Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
BTW, have you considered filing a civil action against the person who wronged you? Seems like that would be a more effective route than involving law enforcement.
It is a complicated situation regarding the "wrongdoing" and just another experience to chalk up. It involved 1) relatives of a Lazy Y U resident who were "homeless" and I volunteered to take her in and 2) workers who were working on a house across the road from me who approached me for side jobs. If you take the civil route, you have to have REAL names and home addresses, and the people have to have resources to attach. Otherwise, you just pay the filing fees, enter a judgment against them and get nothing because in reality, they HAVE nothing and have already sold/pawned your items or moved out of the area.
When there was a big boom in the area, some owner-builders employed dayworkers to do work on their homes as did contractors. It also added to the crime rate as these "workers" were more likened to Gypsies and stole from the neighborhood. When the work dried up for them, the "Gypsies" squatted on land where the landowner was not present. Then a few of them relocated in town, sqatting in the empty houses until flushed out. Because they had a difficult time finding work and no one wanted to hire them anyway, they turned to crime and drug dealing, thus making Kingman's reputation even more unsavory for the time being.
On another note, has anyone heard that Frontier has outsourced their call center and customer service department out of the country to save money, thus laying off nearly everyone and further adding to the unemployment of the area. What a doggone shame...so these people will also be moving out of the area because they were earning $10+++ an hour and now the best paying job for someone of their background pays $7 an hour. Nearly empossible to live on that...so unless you work at the hospital as a nurse, tech or Dr. there is NO WORK IN KINGMAN THAT PAYS A SUSTAINABLE WAGE!! The reason this place is drying up is because there is no decent industry like R&D moving into the area.
My ex was a very successful commercial real estate developer in the San Francisco Bay area/San Jose in the late 70s-early 80s and I did the tenant improvements (interior design). He was the developer responsible for building the International Trade Zone in Santa Clara, CA. What happened?? He got greedy, co-mingled funds in projects, and went into exile in Brazil in 1982 to avoid SEVERE prosecution. Never to be heard from again. What happened to me? Well, when that happened, I was in my mid twenties. I scrambled, suffered and financially/mentally/emotionally went down the drain for awhile. So I was "there" to witness the HUGE GROWTH of "Silicon Valley" and made a tidy sum myself. What this area needs is an HONEST developer and an HONEST person to bring industry into the area to save it. Anyone want to form a focus group??
When people judge people because of where they live. Like I said the service workers and the caregivers in the hospital most likely live in Birdland or Butler. I lived in a million dollar + home in swanky Los Altos Hills, CA and was abused, mistreated and had financial woes that were unfathomable. I saw more alcoholics and drug abuse in Carmel High School and southern CA than anywhere. The thing is that the people in the "good" areas can afford the drug rehab programs and hide their families dirty laundry better.
My husband grew up in probably one of the most horrible single wides in Butler. His father was a very highly respected law enforcement officer for two decades here in Kingman and concealed child abuse, alcoholism, drug abuse and a host of other plagues. Fortunately they all moved out and my husband is "just fine". So please, instead of marking everyone in those areas as trash, understand that they might be doing the best they can and just might like to see people think a little better of them.
I am considering putting together a kind of plant-a-tree beautification program in those areas. We did it in San Francisco in areas like Hunters Point and the Outer Mission district. It was amazing what a little tree can do to brighten up a neighborhood and the people who live there. I already have the source for the trees...just need some volunteers. Think of it as a "Save Kingman's Outer Limits" program.
It is a complicated situation regarding the "
On another note, has anyone heard that Frontier has outsourced their call center and customer service department out of the country to save money, thus laying off nearly everyone and further adding to the unemployment of the area. What a doggone shame...so these people will also be moving out of the area because they were earning $10+++ an hour and now the best paying job for someone of their background pays $7 an hour. Nearly empossible to live on that...so unless you work at the hospital as a nurse, tech or Dr. there is NO WORK IN KINGMAN THAT PAYS A SUSTAINABLE WAGE!! The reason this place is drying up is because there is no decent industry like R&D moving into the area.
I too have noticed that wages in Kingman are exceptionally low.
A tire shop on Stockton Hill Rd was willing to offer me something like $8.50 an hour to do car/truck alignments. I queried the manager/owner and his attitude was that it was 'low skill' work and did not warrant higher $$$.
Fast forward to the Bullhead City area (50 miles away) and I snagged a job doing the exact same work for $29 per flat rate hour.
Admittedly FRH/piecework is by the job, not the clock but still.
My worst paycheck at the BHC shop was maybe $250 after taxes for one week's worth of work whereas my biggest check was above $800 net.
Now: looking at the Kingman job; predicated upon 40 hours a week; I would have taken home ca. $280 a week ($8.50 x 40 = $340.00).
Admittedly; I worked some Saturdays in BHC but; subtracting that day, the difference in wages was glaring.
NOTE: we are talking about 2005 here so inflation between the two cities was not an issue.
And Kingman employers wonder why it is so damn hard to find competent help?
