When the founding fathers were debating how to forge an ideal form of government, they were "obsessed" with preventing corruption. That's the argument made by legal scholar Zephyr Teachout, who says modern politicians and courts have left that idealism behind and it's time to reclaim it. Teachout is the author of Corruption In America: From Benjamin Franklin's Snuff Box to Citizens United and she joins us on the next Vermont Edition to discuss corruption, money and politics in America. Teachout will be speaking on that topic Thursday at Vermont Law School.
Also, there are nearly two dozen proposals for various revenue increases being considered at the Statehouse. VPR's Pete Hirschfeld explains the competing ideas for raising funds and which ones are likely to pass.
And later in the program, we go along with Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologists as they check on radio-collared bears before they come out of hibernation. The state is conducting a multi-year study on how bears are affected by wind farm developments and as part of the study they need to replace radio collars at the end of the year. We find out how one particular female bear and her yearling cub have fared through the winter and learn more about the project.
Broadcast live on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
