By Michael Bielawski
Four in ten Vermonters say they are struggling currently to face basic needs for their day-to-day expenditures according to a new poll released by the University of New Hampshire.
Also, nearly half of Vermonters expect a recession, and about one in ten believe the Green Mountain State is already in a recession.
“Vermonters are much more likely to be pessimistic than optimistic about their personal finances,” the full report of the Green Mountain State Poll states. It also notes that 841 Vermonters were surveyed, the margin of error is about 3.1%.
Twice as many Vermonters say they are doing worse
38% of Vermonters say they are doing worse off financially today than a year ago, which compares to just 17% saying they are doing better. About 45% say their finances are relatively unchanged.
Low-income earners more pessimistic
The numbers get more pessimistic among low-income families. For those making $75,000 a year or less, the percentage increases to 43% for those saying they are doing worse off than a year ago. That number drops to 28% for those between $75,000 and $150,000 in annual income.
A partisan divide
There is also a sharp partisan divide with Democrats generally having more optimism both for the current and future economy. It states, “Democrats are considerably more likely than Republicans to report doing better financially and to expect good times for the economy, while Republicans are much more likely to report hardship buying necessities and to anticipate a recession in the near future.”
Some data illustrating that divide include 70% of Republicans and 49% of independents saying they are doing worse off than a year ago versus only 20% of Democrats saying they feel that way.
The partisan divide continues when other questions are asked. For example, many more Republicans than Democrats anticipate an economic recession in the future.
Nearly half of Vermonters expect a recession
Among all Vermonters, 47% believe that an economic recession is in the future. Breaking that down further, 12% believe it is very likely and 35% believe it is somewhat likely that a recession is coming. Also not included in that number is 9% believe that Vermont is already in a recession.
Again the partisan divide comes into play as 91% of Republicans, about two-thirds of independents, and about 30% of Democrats expect a recession.
Taxes/cost of living got people down
The study indicates that taxes are a big culprit for Vermonters’ largely negative economic outlook. The study states, “Among those who expect to be worse financially a year from now, 26% say that they feel that way because of taxes, 20% cite the cost of living, 19% mention inflation, and 8% expect higher personal expenses.”
Businesses not optimistic either
On the business front, the outlook is similarly mixed or pessimistic. The study states, “When asked how they expect Vermont businesses to do in the upcoming year, 22% of Vermonters think state businesses will enjoy good times financially, 23% think they will experience bad times, and 54% anticipate mixed conditions.
A change this election season?
During the fall of last year, VDC first reported that the state legislature as a whole was polling in the negative with a 51% disapproval rating. It is unclear how these numbers will translate come election time as more citizens have been questioning the status of Vermont’s election integrity.
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle
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Categories: Opinion
And the Montpelier thugs have doubled their salaries. The Dome air makes them clueless.
This is because you have fools in charge, but then again you voted them in,
but just think about it, you’ll have a mandated electric vehicle !!
Wake up, people………………………… They don’t care.
I haven’t voted for one of the fools
Is it partisan?
Perhaps they should break it down into Government paid/supported people and Others. This would perhaps be the biggest tell.
.
The largest employer is?
Who has be golden parachutes, what enterprises?
Who is receiving “free money”?
Did Rome collapse under entitlements?
Can you tax your way to prosperity?
Vermont has one of the most expensive school systems.
Vermont has one of the most expensive medical systems.
Vermont has one of the most expensive governments.
Vermont has a very high cost of real estate.
Vermont has a very high cost of rental properties.
Vermont has a high cost of gasoline, registration, upkeep of vehicles.
Vermont disintegrates a vehicle by rust/salt.
Vermont has a crazy inspection process on vehicles.
Vermont has a corrupt “affordable housing” scam, keeping people poor while enriching those in the game, stealing from the taxpayers pockets
Vermont has an insane property transfer tax, just initiated.
Vermont makes it extremely expensive to build modest homes.
Vermonters are massively unhealthy.
Vermont has a serious drug, alcohol and crime issue, driving up costs.
Vermont has massive, protected monopolies, aka progressive ideology.
Vermont government is rigged, we are the first cousin to socialism with our progressive train of thought.
..and on top of all that, thanks to the demoprogs in the legislature being owned by the VSEA public-sector union, Vermont has an insane ratio of state workers to citizens, about DOUBLE that of New Hampshire.
BINGO!
That’s the underlying problem with socialism, marxism, etc. we all want more pay, better retirements, but few of us can vote our way into a higher pay raise, better retirement, we have to earn it.
Washington D.C. is filled with people making $100-200k, not producing but glad handing and doing inside deals with lobbyists, NGO’s, Big Pharma, Medical and War complex………when it’s other peoples money some consider that “Free Money” for the rest of us it comes hard and slow.
