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Born and raised here with the exception of a few Air Force years, and I've never heard of the Volvo line. What is it?
It's a creeping line of contagion where yuppified Ma$$ho...drat, I'd better not say that, I wouldn't want to get *another* "warning"...ummmm, where the yuppie types have moved up from MAto experience a different sort of living, and turn it right into what they just left.
This is the most deeply profound and enlightening post on the entire board, in my opinion.
The part about those who suck up taxes and then 'regulate those who pay them', I believe I will incorporate in to my daily blog soon. Hope you don't mind. The people who now regulate my hometown have only been here a few years. It's pretty obvious. And, now we are paying THEM to tell us how we can live. hmmm. How's that work out? Well, I KNOW but this is not the venue for that discussion.
I think you kinda covered what I was talking about with the 'bad element' along the coast. That's exactly what I meant. I didn't realize I should refer to it as the tourist industry -- they were just kinda mean in places for no apparent reason. MY god we were driving a 70000.00 car at the time. It wasn't mainers. It was 'new people' from away; you could tell by accent and mannerisms that these were NOT mainahs. Not the people we were meeting in businesses and stopping along the way.
Here's the funny part: I DRIVE a volvo and a jeep. LOL !!!
I think we're only bringing the jeep, though.
If not, I think folks will figure it out fair quickly that I'm just a person who loves old volvos. They're the safest cars on the road.
I DO love my volvo. You can work on them yourself. Very uncomplicated vehicles.
Oh well, I really like this post. I'd give you some cred but I always get the 'spread the love around first' reply as I've already loved some of you too often for the website's taste. LOL !!! (molly) LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by forest beekeeper
It is seen in: the cost-of-living, the standard-of-living, and in how much you need to earn to stay viable.
It is seen directly in terms of: land prices, housing prices, wages, local taxes, and the volume of local bureaucrats [building inspectors, code enforcement officers, selectmen, and other folks whose salaries come from the tax revenue, and whose job it is the 'regulate' the citizens].
While that line exists, it is hotly debated as to where exactly the line lays.
The reason why it's exactly location is so hotly debated is that the line of demarcation is really like a rainbow. It is not a line like between night and day. There are shades, or gradients. Made up of layers one atop the next.
Many folks appear to live happily in the first gradient, just one step away from the highest levels of bureaucratic regulation [ie, the highest home prices, the highest wages, and the higher taxes].
While many others look on that in shock and horror. They live in other gradients of that line, where things are cheaper and less regulated.
There are two corridors where the volvo line follows a contour and extends itself Northward much further than in surrounding areas. The line [or more properly the layers of lines] extend a long ways up the coast, hugging most tightly to route 1 and the communities immediately along the shore-line. Traveling along the shore you must need to go much further North to find lesser and lesser layers of volvo. However as you travel away from the coast, away from the tourist industry, those layers fade away quickly and you can find rural communities that are obviously enjoying much lower levels of regulation and higher prices, and there is no volvo at all.
Also along the corridor of I-95, the darkest layers of that line travel in a fairly narrow corridor right up the freeway for quite a distance. Volvo appears to be everywhere. But again as you travel to either side, moving away from the freeway corridor, you can find many quite small communities where peace and tranquility reins, and no volvo can be found at all.
To see this most profoundly look at any community up in 'The County' and compare it to Portland. Entirely different lifestyles, and the reason for such different lifestyles is based largely upon a combination of those factors I have listed previously. Beginning North, as you work your way South, you begin to add layers of volvo, one layer onto another layer. Until you finally get to the Southern border areas and the darkest level of volvo layers.
With of course the noted exceptions of the two corridors where the line does appear to extend Northward a ways.
Maine! you have a Jeep too! I LOVE my Jeeps....had wanted one for a while, and got one in Dec., then liked it so much when the Jimmy died, we got another one It's so nice to look down a road and think "I wonder what's down there?", and then KNOW you can go look AND get back out!!
