Lay off of Kansas! (Salina, Manhattan: school, universities, wages)

[catfishing]

It bothers me to see so much negativity aimed at the state of Kansas in many of the postings that I've read here. All I seem to read is "Kansas is boring, it's flat, there's nothin to see or do, etc." Although I'm not from Kansas, I've lived here a number of years, (Salina and Dodge City) and I think many people are very misinformed when it comes to this state. I for one love the four seasons here, the western Kansas sunsets, and the wide open land. The work ethic and frontier spirit of most Kansas residents, along with their "help your neighbor" attitude has been long abandoned in most states. The natural beauty of the small towns that glimmer on the vast prarie of central and western Kansas, paired with the history of towns such as Abilene, Dodge City, and Hays make Kansas an enticing place for tourism and history buffs. Speak up people of Kansas and tell the public what YOU love about your state!

[IamKateyKaboom]

Right on, catfishing! Kansas is a beautiful state with so much to do. I love the unspoiled land and maybe I'm sick in the head, but I'm actually looking forward to drive west on I-70 to visit my family in Denver. Whether you want a small-town vibe or the suburbs are your thing, Kansas has got it!

Besides, in my experience (and yes, there are mean people everywhere you go), the people in KS are so nice and down to earth compared to many I meet here in Florida. There's not near as much traffic, overbuilding, etc.

Also, the colleges and universities in Kansas are a-mazing! Watch the KU commercial on YouTube - they put so much effort into making it and you can tell the students really care. Even my BF, who was jaded from his college experience in FL, is excited to get to KS to go back to school.

I really can't explain it to people, and you'll probably think I'm a complete freak for saying this, but there's nothing like the smell of KS when you're outside, especially in the summer time. And night time weather in the summer is just perfect.

Great thread - I love KS and can't wait to come home! We're going to be in JoCo, but I can tell you we're already starting to plan many road trips - I wanna show my BF Dodge City, Salina, Manhattan, etc.

[Samantha S]

The recent bashing threads seem to be started by the same troll under a couple of different names.

Some people lash out when they are unhappy or they entertain themselves by doing stuff like that. Not much you can do for people like that. But I think most people can see through the 5-year-old "nanny nanny boo boo" crap.

[RememberMee]

Big agriculture spoiled/depopulated Kansas. "wide open land" are you kidding? Open for whom? If you like looking at "wide open??? land of endless wheat fields etc." while driving along a shoulderless state route locked between two rows of fence and sprinkled with occasional dying "one elevator" towns - Kansas is for ya. Personally I feel claustrophobic when surrounded by "wide open land" of Kansas.

[kansas sky]

Originally Posted by RememberMee

Big agriculture spoiled/depopulated Kansas. "wide open land" are you kidding? Open for whom? If you like looking at "wide open??? land of endless wheat fields etc." while driving along a shoulderless state route locked between two rows of fence and sprinkled with occasional dying "one elevator" towns - Kansas is for ya. Personally I feel claustrophobic when surrounded by "wide open land" of Kansas.

Yes, well, some of us like it. You know there are numerous other threads in which to talk about your disdain for Kansas. That's not the purpose of this one.

[ymmud123]

I had the misfortune to live in Newton, Ks. for several years until I went into the military.
During the winter I would sit and watch Nebraska blow by and in the summer I would watch Oklahoma blow by.

[thriftylefty]

People always say there is nothing to do in Kansas ,but once when I was in New Jersey and I asked some people" how long does it take to get to Manhattan, NY. from here?" nobody knew, They had never driven the 15 miles, no lie, even if there is a lot to do , some people don't want to do it anyway.

[SunnyDay70]

There is beauty in all 50 states, including Kansas. I've driven through those amber waves of grain in Kansas...and it is quite a sight to see.

[AnywhereElse]

catfishing: Thanks for the laugh. You must be working in a field that promotes tourism. I mean, really, where on earth have you been that you can see things this way -- I can think of a couple areas down south but other than that? Salina is the best location in the state. We considered Dodge City at one point but a little research easily convinced us to stay clear. I understand that a lot of people aren't put off by the meat packing plants - the odors anyway but we found those cities gross to say the least. I would encourage anyone planning to visit to stay clear of the cities that have meat-packing plants - there are problems other than the smells - think safety! There is a lot of poverty in Kansas because of the low wages and many of the smaller towns if not most are dying in their tracks because there are no jobs and those left in the towns cannot maintain the buildings and the services to an acceptable standard. With the economic downturn, it is even worse. I am afraid pushing for tourism at this time is rather a waste of time considering the financial state of the country.

[cp1969]

Originally Posted by Samantha S

The recent bashing threads seem to be started by the same troll under a couple of different names.

Yes, that's true and when you couple that with a moderator of the forum who apparently hates Kansas as much as the troll, expect to see more of it.