Vermont Will Give You $10K If You Move There and Work Remotely (fastcompany.com) 187
If you've been dreaming of moonlight in Vermont -- and getting a re-location subsidy -- "the time has come to make your maple-syrup-coated dreams a reality," reports Fast Company:
[F]or those who relocate this year and can prove that they have full-time remote jobs, it's possible to get paid back for moving expenses, internet bills, or membership in a coworking space... The program offers up to $5,000 a year for two years.
For the state, the program is one way to try to address its shrinking population. "We're the second-to-smallest state in the nation, and we're also getting older, so we really need to make sure there's more of a workforce here," says Joan Goldstein, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development, which is running the Remote Worker Grant Program. The entire state has a population of a little more than 600,000, roughly the size of Louisville, Kentucky.
Vermont also recognized that a growing number of Americans work remotely -- nearly two-thirds of companies today have remote workers, and one recent survey found that hiring managers think it will continue to become even more common -- and that many city dwellers elsewhere are struggling with rent on increasingly overpriced apartments... The median home value in Brattleboro, roughly two hours from Boston, is less than $200,000; a one-bedroom apartment a short walk from the local co-op (and a small coworking space) goes for $850 a month.
The budget for 2019 is $125,000, and will be given out "on a first come, first served basis."
Vermont also recognized that a growing number of Americans work remotely -- nearly two-thirds of companies today have remote workers, and one recent survey found that hiring managers think it will continue to become even more common -- and that many city dwellers elsewhere are struggling with rent on increasingly overpriced apartments... The median home value in Brattleboro, roughly two hours from Boston, is less than $200,000; a one-bedroom apartment a short walk from the local co-op (and a small coworking space) goes for $850 a month.
The budget for 2019 is $125,000, and will be given out "on a first come, first served basis."
Pipeline (Score:3, Interesting)
I have a few questions:
1) is there surfing in Vermont?
2) will I have to wear socks when I go outside in December?
3) is pot legal?
If you can't answer "yes" to all three of these questions, it's going to take more than $10k to get me to go there.
Commute (Score:3)
I'd move to Verrrrrrrmont (it's cold!) rather than commute from San Jose to Palo Alto.
shake shack! (Score:1)
I agree, the name does suggest an emporium where one can rent appropriate visual materials, and make use of a small, private cubicle with plenty of boxes of tissues handy...
On a similar theme, most people are aware that flight crews keep a sharp eye out for couples trying to get in a toilet together to gain a membership of the Mile High Club. Well, lads and lassies, if you go in there by yourself, you can simply take out an asssociate membership!
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Well, if you're from California:
- The ground doesn't wiggle.
- It rains. They have water.
- There are trees and grass.
I thought pot was illegal under US law but legal under various state laws. "Legal uncertainty" never fun.
If, however, you're from Vancouver... It's cheaper to live (aside from health insurance). Hard to come up with other advantages, though.
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- The ground doesn't wiggle.
Uh...yeah, it does. But not very often. I remember there being an earthquake when I was kid growing up in Vermont. I thought the furnace was starting up...
Jobs (Score:3)
What's "wrong" with Vermont is that they'd like to have more jobs attracting people there. Rather than trying to attract more companies, they've decided to try to attract people like me, who can take our jobs with us wherever we want to go.
That's an interesting idea because they don't have to provide infrastructure for the company headquarters, but they get us spending our money in Vermont. Essentially they would be exporting tech work to the rest of the country. It's an interesting idea. We'll see how it t
Re: Jobs (Score:2)
Well yes. THIS program tests another approach (Score:2)
I'm sure they are doing other, probably more traditional things to try to attract companies.
*THIS* program is testing a different approach.
Re:Pipeline (Score:4, Informative)
2) You don't have to wear them, but you probably should.
3) Yes, as of earlier this year [marijuanamoment.net].
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A slightly more relevant question is what are the transport links like?
I know people who live in southern Europe, often Spain because it's cheap, but work for companies in northern Europe. It's only possible because when they need to meet face to face once a month they can get on a cheap flight and be there in a few hours.
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...and they'll get it all back in state income taxes.
Re:Pipeline (Score:5, Insightful)
They only have enough budgeted to pay 12 people
This is THE WAY GOVERNMENT SHOULD WORK. You come up with an idea, and then you run a small pilot project to make sure it actually works and is cost effective. Then, and only then, do you scale it up.
Re:A good Matlab replacement, not the next big thi (Score:2)
Very small pilot schemes require a relatively large overhead per unit of service delivered, thus will not look cost-effective. Trials have to be sufficiently large. Also if the trial is too small then there is no way to measure, in a statistically significant way, the results.
