Coeur d'Alene - Paradise Destroyed (Moscow, Post Falls: rental, shop, safe)

[jjkmd]

Hehehe, yes I know that there aren't many Asians up there.

I lived in Roseburg Oregon in the late 70s, early 80s and were the only Asian family for miles. They didn't even have a chinese restaurant. The people generous and welcoming, never had a problem ever at school. But when we moved to California in the late 80s, that's where I got all the racist slurs and people telling us to go back to our country of origin.

I'm not worried about NID. Visited multiple times and have met many many nice people. I'm sure it has it's share of idiots, but I'm certain there are more down here than up there.

If I worried about the color of the skin, I'd move my family to the Orient.

I don't think you give the people of NID enough credit. But even if you are right, we might as well get you guys used to it! Cause you do realize that China owns all our debt...better brush up on your Cantonese! :P hehe

[Done with Commiefornia]

Originally Posted by EnochTheSleestak

Perhaps my "obsession" stems from the fact that I still have family, property and assets in Idaho.

But by your reckoning as a person who was born & raised there, who's entire family lives there, who has a financial stake there, but lives abroad I'm not qualified to opine. Right? So what's your excuse then? You're in California and have never lived there. Maybe that's why I keep asking for natives to share. You might learn some uncomfortable facts.

Uncomfortable, I doubt! Interesting, maybe. Up to now I had been rather enjoying the civilized intellectual discourse between those that are apparent native Idahoans, and those who contemplate relocating to there, over the perceived (and, yes, actually real) changes to NI. But now I see that you and some others appear to be becoming annoyed that your every point is answered with a logical argument, and it is to the point where unclebigs now is reaching to such intellectually vacant points, for want of a genuine argument, that he is now attacking one person for misspelling a commonly misspelled word (OOOh - OK unclebigs, you win that one) and another for considering moving to NI when they are clearly not white ... you're right, that is an offense! Enoch, I give, you are correct, the Californians coming in to Idaho have made nobody's lives better but their own ... but I would say that the same is true of those coming from New York, Alabama, Michigan, or wherever. In other words, what could those from any other states add that Idaho really needs ... common now, you can think of something. It is a pointless argument. I have watched people move into Commiefornia my whole life, from everywhere, and cannot think of a single thing that any of them added to our state that we really needed, and so what, it was their right to come here anyway. As far as owning property in Idaho still, good for you, the more people move in, the more it will be worth ... hey, you win there too. Last point ... you continue to post and posit arguments here, but skipped over a number of valid points that I had pointed out in previous posts, so what about those? I guess we all now have a little feeling for how native Americans must have felt as the white man took over their lands, and now we all argue over which of us should be able to move where on those same lands.

I will now back off of this thread and not return, because it is turning into a steaming heap of bitterness, which is not what it should have been. But let me just stick out my virtual right hand in hopes that you will both still shake it. In actuality, I truly agree with the basis of your feelings and argument more than I disagree, and for the most part you are correct, and I feel just as you do. How, you ask? How could I know how you feel when I grew up in California? Because I have been screaming the same things as you, only about California, for 30 or 40 years, and nobody listened to me either. I am truly sorry to hear that parts of NI are changing, I wish that they were not. But it is still a far cry better there than it is here, and I do not fit in here, so yes, I am still moving.

I wish you all well, see you in other threads. Mike

[Sage of Sagle]

There is one salient point that far too many "unhappy natives" conveniently overlook when raging about the influx of outsiders...

When the timber industry took the major hit from the late-80's into the 90's, this really forced the general population to "reposition" its economic future. It could either refuse to change, and thus stagnate and become rather permanently depressed (Michigan upper peninsula with 25-30% unemployment) OR it had to adapt to find some new major economic revenue streams. Tourism became very important to the economic survival of North Idaho. But with a major shift to tourism, you have that "pesky" by-product...tourists. And some of those tourists want to stay, write about it, etc.

So there are problems that come with growth. But there are (IMO) more severe problems that come with stagnation. Just "demanding" that nothing change is not just completely unrealistic and naïve, it's serious head-in-the-sand petulance. Things either grow or they stagnate.

So the real issue should be how well the various counties and cities do in making sure that growth is managed. Too much slow growth and you deal with a real estate price explosion with limited supply but high demand. Too much fast growth and you have lower cost housing but a serious negative impact on the infrastructure and general quality of life for everyone. No matter what, somebody is going to be unhappy. You either get the soaring home prices around Sandpoint and Sagle from 2000 to 2008 (Bonner County minimum lot size is 5 acres), or you get the apparently out-of-control suburban sprawl of the Rathdrum Prairie between Rathdrum and CDA.

Folks, North Idaho has the land area to support more new residents if done right, but the manner in which North Idaho is managed by its multi-layered and overlapping government agencies will eventually determine our future quality of life here. Just my $.02...

[Keim]

Excellent points Sage. Points I tried to make way back in post #14, but were ignored.

[kstorts]

Originally Posted by unclebigs

"rediculous"? are you sure it's not "ridiculous"? Let me guess....California public school system?

