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His portrait of Colorado as some unsophisticated, right wing, hick state is way off base IMO. Why is Colorado and cities within consistently chosen as some of the best in America? How in the hell did we elect all those Democrats then? Colorado must have something going for it because people continue to move here.
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If anything Colorado is an excellent mix. Don't pigeonhole us.
Agree completely. We don't all run off to some fundamentalist Christian church with our 6 kids, either.
Here is my top ten suggestions for surviving in Colorado.....
1. Register your vehicles asap. The first thing your neighbors will check is your license plates. First impressions are everything.
2. Buying a big home and not taking care of the lawn is a sin. Be prepare to spend a lot of time caring for your yard.
3. Don't bring your toys. No one cares about boats, trailier, and hummers. Knowing about a secert fishing spot is more impressing.
4. Like it or not....you are now a Denver Bronco fan. The whole economy can swing depending on a win or a loss.
5. Never talk about California....this is a huge turn off. Coloradoans love Colorado and don't want their state to be another California.
6. We vote republican....maybe you should too.
7. Imbrace the snow and learn to love it. This last year the Front Range had snow on the ground for nearly 3 months.....sometimes you just have to say, what the heck!
8. Don't buy your kids anything with a motor on it. They love there peaceful way of life. Note: A bicycle is still the best recreational vehicle.
9. Learn to drive slow or at least within the speed limits. Coloradoans are not trained to drive nascar and you will drive yourself crazy trying to get ahead.
10. Have a job before you come here. Getting a job here is very difficult. Even the best jobs pay poorly.
P.S. Homes are not investments in Colorado, don't expect to make money on a home sale. Historically home prices only increase by 1.2%
I don't get it. If Colorado and Coloradans are soooooo terrible. Why are you here???
That is because the economy is not horrible. If I had to guess, I would say posters like Rawlings are trying to make Colorado sound bad so that others won't move here? There are articles all over the place about wages not keeping up with cost of living, etc. Whether that is the case for you or not if you even believe it, it is not Colorado specific by any means.
His portrait of Colorado as some unsophisticated, right wing, hick state is way off base IMO. Why is Colorado and cities within consistently chosen as some of the best in America? How in the hell did we elect all those Democrats then? Colorado must have something going for it because people continue to move here.
I'm only calling it like I see it. The economy is not great here--and it hasn't been for a while. But there are real promising signs that it's picking up. That's a good thing.
About the politics--the reason Colorado cities are consistently chosen as best places to live is that there is sound government, beautiful areas, all at a relatively affordable place--it has nothing to do with how many New York Times readers there are. In fact, if you look at the country's liberal areas--you might assume that liberal government makes a place worse to live.
I certainly never said that this is a hick state. But it is the Rocky Mountain West, it is Middle America, and, yes, it is quite conservative. Maybe if you hopped aboard your hybrid and left Boulder sometime you could actually see the reality of the state. Electing conservative Democrats--just like North Carolina, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, etc. does not make you a liberal oasis on par with San Francisco or something.
I'd argue that what makes this place so grand, so liveable, and so attractive is that you can bring you family here, find a job, pay low taxes, and live in a environment that is friendly to traditional values--not inimicable to them--as in Boston or Chicago or whatever. Colorado's natural, easy conserativism is what makes this place great.
Some transplants--yourself obviously included--try to deny this fact by citing one election result. Sorry pal, but I've got history on my side.
Agree completely. We don't all run off to some fundamentalist Christian church with our 6 kids, either.
So what? Neither do Texans or folks from Kentucky, but nobody says those places are latte-sipping, liberal oasises, do they? My only argument is that the state--like it or not--is fairly conservative, middle american, family-friendly, low-tax, etc. And that's what makes it a great place to be.
It's actually a very simple realization to have happen to you. Ask somebody from Boston what they think of the place--how different it is. Or you can even visit Boston for a week, come back here, and compare and contrast. It's real easy. You can tell from the minute you walk off the plain you've left blue state, coastal America, and happened upon Jesusland, Bush Country, etc. Plenty of people in Colorado don't like that fact so they try to pretend that, actually, we're not. Bury your head in the sand if you like...
You assume WAY too much about me. One can be conservative without being fundamentalist. But, unfortunately, the DNC is coming to Denver in 2008 - not exactly Jesusland now is it?
Whoa! Did you read the article in the New York Times the other day about the DNC? It basically said that the reason the Democrats are coming here is that they want to make inroads in more conservative, traditionally conservative parts of the country! The very reason they didn't pick NYC is that it would project the same, coastal liberal image that has lost them elections! The fact that they chose Denver--in an effort to rehabilitate their image--is a hat tip to Colorado's conservatism.
And, might I add, Denver was never terribly high on their list. The Democrats wanted Minneapolis but the Republicans stole it from them. Then they wanted New Orleans to buffer their rich/poor divide agenda, but it's in too much trouble to host a major convention. So they settled on Denver. And now look what's happening--because Colorado is too anti-labor, too conservative major donors and groups are threatening to boycott the convention!
Finally, picking a spot for your political convention really has little to do with the disposition of the city you chose. Just look at the conservative GOP choosing Minneapolis of all places--conservatives in a majorly liberal city. The GOP has also recently picked NYC and Philadelphia--again, nobody would say that because the GOP picked those towns that they are at all conservative.
