I'm strongly in favor of efforts to support new housing in order to improve Vermont's economic outlook. I also support the repeal of Act 181's road rule and of enhanced review in certain Tier 3 areas. I've been involved in a (so far) 4 1/2 year effort to construct a wastewater project in a rural area, and believe that another challenge is the weak role of county government, unlike other states where it supports infrastructure projects.
My only concern with your excellent reporting is the lack of identification and distinction between news articles and opinion pieces, which I think are necessary to maximize credibility.
Thank you for both the kind words and the wastewater point — a 4.5-year infrastructure slog is exactly the kind of structural observation that belongs in the next piece in this series, and I'd welcome any of the specifics you're willing to share (on or off the record).
Your point on the weak role of county government in Vermont compared to other states is one I'll be researching for Part 3.
On the news/opinion distinction: fair critique. Compass's model is document-based analysis with every factual claim hyperlinked to its primary source, so the evidence is always visible to the reader — but you're right that the genre distinction matters for credibility, and clearer labeling would serve readers.
Going forward, including this article, pieces that synthesize, explain structural causes, or draw conclusions from primary-source data will carry an 'Analysis' tag.
I'm strongly in favor of efforts to support new housing in order to improve Vermont's economic outlook. I also support the repeal of Act 181's road rule and of enhanced review in certain Tier 3 areas. I've been involved in a (so far) 4 1/2 year effort to construct a wastewater project in a rural area, and believe that another challenge is the weak role of county government, unlike other states where it supports infrastructure projects.
My only concern with your excellent reporting is the lack of identification and distinction between news articles and opinion pieces, which I think are necessary to maximize credibility.
Peter,
Thank you for both the kind words and the wastewater point — a 4.5-year infrastructure slog is exactly the kind of structural observation that belongs in the next piece in this series, and I'd welcome any of the specifics you're willing to share (on or off the record).
Your point on the weak role of county government in Vermont compared to other states is one I'll be researching for Part 3.
On the news/opinion distinction: fair critique. Compass's model is document-based analysis with every factual claim hyperlinked to its primary source, so the evidence is always visible to the reader — but you're right that the genre distinction matters for credibility, and clearer labeling would serve readers.
Going forward, including this article, pieces that synthesize, explain structural causes, or draw conclusions from primary-source data will carry an 'Analysis' tag.
Thanks for pushing on this.
Tom Davis, Publisher