I am considering putting together a kind of plant-a-tree beautification program in those areas. We did it in San Francisco in areas like Hunters Point and the Outer Mission district. It was amazing what a little tree can do to brighten up a neighborhood and the people who live there. I already have the source for the trees...just need some volunteers. Think of it as a "Save Kingman's Outer Limits" program.
You mean as what Kingman has in the area near the courthouse?
Between Beale St and S of I 40 that is my favorite part of Kingman visually
Good points!
I drive back and forth to work through Butler and Birdland areas every day of the week. I see the good and the bad but don't run in here and start bashing them cause I realize what is what.
If people come on and ask about Kingman areas I w try to provide what they need.
Doesn't always happen and can't please everyone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinmountain
I have to add something here; somewhat of a factual type opinion...everyone talks about the "bad" areas and the "good" areas. To get an idea of what MOST of the people who live in Birdland or Butler are like, go to Wal-Mart or any of the restaurants in Kingman. The people who are your cashier, server or other low paid employee in Kingman are the ones who live in Birdland or Butler and OWN their modest home. Granted, there are a lot of people who do not take care of their property, but usually they are renting the single wide mobile for about $400-600 a month and are scraping by. There are many well kept mobiles and homes in these areas, and I think it is unfair to condemn people for where they live. I am certain that there is just as much unsavory activity going on behind the doors of those "Rancho Santa Fe" tract, (et al) houses that people assume are the Best Areas of Kingman...in fact the person who stole the most from me lives in prestigidous Lazy Y U ranch area...and the big huge house across from me houses a theives den. Bt alas, because of their social ties, the local law enforcement "will not" do anything about their activities. In otherwords, where someone lives is NOT indicative of their quality.
When I lived in "Silicon Valley" between 1968-73 (and again from 1978-81) the property was affordable in most areas, and the wages were LOW. To earn a good income, you had to work in San Francisco. Santa Clara county was pretty much agricultural (fruit orchards, olives and veggies). Then came IBM, Hewlitt Packard, Intel, and the rest was history. Stanford was actually struggling against UC Berkeley for students then they changed their focus to "high technology" and the development of the silicon wafer chip. Billboards offered higher wages and there were wage wars between companies. This was before Microsoft. They had teenie satellite offices in Santa Clara.
I feel that the Kingman area is ripe for something that will turn the whole thing around here. I think it is an excellent place for forward thinking people to locate to and not wait for something to happen before they do something. I always have moved into areas that were impovershed and then they boomed.
Yes, I dislike much about Kingman, but in thinking about it, I don't see it being so bad that I want to give up, not quite yet. Or maybe because I am so stuck here because of my ranch I am justifying it. LOL.
Does anyone know what the plan is for the intersection of 93 (the turn to go to Phoenix) and I-40? And the new Kingman Travel Center planned at the DG Bar Ranch exit? There is a new sign that mentions retail and motel space.
When I lived in "Silicon Valley" between 1968-73 (and again from 1978-81) the property was affordable in most areas, and the wages were LOW. To earn a good income, you had to work in San Francisco. Santa Clara county was pretty much agricultural (fruit orchards, olives and veggies). Then came IBM, Hewlitt Packard, Intel, and the rest was history. Stanford was actually struggling against UC Berkeley for students then they changed their focus to "high technology" and the development of the silicon wafer chip. Billboards offered higher wages and there were wage wars between companies. This was before Microsoft. They had teenie satellite offices in Santa Clara.
I feel that the Kingman area is ripe for something that will turn the whole thing around here. I think it is an excellent place for forward thinking people to locate to and not wait for something to happen before they do something. I always have moved into areas that were impovershed and then they boomed.
Yes, I dislike much about Kingman, but in thinking about it, I don't see it being so bad that I want to give up, not quite yet. Or maybe because I am so stuck here because of my ranch I am justifying it. LOL.
Does anyone know what the plan is for the intersection of 93 (the turn to go to Phoenix) and I-40? And the new Kingman Travel Center planned at the DG Bar Ranch exit? There is a new sign that mentions retail and motel space.
Now that you mention it: I have been sensing something along those lines as well re: the Kingman area.
Suffice to say when the next housing boom hits in about 5-8 years; the financial $$$$ is going to hit the fan--------big time
Till then the housing market will continue to drop.
Completing the Hoover Dam overpass which will knock 15 minutes off the commute to Vegas probably won't hurt the property values any. My brother in law lives in Vegas and he can't believe how much house and land we got for the money here. Property is much more expensive in Vegas, and the weather is better here in Kingman. I agree that things seem to be stacking up in Kingman's favor. Certainly the home builders seem to think so. They're still going nuts building new housing tracts out into the desert. Plus there are of course two new I40 interchanges on the books as well.
And there's that new hospital being built which will create a whole bunch of jobs. It's a good time to finish that nursing degree.
And there's that new hospital being built which will create a whole bunch of jobs. It's a good time to finish that nursing degree.
New hospital.......where?
I am familiar with the new one built on Hwy 95 in Ft Mohave about 2 years ago.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It really bothers me...
