So Many Moving to Tennessee WHATS THE EFFECT? (homeschool, tornadoes)

[sliverbox]

Agreed. A forum is a forum. Some people might wonder why some of us are so concerned about TN's future. Many of you who have recently arrived are seeing a state that looks NOTHING like it did when I was a kid- and I am under 30 years old.

The street I grew up on was unpaved. The closest Wal-Mart was across town. The freeway was a great place to drive simply because you could get to Knoxville in 10-15 minutes flat due to there being essentially zero traffic. In the summer, you could go to the national park of your choice and be one of the few people camping there. There was one subdivision near the high school.

Fast-forward 25 years. I recall taking a trip to town with my brother 2 years ago to Knoxville. We were shopping for Christmas. It took over an hour to get there. There was that much traffic. A large field that had previously been vacant not far from my parent's house now has a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Goodies, Marshalls, Mcdonalds, KFC, Bank, and a few other random stores. Right across the street is a Target, Lowes, Golden Coral, Burger King... basically all the competitors of the other side of the road. Oh- and Wal-Mart got upgraded to a Super wal-Mart last year.

Surrounding this are countless newer developments: Huge mcmansions built on the red clay mud exposed banks across from them. These homes are built to mimic the styles you'd see in New England and look out of place.Their yards are planted with bermuda grass that dies in the winter, turning an ugly shade of brown.

Wash, rinse, repeat. THAT is what TN is becoming.This kind of development goes on FOREVER...over and over, the same way, the same stores, and the same boring looking houses. It was not like that at all in my childhood. So when I hear people say things like they want to live somewhere more simple/cheaper/slower/etc, well I can't help but wonder what they mean by this when in many ways, some of the metro areas in TN already look much like the areas they just came from.

That said, it is encouraging to hear news that government officials are doing more to preserve what is still remote and rural.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by sliverbox

Agreed. A forum is a forum. Some people might wonder why some of us are so concerned about TN's future. Many of you who have recently arrived are seeing a state that looks NOTHING like it did when I was a kid- and I am under 30 years old.

The street I grew up on was unpaved. The closest Wal-Mart was across town. The freeway was a great place to drive simply because you could get to Knoxville in 10-15 minutes flat due to there being essentially zero traffic. In the summer, you could go to the national park of your choice and be one of the few people camping there. There was one subdivision near the high school.

Fast-forward 25 years. I recall taking a trip to town with my brother 2 years ago to Knoxville. We were shopping for Christmas. It took over an hour to get there. There was that much traffic. A large field that had previously been vacant not far from my parent's house now has a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Goodies, Marshalls, Mcdonalds, KFC, Bank, and a few other random stores. Right across the street is a Target, Lowes, Golden Coral, Burger King... basically all the competitors of the other side of the road. Oh- and Wal-Mart got upgraded to a Super wal-Mart last year.

Surrounding this are countless newer developments: Huge mcmansions built on the red clay mud exposed banks across from them. These homes are built to mimic the styles you'd see in New England and look out of place.Their yards are planted with bermuda grass that dies in the winter, turning an ugly shade of brown.

Wash, rinse, repeat. THAT is what TN is becoming.This kind of development goes on FOREVER...over and over, the same way, the same stores, and the same boring looking houses. It was not like that at all in my childhood. So when I hear people say things like they want to live somewhere more simple/cheaper/slower/etc, well I can't help but wonder what they mean by this when in many ways, some of the metro areas in TN already look much like the areas they just came from.

That said, it is encouraging to hear news that government officials are doing more to preserve what is still remote and rural.

I hear ya, and feel the sad reality myself. I am in my 30's, been here in the USA since 1990, and wish, I could turn back time!
I see things change so much in the little time I am here....and it makes me so sad. The damage "they" (government) create, they can not undue, and what's done is done. I sincerely wish, "they" will take proper steps to preserve what little is left.
If it is already that hard for ME to grab that concept, I can't imagine how and what you are feeling!
Hang in there........ and ~SMILE~, and wish, hope for the best yet to come.

