So Many Moving to Tennessee WHATS THE EFFECT? (property taxes, homes)

[MB2]

Originally Posted by happyappy

Well, I’m genuinely confused about what people in this forum are supposed to write about based on the last few posts (and some others in another thread).

I started a thread in late April after having been here in Tennessee about 3 weeks. It was intended to be light-hearted and to let others know about my positive experiences in the short term. But “someone” posted comments about how I could be adding to the potential massive influx of people into Tennessee if I continued writing such positive commentaries. Of course, the chastisement was meant for all posters who made positive comments, but it was my thread, after all.

Should the forum be shut down? I mean, what do you suggest the answers be to questions asked about cities on the City-Data Forum? For example, my first post (and thread) asked questions about Monterey back in mid-February. When people responded with positive comments, were they wrong in doing so? If people were required to submit replies to a board for approval before they were posted, what parameters should the board use so as not to attract more than (insert number here) people to Tennessee?

I’m trying to watch my words carefully here, but I am truly amazed that people are concerned about the reactions of outsiders reading in this forum. What do you suppose the effect will be in a year’s time—30 people who read in this forum might move to Tennessee? And maybe attract another 60 in the coming years?

How much damage would be done, then, if a couple of good-sized developers get hold of some significant land parcels by making deals with elected and appointed officials in Tennessee without your knowledge? Where are their online forums in which they discuss their plans for Tennessee? You think about 30,000 moving in next year and another 60,000 in coming years. Tennessee’s population increased 60,779 from 2004 to 2005.

Who controls the land that is not deeded to buyers? How do developers get their hands on land and decide how they want Tennessee to look and feel in the future? To whom do they go with their money and promises? Who gives them their deals? Whose campaign funds grow from contributions by real estate special interests? What TV shows are being watched by the most people while Tennessee is bought up and controlled by special interests?

When people put a stop to the idea that economic growth must come by creating a bigger consumer base within their respective States, then populations will do less geographical shifting. When people decide that the pie sliced in fewer pieces means bigger pieces for each, then ingenuity will bring in more dollars by the exporting of goods and services, which is monumentally better for the State than bringing in more consumers to buy what developers have shoved down our throats.

THOSE are problems that should weigh heavy on the minds of those who are concerned about attracting too many people by saying nice things about Tennessee and her citizens.

BRAVO!
I agree with you 100 %. That's what makes a good forum....DIALOGUE!!!!!
This forum has rules....for the positive and negative alike. Say as you wish, get it off your chest...your opinions, encouragement, dreams, concerns, warnings...what ever it might be!
Because you know what? There is people out there, thinking the same thing, NOT daring to ask. And guess one other thing?
The damage with the sprawl in certain states is ALREADY DONE, in progress, or planned...thanks to politics (some hush-hush deals all for the big bucks!), and some speculating developers. So, get over it people, because you will not change a DARN thing about it.......
I guess, all of that has a lot to do with an ever expanding population, as well as "in the name of progress" thing ?
So, friends, keep on posting...the good, the bad and the ugly, and leave the editing of posts up to the moderators....they know what to do! (I hope??? LOL) <kidding

[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.