Most of the new age, “enlightened” people who live in Vermont these days think the world’s problems can be cured by handing out money and hugging people who wish to do harm to Americans. Can anyone really be that naive? Check out these frightening videos:
Shelburne Museum members get an “exclusive” yet limited opportunity to visit the “Brick House”, located on the vast Shelburne Farms estate. So what are all you other, under privileged folks missing out on? Well, it’s an interesting place to be sure but don’t lose any sleep over not being able to see it. I took some video awhile back even though one of the tour guides didn’t like it much.
Sometimes I wonder if the many hours invested in Vermonter.com are worth the effort. As a writer, I always worry that maybe my topics are no longer as relevant as they used to be. Vermont is rapidly changing into a whole different place than the state I was born in. I often wonder what people want, what keeps the boredom factor at bay and what I can do to make Vermonter.com better. It’s e-mails like this that keep me going:
Hi Vermonter,
What a great blog! As an avid traveler, I am always looking for unique activities when I am on the road. From great local restaurants and Vermont historical sites, your site gave me such a diverse range of options to make the most of my trip!John Durfee
Airsplat.com
11688 Clark St.
Arcadia, CA 91006
If you love Vermont and want to see some nice photos, check out our Flickr page.
The Vermonter.com Country Store is now open for business. All the best Vermont books, videos, maple syrup and other goodies courtesy of Amazon.com. Check it out now and enjoy the best of Vermont.
Just received this interesting info in my e-mail. Looks like Obama’s getting ready to dig some more cash out of hard working people’s wallets to pay for his insurance program. Grab your ankles working class folks!
2011 W-2 Tax forms
Should you want to verify this, go to http://www.thomas.gov/, enter “HR 3590″ in the search box and look for “CRS Summaries.” This is what you’ll find.
Title IX Revenue Provisions—Subtitle A: Revenue Offset “(Sec. 9002) requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer-sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employee’s gross income (excluding the value of contributions to flexible spending arrangements).”
Starting in 2011—next year—the W-2 tax form sent by your employer will be increased to show the value of whatever health insurance you are provided. It doesn’t matter if you’re retired. Your gross income WILL go up by the amount of insurance your employer paid for. So you’ll be required to pay taxes on a larger sum of money that you actually received. Take the tax form you just finished for 2009 and see what $15,000.00 or $20,000.00 additional gross income does to your tax debt. That’s what you’ll pay next year. For many it puts you into a
much higher bracket. This is how the government is going to buy insurance for fifteen (15) percent who don’t have insurance. It’s only part of the tax increases, but it’s not really a “tax increase” as such; it’s a redefinition of your taxable income.
Also, go to Kiplinger’s and read about the thirteen (13) tax changes for 2010 that could affect you.
People have the right to know the truth because an election is coming in November. So vote intelligently, based on your values. But also adjust your tax withholding, or increase your savings, so that you aren’t surprised and put in a jam when your federal income taxes are due on April 15, 2012.
Fight organized crime! Re-elect no one.
I remember when the Sunday edition of the Burlington Free Press used to have 5 or 6 pages loaded to the hilt with jobs. This was back around 1999. IBM was booming and tech jobs were hotter than the tattoos on Angelina Jolie’s butt. Now, jobs (say nothing of good paying tech jobs) are few and far between. A visit to the Sunday Free Press reveals only a meager page or two of jobs. Nurses were recently laid off from Fletcher Allen when just a couple years ago, hospitals couldn’t find enough nurses in the USA and were importing them in. What happened to Vermont?
While the rest of the world was busy tending to business, the liberal nutcases in Vermont were pushing “alternative lifestyle” agendas instead of promoting jobs. Mayor Kiss (my butt) of Burlington, another liberal nut job, was actually pushing to make Burlington a sanctuary city for illegal criminal aliens. Thankfully, that did not happen. What next – sanctuary cities for pedophiles and murderers?
Now, we have very few jobs and a lot of lazy, obese teenagers who cannot be motivated to pull up their own pants. Illegal Mexican workers are being brought to Vermont to do the work that teenagers used to do back in the 70′s during school summer vacations. The bleeding hearts want to assure these criminal farmers and Mexicans fair wages and living conditions. And who will pay for this? The working class (or what is left of it) people of Vermont. I never thought I’d see the day when taxpayers were being forced to pay for programs to benefit criminals. Don’t like the word “criminals”? Not politically correct? Too bad, it is what it is. When the rest of us start robbing banks (or better yet the homes of our liberal legislators) to pay our bills, maybe we could use some funding too? Oh but you say that is “criminal behavior” and people who rob and steal should go to jail? The law is the law and illegal is illegal. If you’re a criminal, you go to jail or get deported. Simple enough?
