Are Eugene Schools dumpy or what?

[Fred Starkey]

Well said.

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by minaflewis

Not to sound all wierd but I was a bit concerned looking at the kids as well. Now I am no prude...but the kids all looked a bit like urchins. I don't necessarily need my kid to have name brand clothing or even to match (which most of them did not) - but I do comb her hair!

Thanks for your comments, as someone from the Northwest, they remind me of posts criticizing Arizona on the Arizona forum! If you are from Arizona you will not like Oregon or Washington, just as those of us originally from Oregon and Washington hate Arizona (and also neighborhing New Mexico). I did not like Flagstaff, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, NM.

You will find Oregon much too liberal, especially on social issues, gay rights, and unions, although we don't care how many guns you own. And, whereas in Arizona those of us Libertarian Liberals are shunned, attacked, and banned on Arizona message boards, we are welcomed with open arms in Washington and Oregon, proudly supporting Dennis Kucinich, Ralph Nader, and Michael Badnarik in Oregon and Washington. And finally, you may not get our sarcasm either, including this post

The reason why there's a conflict between Arizonans and Oregonians is a flip in the ratio of the Open to Experience versus Consciencious personality scores, as revealed by the one year old and now very famous "United States of Mind" study. I took the test, and scored like someone from New England, so that's the best fit for me, second place: Washington, Oregon, California (born and raised in Seattle):

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122211987961064719.html

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by minaflewis

Metlakatla -

(Comments Truncated.)

We came from Utah where being Non Mormon/ Not as Conservative was an issue and there is a happy medium on many things in my mind.

I want to live in a town where people are perhaps gay but do not move there because they are. I feel that way on many issues.

We moved out of Utah for that reason...For example be Mormon but you do not have to all congregate together...and condemn people for not participating.

I still like Mormons though...the ones that have balance. I feel the same way about gay lifestyles/ hippies/ drugs/ drinking etc..

Great comments in all of your posts in this thread. Having lived in both the NW and Arizona it's incredible to read viewpoints from a similar scenario.

1. Flagstaff, Arizona is Eugene's twin city in the Southwest in terms of the politics and lifestyle, although it's not really that liberal. The City Council this spring failed to pass a City gay civil rights ordiance for employment, and the nurses and electricians tried to unionize w/o success, among other issues.

2. The LDS population in Lane County, Oregon (encoompassing Eugene) is higher than the national average, about 10% adherents on City-Data.Com. Southwest Oregon has a high percentage of LDS as does NW California.

3. The LDS participate in establishing many pro-family, pro-fitness outdoor activities such as bike trails in many US communities, even liberal ones, such as Flagstaff, Arizona. Many LDS are organic farmers. Overall their emphasis on fitness, nutrition, and diet from the 1829 Divinely Inspired Document is an example for the rest of us.

4. You say you want to live in a town where people are perhaps gay, but do not move there because they are. However, it seems that most gays end up concentrating in places such as San Francisco, Santa Fe, Seattle, Manhattan, Vermont, etc.

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by Acuda

minaflewis-

I would urge you to look at another city. Your posts alone were quite niave, unresearched and frankly, a bit offensive. Now, you may have not intended to insult anyone by calling the kids urchins with unkept hair, but had you done that in front of some people in Eugene, I don't think too many people would keep their mouths closed. Now, I'm not going to get in a discussion about the content of your other posts, so let's look at reasons you may want to reconsider moving to Eugene.

Not naive at all. The poster is articulately voicing their frustrations with a liberal city. The more passion, the better the post, even if it is overgeneralized as you suggest. I think the best thing about the US is that we have diversity in political viewpoints, cultures, and religions in different states and counties. This is the best thread I've ever read on City-Data, because I've lived in both Washington, Oregon, and Arizona and know exactly what the original poster is talking about.

How about Bend?