Vermont’s population set to increase by 40% next week.
by Kolby LaMarche
In just one week, Vermont is anticipating potentially (hundreds of) thousands of out-of-state visitors, eager to watch the moon briefly block the sun.
Estimates suggest that Vermont’s population may temporarily increase by up to 40% next week, leading to over 100,000 extra vehicles clogging our deteriorating roadways.
Cell towers are expected to be overwhelmed, causing patchy coverage. Road closures are scheduled across the state, and cities and towns are forming emergency response groups.
This is, by all means, a total invasion.
Vermonters, who work all year round to keep the natural environment, beauty, and culture of this state alive, are being urged by leaders and the news media to not just be kind and understanding to the invaders, but we are also being asked to just stay home.
Who, really, could blame out-of-staters, though? Whether it is autumn leaf peeping, winter skiing, or eclipse watching, our state has a lot to offer. And, hey, tourists do bring some money into Vermont, around $3 billion per year.
But behind the pastoral landscapes and maple candies is a state drowning.
Economic inequality and poverty, crumbling roads and infrastructure, mounting taxes on income and property, and general tiredness. There exists some horror amongst these Green Mountains.
It is common knowledge, for those who know anything about Vermont, that Vermonters are weary, sometimes hostile, toward out-of-staters.
Just as we can’t blame tourists for being tourists, you can’t blame Vermonters for being – and wanting to remain – Vermonters.
Though they bring their wallets, most out-of-staters bring arrogance, abysmal driving, a false sense of ownership, and the expectation that Vermonters get on all fours, like the animals we supposedly are, and frolic around for their entertainment.
And, to tribalist Vermonters, that isn’t it. Adding insult to injury, our legislature, they argue, and political spheres across the state, are filled to the brim with out-of-staters, or “Vermonters by choice”.
But not every Vermonter hates tourists though.
There are some who staunchly defend tourists and talk ad nauseum about the great economic benefits tourism brings. Does it?
Tourism, as previously mentioned, generates around $3 billion per year, but makes up just 10% of Vermont jobs (some of which are permanently seasonal).
Skiing areas such as Stowe, Okemo, Sugarbush, and Jay Peak are all owned by corporations which operate outside of Vermont.
Sleeping accommodations, transportation, and food are all readily available on those same sites – the revenue from tourism in the winter largely goes out-of-state and into the coffers of our state government.
And just like summer getaway resorts, like Basin Harbor in Vergennes, ski areas often bring in out-of-state employees to fill the gaps. Because how many Vermonters can afford to either a) live in Stowe or b) commute to Stowe, given how out-of-staters have, indeed, inflated housing costs everywhere.
Say it is a good tourist year. Even then, for Vermont workers, that means little. If I am a cook and I cook for a tourist, I still get paid the same wage as I would if I wasn’t cooking for a tourist.
The economic benefits of tourism are reaped by the same class of folk who tour Vermont: the well-off. Leaving working-class Vermonters frustrated, overworked, over-taxed, and – of course – bitter at tourists.
So, Vermonters, if you do see an invader next week:
Do be kind, but not too kind.
Do be courteous, but not too courteous.
Do be helpful, but not too helpful.
And try to maintain your composure.
Burning Sky is dedicated to providing critique and commentary on the issues of the day from an unapologetic perspective, fueling change in the heart of Vermont. Authored by Kolby LaMarche every Saturday.