Idaho vs California (Boise, Pocatello, Coeur d'Alene: new house, neighborhood, quality of life)

[Torrie]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

Except for the way they drive....hehehe.....and I hear that they complain about Oregon drivers, who complain about California drivers...see...I KNEW it was all California's fault.

That's funny Sage!

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by Paul Smith

We hope to blend into the life of the community, not change it.

And THAT, my friend, is exactly what "sells" up here with neighbors.

Right now they're doing some resurfacing work on the long bridge (seems like bad timing, but who knows?).

Coming home from town, the traffic was backed up all the way to Safeway (on 5th street @ Larch). that's a huge backup. Now, in California, or ANY metro area (not just picking on CA here) it would have been people coming freaking UNGLUED. But you know, people still let each other in, take turns merging, and just don't get all worked up. Maybe the occasional person does that...and we all look at them and wonder what is their major malfunction...didn't hear one horn honk...and in fact at one point TWO lanes stopped (both ways on 95) to let me not only across the highway but INTO the front of the line (I had pulled off at the bank right by the Power House).

Maybe a new slogan should be exactly what Paul said above...."Move here, chill out, blend in, be friendly, and support the local economy"

[jenennis]

In closing, I think the issue is that Idaho welcomes people who want to become IDAHOANS...and that means a different mindset from where you're coming from....Sage of Sagle

I agree with Sage in this statement! It's not that we dislike "californians" as a whole, we just dislike people who move here from more sophisticated areas and seem to think it's ok to push your rules onto us....fighting everything that we have grown up doing here and trying to take away the rights that we have always had. Such as hunting, mining, logging, etc. That is what the northwest was built on and the companies our grandparents founded, and these out of staters are coming in trying to shut it down for their own "personal views". If you have a problem with it then leave, if not...then WELCOME!

[California Carl]

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Peace

[SDaniel101]

I just wanted to mention something for all to think about. I was born and raised in California and lived in other states while I was in the military. I've experienced the 'locals' dislike of Calfornians and read about it way too often. The one complaint I see most is that Californians come into a new state with their equity and drive up prices. Has anyone really given this comment any thought? Californians don't come into a new area and volunteer to pay outrageous prices. The 'locals' see an opportunity to sell their homes to people they know can pay more. I'd say the 'greed' discussed in some of these threads lies with the 'locals' as does the 'blame' for driving up prices.

[Torrie]

This idea has been mentioned previously either in this thread or one of the other ones that has floated around so you are not alone in your thoughts.

It shouldn't matter where people are from, and why people are so obsessed with Californians is beyond me.

[ejay]

I have been sitting here reading this thread and as a buisness owner i see things in my profession that bother me because of this influx of people. I moved here in 1976 then kootenai county was a very small rural area. And it stayed that way until about 1995. Then I started to see an alarming trend in that the local buisnesses started closing. And the big chain stores started opening. I used to be able to goto penguin and get anthing I needed to finish a job. Or go accross 95 to Andersons and I knew the people there. Even ziggys now has less stuff than they used too. Eventhough the economy here was sluggish I always had enough work. Now with all the box stores selling cabinets and influx of other people doing what I am doing my buisness has suffered greatly. The problem is every one is trying to make a buck off of this place. The so called locals here and I am one of them are upset with the fact that their way of life is gone. This place is now about the allmighty dollar who has a nice car, house , boat ect. The problem is there is a whole group of people here that have lived here and paid there dues here, to see that all that they have worked for vanish. I will never be able to build my dream home on twenty acre's I can't afford it now. I will never be able to make enough money here doing what I do. Even when prices were cheap I could not afford a house. And now I know I never will if I stay here. I am wittnessing the end of my trade no one cares about quality or if you do a good job. They focus solely on price not what they are getting. And in my buisness price is the only thing that counts. The quality of homes being built here is crap. You have a million dollar home and people buy cheap modular cabinets to save a buck. I lived here thru thick and thin, I have seen people and buisnesses come and go and like the rest I too will eventually close my doors because I can no longer afford to work for what people are willing to pay.Most of the contracters I have worked for over the years are gone. They could not compete with the influx of other guys doing it for less. The Idaho I grew up in is gone to me now i don't reconize people on the street anymore. My friends have moved outta here to make a living elsewhere. I think for someone who wants to live here now its great. But for the rest of us who prayed and hoped it would never come to this its hell. And now I want to move to a place that is small has a small town feel that this place used to have. Except when I move I am gonna fit in try my best not to change the place I move too. I shop local and do as much as I can to support the local guys that are left here. I miss my north Idaho and I have accepted the fact that I am lost in my own town....

[juicedog]

Most Californians are not even from California, and at least half of Idaho is also from somewhere else! Regardless, Californians should not have to shoulder all the the blame for Idaho's recent ills including sprawl, congestion and pollution. To those of you Idahoan's who cringe at the thought of Californians coming in and ruining your idyllic state, consider the conditions that you have created to make such developments possible. You have consistantly voted for limited government, pro-business and pro-growth Republican politicians who have courted big business, given incentives to developers, and strived to expand the economic and population base of your state and cities like Boise, to the benefit of many.

Californians who want to start or expand companies find Idaho's pro-business tax laws inviting and they relocate. Colorado Springs, CO (pro business Republican planning) and the entire CO front range is a fine example of what a city like Boise has to look forward to - the benefits of growth combined with the unintended consequences of higher crime, sprawl etc. My point: it is - and has always been - your choice as an Idahoan to make, so don't blame the Californians. If you don't like the influx of people, don't like the sprawl, want your 'last perfect place' to stay that way - vote for politicians who will make that a reality by passing restrictive zoning laws etc. Follow the path of cities like Boulder, CO where the average home price is now over $700,000 and you won't see any more Californians coming in.

Lastly, you should take a closer look at all those ranchers and developers who are selling their land and carving out large chunks of your lovely state, especially in Boise, for malls and tract homes. They don't seem to have a problem with the influx of Californians, so if you have a gripe it only seems fitting that you take up your issue with them - and especially the politicians they have in their back pockets.

[Asthedeer]

Originally Posted by juicedog

Lastly, you should take a closer look at all those ranchers and developers who are selling their land and carving out large chunks of your lovely state, especially in Boise, for malls and tract homes. They don't seem to have a problem with the influx of Californians, so if you have a gripe it only seems fitting that you take up your issue with them - and especially the politicians they have in their back pockets.

Yeah, most of them like me are selling and getting out of here, I would sell my ranch/farm too, it's not worth farming in the middle of sub divisions lol. You really can't blame anyone though, I would want to leave CA too, but they are turning it here into what they are running from so for those of us who don't like what it has become here we can quit griping and move elsewhere.

[boi2socal]

I don't understand how Californians (or any other newbie for that matter) are personally "turning Idaho into California." Last time I checked local transplanted homeowners aren't personally building shopping malls. Most home developers are local last time I checked. You don't see KB Homes or Lennar in Boise. Home builders and developers in the Boise area all local and those LOCAL people are selling to out of towners.

Growth is growth and it happens everywhere.