[Jpierpont]

Never had many slaves( those states have the most blacks) didn't have any large industrialized cities to attract any during the great migration (s). Is it a sin not to have many blacks? Is a crowd of white somehow deficient because it lacks one of us? The people from Vermont I've met have been roundly interesting people. I don't think the state needs to change in that regard at all.

[urbo2705]

Originally Posted by Jpierpont

Never had many slaves( those states have the most blacks) didn't have any large industrialized cities to attract any during the great migration (s). Is it a sin not to have many blacks? Is a crowd of white somehow deficient because it lacks one of us? The people from Vermont I've met have been roundly interesting people. I don't think the state needs to change in that regard at all.

That's nice to read, as a native Vermonter! People of any color are welcome here, and indeed I wish our population was less homogenous, but it is what it is. VT never attracted many people of ANY color, and our population remains 49th in the country. We are indeed (mostly) well-rounded and erudite. Hope you'll enjoy your next stay up here!

[nevecappai]

Originally Posted by Ericthebean

The state is open Liberal and pro-environment, but why wouldn't such a state be more a magnet for diversity and more black people?

Even more ironic is Vermont has the laxest gun laws and car registration laws in the U.S. and no guarded border, heck not even with Derbyline

And so few minorities why?

I find this completely irritating to be honest. I can be politically correct when I need to be but I will just call it what it is from a southerners point of view about the North or any cold state or rural/farming/naturistic kind of state. Since I am not from Vermont I guess it could be pure speculation but I have lived in Iowa which is further north, Northern California, and Colorado.

I am not racist first and foremost. I have friends from all walks of life, races, creeds, religions, and sexual orientation! And I am totally generalizing as well. IT IS TOO COLD for most. My friends who are of color whether that be my black friends, indian (native american), or latino/latina (hispanics and Puerto Rican) friends think we are crazy moving somewhere so cold. Most of their roots are in the south and typically that is where they stay.

There are not urban areas like there are here. I have no idea about the social services in Vermont but a lot abuse the system here.,..A LOT of them do. I don't think your friend not getting the job had anything to do with the color of their skin and quite frankly it gets irritating to me. Some folks with less melanin in their skin don't get jobs because companies who are EEO have to hire so many of certain race, etc etc., and sometimes qualified people who are non-ethnic get passed up. However, HR folks would never tell you that. I just happen to have a good friend who worked for a large corporation and she was the HR manager.

I don't like race bating and I feel that is what your post was doing. Maybe I am wrong but it is annoying. I am sure most people of Vermont would welcome kind people, who move to their lovely towns for the right reasons of any color. Just like Oklahoma, or as my husband calls it (more lovingly really) REDNECK CENTRAL. We have racists here but that is just some podunk ignorant backwoods redneck hill billy talking out his/her arse! Bigger cities and urban areas offer more 'affordable' housing and help than rural communities do. And while all ethnic folks do not seek that out, the majority, in my experience living here, do.

And my husband I particularly love that Vermont residents place a high regard on education.

[GeoffD]

A few remarks:

First, IBM dumped their silicon fab plants on GlobalFoundaries IBM paid GlobalFoundaries a big pile of cash to get the business unit off their books. In the past, Vermont politicians could drive down to the lower Hudson Valley and do some arm twisting to keep the Essex Junction plant operating. That simply isn't the case now. The long term prospects for the Essex Junction plant are bleak. There might be 100 people who create valuable intellectual property at that facility who might remain if it becomes clear that they would rather quit than do a corporate relocation to another GlobalFoundaries plant. When that plant closes, the economic impact on the state will be enormous and catastrophic. Hopefully, the plant will remain open for a while longer but it's hard to imagine GlobalFoundaries dumping the enormous capital into the plant that will be required to keep it competitive.

Other than Chittenden County, Vermont is one of the most rural places in the United States. That is typically not the kind of place that sees a mass migration of people looking for economic opportunity and an improved quality of life. Chittenden County doesn't offer the kinds of jobs that would attract unskilled labor. IBM is the biggest employer. Then Fletcher Allen. Then UVM. Anyone relocating would be competing at a disadvantage against locals for the same small pool of service sector and manufacturing jobs. Vermont has few blacks and Hispanics because there is so little opportunity.

[cgregor]

Essex Junction is going to experience the same thing Springfield did when cowboy capitalists (the head of Goldman [so-called] Industrial Group had only had experience in looting companies when he decided to rape Bryant Grinder) came in and sucked the town's machine tool industries out. Up until WWII, Springfield had been supplying America with 38% of all the machine tools used, which was why a town of 10,000 rated a high place on the Luftwaffe bombing list (some say #8, some say #14).

It might not be too late to have the employees investigate ownership through an employee cooperative. Having gotten $1.5 billion from IBM, Global Foundries might be willing to walk away (hah!). The employees, with state and federal financial help, could run the place themselves-- and they wouldn't be likely to sell out their livelihood to another vulture.

A guy can dream, can't he?

[nevecappai]

[quote=cgregor;38266724]Essex Junction is going to experience the same thing Springfield did when cowboy capitalists (the head of Goldman [so-called] Industrial Group had only had experience in looting companies when he decided to rape Bryant Grinder) came in and sucked the town's machine tool industries out. Up until WWII, Springfield had been supplying America with 38% of all the machine tools used, which was why a town of 10,000 rated a high place on the Luftwaffe bombing list (some say #8, some say #14).


/QUOTE]


Very interesting, I did not know that. :/ Learn something new everyday.

[kevinwindwalker]

Because most of people(black or white or whatever) don't see anything from vermont ,it has nothing to do with color .

[yolonsa]

Really? All minorities are not looking for cities that offer social programs and etc.

[yolonsa]

Really? All minorities are not looking for cities that offer social programs and etc.

[Dilnca]

Maybe they kept going North to Canada when people did migrate North during the Civil War. At least they knew no one could send them back like with the Fugitive Slave Act. Perhaps by the time there was "industry there" --not sure if there were mills in VT-- they didn't want to work in them. Maybe they didn't want to work on farms.

There are hardly and Hispanics/Latinos there either. Maybe it's the climate?