[alleycat]

Would any of you like to make a donation to the Land Trust of Tennessee? The more we can do now, the better off the future of Tennessee will be.

[daniellefort]

well i did my part buy purchasing 8 acres with only 1 house going up on it and keeping as many trees up as we can.

Sad thing though it was in a subdivision but hey, have you ever heard of a subdivision that allows farm animals? Yup, mine does. 1 animal per acre. This is the way subdivisions should be if there has to be any. Not all the same looking homes with your neighbor an arm stretch away.

[NewToCA]

Happyappy, you had the right idea in your original posting. You should post exactly what you think, and your perceptions. I have noticed some folks on this forum who tend to comment on other folks postings as opposed to generating their own, kind of like "after the fact" editors.

Keep posting what you actually believe, but in all fairness to readers you should add the scope of your experience if applicable (such as where in the state you have experience or how long you have been there). It is not your concern to even consider implications from postings, as long as your postings are your honest observations and not hurtful to others!!!

[happyappy]

Sliverbox,

All of the characteristic changes you mentioned are all too common. If I took the time, I could describe the Seattle area to you in detail from 1970 thru 2003 and, because of the many awful circumstances from astronomical growth in that period, you would feel so much better about Tennessee—until you consider that it could happen here.

But positive comments in this forum about places and people aren't going to cause the problems the citizens of Tennessee may have to face!

You wrote: “That said, it is encouraging to hear news that government officials are doing more to preserve what is still remote and rural.”

Yes, that’s good news, but there is something telling in your statement: “. . . it is encouraging to hear . . .” The point of my post was that we cannot stop or gain control over the coming changes so that they fit what the people want if all we do is hear or read about what’s going on. For many years, every chance I get, I’ve been saying this:

Each day, millions of Americans wake up and wonder what government has done TO them while millions of others wonder what government has done FOR them.

What we are worrying about—massive changes that are NOT good for Tennessee in the long term—CAN be altered provided that enough people are involved in putting a stop to unfettered governmental ambitions for power over the people, that are entwined with corporate interests, whose combined intent is to circumvent the will of the people, and to provide a path to the future prescribed specifically by those government/corporate forces.

The dialog in many online forums can be good, and this forum definitely has an abundance of good discussions, but such forums are idea hatcheries; they are necessary, but the ideas must gain life and grow and become active, and this takes people who are active—activists.

[sliverbox]

I think this argument could be summed up pretty easily: The chasing of the American Dream by the middle class. That's about the best way I can out it. Whether the "American Dream" will eventually run out as people desperately claw at new places they can have it is the big question. We seem to be using that supply up rather quickly.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by sliverbox

I think this argument could be summed up pretty easily: The chasing of the American Dream by the middle class. That's about the best way I can out it. Whether the "American Dream" will eventually run out as people desperately claw at new places they can have it is the big question. We seem to be using that supply up rather quickly.

AMEN to that statement!!!

[happyappy]

NewToCA,

I usually try to throw in something about how long I’ve been in Tennessee somewhere in a thread I’m posting in, as I did in my first posting of today in this thread. Many of the posters here know I’ve been in Tennessee for a little over a month. But that doesn’t really have anything to do with the discussion. At my age and with my experiences in several big cities and in proximity to same, I can speak volumes with first-hand knowledge of unfettered growth.

I’m not a fan of big government and I’m not a fan of overuse of taxes and I’m not a fan of “controlling traffic” in an economy; however, when I mention control of unfettered growth, I'm implying intervention by the people and I AM a big fan of the people taking control of those important elements of life that can bring peace, tranquility, and prosperity without the deleterious effects from governmental expropriation of power.

With those things in mind, I will comment as I feel appropriate on the supposed ills of making positive comments about Tennessee in this City-Data Forum because it will cause too much growth.

Such an idea (choosing my words carefully) . . . is bizarre.

[happyappy]

Alleycat,

There really is a Land Trust for Tennessee! After I read your post, I searched on the Internet and found the site.

Wonderful!