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$5000 per year, though, may not be enough to sway many folks, although this story got a lot of free publicity.
Perhaps they should instead offer scholarships to State colleges in exchange for X years of local service, similar to what the military does.
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They can't afford even a million?
If they squandered a million on every harebrained scheme they would quickly be deep in debt.
$125k is enough to see if the idea has merit.
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LOL, no. That's 25 people out of 350,000,000+, which is nowhere near a large enough sample size.
A sample size of 25 is sufficient to give a p value of 0.9, which is more than good enough to decide to kill the project, or bump up the budget.
Selection bias is likely a way bigger issue than sample size.
The population size is irrelevant. The fact that you don't know that, implies you know little about statistics.
Re: Pipeline (Score:3, Informative)
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Vermont is possibly the most awesome state to live in within the continental US actually. I've lived in several states including CA, NH, MA, AL, FL, GA, et. Al
I notice NM isn't on your list which explains why you're wrong.
Re: Pipeline (Score:2)
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Crikey! I make an (arguably not very good) joke on interstate rivalry and get that response?
Yes I know it's subjective. Everyone things their favorite state is the best. No one ever seems to pick New Mexico despite it being the only rational choice. OK I can't help my self being frivolous on such a topic. Seriously you should give New Mexico a fair shot. We have the best ignition interlocks in the contiguous 48.
Re: Pipeline (Score:2)
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Re: Pipeline (Score:2)
Re: Pipeline (Score:2)
Re:Pipeline (Score:4, Funny)
1) is there surfing in Vermont?
2) will I have to wear socks when I go outside in December?
3) is pot legal?
If you can't answer "yes" to all three of these questions, it's going to take more than $10k to get me to go there.
1) Yes, but they do it on frozen water and call it "snowboarding".
2) No. It's a good idea, but nobody is forcing you to.
3) Yes, it's legal to light up in the privacy of your own home, but you'll have to go across the border to Massachusetts to buy.
Since that's 2 out of the required 3 "yes" answers, I guess Vermont isn't for you, although I have no idea why you'd want to be compelled to wear socks. Maybe that's for a family member?
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Thank you.
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Re: Pipeline (Score:2)
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Considering this story is entirely about the state of Vermont offering $10k to go there, I would say that yes, somebody clearly gives a fuck if I go there. In fact, 10,000 fucks.
Looking at websites is not surfing in any meaningful sense. Only someone who has never surfed could possibly think it was.
https://youtu.be/ksgAvwWnrI0 [youtu.be]
Re: Pipeline (Score:2)
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I once taught at the UofV in Burlington. Vermonters are some of the most judgmental, insular assholes I've ever encountered. They care about whether you're "from around here". They're always evaluating the ethnicity of your last name, what you drive, how you dress. Neighbors don't talk to neighbors. You can walk your dog and people won't acknowledge each o
Re: Pipeline (Score:1)
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Oh, the students are fine. It's the townies that suck.
Re: Pipeline (Score:1)
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The real deal-breaker (Score:2)
I have a few questions:
You forgot to ask the most important question, that will shut down Vermont as a possible option to live over California:
4) Do they have human feces covering the sidewalks and outdoor walls in major cities?
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No. It's too cold to shit outside in Vermont, so the shit just covers the floor of their apartments.
But they do have a lot of opiate addicts up there, so you'll fit right in.
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But they do have a lot of opiate addicts up there, so you'll fit right in.
I live clean man - I don't even drink. MY mind is just the right level of warped, that requires neither enhancement nor intervention.
Nor do I live in Vermont, but I have been to most of the states now multiple times... so I have some idea of where is nice to live and where is not.
There are many reasons why California is way down my list of places to live.
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And Californians breathe a sigh of relief.
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I have a few questions:
1) is there surfing in Vermont? 2) will I have to wear socks when I go outside in December? 3) is pot legal?
If you can't answer "yes" to all three of these questions, it's going to take more than $10k to get me to go there.
1. Yes. You can go windsurfing in Burlington.
2. Yes. You absolutely will need socks in December. In fact, you'll probably need more than one pair.
3. As of July, also yes.
When can we expect your application?
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Nah, windsurfing is OK. If you don't have waves, but you have wind, it's surfing enough for me. It's not exactly kite-surfing, but it's still acceptable in a pinch. However, you cannot windsurf in Burlington in December. Christmas Day I had the boogie board out and on New Year's Day, I hope to be atop my funboard in the barrel off Pismo.
