I agree that as of late, STRs have become a higher percentage than typical, but I disagree that it's malicious in an area that was built with second homes and "vacation rentals." The houses were propose built and expanded for that market for 50+ years; this is not a new phenomenon for a ski town.

Listen to yourself. You at the same tome acknowledge the superiority of the private schools but if everyone can't have it you'd rather deny it to everyone. It's so cynical and petty that you would deny children a better education because you or someone else might not be able to experience it.

Misery loves company.

Their source is the Guardian and Washington Post.

That's the benefit of their public education showing. Indoctrinated into the State.

It crosses the line from looking out for your own self interest to malicious when it displaces others who can’t afford to find a home or live there.

What's the primary function of a State run school?

That's the goal. They want complete control over your child's education. They're incensed people would choose private or State run.

The State is closing schools down and offering terrible educational services. Their priorities? Making sure no one else can offer better services and to regulate them out of existence.

The citizens of the small area are voting in their own interests, that doesn't sound malicious to me.

Does Stowe need to expand and become affordable to all?

Recycling for the most part is a failed program to curb the use of plastics in our society. Instead of finding alternatives to plastic use we spend money on keeping them in the system, but if the problems is the environment disaster plastics create, why not stop production of plastic? Oh wait the big oil lobby and decades of propaganda efforts. Oh, and those ‘recycle’ symbols on the bottom of containers are resin codes, that where intended to mislead people into thinking they are recyclable despite the fact that most all plastics are not recyclable.

Really great video on this:

https://youtu.be/PJnJ8mK3Q3g

Not sure? It won’t ever be, that is the effect of decades of large amounts of out of state money’s influence on a town, they have to protect their investment.

Wow, I didn’t know that. I know some schools up north started combining public elementary schools recently, but that seems like a pretty drastic shift.

As a private school teacher, you could not be more wrong.

Thetford is kind of a mix between public and private. The taxpayers pay for their town’s students to go there, but they also tuition in kids from other towns with school choice. I can’t see how this bill would affect them negatively.

Deregulating does not equal a better housing market, you’re simply conflating bad regulation with good regulation.

I support a public school system that is ...

Provides a quality education, is open to all comers, legally accountable to the public, and free of charge at the door.

My preference is that this system is available to all from birth though end of life.

I could’ve sent my kids to a different school, than MVU. But I would’ve had to transporttransport them myself. which wasn’t going to happen since I have to work every day. But I wish I could’ve sent my kids somewhere else.

True, true. I said that just because you said you'd probably be a heavy user with a family of 5, as if the additional people were directly contributing.

Dumb takes like this are exactly why we need decent independent schools. Like my Daughters 12 person high school is raking in dough and is full of the "elite". Sad generalizations that are not at all reality. Our independent schools are not Exeter Prep and the like good lord. Now let me get back my substantial advantages in the NEK. Jeesh

The heat in my house cares not how many people are inside. Some utilities yes but not all. I would also guess that the major driver in my elec use is water pumps, fans etc all things that would be running regardless. Cheers!

Which accomplishes nothing excepts hurts the average Vermont child.

Tax incentives are a waste of time.

Last time an actual good tax incentive program was established it was erased by the Tax Reform Act of '86 (?). That was a 25% tax CREDIT against income.

Trouble was, mostly historic properties that would have been renovated anyway, got renovated. And projects that were so-so didn't get done.

What's needed is for the Towns to select property that they believe would make good affordable housing sites. Do the planning, approvals, preliminary proposed designs, infrastructure and land acquisition. The Towns could finance these 'mini municipal developments' with loans from a State established loan fund or development bank.

Put the projects out for bid or RFP. Build it, then sell it with or without tax incentives such as reduced property taxes for a few years.

This 'completion backwards' principal takes the risk away from the builder or developer.

Developers shy away from Affordable Housing because of the risk. Time from proposal to completion can be years. Price of materials can vary wildly. Interest rate fluctuations. Scarce capital gets tied up, nothing gets done.

It's not that complex. Sitting around, wringing hands, waiting for the 'private sector' to step up is a fool's bargain.

None of what he listed amounts to directly providing funds, they're all tax incentives to make building homes a feasible business venture where they otherwise wouldn't be.

While growing up In Franklin County some people had private choices for high school other than the shit hole that is MVU. For some this was the path to get their kids out of poverty. I hope this very specific door is not closed.

Robot combat!