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.
Thanks for your response. Certainly the fact that Vermonters pay a crazy high property tax rate yet don't even get their trash picked up like I do here in Maine, just baffles me. When my family moved from Boston in the mid 1970s (when I was 10) to ****hole Rutland, I had never been to a dump and was absolutely aghast and horrified (as was my mother) to have to haul our trash to one. To me, it was like we had stepped back in time and definitely stepped down several rungs on some ladder. Ours years in Rutland proved me right, pretty much.
As an adult, I a absolutely love to visit Vermont and do frequently (was just in Stowe for a long weekend, and Colchester over July 4th week, with a work-from-home/vaca week coming up in Dorset/Manchester). The beauty and outdoor activities are of course breathtaking. I love the vibe of the place and the cultural activities which seem well in excess of the what one may expect from such a small state. I love the lack of traffic vs what we find here in coastal Maine alll summer into the fall - ugh! There is much to love about Vermont, and to boot, I am happily child-free, so the quality and direct cost of schooling is not a concern, though of course, schooling tends to be the the majority of what constitutes one's property taxes, true.
I lean moderate-liberal, but am open to a Republican governor so long as they are moderate and pro choice. Legalizing prostitution doesn't bother me. Like with marijuana, making this stuff illegal just hurts and endangers those directly involved and helps no one. But I get why someone who isn't liberal or terribly left wing would find Vermont (parts of it, anyway) hard to stomach. It's the same way I feel about moving down south, which I have considered. I would find it very uncomfortable, even with the low taxes, I'm afraid.
Thanks for your response. Certainly the fact that Vermonters pay a crazy high property tax rate yet don't even get their trash picked up like I do here in Maine, just baffles me. When my family moved from Boston in the mid 1970s (when I was 10) to ****hole Rutland, I had never been to a dump and was absolutely aghast and horrified (as was my mother) to have to haul our trash to one. To me, it was like we had stepped back in time and definitely stepped down several rungs on some ladder. Ours years in Rutland proved me right, pretty much.
As an adult, I a absolutely love to visit Vermont and do frequently (was just in Stowe for a long weekend, and Colchester over July 4th week, with a work-from-home/vaca week coming up in Dorset/Manchester). The beauty and outdoor activities are of course breathtaking. I love the vibe of the place and the cultural activities which seem well in excess of the what one may expect from such a small state. I love the lack of traffic vs what we find here in coastal Maine alll summer into the fall - ugh! There is much to love about Vermont, and to boot, I am happily child-free, so the quality and direct cost of schooling is not a concern, though of course, schooling tends to be the the majority of what constitutes one's property taxes, true.
I lean moderate-liberal, but am open to a Republican governor so long as they are moderate and pro choice. Legalizing prostitution doesn't bother me. Like with marijuana, making this stuff illegal just hurts and endangers those directly involved and helps no one. But I get why someone who isn't liberal or terribly left wing would find Vermont (parts of it, anyway) hard to stomach. It's the same way I feel about moving down south, which I have considered. I would find it very uncomfortable, even with the low taxes, I'm afraid.
Yes, Rutland leaves a lot to be desired and is getting worse. I work there and have coworkers that will not go to the Rutland Walmart for fear of being attacked. On the up side, I have met some nice people since I'm working in the city. It looks pretty during the summer with its outside dining options.
I'm a moderate Republican....pro choice to a point, believe in legal immigration. Do not believe in legalizing prostitution. There is something wholesome about living in a state without a topless bar and XXX movie theaters.
As far as not having garbage pickup...I have no choice but to look at the glass half full and make the trip to the dump a way of finding something useful with someone else's junk.
If I had unlimited assets and lived in an upscale quaint town like Woodstock, it would be lovely. Maybe in my next life. LOL
The invasive weed is spotted knapweed. It is toxic to people and it kills the grass around it. It is all over the roadways and the state land in my area so even if I continue to spray my fields, it is only going to come back. I spend over $1000, on one of my fields this year but it is coming back already. From what I read, each flower has over 1000 seeds, so it spreads quickly. It is a big problem out west. The median of Route 4 is covered. I guess the feds are willing to address the problem because the Bill has set aside 50M for the next 4 years (I think), to eradicate it. I just have to figure out a way to get some of the funds to this area.
Thank you for the information. I'm going to contact them. One of the other farmers hasn't had much luck with the USDA, but it's worth a try. I did call UVM and someone came here to speak with the farmers and take samples. He sent an intern down to get more samples but she said she couldn't find my farm (I live on a main road).
