Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Merger with Mill River

Joseph McDonald


I’m on the “Vote YES” committee and we’re working to encourage a big YES vote.
Although most of the arguments back and forth have been about Mill River vs. Black River high schools (and lower taxes), I wanted to share with you the attached letter I sent to the ChitChat (and Journal) that takes a little broader view.
Best,
Ron

IMO using the argument that a merger with Mill River will give our Towns a reputation for some of the best schools in the State, and that this along with a significantly lower tax bill will give us a winning combination to attract new families with children is disingenuous
IMO your argument is a smoke screen for the real reasons why young families move out and won’t move into the State of Vermont...
I suggest that you read ALL of the comments in the below linked article...  BTW, a lower tax bill... LOL... I’ll believe it when I see it.
 
Here are a few...
 

Skyler Bailey ·
Yes...people from away with lots of money move here to enjoy the quality of life. They don't provide much in the way of jobs aside from near-minimum wage service positions, and they price us poor young Vermonters who would like nothing more than to stay in the state our forefathers founded right out. You could call it "rural gentrification." I want to live in Vermont. I also don't want to be poor for my entire life. I want to have children, I want there to be a tenth generation of my family enjoying our wonderful state. I moved away in the hope that I could get some experience that I could bring back to Vermont and maybe get a job outside of a kitchen or warehouse that I could raise a family on.

Patricia Crocker ·
Maybe if the VT college tuition wasn't so expensive, more youth would be able to stay instead of looking for better paying jobs out of state to pay off their student loan debt. VT Colleges are some of the most expensive colleges in the country.

Cody Snyder ·
Young people, especially the ones with college diplomas, find it very hard to start and maintain a business here in Vt.. It's no secret that Vermont is not a business friendly state no matter if you're going to employ 2 or 2,000 workers. But, with that said, let's not discount the young in's with only a high school diploma. A dear friend of mine who’s son graduated high school 3 years ago tried to start a small business a handful of times and fell flat on his face.VSB charges fees thru the nose, red tape galore, jumping thru hoop after hoop and then one day finally had enough. Last summer he moved to North Carolina,took his idea with him and is having great success. After talking with a couple of his friends and explaining to them how much cheaper the cost of living is they too pulled up tent stakes and headed south.

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