[68vette]

It is all relevant depending where you want to live. I can find the link if anyone would like it, but Vermont ranks third in the country in percentage of income spent on property taxes and I believe in the top five in percentage of of income spent on housing. All this means is on average you may find a cheaper home, but you will also make less money than where you came from. There are areas of the state where homes and taxes are cheaper, but this is due to a variety of reasons. The towns are not desirable places to live, opportunity is not great, isolated, etc. Income plays a huge roll in our lives and it puts strains on relationships. The recent data put out by the US Census Bureau shows that Vermont is tied for second in the percentage of divorced males and tied for third in the percentage of divorced females. Not every divorce is caused by finances, but it's a well known fact that it does.

[Bang!]

Property tax in Vermont is not only about where you live. Property tax in Vermont is income sensitized which means about a 1/3rd of Vermonter's don't pay their full tax amount as calculated by property value. The difference is of course subsidized by the rich. Progressive tax systems like this work to your advantage if you poor. If on the other hand you make good money it doesn't feel so good or fair or equal.

[groens]

Originally Posted by 68vette

It is all relevant depending where you want to live. I can find the link if anyone would like it, but Vermont ranks third in the country in percentage of income spent on property taxes and I believe in the top five in percentage of of income spent on housing. All this means is on average you may find a cheaper home, but you will also make less money than where you came from. There are areas of the state where homes and taxes are cheaper, but this is due to a variety of reasons. The towns are not desirable places to live, opportunity is not great, isolated, etc. Income plays a huge roll in our lives and it puts strains on relationships. The recent data put out by the US Census Bureau shows that Vermont is tied for second in the percentage of divorced males and tied for third in the percentage of divorced females. Not every divorce is caused by finances, but it's a well known fact that it does.

I don't think we can make less money there than here.

I don't mind paying my fair share of taxes.

I think that desirability of a town is relative.

re: $ & Vermont divorce rates...: If $ problems make you divorce, you probably shouldn't have been married in the first place. I don't think that is a Vermont issue. It's a universal priority issue... and a sad generalisation to stick on Vermont as a state.

[groens]

Originally Posted by Bang!

Property tax in Vermont is not only about where you live. Property tax in Vermont is income sensitized which means about a 1/3rd of Vermonter's don't pay their full tax amount as calculated by property value. The difference is of course subsidized by the rich. Progressive tax systems like this work to your advantage if you poor. If on the other hand you make good money it doesn't feel so good or fair or equal.

IMHO if you make more money, you should pay more taxes. I agree with progressive tax systemes.

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by groens

IMHO if you make more money, you should pay more taxes. I agree with progressive tax systemes.

Understand VT has 600,000 people and a handful of high paying jobs. Trustfunder types are able to dodge taxes as are land rich individuals regardless of income. Add a penchant for lots of state spending with a very progressive tax scheme and you have a small group of people picking up the tab. Many of whom are moving. Who is going to pick up the revenue slack?

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by groens

I don't think we can make less money there than here.

I doubt there is anyone who has lived in VT who would take that as a bet.

[68vette]

Originally Posted by groens

I don't think we can make less money there than here.

I don't mind paying my fair share of taxes.

I think that desirability of a town is relative.

re: $ & Vermont divorce rates...: If $ problems make you divorce, you probably shouldn't have been married in the first place. I don't think that is a Vermont issue. It's a universal priority issue... and a sad generalisation to stick on Vermont as a state.

I am just pointing out the facts. Everything I put in my post is a fact, they can all be checked. Don't take my tone as being negative. I'm just giving you information along with all of the positive information you have been given.

Taxes and income are a huge problem in the state of Vermont. We don't have millions of people living here to tax large amounts of money. We have just over half a million people. The state is running out of money to function effectively. One example is the money payed for unemployment. In February the state of Vermont will have exhausted all of it's unemployment money and will have to borrow from the Fed. (which will have to be payed back). Our infrastructure is in horrible condition. So bad that the History Channel ran a special recently on infrastructure in the US and the state has a very poor grade. Vermont | Report Card for America's Infrastructure The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act turned out to be a joke with only about 72 Billion of the one trillion going into the nations infrastructure.
I agree, the town you choose is relative. If you are happy there and can make a living then it's the right place for you. When I first to Vermont I was lucky that I was able to live in a very affordable place because it met my needs. When my needs changed I had to move so I wasn't driving over an hour to work.
The divorce statistic is a fact and not a generalization. The Free Press ran an article recently on this when the Census Bureau released the information. Finances have a big role in relationships. I'm not a psychologist, but when a marriage has some other issues, finances can break that marriage quicker. Just look at the national divorce rate of near 50%.
I'm not discouraging you from moving here. Vermont has different problems other states may or may not have. There are programs the state has to assist new business owners. You will need to take advantage of these programs soon however. There is no guarantee many of these programs will remain intact with the current financial troubles the state is having.

