Relocate to Cripple Creek, Bailey or Canon City areas?

[sesamekid]

Here is some more info for those considering a move to Canon City:

Pros:
-beautiful high-desert/mountain scenery,
-best weather in Colorado (mild winters, little snow, hot dry summers, looooong nice autumn with changing leaves, wonderful springs with blossoms),
-small town feel,
-fascinating history,
-gorgeous historical downtown,
-many great old houses,
-real estate is VERY affordable
-very good community resources for children
-some fun (but not-very-well-known or crowded) tourist activities
-incredibly low property taxes
-for you wine-lovers: winery right in town (Holy Cross Abbey Winery) - they grow their own grapes and make their own wine at an amazing old monestary which you can tour

Cons:
- very lacking in healthcare (most people here go to Colo Springs, or Pueblo for healthcare needs from oby-gyn to cancer treatment to surgery)
-VERY, VERY conservative/Republican (cannot stress this enough! although, others may see that as a plus )
-homelessness problems
-lots of drug houses/ meth labs
-prisons are the main industry (inmates almost outnumber residents in this county )
-lack of progressiveness (men who run the county and city are known to be "old boys club")
-Canon City used to be KKK stronghold and some still see evidence of this (I have heard annecdotes about racial prejudice)
-just announced in the news today, FLDS (of Warren Jeffs fame) has compound in this county
-lack of infrastructure (no public transit system for one thing - that's right NO BUSES)
-Cotter Corporation (Superfund Site - uranium mill contamination in Lincoln Park area of Canon City)

I will add more to the above lists as I think of them....
it is good to be informed of the good AND the bad