I have lived in Milton
Vermont my entire life. I grew up on a
farm in the 50’s and 60’s, and married a farmer after graduating from
college. I’m currently a registered nurse. Most of the people I work
with find it amusing that I still live in the same town where I grew up. Yet my concern is for the broader community
of Vermont.
When I see home prices
soaring, I worry about how the average Vermont family will afford housing. I contemplate
what these families will do in the wake of high fuel prices, rising food prices
and the ever increasing taxes.
Today we hear a lot about
building community. (But) It is becoming
a hardship to be an active member of the community, due to time and personal
energy constraints.
When I was growing up, my
parents belonged to the Grange, were 4-H leaders, schoolboard members, among
other things. They were building community and they were working in their
community.
Today, I struggle to
participate in my community. I
drive out of town to go to work. I don’t know my neighbors as well as I might.
And I may not know if they are in crisis and need help, until perhaps it is too
late.
My overriding concern is
that only the highly paid and wealthy individuals will have adequate housing,
heat, nutritional food, and the privilege of serving the community. Their
children will attend private schools while public schools suffer budget
defeats. Their children will attend
college, while it will become more and more difficult for the average Vermont student to pay for college. The average working
Vermonter will not be at the table of plenty as the cost of living here
escalates. We will become more and more marginalized. People who have money to spare will continue
to come into Vermont and buy once working farms, creating mini estates,
and thus contributing to the decline of community and vibrant living. In my Vermont, vibrant living should include everyone.