Baucus and other worries (insurance, purchasing, construction)

[LostinPDX]

FYI, the previous statement was by my husband who was logged onto my computer. : )

[seven of nine]

Originally Posted by LostinPDX

Yes, seven of nine it was a disaster. The whole thing was run by a guy who didn't want to use paid signature gatherers. They are now handing off to another group who has raised money to use paid gatherers, but they have to start over. Know one really cared that the guy was gay, but seeking out and preening a teenager for a future trist is another thing all together. This would be the second under age seducing mayor in forty years for Portland. Sending lawyers to the kids house at night to force a statement and the AG going along with the actions of the lawyers was really too much for me. The political class in this state is completely one party and it is not above corruption to protect itself. I started calling Portland "Future Detroit", or the Louisiana of the Northwest.

As for the train I hope not. I think everyone can have their opinion but they should pay for there ideas themselves, and there is a strong tendency for the nut blue to use other peoples money. These ideas often no basis in reality -- economic or otherwise. More often then not they just like using money to force other people to do what they want.

Will a Commuter Rail System Solve Missoula’s Transportation Problems? | Brenna Moore | NewWest.Net

I will set up a private practice.

Thanks for asking.

Ok, this may be a little long winded...
I may have to duck for a while You will get the most honest answers on this board. We have a few drop in occasionally but your core posters will tell you how it is. I will tell you how it is coming from PDX to here three years ago.
The exact crap going on in the recall effort is why hubs and myself packed it up in a reverse trek on the Oregon trail. Years of excusing ourselves for driving a pick-up, tired of dogging bicyclist and frankly being taxed out of our home because the ridiculous population growth and the mismanagement of infrastructure money. So sick of paying for illegal immigrants every need, corrupt government officials and their croonie developers. I am not surprised that now that the recall effort has some amount of steam it is now being backed by a type of PAC. Trust me I know more about this than I want to.
I digress,
Western Montana was a logical choice for us, being more mountainous and having trees it seemed to look more familiar to us. We unfortunately could see the same thing happening there five years ago that we were living in PDX at the time. Escalating real estate, more government control, loss of common sense. It is much like the frog in the pot with the heat turning up slowly. As to the Demo Senators and Demo Gov. for Montana, I see them as being seduced by the current POTUS, a bandwagon to jump on to further their career. Nothing more than that. I do not feel that anyone in DC represents much other than their own agenda. The non smoking thing is as much as about that as anything, a bragging right for them to tout as they smoke cigars in some back room in the senate halls. The further east you go in this state the more you see folks who see no advantage to any of this type of regulation. They self regulate as well as shun particular behaviors much like the Oregon of 30 years ago. I breaks my heart to consider this part of the world changing. I am privileged to experiance the stubborn heels dug in parts. Over here a person is called on the carpet face to face, no spin or lawyers. It is a rare way of life.
Please consider your move, I can not tell you what a difference it has made in our life. Choose Montana but choose wisely. We did. Good luck and keep posting, we will listen.

[seven of nine]

Anyone interest in the street car debacle might find this interesting.
Oregon Business News » Portland gives up streets for streetcars

[Reziac]

These morons in CA just voted in a new light rail system from Sacto. to L.A. Which sounds like a great idea til you really look at it: I worked out the cost, and it came to roughly $1,000 PER PROJECTED RIDER, ONE WAY. Almost all of which will be subsidized by taxpayers. (For contrast, Southwest Airlines sometimes offers $35 one-way tickets.)

Hamilton to Missoula would be only about 1/8th as far, but with only about 1/20th the population base, and assuming roughly the same construction costs (tho actually it would cost more to build per mile in MT due to weather/terrain issues) that works out to around $2,500 PER RIDER, ONE WAY.

That's not other people's money. That's YOUR tax dollars. And remember, every dollar that the state borrows (usually done as a Bond) has to be paid back as approx. THREE dollars of principal and interest. So the total cost over the lifetime of the bonds required to pay for such a project (unless you've got a few million in cash in your pocket) is actually around $7,500 PER RIDER, ONE WAY.

Now, I'd be happy to learn that these figures are way inflated and that such a rail line will show a profit, but I'll believe that when I see it. Meanwhile, who wants to pay for other folks' commute? No?? Didn't think so.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by seven of nine

Anyone interest in the street car debacle might find this interesting.
Oregon Business News » Portland gives up streets for streetcars

Yeouch. That's a serious reality check!!

[seven of nine]

Yep everyone has to have a McMansion in the burbs then cries when they are in the traffic for 2 hours for the 15 mile commute.

I was just imagining the trains stopping in Missoula due to a moose on the track, is that a possibility?

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by seven of nine

Yep everyone has to have a McMansion in the burbs then cries when they are in the traffic for 2 hours for the 15 mile commute.

I was just imagining the trains stopping in Missoula due to a moose on the track, is that a possibility?

Ha... it's one thing when you flat can't find an affordable house near your work. That's the problem in CA, leading to long commutes for most working folk like it or not, but MT has no such excuse (those McMansions out yonder generally cost more than nice older houses in town). I don't have one damn bit of sympathy for someone who PLANS to live in Hamilton, then whines about the daily trek to Missoula. (And what's with the crazies who think Bozeman is a reasonable commute from Big Timber or Townsend or Big Sky?! I'd like to hear that again after a couple rough winters.)

And I expect the radical treehuggers might be more of a problem than the moose! Tho the cure is simple -- run over a few of 'em and the rest learn self-preservation. At least, if they're smarter than a moose.

[nature's cathedral]

Thanks for affirming my hopes.

[seven of nine]

Hope that is a positive.

You know the old, it only take a few good men to do nothing for evil to flourish is still at work here in Montana IMO.
People I know still feel that they have voice and a stake in it. Good luck and visit on the porch some time.

[nature's cathedral]

Thanks seven of nine. I have been busy checking out the remaining competition to Hamilton. We are going for an interview in Brookings on Monday. I think that is one of the most beautiful parts of the West Coast.

Did you consider other spots in Oregon before reversing the trail? We are also contemplating a three spots in California based solely on the weather, an possibly a look at K falls and Grants Pass if the money is right. Quite nervous about jumping into that burning cauldron; then again Oregon isn't far behind.

By the way, I saw a Heritage report showing that the Baucus bill will increase the medicaid roles in Montana by 80 percent. Baucus also gave money in the bill to fund the increased in state cost to Nevada, Oregon, and Rhode Island, but not Montana. There is also an exemption to high cost New England states to allow the gold plate plan excise tax to kick in at a higher value.