10k for vermont. (Score:1)
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1) is there surfing in Vermont?.
No. But you'll learn to love ice-fishing
2) will I have to wear socks when I go outside in December?
No. But many people do.
3) is pot legal?
Yes
Can you get decent internet speeds in Vermont? Probably not. And if you can, you may have to deal with -- may the lord have mercy on your soul -- Comcast.
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I pay 10.3% in California. And you know what? It's worth every penny.
Repost (Score:2)
Here's the original: https://slashdot.org/story/18/... [slashdot.org]
Wish /. could get some editors at some point. This shit has been going on for decades now.
lowering population ? (Score:1)
you think excessive taxation might have something to do with it ??
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sign me up.
Re:Man, this takes me back (Score:5, Informative)
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And it could have easily been Wyoming [freestateproject.org], rather than New Hampshire. Both awfully cold states.
$125,000 budget (Score:2, Funny)
that extra 25 people every two years is really going to make a difference.
12.5 people? (Score:2)
Is that a typo? Because that only covers 12.5 people, which doesn't sound newsworthy.
I assume it's $125,000,000?
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Don't be silly. It's for 25 people, since the grant is $5000/year, renewable for one additional year. It's twice as newsworthy as you thought.
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Is that a typo? Because that only covers 12.5 people, which doesn't sound newsworthy.
I assume it's $125,000,000?
It's $5,000 a year for two years, so a budget of $125,000 for FY 2019 is for 25 grants, not 12.5
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Vermont Will Give You $10K
$10K, not $5K. $10K.
They have an allocated budget of $125,000, which is good for 12.5 people for the promised $10K each. There is no mention of or reason to believe that they will allocate more into the budget next year.
The program offers up to $5,000 a year for two years.
$5,000 per year for 2 years, so 2019 budget (1 year) is for 25 grants.
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Why oh why (Score:1)
Why would the government cut the budget up that much rather than just letting business do it?
The trouble is the proof with the government, but with business it's either a contract or a job meaning it is based on a product or management.
The problem with the government doing it is that it is mandated before, then a budget is made, then it's a shitshow to get through it and once it's gone it's over with and done for and the taxpayers funded an experiment for nothing. With business it is a shitshow for HR or t
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Why would the government cut the budget up that much rather than just letting business do it?
Why would a business not located in Vermont pay for one of their employees to move to Vermont?
The problem with the government doing it is that it is mandated before, then a budget is made, then it's a shitshow to get through it and once it's gone it's over with and done for
This program is paying moving expenses. What recurring moving expenses do you think you'd have?
I don't understand it,
That's mostly because you're not trying to understand it. You're only trying to demonize it.
Hey, it's my state (Score:5, Informative)
Not often I get to see Vermont in the news. Yay. I'm a multi-generational native (yes, my family makes maple syrup).
In the hopes of dispelling some myths and inaccurate stereotypes, I'm happy to answer questions. I happen to live in a tiny ( under 4000) rural town, and on top of that, on the outskirts of it. Despite that I have 50/25 Mbit DSL. If I lived in the center of town I'd have the option for 100Mbit, 500Mbit, or even 1GBit FttH. So being rural doesn't necessarily mean junk internet... although it can, so check before you move.
In under an hour I can be in Vermont's largest "city" (Burlington). If I need a proper city experience, in just about 2.5 hours I can be in Montreal which honestly I enjoy a lot more than our next-closest big city, Boston. The border isn't an issue, since living near the border makes it easy to get a NEXUS card, which is basically fast-lane across the border for $50/5y and includes PSA pre-check at airports and Global Entry.
Yes, we have farms and cows and cheese and maple syrup and all that. We also have kick-ass skiing and lots of other great outdoor activities. Oh, and if you're not used to it: NO BILLBOARDS. It can be quite the pleasant shock for those new to the area... and jarring for us natives when we travel outside of the state.
The communities can be quite tight which is a nice thing... you really get to know the people in your area, and feel less anonymous than living in a city. People are quite generous and helpful with all sorts of things. Towns love to put on gatherings and events that bring everyone out for some reason or another. There's amazing food, and the proliferation of farms provides no shortage of fresh, high-quality produce and meat if you like to cook (or even if you don't, the better restaurants will use the local farms. Some BnB's even have their own gardens). People really care about the environment here... organic farming, trees, conservation, recycling, renewable energy, etc. Heck, even my house produces more solar power than I consume. You can find many die-hards who are truly "off the grid", self-sufficient and doing the whole homesteading thing. There's even a yearly festival/event/gathering called Solar Fest (not just about solar) if you're really into that.
