What is the downside to living in Oregon? (Green, Fossil: school, wages)

[kaadub]

Well be careful of southern Oregon. Culture shock because there is no culture. All the rednecks on the west coast congregate here. Not a place to raise kids if you want a future for them. People use to welfare from the feds and pay pocket change in taxes and still complain

[1971GTO]

Just too damn far left to do anything productive and enhance progress at the same time in this state! The whole Willamette Valley big towns rule the rural towns and that stinks; warning communism is all over the valley. They've taken away the logging industry where so many have worked for generations. Essentially, the rest of the state, besides Ashland is reasonable and Republican.

Oregon needs a major Republican influx to flush the commie types out of this state and get the socialists to move to Hawaii instead; where they can likely afford to live in such a regulated and unproductive state, thier world can be utopia, and they can continue to pay escalated prices for everything including all taxes for the "privilidge" of living under communist/socialist like rule! Clean this state out now please, or valuable and disgruntled contributors will continue to leave for more freedom to live and work and raise a good family for future generations.
Boot out this worthless congress as well.

GO McCAIN/PALIN for honest change!
Good day kaadub.

[kickerofelves]

There's a lot of positives but the big negative is the people. I'm from Oregon but have lived all over Europe and the U.S. In some way people in the NW come off as extremely cliquish and unfriendly. I think the rural areas are the worst frankly.

I have a theory that it's because the origin of so many is Scandinavian and German. Not that they are so much unfriendly as that they tend to be more stand-offish and insular.

Of course I just moved back after twenty years living with North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia as my home base so the difference coming back is dramatic. Southerners really are very friendly people.

I actually enjoy the rain on the west side of the Cascades and the high desert on the east side.

[jiffin4java]

Originally Posted by kickerofelves

There's a lot of positives but the big negative is the people. I'm from Oregon but have lived all over Europe and the U.S. In some way people in the NW come off as extremely cliquish and unfriendly. I think the rural areas are the worst frankly.

I have a theory that it's because the origin of so many is Scandinavian and German. Not that they are so much unfriendly as that they tend to be more stand-offish and insular.

Of course I just moved back after twenty years living with North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia as my home base so the difference coming back is dramatic. Southerners really are very friendly people.

I actually enjoy the rain on the west side of the Cascades and the high desert on the east side.

I have to respectfully disagree with this one. We've lived in several states and I have to say that by far, the people in Oregon have been the most accepting and friendly. I've lived in the south as well and my experience with the people there was very different. People were very unkind to us there. Maybe it's just a difference in experiences and not so much how all people are.

[Topaz]

We left Oregon for many of the same reasons already mentioned: the lack of jobs in my husband's career field, the cost of living compared to the salaries, the weather, and the distance to other parts of the country where we have friends.

I will say this, though, Oregon and Washington are two of the most beautifully scenic states. Every time you turn around, there's a postcard type view.

[Marie Elena]

I love Oregon. It is a preverbial cornicopia, probably spelled wrong. Most people think of Oregon as raining all the time which isn't true. You have the valley where it does rain a lot but it also has lots of flowers, fruits and vegetables cheap. You have the desert and Fossil beds, Lava Caves, Mountains, and the coast. What else could you ask for? Everything is within 150 miles North, South, East or West.
I now live in Maine where the scenry is almost like the mountain passes in Central Oregon but people here too say "If you weren't born in Maine you'll never be a Mainer". BULL there are towns here that are named after people who never stepped a foot on Maine soil. So don't give me that NATIVE BULL I spent summers here as a child and I feel as much a Mainer as the rest do. But I still love Oregon just can't afford it anymore.

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

There is definitely an attitude in Oregon, and I guess the way to explain it is that other states have similar attitudes - anywhere in which you can buy one of those bumperstickers that say "Native" and have some state-specific phrase or image on them.

California, Colorado, Texas, Washington, Oregon all have that somewhat irritating pride-of-place that often pushes over into an arrogance. I like living here, but I don't think it confers some special grace on me. I love Portland, but I'm not blind to its faults - I just think the positives far outweigh the negatives.

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by EarlT

The UnOfficial Motto of Oregon

California House Prices
and Mississippi Wages.

Funny!! Maybe that's sorta true... for much of the general population... but not for everybody.

[jiffin4java]

I guess that all depends on if you're looking for a 4000 sq ft house or if you're content with a smaller, more manageable, less expensive 1200 sq ft house.

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by jiffin4java

I guess that all depends on if you're looking for a 4000 sq ft house or if you're content with a smaller, more manageable, less expensive 1200 sq ft house.

So true! People have commented to my husband and I regarding our living situation. He makes really good money, but we continue to rent a two-bedroom apartment that's around 1000 sq. ft. We pay less than $800/mo for our housing expenses. We love it.

Other people though, they don't understand why we choose to live beneath our means. We try to explain it to them, but what they see as sacrifice and living like we're poor... we see as money in the bank and savings for retirement - as well as a simple, debt-free life. We like our simple life.

We have been looking around at homes, but haven't found anything suitable yet. We are looking for something small. Something low-maintenance. We're thinking lately that maybe we'd be happier in a condo or something, rather than a house... but then we wonder... why pay hoa fee's and higher mortgage for a condo when we're already saving lots of money in our apartment? Is it worth it?

Dunno.

[jiffin4java]

Well, good for you! You should be proud of the ability to live beneath your means and keeping your priorities in line! Besides...when did three spare bedrooms and a bathroom for every person become a necessity? I'm perfectly happy with one bathroom to clean and the kids sharing rooms if need be. I agree with you on the simple stuff. Hell...we don't even have cable or a cell phone and my husband is an air traffic controller! LOL!

I'll shut up now...I'm getting off topic and I don't want to hijack the thread.