I don't remember growing up whether the differences between the "two Maines" were as distinct as they are now. I'm just barely over 40, but it seems as if this whole thing is a concept that's only about 10 or 15 years old. Do you guys have the same perception? Maybe it's just that 10 or 15 years ago was when we actually started talking about it! Either way, for me it's very real!
This is the most deeply profound and enlightening post on the entire board, in my opinion.
Thank you
Quote:
... The part about those who suck up taxes and then 'regulate those who pay them', I believe I will incorporate in to my daily blog soon. Hope you don't mind. The people who now regulate my hometown have only been here a few years. It's pretty obvious. And, now we are paying THEM to tell us how we can live. hmmm.
Well that is the way that I see things happening.
Quote:
... I think you kinda covered what I was talking about with the 'bad element' along the coast. That's exactly what I meant. I didn't realize I should refer to it as the tourist industry -- they were just kinda mean in places for no apparent reason. MY god we were driving a 70000.00 car at the time. It wasn't Mainers. It was 'new people' from away; you could tell by accent and mannerisms that these were NOT mainahs. Not the people we were meeting in businesses and stopping along the way.
In our travels, we have been in other tourist areas before, and we have seen parallels in attitude.
Quote:
... Here's the funny part: I DRIVE a Volvo and a jeep. LOL !!!
I did not intend any insult against folks based on what they drive.
Forest I don't believe you have it in you to be mean for no reason. I just don't get that from you at all... i remember when i first heard the term 'volvo line' on here I laughed because of what is at the end of my driveway ... LOL !!!!
I'm meaner than you --- I constantly insult folks who drive their houses around and then struggle to park and not to wreck them. Some of these SUV's are just outlandish. (apologies in advance, I know they make some feel safer and they are needed by others and it's clearly REALLY none of my business and that's the truth -- it's NONE of my business. LOL)
Anyway, I would never insult them outside the confines of my family. Who know I have a good sense of humor and don't mean any harm. Some of the teenagers around here (and I LOVE teenagers, this is the fault of the parents in this case, mean folks raise mean kids) but around here they use these big vehicles to intimidate those in smaller vehicles. It's really bad.
I bet someone on here will know what I mean.
Forest, I thank and appreciate you explaining that so thoroughly, it's exactly parallel to my thinking. I have had bad experiences along the interstate for the last few years when travelling. I had kinda figured but you're the first one to say it --- that I could drive 'past that' and find nice folks. That ilk bought up all the money producers and homogenized the interstate experience. I'm going to travel state highways when I can, I think. The interstate folks are just exhausting. I'd rather deal with the barney fifes hooked up all the way to the white house. LOL. But, I would. At least there's a tiny bit of accountability.
Oh the volvo in question is an 83. LOL !!! It's soooo old. Not that it is the point at all ..
thanks again for explaining. Seriously. I copied and pasted that post. It's a keeper.
Quote:
Originally Posted by forest beekeeper
Thank you
Well that is the way that I see things happening.
In our travels, we have been in other tourist areas before, and we have seen parallels in attitude.
I did not intend any insult against folks based on what they drive.
YEAH it's way cool, isn't it? AND, they are hardy and tough and ... survive US.
I currently have a cherokee (not really a jeeper's jeep, eh?) BUT previously I owned a cj 7 and had access to numerous others. YEAH! I love and fondly remember that whole 'different feeling' ...
It was great.
I have yens to get another one, as well. In fact, that's probably what will happen when we get to maine. LOL!
You lit the spark. It's been tamped down. I keep putting off getting another car.
Wow and in Maine they won't even steal stuff out of it.
They took my JEANS ! Like my jeans are gonna fit someone. I mean ya have to go buy your OWN jeans, no one else's will do.
When I sold my jeep I had so many calls. One woman out and out BEGGED me for it --- they paid me more than I paid for it. It really was beautiful and I never had a problem. We had F U N !
