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So just tonight, after I posted the above I saw a news story that some Oregonians are putting stickers on for sale signs around Portland that show "no californians". (reference KGW-TV, Portland). I guess Oregon isn't quite over this as much as I thought! Wow.
Oregon and Washington aren't over Californians at all. The prevailing attitude about Californians is still there, in great strength. Peruse any forum or comment section; talk to most people on the ground. Heck, many of the people coming into Idaho from Oregon and Washington are doing so to escape the California migration in their own states, and they admit as such.
For those who cringe seeing a CA license plate, would you please further explain to me how you know those driving cars with CA plates are going to take something away from what you have in Idaho? I don't understand without knowing more.
MSR
It's easy.
Because opportunities tend to still be very limited in Idaho, in just about every sense of the word. And more people = more competition for those opportunities. Now, typically this is a good thing and I fully admit many great and necessary things come from such competition. However, I'd argue that Idaho is either ill equipped for said competition for various opportunities, or is simply behind the curve in recognizing how to address the issues that fall out from the competition.
One such thing - our young people having to leave the state to find jobs. Despite the rhetoric, we're not seeing more incoming people bringing more jobs, but rather, they're "taking" jobs that may otherwise go to Idahoans. Is this good or bad? I guess it all depends on your perspective.
As someone who routinely hires as part of their job, and who talks to other hiring managers, we get a ton of applications for any open position. I know people who work at BSU, for the State, and for other local private businesses who sometimes get 200-300 applications or inquiries per position. Often, it's hard for locals to compete, based on their resume and their background, with people who move in from other states and tend to "work down" because they don't need the money, and instead are seeking the lifestyle here.
If you get someone with the necessary educational background, but with 15-20 years mid level or managerial experience... the person who has been grinding away here in Boise might expect a commensurate wage, where we get a lot of people coming in from California (and sometimes Washington) who will work for less because they made their money already, and/or they are cashing out their equity, and/or they'll take the cut just to get out. It distorts wages here. The question is if this is simply some isolated observations among myself and my peers, or is it a trend that is quantifiable? I can't speak to that.
On a personal level, every additional car we get into Idaho (be it from California or anywhere else) makes it that much harder to get around town, find parking, harder to get away on the weekend, to find a camp site, to deal with crowding on the rivers, on our trails, etc. For right now the solution is to just get deeper into the backcountry, and/or go on weekdays instead of weekends, and/or spend more time in the colder months rather than prime summer weekends. But eventually even that will change.
Totally get that, but did you grow up in LA, or did you move there from elsewhere? Just seems like they would attract two entirely different kinds of folks.
"LA" covers a broad area. Even within the actual city limits of LA many would say "I live in The Valley" or "I live in San Pedro." I consider "LA" to be the actual city - Westside, Downtown, Hollywood, etc. People that live in these areas probably would never consider moving to Boise.
Now suburban LA which is expansive is much, much different. Someone moving from Orange County or Inland Empire which some people consider "LA" would likely enjoy Boise. It has all their dandy chain restaurants and strip malls but with less people, less traffic, and cheaper housing. Often times these suburbs were very homogeneous and in the last couple decades they've become less so and as you can see on this board a lot of people don't fancy that and are looking to "escape".
Because opportunities tend to still be very limited in Idaho, in just about every sense of the word. And more people = more competition for those opportunities. Now, typically this is a good thing and I fully admit many great and necessary things come from such competition. However, I'd argue that Idaho is either ill equipped for said competition for various opportunities, or is simply behind the curve in recognizing how to address the issues that fall out from the competition.
One such thing - our young people having to leave the state to find jobs. Despite the rhetoric, we're not seeing more incoming people bringing more jobs, but rather, they're "taking" jobs that may otherwise go to Idahoans. Is this good or bad? I guess it all depends on your perspective.
As someone who routinely hires as part of their job, and who talks to other hiring managers, we get a ton of applications for any open position. I know people who work at BSU, for the State, and for other local private businesses who sometimes get 200-300 applications or inquiries per position. Often, it's hard for locals to compete, based on their resume and their background, with people who move in from other states and tend to "work down" because they don't need the money, and instead are seeking the lifestyle here.
