<p>Vermont Losing Prized Resource as Young Depart
<a href=“Vermont Losing Prized Resource as Young Depart - The New York Times”>Vermont Losing Prized Resource as Young Depart - The New York Times;
<p>This article from the New York Times discusses the problems resulting from the departure of young people from Vermont.
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<p>What can, what should Vermont do to attract young people to live there and raise their families?</p>
<p>This is cyclical. Many young folks left Vermont after 1848 for California including some of my ancestors. They went West for better jobs and opportunity. They ended up in Texas, Illinois, New Mexico…That is why people leave places. There are many crossing the border looking for a better life. Why not in Vermont?</p>
<p>More dances, they ought to hold more dances…that attracts young people…</p>
<p>Seriously, improving academic and career opportunities is what will bring in the yougn people you are looking for. Perhaps getting a good portion of retired urbanites isn’t bad either…to that extent Vermont could use development to attract active seniors into their state. From what I see, the entire northeast rural area is suffering from a similar problem. Many rural NY towns have lost school aged children, but at least NY has the state college system to keep kids around a little longer.</p>
<p>New Jersey has a reputation of being the largest exporter of college students. Periodically there is much hand wringing about our state’s “brain drain.” New Jersey sends the most students out of state for college. I believe that North Carolina is the largest importer of college students. (You would think California would hold that title) It was interesting to learn from this article (if the stat is true) that Vt is the largest exporter of students on a percentage basis, being a much smaller state than NJ.</p>
<p>I was going to point out the same thing as NJres…with all the fuss that NJ makes about brain drain and exporting college students, I didn’t expect to learn that an even smaller percentage of VTers stay in state.</p>
<p>Funnily enough, I’m heading from NJ to VT for college…but true, I have no intention (yet) of staying in VT after those four years are up. I don’t like to live in urban areas, but I like to be near them.</p>
<p>I can think of quite a few additional states that complain they’re losing their college graduates (many in the midwest) - and they’re right - which makes me think the question ought to be “which states are gaining young residents?” and why. Here’s my guess (states that I think are gaining young residents): California, Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, maybe the pacific northwest, Texas?</p>
<p>“What can, what should Vermont do to attract young people to live there and raise their families?”</p>
<p>I think Vermont should do nothing to attract young people to live there and raise their families. </p>
<p>A generation ago, nearly all my friends left our hometown in upstate New York, and raised our families elsewhere. There economic forces that led to a migration to update New York (and Vermont as well) during the 19th century. Other economic forces are at work today. My high school friends and I have generally fashioned good lives for ourselves elsewhere, in vibrant communities that valued our various talents. I don’t believe it would have been a particularly useful thing to have created artificial incentives to get us to stay, to be perfectly frank.</p>
<p>All Vermont has to do is get the word out that Mexicans are welcome there and the State will reverse the trend. On the other hand, I am not sure why anyone would want to live in a place that is so cold.</p>
<p>Vermont is historical, gorgeous and gracious - where else can you hike during the day and have fun at a contra dance at night, among all those cool little cottages? </p>
<p>Perhaps the second home in retirement…</p>
<p>Hpw much of an impact do you think restrictions on building new homes has on attracting either young families or active retirees? How restrictive are the building codes? Is it sing;e family homes or “suburban type” communities or strip malls that are restricted.</p>
<p>Jeez, they want more people? We’ve got an influx of people arriving in our area, mostly from NYC, driving up housing prices and burdening our schools. I like the retired folk - they pay their taxes, don’t get into trouble and don’t drive up the school population. How do we get more of them? Okay, except for my daugher, her I want back!</p>
<p>“What can, what should Vermont do to attract young people to live there and raise their families?”</p>
<p>Global warming might help. ;)</p>
<p>I have letters written in 1880s from my gg grandfather begging the grand kids to leave California and return to Vermont since the trains were running and the trip wasn’t so bad and lots of new business etc. He didn’t get his wish. Kind of sad. Now his g grandson is begging all his family to come back to California, the weather is great etc. etc. I think he is going to get his wish. : )</p>
<p>A model semi-socialist-enviro state reaps what it has sown. I shed a tear.</p>