VERNON — RE: “A semi-rural economy has unique needs” [Viewpoint, Aug. 21]:
Jonathan Mack apparently made his money long before moving to Vermont.
For him and many like him, this state is some kind of wonderland, and, in a way, he's correct. But scenic beauty aside, this is hardly the truth.
The makeup of so-called Vermonters has been diluted to a point where Vermonters are no longer what they used to be. Years ago, perhaps farming was a way to make a living up and down the West River Valley, but there are reasons the active farms are gone. The hard and rocky soils really do not lend themselves to farming, unlike large areas of the Champlain Valley.
What he seems to want is for the state to get the word out to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere that we have a lot of arts and entertainment here.
We should have total Internet access for those who run their business from home, while shipping their goods from overseas warehouses.
So if you have lots of money and would like to move to a place where you can easily get into local politics to get things your way, Vermont is the place for you!
I believe the state cannot help the average working-class folks here, unless they keep and gain more well-paying jobs in the state.
No, you might not be able to get some company to set up shop in the hilltowns, but if you check it out, I think you will find that, short of those who are self-employed, people here go to Brattleboro; to Keene or Walpole, N.H.; or to Greenfield, Mass. to earn a living.
Vermont has been getting less and less business-friendly since I moved here some 25 years ago. Until that business climate changes, the average blue- and white-collar workers will never get the well-paying jobs they should.
The arts and crafts, the music and theater, and all the rest of that sort of thing are great, but it takes money to do all those things. And the money spent at those functions has been earned at a job, which then helps the arts and those who attempt to make a living at them in the area.
I always hear talk of a livable wage, but it is little more than talk. Our government officials are very good at talking the talk, they just never walk the walk.