A good study on newcomers vs. old-line residents (Delta: environment, transplants)

[jazzlover]

This link to this study ( IngentaConnect Big Sky or Big Sprawl? Rural Gentrification and the Changing Cult... ) was posted over on the Montana forum. Though it refers to Missoula, Montana, any number of Colorado locales are facing similar problems.

Maybe this will help the "newbies" to Colorado undertand why their presence is not necessarily appreciated by many of the long-time residents . . .

[OutOfSoCal]

It a good read and I agree with most of it. I am curious why there were no suggestions made on how to curb to issues. Buying up the land is a band aid, the cities can't buy up all the open spaces to "save" them from builders. They need to enact codes and building standards to slow and control the growth.

This also makes me sad as I have been to Missoula(1985) and it was a great small town. Seem the charm is being replaced with malls, sad.

[Charles]

The same can be said in California of the east coast transplants. Go to a Dodgers Mets game or Angels red sox or Angels yankees game. Or better than that, find yourself in bumper to bumper traffic on the 405 ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON stuck behind some dude with an I LOVE NY sticker. Now that I'm in Colorado I can say it's a lot easier to be hated than to be the hater. But I also don't walk around with "Back in California we did it this way...." , "Or everything is so small and plain here.....", or put Dodger or Laker stickers on my car.

[ILFlatlander]

Go to any state, and you will have some people who dislike the presence of "outsiders". Here in Chicago, we have the Wisconsin folks that hate us flatlanders coming up to their state, and we have the downstaters how hate Chicagoans. These posts about natives versus "outsiders" reek of some entitlement mentality based on where a person is born. My parents were born in Montana, spent their youth growing up on farms in Minnesota, came to Illinois to spend their working years in industry, and now are retired in Minnesota. We live in a free country - would we want it any other way? Now get over it.

[Deltagolf]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

This link to this study ( IngentaConnect Big Sky or Big Sprawl? Rural Gentrification and the Changing Cult... ) was posted over on the Montana forum. Though it refers to Missoula, Montana, any number of Colorado locales are facing similar problems.

Maybe this will help the "newbies" to Colorado undertand why their presence is not necessarily appreciated by many of the long-time residents . . .

God, I got it already! You hate urban sprawl (me too),"outsiders' (xenophobia), and there is no water and we are thus all DOOMED. Holy **** I only hope the rest of Colorado folks aren't as angry, bitter and down right unwelcoming. Not everyone is too blame for the problems that as others have stated numerous times are not restricted to just Co. When I was a captain in the Air Force traveling around the world spending 13 years overseas, 10 of them in Japan/Korea, I have experienced this type of anti-foreigner/outsider mentality. In fact, I can smell it a mile away. Sorry for losing it here and I am expecting to be ripped by others,but I am really sick of this guys constant negative and trolling-type posts.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by Deltagolf

God, I got it already! You hate urban sprawl (me too),"outsiders' (xenophobia), and there is no water and we are thus all DOOMED. Holy **** I only hope the rest of Colorado folks aren't as angry, bitter and down right unwelcoming. Not everyone is too blame for the problems that as others have stated numerous times are not restricted to just Co. When I was a captain in the Air Force traveling around the world spending 13 years overseas, 10 of them in Japan/Korea, I have experienced this type of anti-foreigner/outsider mentality. In fact, I can smell it a mile away. Sorry for losing it here and I am expecting to be ripped by others,but I am really sick of this guys constant negative and trolling-type posts.

No ripping here. I understand his concerns, but I'm tired of transplants being blamed for all Colorado's problems. I'd like constructive advice about how to preserve Colorado's unique attributes, rather than the generalized moaning, groaning, & finger-pointing. The evil, evil transplants story is getting old and alienates those of us I'd think he'd want as allies in his desire for conservation.

[Deltagolf]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

No ripping here. I understand his concerns, but I'm tired transplants being blamed for all Colorado's problems. I'd like constructive advice about how to preserve Colorado's unique attributes, rather than the generalized moaning, groaning, & finger-pointing. The evil, evil transplants story is getting old and alienates those of us I'd think he'd want as allies in his desire for conservation.

I agree. For people who complain unendingly about it How about instead of bitching about it why not come up with some solutions or at least vote out politicians who are the problem.

[Mike from back east]

I have no need or desire to "understand" the attitudes of any old timers. Old timers are the same everywhere and many of them hate change. Too bad. For the most part it's all just a big belly full of sour grapes. As I've said many times in response to these rants, the country's been growing since the Mayflower landed; the only constant IS change. Rather than be bitter about some of my past and things I loved that are no longer, I opt to embrace the future and look forward with great relish, confident that the BEST is yet to come - for anyone who cares to accept it.

I appreciate the sense of loss people feel - here, there, anywhere. I feel it too but I'm not going to rant in the MD forum for all the things that no longer are the way they were, or people that have passed over to the other side.

s/Mike from back east, and I ain't going back

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Deltagolf

God, I got it already! You hate urban sprawl (me too),"outsiders' (xenophobia), and there is no water and we are thus all DOOMED. Holy **** I only hope the rest of Colorado folks aren't as angry, bitter and down right unwelcoming. Not everyone is too blame for the problems that as others have stated numerous times are not restricted to just Co. When I was a captain in the Air Force traveling around the world spending 13 years overseas, 10 of them in Japan/Korea, I have experienced this type of anti-foreigner/outsider mentality. In fact, I can smell it a mile away. Sorry for losing it here and I am expecting to be ripped by others,but I am really sick of this guys constant negative and trolling-type posts.

Trolling? I just posted a link to a study that I believe is quite well-written and is quite revealing. As to "negative" posts, the last time I checked I believe one of the purposes of these forums was to allow people to express thoughts and opinions about places and people to give readers something beyond a superficial idea about what a place might be like.

Appararently, anything other than an "Everything is great, there are no problems here," or "Growth is good--don't knock it," is a "negative" post.

I do agree with some of the sentiments expressed by people interviewed for this study. I particularly resent it when people move into an area, completely change its character, often make it impossible for long-time residents to make a living there anymore, destroy the natural character and environment of an area, inflate living costs and taxes for everyone, show no respect for the people who have stewarded lands and communities for generations, change the place into the exact duplicate of what those "newcomers" were professing a wish to escape--and THEN have the audacity to wonder why some of those long-time residents get p***ed off about it. Especially, when many of the same things happened to the very people moving into a new area back when they lived wherever THEY were before. I guess people's memories are just that short.

My views are not a narrowly-held sentiment in the Rocky Mountain West. Go to just about any community you can find, and you will hear the same lament from many long-time residents. Check out the other Rocky Mountain state forums and you will see the same sentiments resonating over and over again--and I would say in a much more emotional and vitriolic tone than mine. Deltagolf is right--it's nothing new--and it's not just here. That doesn't mean that it shouldn't be talked about and debated.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

That doesn't mean that it shouldn't be talked about and debated.

I thought that's what we were doing.