( – promoted by GMD)
(or Must really suck to be Vermont hater Dubie/Douglas)
THE UPDATE (thanks to The Vermont News Guy):
The latest issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine named Burlington one of the “ten best cities for the next decade.” Praised for its “creativity and entrepreneurship” Burlington was tagged the eighth best city for both living and working over the next several years. Austin, Texas, was first.
In addition, recently released (or, perhaps more accurately, hitherto ignored) Census figures confirm that Vermont is one of the most affluent states, with a relatively low poverty rate, and one of the lowest rates of child poverty in the country. The statistics are from 2008, the most recent available.
The News Guy has the links in his post … so just click right here for more detail (story is titled Random Notes For a Monday).
END UPDATE
Not long ago I helped to expose the seamy underbelly of Vermont life by helping to spread this article from VermontBiz discussing, among other things, how business owners really liked Vermont … even despite having to (insert gasp of understanding here) pay taxes.
Now it is the turn of 7 Days’ own Shay Totten and the glaringly liberal (not) Addison County Independent.
From Shay we learn that “Forbes rated Burlington among the prettiest cities in the United States. But looks aren’t everything. The magazine also declared B-town to be the second most likely location in the U.S. to find a job this spring.”
And the Addison Indie? “Editor’s note – You’ve seen the headlines, you’ve heard the personal stories from friends and neighbors: Vermont needs to create more opportunities for its young people or else they will leave the state. But many young adults choose to stay here and many others return after a few years away.” So they’re presenting the first in a series about the (insert another gasp of understanding here) reasons people like Vermont.
Along with the reality that Vermont’s schools are regularly ranking at the top (or directly adjacent to it) in national rankings … why next thing you know politicians are going to have to start running on the “Vermont is a great place to live” platform.
Thank you, Rama, for continuing to expose what I call the “I hate Vermont” movement. Obviously, Vermont has its problems; I won’t deny that. Yet, the “Haters” who trumpet their pro-corporate agenda never seem to tell us what state we are supposed to emulate. Is it Mississippi? Maybe its New Jersey; Perth Amboy anyone? Maybe oil-friendly Louisiana? Has anyone enjoyed a good traffic jam in Atlanta, lately? I give Brian Dubie credit: At least he has proposed something specific, a “Green Valley” initiative, making Chittenden County the Silicon Valley of the East. Yet, does anyone seriously want Vermont to resemble Silicon Valley. Try linking to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition to find out: http://www.svtc.org/site/PageS…
In my mind, the most bizarre justification for following the corporate agenda has come from Tom Evslin, who should know better. On his blog, he wrote: “People who pay lots of taxes, start businesses, and create jobs are more and more afraid to live here. They’re terrified of dying here.” Now, that statement is perfect fodder for satire. To wit:
— “Come to Florida; you won’t want to wait to die.”
— “In New Hampshire, the mortician won’t have to put a smile on your face. We will!”
— “Here in Texas, we’ll make dying worth your while.”
— “Virginia is for cadavers!”
I had a wonderful friend who died in 1990. He had been a Vermont State Senator and was once chair of the Vermont Republican Party. He was a successful businessman, employed people and paid a lot of taxes. On his deathbed he told me, “Bruce, come back to Vermont. You belong here. It’s a wonderful place to be!”
I am sure my friend was not anxious to die, but I know he felt fortunate to have lived his whole life — beginning to end — in our beautiful state.
One candidate took on Dubie on this sh*&.