INVITATION TO DEBATE

RUTLAND-BENNINGTON DISTRICT
CANDIDATES FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE

To: Robin Chesnut-Tangerman and Sally Achey,

The Modern Woodmen Hall in Wells is reserved for Sunday, October 4 for your debate. I know that you both respect the social distancing rules for COVID 19 and will understand that the number of attendees will be limited.

Modern Woodmen requires that everyone wear a mask and that the attendance be restricted to fifty persons. Working within those parameters and allowing for 1 Moderator, 2 Debaters, 1-Timekeeper, 1 Cameraman and 1 Organizer, debaters will each be allowed to invite 20 people. Members of the public wishing to attend the event, should ask one of the debaters for an invitation. For those unable to attend, the debate will be aired on PEG-TV.

The doors will open at 1:45 pm and the event will start at 2:00 pm. The debate will last an hour and a half. Leaving a little flexibility for a wrap up, the hall must be cleared and locked by 4:00 pm. If the debate ends early, questions from the audience will be allowed through the moderator.

There should be three microphones so that there is no sharing of equipment. I ask both candidates to assist in providing the microphones and sound equipment.

Chairs of the VT Democratic and Republican parties will be invited to suggest the debate topics which will be chosen at random by the Moderator. The Moderator and Timekeeper will be from outside the district and not officials of any political party.

The moderator will flip a coin at the beginning of the debate to determine who will go first. Responses will be limited to 2 minutes each with a half minute allowed for rebuttals; rebuttals will be limited to two each debater per question.

Since preparation time is short, I ask that the debaters, respond to me through Front Porch Forum on Tuesday, September 15. I also ask that the debaters submit their list of attendees to luebked@aim.com by October 1.

It seems appropriate to announce this debate in celebration of our freedom to express our opinions and beliefs with no fear of reprisal on this historic date, September 11.

Dolores Luebke, Organizer
West Pawlet, Vermont
September 11, 2020