I agree that Colorado is full of all kinds of different people with different ideas about things. But so does Texas and Oklahoma and Mississippi, etc. Colorado's general temperment is conservative. That's doesn't make it a long-toothed backwater--and I certainly never said that. The economy is growing, people are starting to move here again, and it's still quite liveable--all of that while still being a conservative place. I think you can be a great place to live and a conservative place--in fact, I might even be so bold to suggest that precisely BECAUSE it's a conservative place it's a great place.
My only argument is that the state--like it or not--is fairly conservative, middle american, family-friendly, low-tax, etc. And that's what makes it a great place to be.
If that were your only argument, I would agree with you. However, on this forum and many others, you make it sound like everyone here belongs to a non-denominational, fundamentalist Christian mega-church, has a pack of kids, and always votes straight Republican. In response to a question on another forum about Sunday drives you said that the only place Coloradans drive to on Sundays is church. That is simply untrue. Perhaps that is how you live, and I have no problem with that. But it's not how everyone lives.
Politically, Colorado has long been a "middle of the road" state, with a somewhat conservative bent. Remember Governors Lamm and Romer? Both very popular Democrats. We have elected a senator or two who are Democrats as well in the 27 years I have lived here, have one now, Sen. Ken Salazar. Areas other than Boulder elect democrats. The governors and the senators are elected state wide. If this state were such a conservative place as you make it out to be, they wouldn't be elected.
I agree with Pitnurse. In most of your posts, Rawlings, you make it sound like Denver/Colorado is some backwards, Bible thumping, hillbilly paradise. When I've challenged your argument, you've come back and said things like, "Get out of Boulder," or "Have you ever been out of Colorado?" Just to clarify, I've never lived in Boulder and I'm from Chicago. Why do you feel the need to voice your political opinions in every post? It's quite unneccessary to tell someone that they should move to Seattle instead of Denver just because they're from California. Who's to say that someone from California would not LOVE Colorado? Are you just fearful that too many liberals are moving here? I really don't get it.
There's nothing wrong with going to church, having tons of kids and living a quiet life in the suburbs. But, please stop generalizing the entire population of Colorado. We don't all live your lifestyle. Not everyone in Colorado shares your interests, political and religious views.
Last edited by 19Caroline72; 05-08-2007 at 09:17 PM..
Finally... we are speaking up about Rawling's contant description (I'd say pretty much in every.single.post.) about Denver being highly conservative, "traditional" values (whatever that means) with a pack of kids. I must say, from reading your posts I've come out of my "liberal, Cheesman park bubble"- the last thing you called me in a post, and have actually be questioning if Denver was much more conservative than I thought it was. There is nothing wrong with that but based on my experience here in the past 8 years, I don't see it that way. I'm just really tired of reading it all the time and from my experience, this is a very open-minded, progressive state with all sorts of diversity of people.
Finally... we are speaking up about Rawling's contant description (I'd say pretty much in every.single.post.) about Denver being highly conservative, "traditional" values (whatever that means) with a pack of kids.
I too must say that I'm glad that this came up. It's honestly getting old hearing Rawlings rant about how Denver is SO conservative in every single post, even if the post has absolutely nothing to do with the political climate of the area... I'm getting really tired of hearing this useless ranting. I have lived in suburban Denver for most of my life and have never seen anything even close to what Rawlings describes. I have friends of differnt religions, friends that were both straight and gay, and of varying ethnic backgrounds and they were all accepted. Politically, Colorado is pretty purple, middle of the road. We certainly didn't all vote for Bush. Politics aside, I have found the people of Colorado to have a live and let live attitude. Rawlings, if people want to hear about politics in Colorado and/or your political opinions, I'm sure they'll ask.
I agree with Pitnurse. In most of your posts, Rawlings, you make it sound like Denver/Colorado is some backwards, Bible thumping, hillbilly paradise. When I've challenged your argument, you've come back and said things like, "Get out of Boulder," or "Have you ever been out of Colorado?" Just to clarify, I've never lived in Boulder and I'm from Chicago. Why do you feel the need to voice your political opinions in every post? It's quite unneccessary to tell someone that they should move to Seattle instead of Denver just because they're from California. Who's to say that someone from California would not LOVE Colorado? Are you just fearful that too many liberals are moving here? I really don't get it.
There's nothing wrong with going to church, having tons of kids and living a quiet life in the suburbs. But, please stop generalizing the entire population of Colorado. We don't all live your lifestyle. Not everyone in Colorado shares your interests, political and religious views.
I'm not afraid of anyone moving here. Just as many conservatives come here as liberals--and the state stays the same politically and culturally. I'm just afraid of newcomers like you giving the wrong impression of Colorado. I'm a fourth-generation native. I know a whole lot more about this state than you ever will. You liberals come here, watch a little Real World, go to a Rockies game or two, and think you know this state. There is a set of values that runs through the blood of Coloradans that people from Chicago or LA can never understand. You obviously don't.
And as far as my generalizations go, disagree if you like, but back it up with something tangible like, oh, say, facts...maybe. Most people live in the suburbs, most people to go church at least every couple of weeks, most people voted for Bush, and Colorado does have an exceptionally high birthrate. You can't dispute that. Or, I should say, you can, but you'd be just spouting off like you've been doing for a while.
Let me say, and this goes to everyone, I fully admit that Colorado--like every other state--has people with a diversity of opinions and ideas and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. But this site is devoted to obtaining advice and ideas about various places. That requires generalizations and stereotypes. Certainly not everyone voted for Bush in Colorado--but the majority did and that has to mean something to a liberal--or conservative-- from one of the coasts.
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Glad this came up!