LOL

Yup, you would be correct! I am so glad that my kids will go to better schools than I did. (This is a HUGE reason I am moving them out of here....)

Good points Sage!

I just want to throw in there that the Idahoans I have come into contact with have been warm and friendly, and welcoming. I am glad to see that there are so many friendly people out there, and really happy that I will be able to provide a better life for my kids there than I would here.

It really is too bad for those of you that have seen your homes change and do not like the changes that are occurring. I can relate. I see that a lot of you that are complaining about these things are moving out of the area because of it, just like we are. I really hope that you are able to find a new home that fits you better (like Enoch, even though it took leaving the US to do it). Good luck in Moscow UncleBigs, I hope you get that small, clean feel that you miss in your current home.

In the end, whether you want to admit it or not- we are all more alike than we are different...we want to have good lives for our families, and will do what we feel is best for them to provide that (And for those that feel the need for stark remarks, it is simply a reminder, I am assuming that we all know this already).

UnlceBigs- feel free to proofread that for me. I am severely underslept this last week, and am too tired to do it myself as I was this morning after a mere 4 hours of sleep. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two. My grammar needs some work as well .

[SacTown11]

Originally Posted by unclebigs

"rediculous"? are you sure it's not "ridiculous"? Let me guess....California public school system?

LOL

That was weak man. I make typos too, happens when you type 80+ WPM.

[SacTown11]

I've decided it's time to move to Finland.
If I had a choice, I'd move to Alaska. Alas, my wife would never agree to that. So Idaho it is.
I'm sorry if native Idahoans see my presence as a ruinous influence on the state. My only desire is to ensure my children become native Idahoans and put Commiefornia as far behind me as possible. Eventually I will die and there will be one less "Californian" living in Idaho and my children and grandchildren will far outnumber my presense in your state.
Thank you.

[unclebigs]

Sage, you come from a school of thought that continuous economic growth is good and beneficial. I disagree. Continuous growth means more timber cut this year than last year. More houses built on prime farm ground this year vs. last year. More, more, more. More is not better.

Is there is still available land in Northern Idaho? Of course. For those who want to live on a 1/4 to 1/2 acre with hundreds of other people surrounding them in all directions, CDA will be a paradise for them.

For those of us who want a deep connection with nature, 40+ acres, complete peace and quiet, Northern Idaho is destroyed. Sure, you can find this kind of property 20+ miles out of town but it is inconvenient to travel for services and it won't be long until a subdivision is on your doorsteps.

Paradise is in the eye of the beholder. A resident of So. Cal. who is used to living with 25 million people will find Northern Idaho a paradise. I don't and many people who came to Northern Idaho in the past 20 years are moving out.

More strip malls and more subdivisions and more traffic is not an improvement in the quality of life. How many more people can cram into CDA City Beach on a nice summer day? Unless you enjoy smelling the body odor of dozens of people around you, it's already Paradise Destroyed and will only get worse.

[CosmicWizard]

It is a common practice all across the USA, and probably in other countries as well, to moan and complain about growth & change....especialy when it's change that we don't like. I recently visited the small hometown I grew up in back in Pennsylvania. The population of the town itself has increased from 750 to just over 1200 during the past 40 years. No big deal, BUT....the once quiet farm and orchard country surrounding that small town is now buuilt up with housing developments, strip malls, paved roads, etc. Overall, I found it rather depressing. There were however certain aspects of the changes that I found to my liking, and I caught myself feeling OK about those specific changes.

That was a valuable distinction to get a handle on. I realized it's not change and growth across the board that I a rail against...it's just the change and growth that doesn't fit into my preconceived notion of what comprises good change. For better or worse, some of the change and growth that doesn't fit my perception of good change, does indeed fit into the category of good change for someone else.

There's no way to ever prove who's concept of good change is the right one, so the healthiest approach seems to be to accept what is and make the most of it. When it really comes down to it, wether we are happy or unhappy depends what we choose to focus upon. So for me personally, I'm making the mental effort to focus on things that keep me in a mostly happy state of being. With so many changes occurring that I don't approve of, it's a huge undertaking for me, but well worth the effort. Otherwise, my sanity might disappear along with the next orchard to get bulldozed to make room for the next subdivision.

[unclebigs]

Cosmic, that's a rather defeatist approach to growth. A town can become what it's residents desire. If you would ask CDA residents 20 years ago if they wanted what has happened to their town, I would guess 90% would not.

The problem with out of control growth is that it benefits a select few. The land owners who carved up 240 acres into 1/4 acre lots made off like bandits and have left the area with their loot. The politicians and their cronies have also done quite well as the tax base has skyrocketed. Most everyone else is left to deal with the fallout of more crowds, more traffic, a diluted culture, check cashing stores in every strip mall, etc.

It's a shame CDA didn't think about what it wanted to become. The power brokers sold it out for profit and skipped town.

CDA could have become Aspen or Jackson Hole. It's sad to see what it is today and even sadder that most here don't see it as a problem.