Older crowd can be a bit conservative (not all, plenty of ex-hippies and all that... we're the source of Ben & Jerry's, Bernie Sanders, Bill McKibben, et al) but the younger generations lean strongly liberal. We currently have a republican governor but oh well... our Lieutenant Governor is progressive/democrat so he keeps him in line.
Home prices are all over the place, depending on where you live. You can get a sub-$100K home all the way up to multi-million dollar mansions (I know of a $10M one specifically). Places like Shelburne, Charlotte, and a few others with properties on Lake Champlain are popular with rich active/retired doctors, lawyers, and 2nd vacation homes for crazy rich people elsewhere.
So yes, worth considering. Questions? Ask and I can try to help.
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Fantastic. I've even gotten deliveries on Sundays without asking. UPS is best, USPS second, FedEx third... but generally I have no issues getting the stuff I order on time. Maybe twice a year or so there's some inexplicable scenic-route that a package takes.
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... of fresh, high-quality produce and meat if you like to cook (or even if you don't, the better restaurants will use the local farms. Some BnB's even have their own gardens). People really care about the environment here... organic farming, trees, conservation, recycling, renewable energy, etc.
Promote an alternative kind of breeding stock.
Trying to help here.
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We also have kick-ass skiing and lots of other great outdoor activities.
And.... that is where you lost me. I agree with you that Vermont is a beautiful state but the skiing there is not kick-ass. There is nowhere on the East Coast that has kick-ass skiing. I love Burlington. If I could afford a summer home up there I'd probably love to live there for 4-5 months a year. But the snow isn't that amazing.
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If you live here (and wfh), you ski on the days when it's kick-ass, and that's a lot of days. It only sucks if you have to ski on the snow that's there the week you have to travel to ski; that's why Colorado used to be better (I hear they've had some bad years recently).
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Is the state gluten-free?
No Thanks (Score:1)
They might give me $10k, but then they'd suck down about $9,000 in income taxes the first year. And another $9,000 the next year.
For as over populated as it's becoming, I'll stick with my income tax free state.
If Vermont wants to improve their population problems, they should focus on fixing their tax structure. Or contribute some to global warming!
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The flaw in this is you are taxing the middle and lower classes at a higher rate that the wealthy. Because middle and lower buy goods. Wealthy buy services.
For example, lawn care. The middle and low buy a lawnmower, and pay sales tax on that lawnmower.
The wealthy hire a gardener. No sales tax. While the customers indirectly pay sales tax on the gardener's much more expensive lawnmower, that tax is spread out over many customers. Resulting in a lower effective tax rate.
You can try to mitigate this pro
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It's a problem if you don't want to die of resistant TB that you got from one of those poor people you fucked. It's a problem if you don't want them to overrun your palace where you're eating cake and guillotine you. And it's a problem if your salary is paid by selling stuff to them.
The service you buy with your taxes is a world where you can have nice stuff without being afraid you'll be shot over it; where you can have roads to drive on; where you don't have to feel guilty when you tell the homeless g
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Even if true, $10K is not nearly enough to get me to uproot myself and my spouse, pay _more_ for housing than I do now, and put up with harsher winters. Two orders of magnitude more would be a _start_.
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Indeed. I'd need a hell of a lot more than 10k to jettison the life I've built for myself where I am. I'm not in my 20's anymore and uprooting requires a SIGNIFICANT benefit. not a 5K a year bonus.
How many people can have the same address (Score:2)
Once there is sufficient money behind this, I'll buy a couple buildings, move in a few thousand H-1B remote workers, and charge them California rates of rent.
I can probably fit 20-30 of them in a 2 bedroom apartment. /s
Tempting (Score:1)
No Thank You (Score:1)
I spent 5 miserable years living in the cold frozen $hithole that's New England.
I'd rather die than go back. Vermont is only slightly better than Assachusetts.
I'd rather move to Alaska and get paid to live there for life.
Vermont (Score:1)
Sounds like a Black Friday doorbuster (Score:2)
With a budget of $125k/yr and an enticement of $5k/yr per person, only 25 peopl
So just 12 people? (Score:2)
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None. The state is full of conservatives. Just not the kind you're talking about. We're the kind who believe in paying our bills, treating our neighbors decently, helping out when someone needs help, banking locally, actually maintaining our infrastructure. You know Bernie gets in trouble regularly because he's not anti-gun, right?