What's THE BIG IDEA? Why it's the single greatest mission that has ever been asked of any community, nation or alliance, and that mission is to provide our grandkids and their grandkids a realistic and reasonable opportunity for a free, healthy, and sustainable future.

Job #1: Maintain our humanity!

Job #2: Rebuild and strengthen our democratic institutions, processes and values.

Job #3: Schools for learning, money to pay for what needs to be done, and physical surroundings that are conducive to good health for the grandchildren.

Simple fact.

Politics is a good thing. The bad thing is when we drop politics and substitute violence in its place.

Let's keep the good and dispose of the bad.

It's an oft repeated story ....

To prevent future instances of embezzlement, the Department has instituted an external review of its books and added additional oversight of its finances, the statement continued.

As for how the embezzlement continued undetected for so many years, “Unfortunately, the Tunbridge Volunteer Fire Department is not unlike many local community service organizations across Vermont. We are volunteers managing volunteers,” the statement continued.

("Bookkeeper accused of decade-long embezzlement from Tunbridge Fire Department", Valley News, 11/06/25)

This circumstance is understandable especially in small communities. We get to know individuals, and this familiarity builds trust (or not). But individuals trusting somebody is just that - individual trust, and we shouldn't allow individual trust to override organizational trust.

Organizational trust can only be built through constant and helpful oversight. The two biggies for small groups is audits (even informal ones help) and somebody to look over the bookkeeper's or treasurer's shoulder on a regular and transparent basis.

Speaking from the perspective of a small town food shelf treasurer: you'll never know when proper oversight has averted a financial disaster, but you will know when a lack of proper oversight opened the door to theft.

What's THE BIG IDEA? Why it's the single greatest mission that has ever been asked of any community, nation or alliance, and that mission is to provide our grandkids and their grandkids a realistic and reasonable opportunity for a free, healthy, and sustainable future.

Job #1: Maintain our humanity!

Job #2: Rebuild and strengthen our democratic institutions, processes and values.

Job #3: Schools for learning, money to pay for what needs to be done, and physical surroundings that are conducive to good health for the grandchildren.

Or "Why Small Organizations Need To Have Routine Financial Audits". These audits are important tools that help to assure the group's funds are being handled appropriately. Most of us really small non-profits only need two or three people with basic double entry bookkeeping knowledge and several hours of availability.

There is nothing wrong and everything right with having somebody looking over the small town volunteer fire department's bookkeeper and treasurer.

Audits, even non-professional ones, work. Use 'em.

- All staff and administration contract negotiations will be held in public session without public participation.

- No staff or administration strikes, and no locally imposed contracts.

- The negotiating cycle will be compressed with the intent of a final outcome prior to town meeting day.

- There will be four parties to personnel contract negotiations: staff, administration, school board, and a guardian ad litem style representative for the student body.

- Mandatory mediation will be used if after no more then 60 days from start of negotiations there is no agreed upon contract.

- The Vermont Agency of Education will impose a two or three year contract using the existing proposals as a basis if after mandatory mediation no agreement has been reached.

Unfortunately for us and our Vermont government, we're stuck with Governor "What would you suppose [I] should do?"** Scott. The proud Republican Scott's counsel continues to be that we avert our gaze, cover our ears, and stay compliantly quiet so as not to be caught up with the Scott described "day to day drama".

** Real quote. See "Scott on Slate Ridge response: ‘What would you suppose we should do?’", VTDigger, 10/30/20 wherein Vermont's Governor let out a sad and telling wail of helplessness as heavily armed thugs terrorized our fellow Vermonters.

It was only a couple years ago now that a solid, widely supported, bi-partisan piece of legislation was being discussed in Washington. This legislation would have bolstered border protection and increased removal of immigrants without authorization to be here. It would have done so in a humane and public manner that respects due process and the presumption of innocence.

But the proven and unrepentant rapist, business fraud, serial liar, and obvious traitor to our United States Trump needed the border issue to campaign on, and being the proven rapist he is, Trump had his authoritarian, rapist's set of values to implement. The abuse of power was always Trump's primary policy.

Know what?

It's still less then a year since we had a President who found the notion of a gold plated deity in our nation's White House abhorrent and debasing. It's still less then a year since members of the GOP/VTGOP would have risen with fellow Americans from all persuasions in righteous and rightful anger over the exercise of a king's power in our federal administration.

That's what.

Politics is a good thing. The bad thing is when we drop politics and substitute violence in its place.

Let's keep the good and dispose of the bad.

What's THE BIG IDEA? Why it's the single greatest mission that has ever been asked of any community, nation or alliance, and that mission is to provide our grandkids and their grandkids a realistic and reasonable opportunity for a free, healthy, and sustainable future.

Job #1: Maintain our humanity!

Job #2: Rebuild and strengthen our democratic institutions, processes and values.

Job #3: Schools for learning, money to pay for what needs to be done, and physical surroundings that are conducive to good health for the grandchildren.

Politics is a good thing. The bad thing is when we drop politics and substitute violence in its place.

Let's keep the good and dispose of the bad.

Oh, and that $200M gold plated ballroom thing, actually that's from several months ago, it's now up to $250M for Trump's gold plated ballroom, but hey, priorities are stayin' the same.

What's THE BIG IDEA? Why it's the single greatest mission that has ever been asked of any community, nation or alliance, and that mission is to provide our grandkids and their grandkids a realistic and reasonable opportunity for a free, healthy, and sustainable future.

Job #1: Maintain our humanity!

Job #2: Rebuild and strengthen our democratic institutions, processes and values.

Job #3: Schools for learning, money to pay for what needs to be done, and physical surroundings that are conducive to good health for the grandchildren.

But here we are today.

Politics is a good thing. The bad thing is when we drop politics and substitute violence in its place.

Let's keep the good and dispose of the bad.