[swanstone1]

Simple solution....move. oh, ps...I'm NEK, from the BIG city where I used to make serious bucks, now I'm 88 hours/week at one job and have energy enough for about 15 at the other. It is what it is and I don't see it changing any time soon. I however don't care to go back and be a victim of armed robbery or worse anymore. VT is about 20 years behind NH and either it's what you want or it isn't. I am personally trying to get my kid to leave cuz I know the difference.

[BickleTravis]

Personally, im leaving because of the lack of young people here. Its actually just a really boring place to be. Even burlington feels like a retirement community in the summer.

[DarkWolf]

What is NEK?

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

What is NEK?

The Northeast Kingdom. It consists of Orleans, Essex and Caledonia Counties.

[steve1282]

Move to Texas like I did New England is going downhill. Thank the liberals you get what you vote for

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by steve1282

Move to Texas like I did New England is going downhill. Thank the liberals you get what you vote for

Texas and the South are one gaint welfare region , milking us Northerns....your really no better and the pay is the same as Northern New England...

[steve1282]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

Texas and the South are one gaint welfare region , milking us Northerns....your really no better and the pay is the same as Northern New England...

Actually Texas has alot of money. Different from up North its all oil and cattle ranchers. I was making 55k up in Boston living pay check to pay check. I took a 15k pay cut to move to Dallas got a brand new house 2200 sq ft 140k cant do that up north. Enjoy your debt and so called "progressiveism".

[FrugalYankee]

Originally Posted by Ughdontevenbother

The population is FULL of white trash, drug using welfare mongers. Everyone visits Burlington and Stowe or Windsor and thinks "Oh how pretty like a postcard!"

Windsor? You meant Woodstock right? Windsor is a DUMP.

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Dear God I don't know where to begin on this one. Spend any length of time on this forum and you'll see lots of conversations on the lack of jobs. Everyone knows it's a problem. What you don't seem to understand is we want some jobs but we don't want the kind of sprawl and development gobbling up places like the NEK that places like MA or CA have. Chittenden County is everything most of us don't want. All kinds of great farmland and wildlife habitat paved over for butt ugly mcmansions and strip mall development. Places like Essex County are rather unique for a tiny New England state like ours for the semi-wilderness it contains. You'd have to go to Northern Maine to find anything comparable. It's full of rare or endangered species of plants, animals and even insects. Boreal species rarely seen in New England. If some lost species such as wolves or caribou are ever to have any place to return to here someday, it will be there. That is my favorite part of VT and I don't want to see it ruined. I think the logging and lumber industry could help the region if the feds ever put a stop to NAFTA. You understand NAFTA took away a lot of jobs from our region.

Sprawl and development? "Vermonters" (or should I transplants) are worried about that? This is like the ugliest girl at the dance being worried about how to handle a young man getting fresh with her when in fact there is no danger of her even getting asked to dance. Vermont is a lost cause. The only people entering the state are those who do not work and who have no intention of working. Either they are bringing in their retirement income or they are welfare trash coming up from the NYC and southern New England metro areas. Vermont makes it painfully clear that it is not interested in citizens who start companies and put Vermonters to work. The goal is that every sits on their hind ends. The rich ones sit in their hillside homes and admire the scenery, and the welfare / section recipients sit on their porches and do drugs. There in no inbetween anymore because the decent jobs are being eliminated with no replacements.

Don't worry about development or sprawl in VT, the only chances of that happening are from
a) scammers who hae no intention of making good on their promises who will take the tax $$ and run when the timing is right
b) naive out-of-staters who see movies like "Baby Boom" and think that Vermont won't kick you in the knees from behind if you are genuinely trying to make a positive contribution to the economy

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Something you need to understand about this state is its history. Even into the mid 20th century a large portion of VT'ers were essentially subsistence farmers, making a little money off things like syrup, milk, lumber, trapping, etc. We had a little industry, not a lot. When land was cheap and taxes were low and the population was half of what it is today it worked fine. The problem now is the state has been "discovered" by people who would either turn it into a big museum or another MA.

I completely agree. Ever hear of Precision Valley? How it began, grew, declined and where it stands now? Did you know that little Springfield was such an industrial powerhouse during WWII that it was number 8 on Hitler's list of war targets? Knocking out Springfield would have put a huge dent in the country's ability to product ball bearings and machine tools needed for the war effort. So yes, please, learn a little history. ot everyone in Vermont was tapping maples in the 20th century. I do not understand why so many Vermonters are in denial about the manufacturing heritage that allowed anyone willing to learn a trade to live in relative wealth. Mention manufacturing today and transplants look at you as if you sad a naughty word. It's the only thing that addes real value to basic commodities. We can't all sell each other insurance and sue each other; THAT will not nake an economy work.

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

As far as shopping, the lack of worries about fashion or suits or whatever, I like that much of this state's people are less worried about trivial, consumerist vanities. I find that lifestyle one finds in urban/suburban areas very empty and frustrating. If you're into all of that stuff, no, this is not a good state for you. If you can't handle cold weather I can understand why the suggestion of hiking in the Winter might not seem too nice, but I've camped out at 30 below without issue. There's a lot to do here to me: hunt, hike, fish, trap, grow gardens, etc., not to mention helping with some maple sugaring.

I agree that shopping is not a pastime and we can leave the ugly malls to places like Mass and NH. The internet is your friend when you need an item of decent quality, or you can always do a day trip to Boston. But let's be honest. Older people may enjoy camping, hiking and fishing in the bitter cold. Young people generally do not. I remember growing up (before there was even a pizza place) and you know what we did for fun? Get in someone's car, cruise up to the plaza, see who was there, cruise to the next town, so who was there, cruise back to our own downtown. Rinse and repeat. I couldnt wait to get out at age 17 and left for Boston. What were my prosects in Vermont? Be a waitress at Okemo or marry a journeyman machinist. That was it. For someone with ambition that is not very inviting. I came back ten years ago to start a business and while I do not regret having done so, I have given up on the idea of expanding it and putting Vermonters to work (as was my hope and intention when I started it) because I am weary of fighting the state and its "we don't want enterprise" mentality. I'd rather take my ambition to a state that rewards entrepeneurs instead of cutting them off at every possible (and trumped up) opportunity.

[Logs and Dogs]

Interesting, I guess. Nothing new we haven't already heard or seen in threads over the years.

I took this thread for exactly what I think the OP intended, an opportunity to vent on all the negative aspects of VT from their perspective. Everyone's perspective is different, not any more valid that anyone else's, just different.

[swanstone1]

Yes, it's pretty simple. If you don't like where you are, leave and that's coming from a still proud native Houstonian. Working more hours for less money to live here works for me. I have peace of mind and personal safety without having a dozen guns spread throughout my house and equal in each business. Plus, clean air isn't so bad either ;-)