So many want to move to Montana based on others opinions-WOW (Helena: buy, school)

[magoomafoo]

Originally Posted by rjmclau

I guess it is true that no one is originally from Montana, but I've found that each state had it's own feel and culture to it. The "locals" I refer to are people who have lived in the state most of their lives. My friends and familly are always touching on the 'issues' that have sprung in Montana. We may have always had newcomers, but it seems lately the more recent newcommers are changing the over all feel of Montana in a way that has made the 'locals' uneasy. I don't wish to close Montana off from other states, but I would like to see the overall culture and feel of Montana live on with in Montana. I would like newcomers to have the same overall experiences I had as a child. This state's overall feel used to be safe, affordable, and laid back. I wish for that to be the case for as long as Montana continues to be Montana. I only wish for newcommers to check their baggage at the door and welcome it's ruggedness with arms wide open. Be aware that many of the local police and settled folks will be weary of you too. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. They may eventually warm up tp you, but only once they feel your one of them. I appologize for offending you with the term locals. It's a term that should not be shunned. Any outsider can be a local, yes, but there is a time frame that brings you to that point.

Well said! I checked out other states on the forum and it does seem that Montana is one the the forums in which most of the threads are from folks wanting other people to tell them if it is the right state for them to move to. Funny thing, Cali. had quite a few also. I'm glad you had a positive experience moving here. I get the feeling from your post that you readily excepted the way of life here. I wish most of the folks moving in would.

[Interpol76]

I lived in Montana for many years, and definitely....if you are thinking about moving there VISIT FIRST! Montana has flaws just like any other state. In fact, the city I lived in has the highest illicit drug use in the nation.

[marmac]

The ironic thing is when people ask about everything ( weather,scenery, mountains, land availability).

The very last thing they ask about ( as if an after thought) is employment and explain they are out of work , broke, and need " a fresh start")

After reading about the same situations in other states my reply has been--------" please come. Stop at the visitors' center after entering and you will recieve your house by the mountains, land for a horse or two, food allowance, gas money, and enough cash to tide you over until you find a job--sarc "---

[redhead]

I think the difficulty of assimulating and being accepted as an outsider in a small town is universal and not unique to montana. in the past, i traveled through several states over a couple of years time period in order to find where i wanted to settle down in my retirement. ideally i wanted a very small town so stayed away from any place bigger then a few thousand people. i won't list the places i checked out but they were all in idaho, wyoming and eastern montana. i did what many here recommened; went first hand and checked it out after researching here on city data. now i'm in billings and love it but found as a retired single woman that i was not very welcomed in any of the small towns. when i'd inquire on renting i'd get quoted prices twice higher then for locals. but overall people were just so suspicous of why a single woman is comming to their small town. but i don't attribute this to montana only......i think i'd probably have that happen anywhere. small town people are just protective of their way of life........so i chose a bigger town and have not had any of that type of experiences. billings is great!! and i travel throughout the state and enjoy visiting the small towns but don't miss thier small attitudes.

[poloman72]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

I think just the opposite. A lot of times, folks want to move to Montana and are not sure, East vrs West, Large town vrs small town. They have an idea of 3 or 4 places they'd like to be and start out with asking the basics on those places. Maybe they have the info on one place and just want info on another.

For what ever reason, City Data is a relocation website designed to assist people in travels and relocation. What kind of questions should they ask? In today's economy, they can't just jump in the Lexus and run check out each and every spot on a whim. Kind of nice to try and settle it down to one place and then visit if economically feasible.
In other cases, job, military assignment
, etc, is forcing them to a particular area and they want to find out some basic info about the area first. It's not easy to come up with detailed questions until they have some base to work off of.

It shouldn't be our position to ask, WHY, but be here and be willing to provide the information they are asking for. If we can't do that, then we need to be elsewhere.

I am disabled retired military, and my wife is being relocated to the VA hospital. I am so sick of hearing people in the MT forum complaining about people I could vomit. I fought for their freedom as well as yours. You can complain and they can move wherever they damn well please. Get over it, its not 1950!!! Things have changed! Im coming from SD, its changed here This is a forum for info, not your personal rants and bias Yeh ,Yeh Im ranting! This MT forum needs to be purged of this crap. From people telling you how to dress, act,talk, what to drive, or you will be shunned and move on. I bet my @ss I never move because of someone from MT shunning me, actually all the better- leave me the hell alone. Just a reminder to anyone moving to MT, who gives a crap what these people think of YOU moving to MT. Do what YOU want!! THIS IS AMERICA!!! OH yeh, I am a gun toting right wing Rush lover, who wears BIRK'S because they make MY feet feelm good. I think maybe you should take off your uncomfortable tight cowboy boots and nut hugger jeans and wash the baccy off your F150 and clean your self up and maybe someone would take you serious But thats just my opinion, your may vary

[MTSilvertip]

Good Morning poloman72,

First, Thank you for your service to our country. I am also a veteran.

Tricky thing about rights such as the first amendment's guarentee of the freedom of speech, it cuts both ways.
The members of this forum have the right to voice their opinions, just as you do.

