Yeah but only is a corresponding infrastructure is in place and maintained. That costs money. The alternative is a ghetto.

Oh, you mean landlords should have to do a better job of maintaining the properties they are making money from? What are you, some kind of Communist?

/s

An increase in minimum wage wouldn’t really effect most people but it sure would make it easier to afford to heat your home if you are poor….or have better health care…or save a little to invest…or…or..we’ll you know.

Are you trying to say Phil Scott has acted mostly to benefit his business buddies? Say it ain’t so!

Else we turn into what everyone who is wanting to move here is trying to get away from. I grew up in Northern New Jersey, and lived in Philadelphia, no thanks. I was lucky to get out while the getting was good. Some Vermont small downtowns could stand some residential redevelopment. Doing that everywhere is nothing more than suburban sprawl. That means more cars and traffic, higher costs, and deteriorating environment. Gotta be a better way. I believe the act 250 laws try to address that and are the way to go unless you are on the wrong end of the restrictions. Relaxing zoning restrictions for housing makes sense until the capacity to handle waste is exceeded. People need to scale back, drive less, spend less, consume less and be satisfied not having a McMansion in the suburbs.

Yeah that’s it, Willoughby. All aboard!

Could have been Peacham. The most authentic 1800 looking town I’ve seen in Vermont is Guildhall. Virtually no businesses there though.

The cost of firewood is mostly in the labor of cutting, hauling, stacking and tending the stove. You either pay someone to perform some of that labor or do it yourself. The amount of labor per cord required is always the same. It’s a lot of work. Or a lot of money depending on how much labor you are buying. With petroleum products you are at the mercy of your supplier. Price fluctuates wildly. I prefer to cut my own four cords of wood per year myself. It’s always a lot of work but it doesn’t change. The only thing that changes is my ability to do the work. Tough getting old. This year I bought half my wood. Supposedly burning wood is carbon neutral. You cut the tree, a new tree grows back. Now I don’t have to feel guilty about not freezing to death.