The reply to your old post:
generally just using herbicides may not be enough and expensive to control the weeds.
Using a variety of techniques would yield better results and affect other weeds and improve the overall quality of your pasture where the pasture itself would fight off the infestations of weeds.
The main is - improving your pasture by growing more grass plants - seeding, adding 10% or so of different clover species to it to feed the grass and to tighten up the pasture, shade the young knapweed plants germinating from the seeds already in the soil;
moving your animals every day to different parts of pasture to avoid overgrazing, soil compaction, manure and parasites management, etc.
That is why they used to have shepherds - an invaluable skills mostly lost in husbandry…
This last link has a good summary of different methods impacts, but learn about the pastures - the sites of the school of traditional skills featured a guy in PA - famous for rehabilitation of pastures - a lost skill.
(Try to use mostly the updated information from the university sites regarding IPM of weeds management in pastures.)
I do not endorse the school as it could be pricey - though the idea is good; try to find free lessons to start yourself on finding experts in traditional skills to learn from them
You can do it: be patient. Know that there are people like me who really appreciate what you are doing, living, breathing the most valuable life out there - feeding people - even if it is your own family.
The most important thing in the whole wide world
Last edited by L00k4ward; 10-31-2023 at 06:00 AM..
The reply to your old post:
generally just using herbicides may not be enough and expensive to control the weeds.
Using a variety of techniques would yield better results and affect other weeds and improve the overall quality of your pasture where the pasture itself would fight off the infestations of weeds.
The main is - improving your pasture by growing more grass plants - seeding, adding 10% or so of different clover species to it to feed the grass and to tighten up the pasture, shade the young knapweed plants germinating from the seeds already in the soil;
moving your animals every day to different parts of pasture to avoid overgrazing, soil compaction, manure and parasites management, etc.
That is why they used to have shepherds - an invaluable skills mostly lost in husbandry…
This last link has a good summary of different methods impacts, but learn about the pastures - the sites of the school of traditional skills featured a guy in PA - famous for rehabilitation of pastures - a lost skill.
(Try to use mostly the updated information from the university sites regarding IPM of weeds management in pastures.)
I do not endorse the school as it could be pricey - though the idea is good; try to find free lessons to start yourself on finding experts in traditional skills to learn from them
You can do it: be patient. Know that there are people like me who really appreciate what you are doing, living, breathing the most valuable life out there - feeding people - even if it is your own family.
The most important thing in the whole wide world
I'm sorry, I didn't see this post until today. I will look at the websites you posted and see if they help. That's if I decide to stay and not put the farm up for sale. With the threat to raise education taxes, yet again, by 20% and if that isn't bad enough, they are raising the income tax rate, I am pretty sure I have had enough of Vermont.
I'm sorry, I didn't see this post until today. I will look at the websites you posted and see if they help. That's if I decide to stay and not put the farm up for sale. With the threat to raise education taxes, yet again, by 20% and if that isn't bad enough, they are raising the income tax rate, I am pretty sure I have had enough of Vermont.
Feel the same way! but I am surprised that there isn't a louder outcry about this. Maybe people are figuring it might not go through. The governor is not in favor of it. He knows people can't really afford this, but there is a veto proof majority. I think we are in deep trouble here.
Feel the same way! but I am surprised that there isn't a louder outcry about this. Maybe people are figuring it might not go through. The governor is not in favor of it. He knows people can't really afford this, but there is a veto proof majority. I think we are in deep trouble here.
I'm trying to find an answer to my question in one of the other VT threads because if it means what I think it does, then our governor already approved it. Don't quote me on that though. If he did approve it already, then I hope VTers can get some type of class action lawsuit against them because they haven't even addressed the ACT 46 yet that was supposed to lower our taxes.
I'll do some digging around. It's not my understanding that the 20% increase has been approved. The Guv has been on the local news saying he is not in favor of it.
What I know about Act 46 was that it promoted merger and consolidation of schools. Some schools merged, others didn't and some that did merge withdrew from the merger (like Stowe and Morrisville). My take on it is that everyone felt they were going to lose 'local control' when frankly, there's not much local control other than the school board. The teachers' union and the State drive the education agenda. Some schools were given exemptions from merging. It feels like Act 46 is dead. Never hear about schools that successfully merged.
