Miffed in the Midwest (Tucson: loan, lawyer, donate)

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Marcy1210

Should the U of A students vacate the campus and move to another university in another state since I'm sure they drive cars, too, and clog up highways. They spend their money eating and drinking the way snowbirds do, but they don't invest in the real estate market, thereby adding to the tax base. It would seem to me that the snowbirds are more lucrative to Tucson's coffers than the college students. Should Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Snomass, Steamboat, Tahoe, Stowe, SF, NYC, all the cities in Florida, and along the gulf coast, and all the other towns that depend on a visitor population to boost their tax base all reject outsiders? What would that do to their economies? No matter where you live, tourists usually are a boon to the economy, like it or not, and by making them feel unwelcome, you give yourself a black eye and lose money for your city. That's pretty narrow minded and selfish, in my opinion. Maybe it's the anti-tourist people who ought to leave and find some pristine, never been found by oustiders, place to live.

Hey, hey, hey, slow down... where'd you find all this in my post?! I've nothing against snowbirds. I'm a transplant myself - to Tucson and to the country for that matter.

[Marcy1210]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

Hey, hey, hey, slow down... where'd you find all this in my post?! I've nothing against snowbirds. I'm a transplant myself - to Tucson and to the country for that matter.

Not your post. Mostly reacting to fofinger and Zony Pony. Fofinger's zinger of "keep warm" ticked me off. I understand living in a tourist town. Where I have a home in Colorado becomes choked with RV's and all kinds of traffic going through our one road (Hwy. 24 from Colorado Springs west to Breckenridge, or Cripple Creek, etc.) every summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and, since we only have one road (Google Earth it), it makes for hellish driving, but our county depends so much on the tourists that we welcome them rather than sneering at them. If I want to go to the grocery store in Woodland Park from Divide, the normally 15 minute drive can take an hour and a half when the campers are coming back from a long weekend. When dh is coming home from Woodland Park on a Friday, following the convoy of campers is the same thing. But, we don't try to drive them out of the county or complain about them or feel irritated by them. We appreciate their business, and I think the general attitude some Tucsonans have about snowbirds hurts Tucson's reputation, that's all.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

Hey, hey, hey, slow down... where'd you find all this in my post?! I've nothing against snowbirds. I'm a transplant myself - to Tucson and to the country for that matter.

Snowbirds is a distraction. I believe the real point of the original post was to initiate debate on whether we westerners are going to continue to tolerate the use of relative geography referenced east of the Mississippi. I, for one, have had my fill of it.

[Marcy1210]

Most of Florida, some of Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and New Mexico all have to deal with northerners who would rather be somewhere warm during the winter, but exclusionary attitudes are just not appropriate. You might not like what snowbirds do for a few short months, but your economy thrives, and when it doesn't, you all whine about misspent money and no tax revenues. Whether you like it or not, snowbirds bring you money. Yes they crowd your roads (they do ours, too), but the money is worthwhile, and without them or Spring Training, Pima County would be in a severe financial rut. I wonder what other readers of these boards who want to relocate to Tucson think, knowing that all their worth is more crowding to Tucson's roads, attractions, housing and other attractions.

When those posters talk about "moving to Tucson, can't wait" and all the other titles of the threads, they're warmly welcomed, given moving help, relocation tips and and all other kinds of support. So why are snowbirds so reviled?

[BillyBaroo]

I love the snowbirds, they pay big bucks to play golf here in the winter. They help pay my salary, most of my friends too. I've also met a lot of interesting people from all over the world.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Marcy1210

So why are snowbirds so reviled?

Mmm... 'cause they're the ones doing 25 mph in front of ya and going to breakfast at the very same time you try to go to work...?!

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

I don't believe the self-proclaimed Mr. Tucson speaks for the whole city.

True. Mr Tucson is an entity all unto himself. If you'll notice, his column actually attempts to find that sense of humor in us all. Good guy, he.

[Marcy1210]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

Mmm... 'cause they're the ones doing 25 mph in front of ya and going to breakfast at the very same time you try to go to work...?!

Well, my son grabs a Pop Tart, heads out on his bike to Pima CC, I stay home as a seamstress, and dh is mostly in CO and commutes (US Airways loves him) three days a week to visit. My breakfast is a cup of coffee, then I'm off to finish orders to mail out. The most I drive is 1/2 mile across Oracle to Fry's, Target, the Rooney Ranch shopping center, or, if I'm really feeling adventurous, I'll go up to Oro Valley Marketplace. I have a 2007 car with 8000 miles on it, mostly from driving between CO and AZ. I'm not the one going 25 mph. I know my way around Tucson as well as a native as we've been coming here since 1993.

On the other hand, we could be playing golf at Reid Park, Oro Valley CC or any other course, so again, watch out. Or, we could be going to the ASDM, or the International Wildlife Museum, or any other tourist attraction, but between my business and dh's we rarely leave home.

We're monsters on the road.

So, please, don't lump all us snowbirds together. We're here for the warmth, the beauty, the diversity, son's college, and spring in winter. We're not here to spoil your beauty, clog your highways, or in any way denigrate the beauty of our "adopted" home. For two weeks out of each month, it's just my son and I here. He hikes, bikes, goes to school and I stay home and fill orders. The same as we do in CO, it's just warmer, greener and more pleasant.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by ZonyPony

True. Mr Tucson is an entity all unto himself. If you'll notice, his column actually attempts to find that sense of humor in us all. Good guy, he.

I think the (let's not forget) self-proclaimed Mr. Tucson represents the rare breed of native backwards Ol' Puebloans I for one find quite annoying.

[ZonyPony]

C'mon, Marcy! It was a humorous dig at snowbirds is all. My apologies that you took it as seriously as you did. Here... let me give you the lyrics to "Snowbirds and Townies" as an offering of peace, okay?

"Fountains and flourescent lights
the season has come,
the snowbirds have crowded the nights
the townies are tired of beaches and bars
being packed so tight
and bridges and traffic and inlets are locked in their fight

and on these boats
ride the hopes of...
working class boys, dreaming of girls from faraway points
and better things
like winter flings
and longing after spring has sprung
and they fly north when winter's done
and we get burned in summer's sun

fountains and flourescent lights
when the season has come,
the snowbirds have crowded the nights
townies and tourists find unlikely love at first sight
and swear that they're never leaving,
and that is their plight

and on these boats
ride the hopes of...
working class boys, dreaming of girls from faraway points
and better things
like winter flings
and longing after spring has sprung
they fly north when winter's done
and we get burned in summer's sun

this winter is lasting forever
at least for tonight
and i know that you're never leaving
until your flight takes you off
and out of my arms
and into the air
so far from your charms
that I cannot bear
another year
in this long forgotten beach town we once shared

and this winter is lasting forever
at least for tonight
and i know that you're never leaving,
never leaving me again
not again."