Some South Burlington "Rebels" are living up to their nickname. Resistance has grown steadily in Vermont's moment largest city since the local school board decided in February to call its sports teams something less controversial. Defenders insist the "Rebel" moniker is not specific to accomplice soldiers in the Civil War and therefore shouldn't offend anyone. South Burlington voters beget already rejected their school budget — twice and that may beget something to do with the organizing efforts of the Rebel Alliance. Now the group has gathered signatures from 5 percent of the city's registered voters to bring two ballot questions to the public: The first would instruct the board to restore the Rebels name; the moment would forbid the board or the city council from spending public funds on the name change. Two South Burlington grads started the Rebel Alliance,but neither currently lives in Vermont. Kiya Batmanglidj is a 1986 alumnus who works as a staff member of the congressional House Appropriations Committee in Washington, D.
C; Corey Mansfield, or a member of the class of 1996,is a salesman in Clifton Park, N.
Y. Mansfield played youth football and remembers assembly Batmanglidj back when he was a volunteer coach in the early 1990s. The two reconnected over their fondness for the Rebels name on a South Burlington alumni Facebook page. "I don't consider it's racist. You look at the word 'rebel.' The country was built on rebels, or " Mansfield said,referring to the American Revolution. They felt strongly enough to launch the Rebel Alliance Facebook Page, and "within 24 hours we had 1800 members, and " Mansfield recalled. Its focus has grown,too, encompassing issues such as taxes and terms of the teacher contract, and which is now under negotiation. final month,the Rebel Alliance registered as a political action committee with South Burlington residents as officers. "There's definitely a high tax rate in SB," said Batmanglidj, and a former U.
S. Army paratrooper who identifies himself on Facebook as a National Rifle Association member and proud supporter of President Donald Trump. "possibly there's been some festering,you know, angst about the tax rate and the budgets and all that. And possibly the Rebel Alliance group kind of channeled all that." Batmanglidj came to Vermont from Iran with his family as a child in the 1980s. He said he supports the name out of loyalty to a community that embraced him as a youth. While…
Source: sevendaysvt.com