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A note about crime rates: There appears to be no unified standard for what goes into a "crime" statistics report. Some jurisdictions - and I believe Springfield is one of them - accumulate ALL reports handled by the police department. Others will count only what the police DETERMINE is a crime after investigation. Others, I think, have even narrower standards for reporting that a crime has occurred. This can make direct comparisons somewhat difficult.
This area doesn't need to be a bastion of leftist politics. I like it as is. The US is a big country and there are many other regions that fill that void. I left one behind, thanks.
Look at populations maps. Downtown Springfield IS growing. 10% for Columbia, and between 3.8% and 7% of Springfield since 2000. The Asian population in central Springfield has grown over 100% for example. There is growth.
Glendale and Kickapoo are highly rate schools right in Springfield. Even Central a decent magnet program for gifted students.
Hickory Elementary, Sequiota Elementary, Rountree Elementary, Delaware Elemenatary Pershing Middle, Disney Middle, Wanda Gray Elemetary are all located in Springfield are great schools that compare favorably to Christian County or Republic. Nice try.
Nothing you say is absolute. I have indeed lived in Kansas City, I lived there before changing plans and settling here as it wasn't much of a change from the issues I left DC for.
Have you owned a home in Springfield? I do. I bought a home for under $100k in an incredible area that blows away the 'nicest' neighborhoods of DC. The housing stock in 65809 in places like Hickory Hills, Highland Springs, Tan Oak, Emerald Park, Emerald Point, The Terraces, etc is way more opulent and well built than the bland center hall colonials and tract homes you get in America's wealthiest state I moved here from. You don't have any mass produced homes here for the most part in the upper level homes. Each home is custom built. That is a throwback to a different era. Since architecture and design are my passions, that appeals to me that I could build more unique homes here if I decide to settle down here.
It's about quality of life for me. A person making let's say $70,000 in the Springfield area is living better and with less debt than someone in Maryland who makes $200,000 a year. I could never afford to live in a zip code with such a nice, clean quality of life anywhere for this price. Can you compare property taxes in Green County to Jackson or Cass Counties, or St. Louis County? No. They are lower in Green County than any of the above. Do you realize that energy costs are lower in Springfield than in Kansas City or St. Louis? I doubt you realize that either. I know a lot about Seattle and Portland, I have traveled the northwest and Seattle is certainly white for a large city. You answered my question. No, you wouldn't insult people for living in Seattle. Mercer Island is far whiter than Seattle, FYI at nearly 80% white. Almost as white as Springfield. LOL. But hey, you aren't preaching to them they aren't diverse and they're racist for being rather homogeneous and they need less 'bible thumping" Christains. Only to the hometown you resent. I can see through your thinly veiled racist and anti-Christian rant.
Sure there are plenty of kids who can't wait to leave the place they grew up anywhere. I didn't mention that. I mentioned that I don't know anyone who hasn't moved here for a purpose, there is no accident in seeking out a city like this. Do you think the 80,000 + ex Californians just stumbled here by chance? NO. They moved here because it is the antithesis of California. Not too hard to figure out that not everyone values the same criteria in a place to live. MSU, Drury, and Evangel have no issues recruiting and retaining students from every single state and worldwide. They have very diverse student bodies. There is no issue attracting college students here. Do you also realize that a large number of these people have ended up staying and starting careers here? There is more to life than large corporations, but we have some of those too. Bass Pro is based here, O'Reilly. We are THE hub in the 4 state area for medical care and that attracts a huge number of doctors from all over. There are plenty of small business owners in Springfield, but our largest employer is the health care industry.
Springfield is working the way it should. You don't agree with it, you resent it, you left. That leaves more people who WANT to be here and don't go on random internet message boards looking to vent their resentments of their upbringing, specifically on a thread that was ASKING FOR POSITVES of Springfield, which I keep doing, and you fail to understand that when I say that Springfield/Greene and Christian Counties have good public schools, your counter argument about somewhere you feel is better isn't that relevant. It's about SPRINGFIELD and what it offers. Not Columbia, not Washington, Springfield. That is what I'm talking about, which is more on topic than your sad need to bad mouth and spread your bigotry because you have some vendetta against this place for personal reasons. Plain and simple. I'm out, going to enjoy some cashew chicken now that it's been mentioned.
Last edited by PGC Native; 03-14-2013 at 08:36 PM..
im definitely not wasting my time reading all of that junk, because You have zero reading comprehension. Did I not say Springfield schools were mostly good and that they are "perceived" poorly compared to Nixa and Ozark schools?
Lol you make me laugh man. You are talking about Springfield as if I have never been there before. Its hilarious. "xyz are nice schools, central has the IB program..."
Btw, do you know why central has the IB program but no other school does?
Arguing with stupid people. Both fun and annoying.
I used that word twice, both times describing how this area is the opposite of liberal strongholds. It is indeed the antithesis of California. Californians aren't moving to Columbia. Columbia is largely from in state growth from KC and St. Louis. California is what is driving the growth here. These ex-Californians are coming with college degrees and are bringing more high paying jobs here. I wouldn't call them ignorant, uneducated, bible banging, or backwards. I think you're the simple-minded, bitter person who grew up in a sheltered existence. You have a very limited perspective and lack empathy as to what could possibly attract different people to different areas. Just because you don't see the charm of the Queen City, doesn't mean you have the voice of authority on the area. Oh and I've received 8 reputation points from starting this thread. You got zero up-voted posts. Wonder why people wouldn't favor Springfield bashing on a Springfield forum.
