steamboat1
New member
As I already mentioned VT. is classified as a depressed area hence only a $500,000 EB-5 investment required to get a green card versus $1,000,000 in non depressed areas.
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Peak Resorts: The New ASC?
- Thread starter ss20
- Start date
mbedle
Well-known member
Not to sure about the poverty issue in Vermont - it has one of the lowest poverty rates in the US. I am pretty sure Vermont got designated as a TEA because of its rural nature.
steamboat1
New member
As of 2014 the VT. poverty rate was 12.3% compared to the national average of 15.8%.
mbedle
Well-known member
Based on 2015 numbers, it is ranked 10th with a poverty rate of 9.7% (US = 12.6%). 2010 - 2014 average poverty rate was 13.4% (US = 16%).
sull1102
Member
Take a ride through Bennington or Brattleboro sometime, drive through the smaller towns on the small backroads. 60% or more of storefronts are closed and shuttered up. You'll drove down roads that every single property, barns, farms, houses, all of it is for sale and prices are sad. If you only go to the resorts and stay nearby then it would paint a very different picture than what is going on most places.
steamboat1
New member
That goes for all of Northern New England. No more manufacturing jobs & produce is imported from elsewhere. They say the U.S. is now a service economy. What services do these people need besides financial help since there are no jobs. Immigrants & refugees get more help than our own people.
I would not say that all manufacturing jobs are gone in NNE. In the part of NH I live in Turbo Cam just built it's second or third factory, Albany International just built a new factory in Rochester to manufacture composite aircraft parts. in Portsmouth, Lonza Biologics is expanding again. Manchester /Londonderry just had 2 new shipping centers built next to the airport and Amazon is going to build there also. Our statewide unemployment rate of about 2.6% is one of the lowest in the country and the state is not giving away freebees like NY state is to lure jobs back.
machski
Well-known member
BigBob, I live in this corner of NH as well but I would never consider this to be NNE. The southeast corner of NH is different solely because of its proximity to Boston. Same is true of South coastal ME up through Portland. Any big industry going in in say, Laconia? Not so much. The Lebanon/Hanover area may be the one exception outside of SENH.
Farming actually is on the rise in Northern New England.
It's got a ways to go, but the industry is in a growth phase. Between farmers markets and all the available CSAs it's fairly easy to get much of your produce locally produced for much of the year.
https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/can-maine-lead-new-england-to-a-farming-renaissance/
http://m.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...WS_01/140509674/0/FOSNEWS02&Template=printart
https://learn.uvm.edu/blog-sustainability/vermont-farm-and-food-economy-is-growing
It's got a ways to go, but the industry is in a growth phase. Between farmers markets and all the available CSAs it's fairly easy to get much of your produce locally produced for much of the year.
https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/can-maine-lead-new-england-to-a-farming-renaissance/
http://m.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...WS_01/140509674/0/FOSNEWS02&Template=printart
https://learn.uvm.edu/blog-sustainability/vermont-farm-and-food-economy-is-growing
AdironRider
Well-known member
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You seem to be asking a lot when the state is only so large. Every town isn't going to have a manufacturing center. That doesn't exist anywhere, nor did it ever.
I think most people consider Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine to be considered Northern New England as well. No doubt the 95 corridor does see more as a result of 95, as well as the Downeaster rail service, but that has been the case since the highway system was done in the 50's.
The locavore movement has really done wonders for NE farming. I'm sure its still a pain in the ass compared to Nebraska or California to farm in New England, but you can certainly make a living doing it again.
steamboat1
New member
Newpylong
Well-known member
At the risk of going off topic further, there's a small organic farm (okay not so small anymore) down the road here that started out with CSAs and selling only local but has been so successful now he sells to the Coops in the region and even Whole Foods down in Nashua. It is awesome to see things in the region like this and have local options and become more self sufficient. I may be uncapitalist with this but I feel It's the way it should be! I like to know where my food comes from and it makes our local economy stronger.
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BenedictGomez
Well-known member
That's one way to put it. lol
The problem in the discussion is the fact that most people assume they know what the word "poverty" means, but the reality is the majority of people dont know what the word poverty means.
I'm on my way back from Arkansas. I spent the weekend in the Ozarks. I think I have a pretty good idea.
Having grown up in the NEK, yes I've seen real poverty firsthand.
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SkiFanE
New member
Poverty is so sad. But after spending lots of time in Colombia - I have less sympathy in the U.S., I suppose. Hate saying that - but Cripes - you get govt help. You are disabled and can't work, govt helps. Not enough to to live middle class, obviously. But there is a safety net. In Colombia - you get nothing. No govt help. Ever. Never. Only thing you get is when you have a child, you get about equivalent of $200 - so many large poor families - can get a $200 payment every year if you plan correctly. The minimum wage is <$2/hr. It baffles me. Relatives all have maids - about $15/day. It blows my mind how people can live on that and still have shoes and clothes and food. I've spent much time trying to figure it out. Basically, it seems, people help each other. Families are in it together. They don't waste a scrap. They pick to find anything, sell anything. One maid sold trash bags for extra $. Poverty in the U.S. sucks - but also less of a "village" mentality here which hurts the poor. And no poor people are obese like in the U.S. (I work at safety net hospital and it's disgusting). They live on edge of city - basically squat on land along side mountains built up over the years - no roads or water.....imagine going to base of Superstar to get your water every day and lug it up (probably why no obesity lol). So yeah - poverty of that level rarely exists in the U.S. But I will say - poor areas in U.S. are pretty disgusting. People have little pride. Down there - slums are clean and not smelly - people have more pride. Maybe because poverty rate is quite high - more are poor than not? There is no middle class. I can see US getting closer to that. And one bad thing about such minuscule wages is anyone can be bought - so corruption runs rampant. Police make peanuts - why would they uphold law for $20/day when you can be bought for $100/day? Anyway...a couple beers at dinner and my blabbing begins lmao. But as a kid once I asked my dad when there will be no more poor people. He said "never, wel'll always need people to do the jobs no one else wants to do". And sadly...he's right. Who would chose to clean bathrooms at McD's? Definatley a motivating thought to keep me in school and working.
dlague
Active member
Same here! I have class mates, one comes to mind in particular, that graduated from high school and partied for many years never settling down. Today he complains that he can't afford anything on the money he gets from the government and it is not worth getting a job since minimum wage is so low.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
Not many places in the world where most "poor people" have cable television, air conditioning, and cell phones. God bless the USA.
drjeff
Well-known member
The average "poor" person in the US is still "richer" than over 90% of the world's population......
There's a factual stat to ponder for a few minutes.....
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