Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am thinking of moving to Vermont because they have passed right to die. I came here to the forums and I seeing so much negativity. What is worse it is not constructive negativity, but long rants about all the people who the posters hate and why. It has something to do with the distribution of wealth. For example the poster may say, “I hate retirees because they don’t have to work, and I hate college students who get money from the parents, and I hate people on welfare…. on and on.”
The other thing that is bothering me is people write long posts, and then someone requotes the whole post only to say, “wow, man that was a good post.” This takes up a huge amount of space. I have to hunt through all this junk, and then barely find out any useful information about Vermont. The requote should only take up one sentence to save all the scanning. I got a headache from it.
Overall, it is in fact making me not want to live here. I think “Oh, I will just move to Vermont if and only if I come down with a terminal disease and need to invoke right to die.” The thing is I want to move somewhere before illness occurs so I would settled in a nice place I liked rather then a last gasp moving in desperation.
I would like if some people who like living in Vermont would create positive posts, since I don’t need to hear any more negative options. I would like to share with you the positive things about living in San Francisco, but I am not really seeing them myself at this time.
On the best places forum the same person made a negative post about living in Vermont and then she posted the exact same post on each and every city in Vermont. The post when something like “I hate Vermont and everyone here because they don’t work, and I hate my house, my rent is too much, and it costs too much to heat in the winter.” I wonder if the same person is posting here now.
Why can’t they just delete these postings? These views could apply to any city, for example she could say, “I hate Palm Springs, there are retirees here, and I hate that it costs too much to air condition my house in the summer.” Almost any place one lives may have a hot summer, a cold winter and rents that cost too much.
And as for junky houses, every neighborhood has one or too bad apples who don’t care about their curb appeal. That is not the worst possible thing. Considering that a mere few blocks from me there are crack houses. A few old bicycles left lying around is really nothing to complain about. Maybe these people need to move to a really bad city to see how nice Vermont really is by comparison?
There are many factors that play into why people like it here or don't like it here. It would be impossible to sum it up in one post. The demographics of the state have an influence on this. Actually the majority of residents are not natural born Vermonters. Over 50% of the population is from out of state. So many or most residents know what life is like outside of Vermont. The New England states have the highest cost of livings in the country. You can't make the same mistake and look at what costs are here and compare them to where you live. You need to look at income and the amount of taxes you pay on that income as well. Sure a home only can cost about $200,000 (a bargain compared to my home state of CT), but my income is about half of what I made in CT and my utilities and other services are much more because of the climate. Vermont also offers to many social programs for people living in the state. I just heard an interview this past week with Vermont Senator Mazza. 70% of residents in state qualify for property tax rebates, I can't remember the %, but a large % of the state also received assistance from the state, yet the taxes are going through the roof. We have a small population (second least populated state), We are the second oldest state (new census data) in the country, Vermont is one of only two states with negative population growth during the last census, the business climate is very unfriendly and Vermont has a cost of living in the top 5-10. This little bit of information can be a lot to gripe about for years.
Another thing that happens is people fall in love with vacation destinations. It's one thing to vacation somewhere and another thing to live there. The beauty of the state is second to none, the state is crime free compared to many other states and there are so many outdoor activities that can be taken advantage of. This is what people love and why they want to move here for the most part. The climate is probably the the most difficult natural occurrence that drives people out. It's not just 3-4 months of winter, it's closer to six. In another forum post, there is a person from the west coast that thought winters would not be that bad. I believe he/she is from San Fran as well. By February they were going insane because of the climate. The past few winters have actually been mild compared to a few winters ago on top of that.
There should be more reasons to want to move to Vermont than the 'right to die' law. There are three closer states to you with the same law and two of the states (Oregon and Washington) don't have many of the downsides most people on the forum complain about. I wish you luck in your decision.