I don't wear cowboy boots unless I am riding a horse. Usually I wear steel toed work boots. Birkenstocks don't provide much protection from snow, rocks, cactus and rattlesnakes.
I outgrew tight fitting jeans a long time ago. Now it is usually Carhartts because they wear better.
And I drive a 1966 International Scout 80 because it is paid for and gets me to work.
Never did drive Fords, but I do have a 1980 3/4 ton Dodge 4x4 for hauling wood, Does that meet the steriotype you indicate???

As to dress and speech, everyone can do what they please as long as everything that needs covering is covered, but the ugly, the ragged or the purposly disheveled as a fashion statement will be commented on.

Speech? If you can converse with someone in an articulate and respectful manner, who cares what you say as long as you aren't using language that is intended to insult or put down someone.

As to people moving here, this forum is a chance for out of staters such as yourself to perhaps learn a little of what the people here belive and what is important to them.

I personally don't care what the perception of this state is by non residents or those who like to look down on us "quaint Yokels", I know what this state really is.
It seems you are somewhat fixated on a 1950's mindset that you seem to believe exists here.

It does in much of the state, and we are better off for it.

With the exception of some of the larger cities and towns, most of this state is comprised of decent hard working people with very conservative values.
We don't care who you are or what you do as long as you respect our right to do the same.

We fiercely protect our rights to believe what we want, and will speak out about it.

You indicate you are very conservative, that is good. This state is pretty conservative with the exception of some populated areas.

I enjoy listening to Rush Limbaugh and Beck and O'Reilly. That usually means I like to be informed about things that are not usually included in the daily MSM talking points, not that I am a mind numbed robot.

You indicate your wife will be working at the VA. Good! We can always use more dedicated individuals willing to help our Veterans.

Helena isn't the dastardly haven for hillbillys with no teeth and an attitude you seem to have indicated in your post, in fact, it is a pretty liberal city. High taxes, lots of nusance laws, everything is regulated to within an inch of its life. Progressive enough for you??

Basically, if you move to Montana, just be a good neighbor, take care of your family, and no-one will care if you drive a British Mini to the natural food store.

Heck, someone may even help pull you out of a snowy ditch someday.

Have a great Montana Day

[Reziac]

What you said, MTSilvertip!!

[poloman72]

Heavily armed, easily bored, & off the medication, this was a popular saying on a Linux geek board yearsssssss agooooo...but anyway MTsilver- Thanks for the lesson, I guess I thought that MT was time warped in the 50's I repeated what was said on another thread about wearing this and driving that and you'll be fine. I have been through all of MT and know the differences between MT and say NY I really don't care what you drive or wear, that was the point I just don't want anyone judging me because I drive a BMW SUV and wear Brooks Brothers!! I deserve everything I have, because I earned it But you might catch me in my 83' Bronco fishing with.....dare I say it-a G Loomis Rod and dressed in Orvis. Also, you might catch me snowblowing with a John Deere in your beloved Carhartt bibs- with my Daytona Rolex on of course I think some people on this thread need to not worry about what people have and wear and worry about the character of the neighbor As far as you pulling me out of the snow, I doubt that....we have much more snow and blizzards than MT, but I may buy my neighbor a new motor if his was to fail and he was down on his luck

[MTSilvertip]

No problems poloman72.

I read these boards a lot, and some of the things said here could be interpreted as over the top, but a lot of them are said in a tounge in cheek manner.

There are a lot of Ford pickups around with spatter of "snuice juice" down the side, but many of those comments are making fun of ourselves. If you can't laugh at yourself, you are a little too full of yourself.

There are a lot of folks who move here and the first thing they do is buy a big house on the banks of a good trout stream, then post "No Trespassing" signs on everything that can't move.
Next they buy a huge truck, many times with dual tires on the back, and a large 8 horse gooseneck trailer.
Next investment is a big hat, a rope to hang in the back window, 2 bales of hay and a dog to ride in the back, and they drive up and down the roads all day pulling the empty trailer to display how rural they are.
They will talk ad-infinitum about their 20 acre "ranch" with 4 horses on it that have eaten the place into dust.

Or we have the Trustifarians. Rich kids sent here to get them out of their parents hair. They will protest at the drop of a hat against anything, drive SAABS and Lexis, wear expensive clothing, and don't work at all, but spend countless hours trying to shut down all the industries here that we have made a living off of for a hundred years, or try to stop hunting or trapping or fishing, just because they "care".
They need to get a job and a life.

Between the 2 of them, it becomes a running joke about clothes and expensive cars.

We earn our living here too, usually in jobs that don't pay enough for too many hours of work.

It is easy to make fun of the dudes that come here, and we do it. Way it is.

Your second post here has a lot less anger, and makes me think you might not be too bad a person, Most vets I know are outstanding people, and there are a lot of them here.

I like to think that you can't take things too seriously all the time or you just get ulcers.
As the great Will Rodgers said, "Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out of it alive".

I don't care what you drive, I just wouldn't want to have to pay for it, the license fees here for a BMW are really scary!!

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by poloman72

Heavily armed, easily bored, & off the medication, this was a popular saying on a Linux geek board yearsssssss agooooo...

It's a DOOMer thing. Been using it as my tagline since linux was still in version 0.x