Now (below) Act 72 formed a task force to identify needs for school infrastructure projects, prioritize which schools were worse off, and propose alternate funding sources. I've not seen that yet. (In 2008 the state suspended their contributions to school infrastructure projects.) There are always alot of machinations but nothing that solves the problems. This Act 72 references, AGAIN, consolidation and merger. They could start with the supervisory unions. But I don't think anything concrete has come out of this yet and in my area, the SU is moving full bore to bring construction bond proposals to the voters.
If anyone has a better understanding of this, who lives here, I'd welcome any clarification.
I'll do some digging around. It's not my understanding that the 20% increase has been approved. The Guv has been on the local news saying he is not in favor of it.
What I know about Act 46 was that it promoted merger and consolidation of schools. Some schools merged, others didn't and some that did merge withdrew from the merger (like Stowe and Morrisville). My take on it is that everyone felt they were going to lose 'local control' when frankly, there's not much local control other than the school board. The teachers' union and the State drive the education agenda. Some schools were given exemptions from merging. It feels like Act 46 is dead. Never hear about schools that successfully merged.
Now (below) Act 72 formed a task force to identify needs for school infrastructure projects, prioritize which schools were worse off, and propose alternate funding sources. I've not seen that yet. (In 2008 the state suspended their contributions to school infrastructure projects.) There are always alot of machinations but nothing that solves the problems. This Act 72 references, AGAIN, consolidation and merger. They could start with the supervisory unions. But I don't think anything concrete has come out of this yet and in my area, the SU is moving full bore to bring construction bond proposals to the voters.
If anyone has a better understanding of this, who lives here, I'd welcome any clarification.
I must have responded to the wrong thread. That's what I thought also but the governor signed the bill approving the property tax hike back in June. He said that we will be paying an extra $1200 on top of the property and income tax hikes. AND we are also going to pay for student loans and all their extra expenses p!us the teachers licenses until 2029. I don't know how they can get away with this when the Supreme Court wouldn't let Biden do it. I wrote what I found out in one of the other threads. Think about it, if we sell and move out of the state, it only benefits the government. The cost of housing went up so they will benefit from the higher property taxes. A government that would continue to burden its people this way with higher taxes has an ulterior motive. And a governor that would lie to the people and say he doesn't approve of the property tax hike when he already signed off on it, should have to explain his double talk.
As for Act 46 being dead, my district is suffering the disaster of 46 every year since it started. To see the people working in this district making such big salaries and getting huge raises without having to answer for the failure to educate the students is disgraceful. The teachers unions set a bad examp!e for the good ones. I have never seen greed on display like this.
I must have responded to the wrong thread. That's what I thought also but the governor signed the bill approving the property tax hike back in June. He said that we will be paying an extra $1200 on top of the property and income tax hikes. AND we are also going to pay for student loans and all their extra expenses p!us the teachers licenses until 2029. I don't know how they can get away with this when the Supreme Court wouldn't let Biden do it. I wrote what I found out in one of the other threads. Think about it, if we sell and move out of the state, it only benefits the government. The cost of housing went up so they will benefit from the higher property taxes. A government that would continue to burden its people this way with higher taxes has an ulterior motive. And a governor that would lie to the people and say he doesn't approve of the property tax hike when he already signed off on it, should have to explain his double talk.
As for Act 46 being dead, my district is suffering the disaster of 46 every year since it started. To see the people working in this district making such big salaries and getting huge raises without having to answer for the failure to educate the students is disgraceful. The teachers unions set a bad examp!e for the good ones. I have never seen greed on display like this.
oh no!!! I was under the impression it had not been signed. jeez
Scott may have had no choice but to sign it and felt it would be futile to veto it; he knows the veto-proof majority will just override him anyway. He acknowledges this lopsided dynamic with those who have been elected to the legislature. I don't understand voter motivation electing a republican Governor and a democrat legislature (and Lt. Gov for that matter - Zuckerman). Perhaps he thinks if the pain hurts enough, people will start changing the way they vote.
I'd suggest a protest, and I would participate!!!! but I guess what's done is done.
I don't know what the ulterior motive could be other than keeping people dependent on the government, but this state gov't will eventually run out of other peoples' money, won't they? And those who can move likely will....and there is really no incentive to keep earning larger and larger salaries (presuming one could here, considering there are not that many well paying jobs here).
You know how I feel about our education funding system. Consolidation / regionalization, I think, would be one way to start solving that end of it....but the legislature....and locals who feel they actually have 'control.'
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.