Thank you for your reply. I came here to check to see if I had one. I signed up for instant notifications when I get a reply, but none came in. I just wanted to add, I am in a bad mood when I wrote that and it probably sounds too harsh. I will try to come back, but without notifications I may forget to check. If you want to ask me about CA, go ahead.
I know that also Montana as well as Oregon and Washington are right to die. But, I have always lived in the west and I wanted to be close to New York City which I really like to visit. But, I have family issues I need to take care so I won't be able to move for at least five years. I will be visiting Vermont in the fall. The one thing that does worry me is the chance of flooding with so many bodies of water in Vermont, but in fact Oregon has a similar issue. All the developed places to live seem to right near river and people posted that when they buy property in Oregon it actually goes down in value.
Part of me wants a single family home, but the upkeep is a lot so also the item of a condo type apartment maybe in senior building would be good. The senior communities in Vermont are very expensive to rent costing 4,000 dollars a month and up to more like 6,000 if you want maid service, so I can't actually do that. But, I am pretty independent, so I don't know. I know if one is really on a limited income living in Baja CA Mexico or in South America one can get great deals and the cost of living is very low.
In California there is a place called Sun City and similar places in which you buy the house in the senior place, so one does not worry about living too long and running out of money. I don't like golf at all and all of them have huge golf courses. Also we have senior mobile home parks in CA which are communities in which the houses you buy them and they are priced low. The mobile homes are not really mobile. Some of them are not like RVs and not on wheels at all. If you try to move them they will crack.
They don't have right to die in CA and we are not likely to ever pass it because of popular opinion, they believe things like if we pass right to die, they will just kill people left and right without their permission, even though it only means the person must request and do it themselves. I also read up on the books the Peaceful Pill and the other book about using a plastic bag. I am horrified at the idea of people putting bags on their heads, and the peaceful pill book said only one has to go to Mexico and buy drugs and kill themselves in Mexico. I am sure Mexico will be cracking down on that because Mexico is a Catholic country. I am Catholic also, but I believe in allowing people to do what they want with their own lives. If you are interested I found out a lot on amazon dot com by reading the reviews of the various death with dignity books they sell online.
The cost of living is just as high in California, in fact, we pay so much for eating healthy produce and our gas is more expensive then your gas. The rents here are the most expensive expect for New York City.
When one buys a new house in CA the taxes are very high as they are based on the selling price, and a modest house is 500,00. The only deal on taxes in CA is for those who bought years ago at a low price, the taxes can not raised until the house is sold, but any remodeling can also result in a huge tax hike. My current place has stairs would need a remodeling for me to stay there.
Florida would be possible, but they don’t have right to die and the natural disaster problem there is very troubling. I think ideally one would have a condo in Florida for the winter and Vermont for the summer. The condos in Florida are very cheap as they over built. I don’t want to have a really hot summer either. I won’t be working or having a business, most likely not, I will be retired.
Last edited by Cthulhuu; 06-20-2013 at 10:24 AM..
Reason: fixed the spacing
Also keep in mind that there are many, many, many people that are very happy here. Its just with message boards like these that you get the unhappy people who need a place to vent. I never run into this kind of negativity in real life. Sure, I know people who would rather live elsewhere...but I never hear them "vent" the way people seem to do on this forum!
Vermont is not for everyone that is for sure.
What ^^^^^ said. I think that is one of the best replies to "Vermont" living. I am a native Vermonter (well conceived there born and born on a military base, but returned with 6 months..). Anyway, I left my home for many of the reasons 68 described. I am in a state know where my taxes are a 1/3-1/4 on a similar home (1400 compared to 4000-5000+), I have a short and mild winter, but I deal with long hot summers. But, like Vermonters in the winter I do what I need to outside, but then go in to the AC. My electric bill on average is less than 100 a month, compared to 150+ every month in Vermont. I don't need to make what I was up there to live the way I do here..although I wish I did . (I make nealy 1/2 the salary and truthfully have more here than I did there).
