How About a Trip to Ireland?

Tiger editor Geoff Norman made a couple of important points during his appearance on "Vermont This Week" this past Sunday.

First, he reminded us that Vermont has no money, and that the recession we seem to be entering could put the state budget in the red.

Second, he pointed out that Vermont relies heavily on earmarks -- pork sent our way by Huey, Dooie and Looie (a.k.a. Leahy, Sanders and Welch) in Washington -- to make ends meet.

I have said before that we are a proto-third world country, and the facts above prove it. We rely on the rest of the country to help us get by. And this despite the fact that we supposedly have more college degrees per capita than any other state. Oh, and of course we're the "healthiest" state, too, and God knows what else. But we remain an economic basket case.

I won't say for the hundreth time why that is. We all know the anti-business climate here is driving companies, entrepreneurs and young families away from the Green Mountain state. Repeating that mantra makes no impression on the ruling class here. Apparatchiks to the core, they'll do nothing until the government paychecks start bouncing. Of course, by then it'll be too late.

But I have another idea. We all know that Ireland  is an economic success story, a tiger of prosperity compared to much of the rest of Europe. Like Vermont, Ireland is a backwater with pleasant views -- and a long history of economic backwardness. It has become a wealthy island by letting capitalism go to work -- something, perhaps, that Vermonters need to see in action.

I therefore propose that a delegation of Vermont legislators be sent, at taxpayer expense, to the Emerald Isle for a looksee at what the Irish have done and are doing. With luck, a little fairy dust will rub off on our rubes, and they'll come home changed for the better -- ready at last to let Vermont join the 21st century world economy.

What's to lose? A few dollars worth of plane tickets, meals and hotel accomodations. On the other hand, it might prove to be the junket that saved the state.

If the Irish can do it, why can't we?

 

Comments

[GreggB]

Jon I think the problem is that the powers that be don't want a robust economy in VT. They got theirs from somewhere(trust fund, public employment, etc) and don't want anybody else to get more or any at all. Secular deity forbid someone built something that changed the way something in VT looked or functioned. The horror the horror.

[Jon Harrison]

You know, one can be a preservationist without impoverishing one's fellow citizens.

We can change now and have a lot of control over what the change looks like, or we can change later with lots of sturm und drang and a lot less control. Change will inevitably come one way or the other. A bunch of ex-hippies, trust-funders and retirees do not constitute a self-supporting entity. And I doubt anyone else will want to make us a colony.

[GreggB]

I agree with you in principle. However I don't think the powers that be want development, despite the cost to everyone. Yes the current situation is unsustainable(ironic considering the anti-growth notions of sustainability) but I'm guessing they don't care or they believe it will sustain itself long enough for their purposes. As bad as it is here now it will get worse long before it breaks. Socialist Europe has fallen a lot further than VT and some of them are still plugging away at it.

[Lazarus Long]

Vermont is like a kid who has left home but still needs an allowance from the parents to make ends meet.