.
You re old enough to drink, old enough to think. And old enough to be responsible for your own decisions. I implore you wake up and smell the brimstone.
Welcome to Black History Month, 1619-2022. It’s quite possible Jan. 19, 2022, surpassed Jan. 6, 2021, as the most gut-wrenching event in my lifetime. Watching the entire membership of Abraham
Clueless! Not for the first time, or even the second, you cut off clues for the crossword puzzle in the May 12 issue. One line, if not two, is totally missing. Please, please double check this before the paper goes to print. Thank you very much. Nan Moses
Missing Income Sensitivity Thanks for the very detailed article about Burlington s new assessments and ever-increasing property values [ Gilded Age, May 5]. Speaking to actual homeowners while also doing real analysis made it both personal and precise. Surprisingly, there are several key aspects that were not covered: First and foremost, Vermont has income sensitivity for the education portion of the property tax for those with incomes of up to $138,000. For folks with incomes of less than $50,000, the income sensitivity provision even covers municipal taxes. Thus, for folks with limited incomes, the assessed value is often moot since people pay based on their income.
weekly political column. Tim Newcomb There are two kinds of money around the Vermont Statehouse: state and federal. State money is always in short supply. Do we spend it on the University of Vermont and the state colleges, raises for underpaid workers at our mental health agencies, or public assistance for people with disabilities? Do we set it aside for retiree pensions and health care? A dollar devoted to one of those worthy causes is a dollar less for the others. The decisions are difficult. Federal dollars, on the other hand, seem a lot easier to spend. When more than a billion of them flow into Vermont to help the state weather the COVID-19 crisis and a second billion-dollar bundle shows up less than a year later, there s a temptation to start dancing to the 1998 Squirrel Nut Zippers tune The Suits Are Picking Up The Bill.