Sports and entertainment wise I don't need to drive 3+ hours to see a major concert or game. I can go to a museum or enjoy "real" ethnic food or culture. I am in a state where the liberals are "conservative"....
My local metro area is in the top ten for business growth and welcoming to new business. I don't see extended delays in building new intrastructure. I could go on, but really do you homework before packing it for the Green Mountains...
Vermont has sadly changed for the worse, it is not the state I remember growing up....
To add...it looks like you are close to retiring? The town I live in was voted the most desirable to retire to. It was a number of years ago, but it hasn't changed much since then...
Cthulhuu, I have to agree with 68vette on this. Wife and I grew up in Vermont, from families that are Vermont natives. We have lived in the Bennington area, the Windsor are and the St Johnsbury area. While doing a hitch in the military back in the 70s and 80s, I was stationed near SFO and spent many weekends down there and loved the city. I am sure that it has changed a bit since then. Anyway, Vermont has a lot of difficulties (we still go up there to visit family) and like 68vette said, I would NOT base my decision to move entirely on the fact that they allow a right to die. Others states might pick that up at a later date. May I suggest, if possible, that you take a vacation up that way and rent a car, take a drive around the state and talk to a bunch of people first? Pick up and read some of the local newspapers perhaps. I am not trying to be scornful or condescending but I don't want to see you go beyond the point of no return and get into somewhere where you will only be wanting to
move in another couple of years.
I think you would be better off finding a state nearer to where you are now. If you are a city person (San Francisco, wanting to visit NYC) why would you want to live in Vermont where it is mostly rural? Why would you want to live in mountains where travel is difficult? Why would you want to be trapped inside for six months of winter?
I love Vermont too--in the summer for a few weeks. My family on my mother's side were Vermonters going waaaaaay back and the stories that have come down! To me, Vermont is a good place if you are a survivalist and a very independent soul, you are into being extremely frugal and doing without. If you are an outdoorsy type who loves nature, fending for yourself. Right to die doesn't seem to be much of a reason for moving to Vermont.
BTW, I do know a few people from my state (MA) who retired to VT--and left. One was from rural MA, spent years living and working around San Fran, and finally retired to that dream house in VT. Got totally bored and sick and tired of the upkeep on the house and the extremely high heating costs--had a hard time selling that house too. Finally sold it at a big loss and has never looked back.
If people only post the good things about an area, you don't get the full picture.
There are a lot of major problems facing this state, and I don't think it would actually be fair to people looking for information here for that information to be censored.
If you're a city person you might want to reconsider moving here. You don't know how rural Vermont is till your car is stuck in Lewis (population zero) with no cell service and no one else within 10 miles of you. lol
What ^^^^^ said. I think that is one of the best replies to "Vermont" living. I am a native Vermonter (well conceived there born and born on a military base, but returned with 6 months..). Anyway, I left my home for many of the reasons 68 described. I am in a state know where my taxes are a 1/3-1/4 on a similar home (1400 compared to 4000-5000+), I have a short and mild winter, but I deal with long hot summers. But, like Vermonters in the winter I do what I need to outside, but then go in to the AC. My electric bill on average is less than 100 a month, compared to 150+ every month in Vermont. I don't need to make what I was up there to live the way I do here..although I wish I did . (I make nealy 1/2 the salary and truthfully have more here than I did there).
Sports and entertainment wise I don't need to drive 3+ hours to see a major concert or game. I can go to a museum or enjoy "real" ethnic food or culture. I am in a state where the liberals are "conservative"....
My local metro area is in the top ten for business growth and welcoming to new business. I don't see extended delays in building new intrastructure. I could go on, but really do you homework before packing it for the Green Mountains...
Vermont has sadly changed for the worse, it is not the state I remember growing up....
I lived there many years and saw the changes. If you want to deal with second home owners from Ct, NY, and NJ, it's a good place. Other than that it's a good place to visit, not a good place to live unless you are flush. EXPENSIVE!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