You can’t tax your way to prosperity, that is really what Marxism claims it can do. It doesn’t work. It collapses all the time and bring about too much suffering because nothing gets done, but everybody is taking a bit or a whole bunch to feather their own nests, while….”working for the people”.
I can remember around 2015 that the “happiness index” said that $75,000 was what you needed to be comfortable and have all your needs met. Today, $74,999 is considered low-income.
$75,000 a year is “low income”!
Pay your taxes or eat. Your choice thanks to Montpelier.
Soon to be 8 in ten.
“The enemy is already here”. – Dan Bongino
The United Way reported one out of seven Vermonters works for a non-profiteer. If four of ten Vermonters are financially struggling, the grifters paradise is not looking as lucrative as it pretended to be (only for the directors and board members) Is there a pre-determined flag to wave now or paint on the main street? Is there a pre-determined color scheme for the upcoming Depression, aka reset?
Many alarms going off in financial markets – you wouldn’t know it watching the stock market. Devaluation of the fiat petro dollar is coming home to roost. Bond yeilds – we have trillions out there and no way to pay for them…inflate away! The United States debt bomb is about to blow up in the Fed’s face…and Grammy Yellen can only say “everything is fine, the economy is great!” Rates up or down next month will only exacerbate the implosion – they’ve papered themselves into a doom loop and the reset is the trillions stolen in their favor, not ours. Be prepared.
Money printer go, “BRRRRRRR.”
and yet, inexplicably, a majority of Vermont voters will continue to support democrats and progressives in elected office…
Lots of human suffering behind this poll… when we stop putting profit before our humanity and care of one another as our neighbor – and the NIMBYs grow a heart for starters… these numbers may change.
Please people… BE kind and gentle with one another. The Bible tells us to pool our resources to care for one another — this is about US doing what is right even when gov’t fails. Gov’t should NEVER be put in the position of caring for humans — esp now that AI is involved in the models AI uses to decide who is worthy in its algorithms… WE need to grow a heart, check it for a heartbeat, and go where gov’t tells us not to go — and help one another.
MANY MANY people in VT face eviction and homelessness in these numbers…many more are food insecure… and many others are put in the position in order to care for their families, of leaving the state.
Is this who we want to be?
Vermont used to be a welcoming state… the ordinary folk never let anyone slip through the cracks or walk off the cliff. One quarter of us now, are standing on the edge of the cliff and a breath of adverse winds can topple over the edge into… YOU IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENS… or better yet, see those who are already suffering as your fellow human beings… and get over the stereotypes, labels, and stigmatizing the gov’t and NIMBYs apply to keep us from helping one another.
When you approach with an open, caring and loving heart, you are received in that way…its how God wants us to live with one another. If we followed HIS laws and rules, we would not be experiencing this.
Profit over humanity did this… that is a Satanic formula that has only one outcome.
Well said, acquaintances of mine who moved south claimed the same, but that Vermont has changed, people aren’t as willing to help out anymore. The friendly neighbor helping neighbor is not as strong as it used to be.
The other 6 out of 10 are Balint, Sanders, Welch associates and cronies…rich out of staters who bought up land and estates…system players like our $250,000 Stanek mayor and live-in girlfriend…a whole host of legislators who dont give a twit about the common working man and woman…plus high salaried federal and state workers with sinecure positions…and many of the same who share the smug condescending indifference we see in all Demoncrat power brokers from the top down.
Vermont Public Radio ran a similar broadcast this morning. In that sound byte, the “partisan divide” took center stage. The broadcaster’s chosen (government-sponsored) talking head gave the excuse that it is merely because of the political party elected to the White House.
I offer this alternative narrative: The economic hardships are measureable and real. The “divide” is caused by one factor, which the poll did not as about: households that have a federal or state income do not feel any pain; households that have only private sector incomes feel the pain.
In other words, the state and federal government employees (including most contractors) are high and dry. Fiat money, combined with exorbitant taxes to pay that fiat money down, is the reason.
So, of course the government workers feel better off now that they have pushed through their tax increases on the working poor. They are safe in the understanding that their union will guarantee a pay increase to match or exceed any cost of living increases.
Blue = bigger slave holdings; Red = the color of my blood.
This name will be remembered for ever when you all go broke. //// Pickpocketpowell.///// Stay tuned for higher inflation and more people laid off.
A partisan divide
There is also a sharp partisan divide with Democrats generally having more optimism both for the current and future economy. It states, “Democrats are considerably more likely than Republicans to report doing better financially and to expect good times for the economy, while Republicans are much more likely to report hardship buying necessities and to anticipate a recession in the near future.”
Let Republicans eat cake.