[Riley.]

Originally Posted by jdhpa

Have you considered Maine? If you're not too close to the coast the cost of living is actually quite reasonable. E.g., the Bangor area is pretty reasonably priced, has a major hospital (important for retirement), and is close enough to the coast for easy day trips.

Yes, indeed, we have considered Maine and since things have loosened up with COVID we are talking about what areas to explore. Thanks for this info.
We've visited several sections of ME...the coast, Bethel, Rangely Lake area....husband wants to ski though....Sunday River area might be a place worth looking near....but I want to be further out...or at least
w/in a reasonable commute (and also close enough to a hospital as you mention.)
Thank you for your feedback !!!!

[Riley.]

Originally Posted by skeddy

With only 1.6% African Americans living in Vermont, it's certainly not a place for someone who values diversity.

I moved here from Los Angeles but diversity wasn't on the top of my list. Lack of pollution, crime, traffic, and the landscape of green spaces and seasons is what brought me here. I really love living rural. It's not my fault that people who might be considered 'diverse' don't want to live here. There are not that many good paying jobs and we have a long cold winter, as I'm sure you're well aware. Also, VT doesn't do much to encourage BIPOC to move here.

[Riley.]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

Most transplants moved here from very diverse areas.

I would agree with that...if I meet people who just moved here or are recent relocatees, they come from bigger cities and are sick of those places. They want a quiet, peaceful life, with open spaces, and good places to raise their kids. There is nothing wrong with that.

[Riley.]

So.....just as a bit of an example of the undercurrent of bias towards conservative people and people who don't agree with the progressive agenda here.....the current weekly periodical Seven Days (which I refer to affectionately as the communist rag) has a story on the drama surrounding possibly bringing critical race theory into the schools (for this article, in the town of Essex). Of course, in VT fashion, the pros are having their meeting on one side of the street and the cons on the opposite side of the street.....but the reporting is no so subtly virtue signaling....They reference the group against or questioning CRT as 'not wearing masks, not socially distanced,' and alludes to possible support for former President Donald Trump (but no one from this group is quoted in the article....so no one knows if these folks actually supported Donald Trump, which is a mortal sin in VT) and the OTHER group, the pro CRT group, is described as wearing masks, socially distanced, and, the kicker, the speaker wiped of the microphone with an anti-bacterial wipe before turning it over to the high school SJW who had her say in the matter!! how PC of you all.....
Title of the article is Opposite Sides of the Street and is very typical of what passes for journalism here.

In contrast, somewhat, the same edition has an article (which I can't bring myself to read yet) about Patrick Leahy running for his senate seat AGAIN. The old while guy....who is 81 years old and has served 46 years in the Senate. The author, a really old white guy himself, indicates that his tenure (Leahy's) is what brings home the bacon for VT....but we are living 'in an era of age defiance' and actually has the unmitigated gall to reference Tom Brady (not by name) winning the Super Bowl 'at his age' as if this is a valid comparison.

[NYLIER]

Originally Posted by skeddy

is that why the transplants moved to Vermont? to get away from a diverse area?

got a link?

You're putting words in my mouth. I never said they moved to VT to "get away" from diversity.

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by Riley.

Are you a republican?
I'm a moderate conservative and have been in VT 20 years. Most of the people I've come in contact with are liberals, as you can imagine. They vary widely in how far left they actually go, but quite honestly, I've never had that deep a political discussion with most of them. The few friends I have/had who are/were liberal will change the subject when I try to dive deeper into rationales for particular positions. And I'm not trying to stir up arguments. I have really been interested in honest dialogue, but I can't seem to make it happen.
I would love to know if these peeps think Biden is really any better than Trump but the few times I've asked that answer is 'yes,' but simply because they despised Trump's personality - that's as far as I get.
Don't get me wrong, I was not a big fan of some of his rhetoric either, but I agreed nearly 100% with his policies.
Vermont is not friendly to republicans. I live in NW VT and have always thought there are more conservatives here than one would guess ..... but no one says anything for fear of reprisals. It's a bit sick and is sad, but I don't worry about it much anymore, other than how the politics affects my pocketbook, and it does, believe me, and is not getting any better. We are trying to figure out the exit strategy. I love the landscape and the seasons but the politics makes it hard, especially for young working couples (which we are not....we are retired, but VT is also definitely not too friendly to retirees either.) we'll see.
I don't know about the Manchester area specifically.