[groens]

Originally Posted by mustmove

I doubt there is anyone who has lived in VT who would take that as a bet.

I doubt any normal working-class person who has lived in TX would agree with you.

[groens]

Originally Posted by 68vette

I am just pointing out the facts. Everything I put in my post is a fact, they can all be checked. Don't take my tone as being negative. I'm just giving you information along with all of the positive information you have been given.

Taxes and income are a huge problem in the state of Vermont. We don't have millions of people living here to tax large amounts of money. We have just over half a million people. The state is running out of money to function effectively. One example is the money payed for unemployment. In February the state of Vermont will have exhausted all of it's unemployment money and will have to borrow from the Fed. (which will have to be payed back). Our infrastructure is in horrible condition. So bad that the History Channel ran a special recently on infrastructure in the US and the state has a very poor grade. Vermont | Report Card for America's Infrastructure The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act turned out to be a joke with only about 72 Billion of the one trillion going into the nations infrastructure.
I agree, the town you choose is relative. If you are happy there and can make a living then it's the right place for you. When I first to Vermont I was lucky that I was able to live in a very affordable place because it met my needs. When my needs changed I had to move so I wasn't driving over an hour to work.
The divorce statistic is a fact and not a generalization. The Free Press ran an article recently on this when the Census Bureau released the information. Finances have a big role in relationships. I'm not a psychologist, but when a marriage has some other issues, finances can break that marriage quicker. Just look at the national divorce rate of near 50%.
I'm not discouraging you from moving here. Vermont has different problems other states may or may not have. There are programs the state has to assist new business owners. You will need to take advantage of these programs soon however. There is no guarantee many of these programs will remain intact with the current financial troubles the state is having.

I am not implying your tone is negative, just whiny. Yes, the ARRA was a joke because it had too many destructive tax cuts in it and not enough infrastructure and entitlement spending. Maybe next time they will keep in mind that "bipartisanship" is just another term for an epic fail of a bill & not consider input from the people who put our country in the fail of a situation it is in today. But again, that is not a VERMONT issue. It is a national issue.

Everything is relative regarding happiness. Life is what you make it. Just because you personally made poor decisions in your life doesn't mean that anyone who ever lives in VT will be miserable.

I have read about the programmes for new business owners. I'm certain that once new businesses are helped off the ground, the job creation and tax revenue from those businesses should more than repay the state and give a much needed boost to the local economy.

I could care less about the divorce rate in the U.S. much less in VT. I'll say it again: If money causes a couple to divorce, they shouldn't have been married in the first place. The rate says a lot more about people in the U.S. than it does about the state of VT.

BTW, I never insinuated that your posts were meant to discourage me from moving to VT. Your posts speak for themselves. For example, I know that if I was going to ENCOURAGE someone to move to Houston, I'd probably point out that Houston has a caste systeme, and that if you are not self-employed or a CEO of an energy company, you will be making minimum wage (which is now a whopping $7.25 an hour) regardless of education. I'd point out that it is brutally and oppressively hot and you can expect to pay about $700-$1200 a month for electricity bills. I'd point out that you eventually get used to hearing the gunshots and will learn to tune them out. I would point out that even wearing earplugs 24/7 inside your home, you will still have nerve-wracking noise to deal with, and no matter how many times you call the police, NOTHING will be done about it. I would probably also throw out there the lovely chemical smell in the air is a bit less when the wind is from the northwest. No, I would just be telling them like it is, not trying to discourage them.

[swanstone1]

I find a bit of humour in the posts here regarding Tx/Vt. There is no price for peace of mind and a happy heart. If you find it in VT, as I did, Kudos!!! Whilst it's easy to lament the current financial consequences of becoming a Vermonter, not all Texans have an oil well in the back yard. While most people are complaining about the economy, I figure we (vt'ers)are all in the same boat and have always been "poor" by big city standards . So a slacking economy has not affected me one bit. I have always lived by Yankee frugality (even when I din't know what it was). So now, we're told to pinch pennies? I, for one always have. I am also proud to be living in a state with feisty, good people that display what I always called tenacity. While I was growing up it was considered Tx pride, somehow it got lost by way of commerce. I, however, find that same sense here! When relocating, I think a person only considers VT if they want to improve/enrich their lives and those people are not talking about the dollar.