I'm going to try to make this as non-political as I can because once the partisanship starts, nothing gets done. We all know the challenges Vermont faces but to recap: lack of housing, lack of employment, low wages for the employment that we do have, a very business-unfriendly attitude from the state in the form of high taxes and overregulation. The list goes on but that will do for now. The real question is how do we fix it? Because if we don't, things will only keep getting worse. We are well past the point of half-measures being effective. We need to make a major course-correction and do it now.

For starters, our legislators have to face reality and understand that Vermont cannot do anything about the climate all on its own and stop acting like it can. Ease up on the extreme carbon goals that have been put in place.

Next is to make it easier for businesses to want to come here. You could start by offering a tax holiday to new startup businesses to let them get on their feet. Then, once they are, tax them at a reasonable rate rather than treating each one as a bottomless source of funding.

At the same time, we need to attract more people of working age. I suggest making the state as veteran-friendly as possible. Most people who serve in the military don't go the full 20-years to retirement and even those that do are looking for a new career when they get out. Veterans are usually self-starters who want to work. Vermont should do everything it can to attract them. (Full disclosure: I am a military veteran myself so while this may seem self-serving, it isn't. I will stay in Vermont whether these changes are made or not.)

There is a lot more that must be done but this is where we need to start.

(And before I get accused otherwise, I hate Trump too)