Don't get this one. VT has a progressive income tax, income based property tax adjustment, 10 hours of free pre school, and the highest income to qualify for CHIP aka Child Medicaid (like almost $80k for a family of four) in the country. As a parent, its a pretty great safety net to fall back on if I ever lost my job or wanted to downshift to a lower paying job.

[ansible90]

Originally Posted by skeddy

is that why the transplants moved to Vermont? to get away from a diverse area?

got a link?

Originally Posted by NYLIER

Most transplants moved here from very diverse areas.

No link needed. Since VT is one of the least diverse states, anyone who moves here from away is likely coming from a more diverse area. Whether or not that is their reason for moving is another question. I can't answer that.

[Kracer]

Originally Posted by skeddy

With only 1.6% African Americans living in Vermont, it's certainly not a place for someone who values diversity.

Diversity of what?

No one can afford to live in VT, liberal haven designed to keep transgressors out.

Try to find a bathroom in VT!!

Need a NH fishing license to fish the VT shore of the CT river. Beautiful but very weird place.

All bridges over the Ct river belong to NH, important to note if the rescue squad is required

[Riley.]

Originally Posted by Boston_Burbs

Don't get this one. VT has a progressive income tax, income based property tax adjustment, 10 hours of free pre school, and the highest income to qualify for CHIP aka Child Medicaid (like almost $80k for a family of four) in the country. As a parent, its a pretty great safety net to fall back on if I ever lost my job or wanted to downshift to a lower paying job.

Well, first off, SOMEONE is paying for your 10 hours of 'free' pre-school. And why would someone making $80K per year need a subsidy for child medicaid or is that only if you lost your job 'or wanted to downshift to a lower paying job?'
Too much subsidizing in this state and not enough tax payers.
I'll reserve my judgment on the property tax subsidy until I see my bill for this year (with only four months working full time. I retired April 2020) and next year, if I'm still here. I don't have kids and I pay the state nearly $4K each year just for the education tax.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by Riley.

So.....just as a bit of an example of the undercurrent of bias towards conservative people and people who don't agree with the progressive agenda here.....the current weekly periodical Seven Days (which I refer to affectionately as the communist rag) has a story on the drama surrounding possibly bringing critical race theory into the schools (for this article, in the town of Essex). Of course, in VT fashion, the pros are having their meeting on one side of the street and the cons on the opposite side of the street.....but the reporting is no so subtly virtue signaling....They reference the group against or questioning CRT as 'not wearing masks, not socially distanced,' and alludes to possible support for former President Donald Trump (but no one from this group is quoted in the article....so no one knows if these folks actually supported Donald Trump, which is a mortal sin in VT) and the OTHER group, the pro CRT group, is described as wearing masks, socially distanced, and, the kicker, the speaker wiped of the microphone with an anti-bacterial wipe before turning it over to the high school SJW who had her say in the matter!! how PC of you all.....
Title of the article is Opposite Sides of the Street and is very typical of what passes for journalism here.

In contrast, somewhat, the same edition has an article (which I can't bring myself to read yet) about Patrick Leahy running for his senate seat AGAIN. The old while guy....who is 81 years old and has served 46 years in the Senate. The author, a really old white guy himself, indicates that his tenure (Leahy's) is what brings home the bacon for VT....but we are living 'in an era of age defiance' and actually has the unmitigated gall to reference Tom Brady (not by name) winning the Super Bowl 'at his age' as if this is a valid comparison.

LOL! 7D and Digger are both, for the most part, bush league jokes. Not to say the the ancient BFP was any better. Back in the day, the Times Argus had more of an even keel than any of those. Times change.

The tradition of long-serving senators is part of the culture of Vermont. Aiken served since the great flood. Patrick was someone I met in passing as the Chittenden County DA. (Not to be confused with a veiled epithet that D.A. stood for Doughy ($$$) A.. (aka donkey).

I keep needling my brother about how Alabama is more like Vermont than Vermont. Apparently, we now have cooler temperatures than Vermont as well.