When Geoff Norman first told me about his idea for promoting an environmentally sound economic development agenda for the state of Vermont, his excitement and enthusiasm peaked while rattling off names of a few people who might be persuaded to contribute their diverse opinions and perspectives on the relevant issues of the day. “We’re looking to draw from a wide range of perspectives,” he explained. “We could run an in-depth analysis of educational spending priorities on the same day that we feature a Marxist’s perspective on local unemployment trends.”

The result is a lively blog entitled VermontTiger, inspired by the late economic successes of the Celtic Tiger [not to be confused with Michael Flatley's latest extravaganza]. Its mission, to “promote politics and policies aimed at sustained, environmentally sound economic growth and prosperity in the Green Mountain State ” seems occasionally at odds with some of the content you’ll find — a post that decries current global warming research as “utterly useless” has the most tenuous grip on reality — but most often you’ll find a reasoned variation on the solid Libertarian perspective. Even at this early stage, Norman has done an admirable job attracting content from a number of notable sources, including Burlington marketer Tim Volk and former VT House Speaker Walt Freed.

VermontTiger is proving itself to be an interesting [though occasionally exasperating] read. We’re pleased to have designed the branding for this blog, which was set up by the multitalented Chris Schaub.