Let’s talk about refugees brought to Vermont, given food stamps, apartments and cell phones. As a working taxpayer, I would like to know why these people cannot work on Vermont farms? Why is there a need for welfare in Vermont when we have many able bodied (and many who could certainly afford to work and shed a few pounds) sitting at home, every day, creating more little career welfare recipients at our expense? Criminal workers, who needs them? We’ve got plenty of people who can work or go hungry from their own laziness.
Thank God for Jim Douglas. Unfortunately, the last bastion of common sense in Montpelier may soon be gone. Once the democrats have full control of Vermont, hold on to your wallets! Many of the more wealthy people in Vermont are now leaving, driven out by outrageous taxes and liberal foolishness. I guess that leaves the shrinking working class to pay for everything. Those who cannot afford to leave but must make do in order to stay.
Yes, the farmers are hurting and I sympathize with them but so are other working people and companies. Hiring criminals is not the answer though and something really needs to be done. It would be nice to see Vermont take the lead in common sense again but I fear that most real Vermonters have already “left the building”. Take Back Vermont indeed!
Here’s something I found posted on the ‘net. It’s a point of view from someone who is not from Vermont but has a keen sense of what is going on:
I own a little piece of Vermont because I love the rivers and Mountains and forests. I like her people too. The liberals are not as bad as they are in NYC or Boston or Philly though, they will actually treat a black person as an equal–unlike in Boston, Philly or NYC. the taxes are what makes it a bad liberal state really. the flatlanders came in to drive up prices like the Californians did to beautiful Oregon and Washington and Now Idaho and Arizona, forcing the working native Vermonters into a de facto peasantry–I have seen it happen to so many communities around the US and sadly to the wonderful state of VT.
As I write this, it is late-May in Vermont and the temperatures today are pushing into the 90′s. Lilacs are still in bloom but won’t be around much longer in this hot weather. Despite the hot weather, there really is no place like home in Vermont.
I have been spending a lot of time in Bangkok recently where it is always brutally hot, noisy and hectic. Being cooped up in an air conditioned condo cannot hold a candle to the summer breezes on a hot day in Vermont. When you are born and live in Vermont, it’s sometimes easy to take it for granted. Although most natives will agree that Vermont “isn’t what it used to be”, it’s still a beautiful place and there are plenty of places to visit where you can enjoy a bit of peace and solitude.
I will be returning to Bangkok in less than a couple weeks and I might be there for a few months. I’m taking along some videos, photos and of course, VT maple syrup. Despite all those small comforts, I will be anxious to return to Vermont. There truly is no place like home!
It’s almost summer and most people are out and about jogging, biking and trying to shed a few winter pounds. Usually, this time of year results in health and fitness clubs becoming virtual ghost towns as folks venture outside to get in shape and enjoy the weather. Because of this, health clubs usually start offering specials and promotions to lure fitness junkies back inside.
I received a call a few weeks ago about a summer “special” at a health club in Shelburne. I gave them a call back and was quoted $180 for a 3-month special offer. My first thought is “wow, that’s pretty expensive for a so called special” but a quick call to Racquets Edge (or Fitness Advantage, I think thats what they’re called now) was even more at $199+ for 3 months.
I guess these aren’t quite so special “specials” after all unless the rich and elite of Chittenden County are already forking over $150 per month, etc. Maybe these health and fitness clubs haven’t heard that we’re in a recession. In any case, $80 or $90 per month is a lot of greenbacks to take a few pounds off your plump butt.
So the next time you hear Dr. Phil or one of those other quacks tell you to get off the couch and hit the gym, be sure to write or email him and ask him to send you a few bucks (or in Vermont, substantially more than a few bucks). In the meantime, us average Joe’s will just plod along as best as we can and enjoy the nice Vermont summer. Hopefully, we’ll lose a few pounds somewhere in between.
The well-to-do crowd can take advantage of the wonderful specials and promotions going on at the local health clubs and rattle their jewelry on their way to the showers…if they can afford it. After all, we are in a recession, aren’t we?
Here we go again in the nutty state of Vermont, laughing stock of the USA. Actually, it seems that anything goes in VT except any activities involving heterosexual males (yes, there are a couple of us left here). Let’s legalize prostitution while we’re at it. With businesses stagnant in VT, this might be a great way to attract some corporate execs back to the Green Mountains. Got a great marketing logo too…”Business in VT, play and stay!”. I can see it now, the Colchester Cathouse and the Shelburne Sweeties. Lots of empty buildings on Shelburne Road you know!
With the cost of veterinary care, I feel that it is my right to declare my cat as a legal dependent with access to free medical and day care services.
In the meantime, why should the kids have all the fun? Isn’t that a bit discriminatory? In Vermont??? Perish the thought!!!
Sexting even has the Vermont legislature considering a change to its laws that would legalize the consensual exchange of graphic images between two people 13- to 18-years-old.
The idea is to make sure young people could not face harsh charges with long prison sentences. Supporters say they’re not condoning sexting, but that they just don’t think teenagers should be prosecuted as sex offenders for consensual conduct.
That bill has not yet come up for a vote.
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