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Recent Posts
- Discussion articles at town meeting
- Town Meeting 2023 – Part 2
- Town Meeting 2023 – Part 1
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Cambridge Flag Project
- The Bell in the Town Hall
- Why I Am Supporting Rebecca Pitre
- Not seeking re-election
- Supporting Rebecca Pitre
- Alternative for VLCT
- Alternative to DEI
- Problems with DEI
- What is DEI?
- Questioning DEI
- What Killed Michael Brown?
- Proposition 16
- Great Awakenings
- Is Town Meeting Obsolete?
- Town Meeting 2021
- Vermont’s superpower
Introduction to this blog
Author Archives: George Putnam
Alternative to DEI
This post is part of a series of posts on Questioning DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Please see the link for an introduction, a disclaimer, and a list of the initial posts in this series. The previous post discussed Problems … Continue reading
Problems with DEI
This post is part of a series of posts on Questioning DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Please see the link for an introduction, a disclaimer, and a list of the initial posts in this series. One problem with DEI is … Continue reading
What is DEI?
This post is part of a series of posts on Questioning DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Please see the link for an introduction, a disclaimer, and a list of the initial posts in this series. What is DEI? The Equity … Continue reading
Questioning DEI
The current movement for “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) is big. In my world, it is a focus area for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) where I serve on the board of directors. This post begins a … Continue reading
What Killed Michael Brown?
Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, on August 9, 2014. He was shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Michael Brown was black. Darren Wilson is white. The shooting led to widespread protests, some … Continue reading
Proposition 16
This post is about California’s Proposition 16 of 2020. (Background information about California’s ballot proposition process may be found here.) Proposition 16 of 2020 (which failed) sought to undo Proposition 209 of 1996 (which passed), so let’s first examine that … Continue reading
Is Town Meeting Obsolete?
Is Town Meeting Obsolete? That was the question of an online debate sponsored by the Moore Free Library of Newfane, Vermont, on March 16, 2021, two weeks after Town Meeting Day. Arguing for the question were: Richard Watts, Ph.D., a … Continue reading
Town Meeting 2021
There was no traditional town meeting in my town of Cambridge, Vermont, this year. Like the majority of Vermont towns, we voted all items by Australian ballot because of the pandemic lockdown. In-person voting took place on Town Meeting Day, … Continue reading
Vermont’s superpower
The following commentary in VTDigger by Susan Clark on 2/05/2021 is excellent: Vermont’s superpower, revealed: The ability to practice local democracy Susan’s thesis is that: a) civic skills acquired by actively practicing local democracy, especially in Vermont’s town meetings, are … Continue reading
The Switchel Philosopher 