I stand by the fact that you have little to do with your life if you feel the need to chime in on a city forum you have no relation to anymore and spew your bigotry and judgmental comments about why it's so bad. You aren't on this thread or any other Springfield thread to be helpful, you are here to vent your frustrations behind the safety of an anonymous internet forum. That makes you so intellectually and morally superior. LOL
Why don't you come and talk about your hate of God and Christianity, and white conservatives to the faces of the people you feel so strongly about? Care to say these things to a good ol boy's face? Let's see how that would go.
Why don't you pollute the Seattle forum with your negativity, as no negatives of Springfield were ever asked about. Show me boy specifically stated he knows the negatives with Springfield. YET you offered NOTHING of interest or help to his inquiry. I am consistently posting what I like about Springfield and the good it offers. You are arguing with nobody, and you don't even have the awareness to realize this is not a thread about why wlw2009 hates Christians, hates white people and hates middle America. As I said, your opinion and input has given nothing of value to the conversation. You really must be a sad person to carry so much hate.
If I wanted to live in a place with leftist ideologies. I would. I don't want to live in a sanctuary city, I don't want the compromised standard of life that brought me and the eroding social structure of the area. I don't want to be over-regulated. I don't want to be over-taxed. I don't want endless social programming and welfare spending from my tax dollars. I moved here for everything that I find wrong and backwards with modern large American cities. Springfield is a throwback to a simpler, more wholesome era. Is that so evil and racist? No. I'm not arguing about what other cities you favor. I am stating what this region offers. I'm not even arguing against an 'uptick' in crime, but that is all relative. You even stated Springfield is no slum and is no comparison to a real dangerous city.
Arrby is absolutely correct in that Springfield, Branson, St. Louis city, and Kansas City all use more honest crime measuring methods than other cities that downplay their crime statistics. Baltimore has an insane amount of violent crime...more than half of violent crime goes under the rug, and if the perpetrator is not caught, it isn't recorded. It's pretty dishonest.
My biggest complaints are fairly minor with Springfield. Traffic management is poor and not up to par for a city that has seen such rapid development, and there are way too many cops patrolling per capita than needed. Too many bored cops with nothing better to do than harass people or set up endless speed traps. Other than that, I like most of what the area has to offer.
I comprehend everything you've said. You are clearly an out of tune person who can't wrap their simple mind around the fact that this is not a Springfield bashing, or MSU bashing, or Christian bashing thread. You created your own CONS of Springfield thread, in which you only say you like cashew chicken out of all the area has to offer. Go to your own thread and post why Springfield is so terrible for you. Err okay, broken record you are. The hilarious thing is you have admitted after each of my rebuttals that I am right on every single point I've made. You're making a fool out of yourself, self-proclaimed Springfield expert. You say one thing, then do a 180 when I shut you down. Stand by what you believe in, if it is the 'truth'. I have been consistent about the facts of Springfield, yet you keep reasoning and rationalizing 'facts'.
One more time so you can possibly comprehend: This is a thread about the positives of Springfield and entertainment options while this man's family is in town. If you had any interest in being helpful, you would have answered that question in some form, but you didn't. You have your own agenda of trashing this town. It's become tired...you lost. LOL
Ummm ask where most people on this forum are from. Most will tell you they aren't originally from Missouri. A large number of them California with a smaller number from places like New Jersey. Ask most residents that live in newer areas like Ozark or Nixa where they're from in particular, you'd be surprised a huge number are not native to this metro area. Look how many threads are on the Springfield-Branson forum from those moving from Southern California asking for advice. A large number of out of state residents here are from Southern California, most from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties. I haven't met any from the bay area or anywhere in Northern California, as they aren't seeing as much out-migration. Most people I know in Springfield are from So-Cal, one from New Jersey, but only a handful were born here. Most people I know are 20-somethings whose parents relocated them here sometime in the 90's or early 2000's to give their kids a better quality of life and out of CA public schools. Then again, you grew up in an insulated, undesirable part of town with little influx from outside residents, I doubt you'd notice this. You're probably also unaware the middle class of California has virtually ceased to exist in the last few decades, and those that remain are increasingly very wealthy, or very poor. The middle class has left for states like Oregon, Washington, Texas, Idaho, Missouri, pretty much everywhere west of the Mississippi has seen this influx. You'd have to be living under a rock not to notice Springfield's California population.
Let's do some math here. This area has almost doubled in population since 1990. Of the people who are moving here, the majority are moving from out of state. What is the most populous state? California. What is a state with the most widespread out-migration of residents? California. Is it that unrealistic to assume there are about 80,000 people from California here or more, or 20% of the population? Not at all. They call themselves equity refugees. They sell their crappy 50's ranch style house for $600,000, then they move here to buy a house for $250,000 or less (that buys a nicer than average house in Springfield).
Last edited by PGC Native; 03-15-2013 at 11:50 PM..
You should know a little about California diaspora by now considering you grew up in an area full of them, and you now live in another place that is full of ex-Californians.
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