Quote:
Originally Posted by mollysmiles
Maine! you have a Jeep too! I LOVE my Jeeps....had wanted one for a while, and got one in Dec., then liked it so much when the Jimmy died, we got another one It's so nice to look down a road and think "I wonder what's down there?", and then KNOW you can go look AND get back out!!
What's happening in Florida is VERY real. It's not just economics, it's control of the waterfronts. That's what I see and it's scary. Gradually they have closed down so many public marinas folks can't get their boats to the water unless they own the all-new fabulous multigazillion dollar dockominium. most of which are sitting EMPTY. Which means you wait in line for hours or drive a distance to even find one.
IF this is not happening in Maine yet put your feelers out because they do it very quietly.
They start snapping up marinas, pretending they're unprofitable, seek a zoning change, oh, first they raise the rates so the live-aboards can't afford to do so in the harbor and THEN they sell private and that's the end of that marina. The counties play some games with pretending to fight this but the counties are in on it. Just a heads up.
You like the outdoors. You like the water. Don't let them steal it from under you. This post is for all ....
IF you love maine make sure your marinas are safe. It won't be maine without access to the water. That's what happened to Florida. You can barely get to the water. It's all reserved for tourists but this only happened in the last five or six years. Up til then everything was the same as ever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mollysmiles
About the Volvo line....
I don't remember growing up whether the differences between the "two Maines" were as distinct as they are now. I'm just barely over 40, but it seems as if this whole thing is a concept that's only about 10 or 15 years old. Do you guys have the same perception? Maybe it's just that 10 or 15 years ago was when we actually started talking about it! Either way, for me it's very real!
It is seen in: the cost-of-living, the standard-of-living, and in how much you need to earn to stay viable.
It is seen directly in terms of: land prices, housing prices, wages, local taxes, and the volume of local bureaucrats [building inspectors, code enforcement officers, selectmen, and other folks whose salaries come from the tax revenue, and whose job it is the 'regulate' the citizens].
While that line exists, it is hotly debated as to where exactly the line lays.
The reason why it's exactly location is so hotly debated is that the line of demarcation is really like a rainbow. It is not a line like between night and day. There are shades, or gradients. Made up of layers one atop the next.
Many folks appear to live happily in the first gradient, just one step away from the highest levels of bureaucratic regulation [ie, the highest home prices, the highest wages, and the higher taxes].
While many others look on that in shock and horror. They live in other gradients of that line, where things are cheaper and less regulated.
There are two corridors where the volvo line follows a contour and extends itself Northward much further than in surrounding areas. The line [or more properly the layers of lines] extend a long ways up the coast, hugging most tightly to route 1 and the communities immediately along the shore-line. Traveling along the shore you must need to go much further North to find lesser and lesser layers of volvo. However as you travel away from the coast, away from the tourist industry, those layers fade away quickly and you can find rural communities that are obviously enjoying much lower levels of regulation and higher prices, and there is no volvo at all.
Also along the corridor of I-95, the darkest layers of that line travel in a fairly narrow corridor right up the freeway for quite a distance. Volvo appears to be everywhere. But again as you travel to either side, moving away from the freeway corridor, you can find many quite small communities where peace and tranquility reins, and no volvo can be found at all.
To see this most profoundly look at any community up in 'The County' and compare it to Portland. Entirely different lifestyles, and the reason for such different lifestyles is based largely upon a combination of those factors I have listed previously. Beginning North, as you work your way South, you begin to add layers of volvo, one layer onto another layer. Until you finally get to the Southern border areas and the darkest level of volvo layers.
With of course the noted exceptions of the two corridors where the line does appear to extend Northward a ways.
I hope that this helps.
Wow! Excellent explanation. You have to spend time here before you fully comprehend the concept.
I live up north in a heavily dependent tourist town. In recent years it is the newcomers that have introduced the concept of "associations" so that they could run the lives of longtime camp owners and have their precious roads plowed so they can come up once a year to snowmobile. Those following in behind them see the term "association" in the real estate listing and get some sort of high! I don't understand it.
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forest beekeeper !!
