State Shuts Down Act 60 Internet Forum

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – The state Education Department has shut down an Internet forum for discussion of Act 60, Vermont’s school funding reform law.

The computer forum, known as a listserve, allowed people to send e-mail messages to a list of fellow subscribers. More than 120 people had joined the forum, exchanging up to 50 messages a day in recent months, officials said.

But on Tuesday, Education Department officials said the listserve had become a forum for harsh, sometimes abusive, criticism of the new law and had outlived its purpose. Education Commissioner Marc Hull said messages had become redundant, and that his department has nearly finished some Act 60 reports the forum was set up to discuss. Sen. Cheryl Rivers, D-Windsor, was one of several subscribers who said Tuesday they were glad the listserve had been shut down. Rivers said some subscribers sent messages comparing Act 60 to the Holocaust. “When they compare Act 60 to the Final Solution … that’s not the type of civil discourse that I want to participate in,” said Rivers. She said some subscribers also used the forum for personal attacks on her. “I think people got over the line in recent discussions.

But others called the forum valuable.

“Both my wife and I learned a great deal about how different other communities are,” said J. Peter Gratiot, a retiree in Pomfret who once served on the town Selectboard. “It was very valuable. It was a good way to exchange ideas and some of the ideas have been very good.” Jeffrey Pascoe of South Burlington was even more blunt in his assessment of the listserve’s evaporation into cyberspace. “I think it’s an outrage,” Pascoe said. “It was incredible last night – the messages were flying back and forth and now that conversation has been completely stifled.” Remember to visit www.act60.org