If you get someone with the necessary educational background, but with 15-20 years mid level or managerial experience... the person who has been grinding away here in Boise might expect a commensurate wage, where we get a lot of people coming in from California (and sometimes Washington) who will work for less because they made their money already, and/or they are cashing out their equity, and/or they'll take the cut just to get out. It distorts wages here. The question is if this is simply some isolated observations among myself and my peers, or is it a trend that is quantifiable? I can't speak to that.
On a personal level, every additional car we get into Idaho (be it from California or anywhere else) makes it that much harder to get around town, find parking, harder to get away on the weekend, to find a camp site, to deal with crowding on the rivers, on our trails, etc. For right now the solution is to just get deeper into the backcountry, and/or go on weekdays instead of weekends, and/or spend more time in the colder months rather than prime summer weekends. But eventually even that will change.
That's my plan anyway, except that I'm a "poor" Californian, whos been grinding away for 15-20 years mid level or managerial experience with naught to show for it. Hey, I won't even be able to rise the housing prices so that aughtta make you happy!
Goes around anywhere you go bud.
I wasn't saying, nor even trying to insinuate, that all Californians are equity rich middle aged people coming to Idaho to "semi-retire" into a cush job and enjoy the lifestyle here. Not at all.
Rather, there are enough that do this, or did this pre 2008, that it has created a lasting image and stereotype. Like it or not, it's there.
I wasn't saying, nor even trying to insinuate, that all Californians are equity rich middle aged people coming to Idaho to "semi-retire" into a cush job and enjoy the lifestyle here. Not at all.
Rather, there are enough that do this, or did this pre 2008, that it has created a lasting image and stereotype. Like it or not, it's there.
Yea, totally understood. Just attempting a bit of levity in the day to day trials and tribs. As someone who has watched their own hometown get thrashed by a change of landscape I understand where your coming from more often than not.
Because opportunities tend to still be very limited in Idaho, in just about every sense of the word. And more people = more competition for those opportunities. Now, typically this is a good thing and I fully admit many great and necessary things come from such competition. However, I'd argue that Idaho is either ill equipped for said competition for various opportunities, or is simply behind the curve in recognizing how to address the issues that fall out from the competition.
On a personal level, every additional car we get into Idaho (be it from California or anywhere else) makes it that much harder to get around town, find parking, harder to get away on the weekend, to find a camp site, to deal with crowding on the rivers, on our trails, etc. For right now the solution is to just get deeper into the backcountry, and/or go on weekdays instead of weekends, and/or spend more time in the colder months rather than prime summer weekends. But eventually even that will change.
This is true of just about every single mid-sized metro in the US (at least those that are livable). They are all growing and everyone who already lives in them laments the negative changes that growth brings, such as increased traffic and crowding. That's just the way things are, and there isn't any way to escape it. It's just a fact of life all over the US.
This is true of just about every single mid-sized metro in the US (at least those that are livable). They are all growing and everyone who already lives in them laments the negative changes that growth brings, such as increased traffic and crowding. That's just the way things are, and there isn't any way to escape it. It's just a fact of life all over the US.
Exactly! This has been going on for decades, I recall my grandparents and uncles complaining about much the same in the (then) small-ish town they lived in in Michigan, my parents saying the same about the small town they moved to from Michigan (after being there only 10 years, HUGE changes after 50 years), and I have said the same thing about the town I left.
People migrate, migration brings change, like it or not. One can continuously lament the changes, move, or learn to adapt, and in the process, enjoy life, meet new people and (if so desired) help to bring about positive changes.
Exactly! This has been going on for decades, I recall my grandparents and uncles complaining about much the same in the (then) small-ish town they lived in in Michigan, my parents saying the same about the small town they moved to from Michigan (after being there only 10 years, HUGE changes after 50 years), and I have said the same thing about the town I left.
People migrate, migration brings change, like it or not. One can continuously lament the changes, move, or learn to adapt, and in the process, enjoy life, meet new people and (if so desired) help to bring about positive changes.
It's the same as people complaining about Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club pushing out small mom and pop shops. I hate to see the small shops go, and yet, if they are smart, they'll get creative and provide products and/or services that the bigger retailers cannot. Many have already done that and are VERY successful!
Many of our grandparents complained about grocery stores, like Albertsons, for putting the local butcher, baker and candlestick maker "out of business".
Times change, if we don't change with them, or adapt, or hell....even make those changes work for us...or even better than that, *learn to co-exist*, we lose.
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As someone who has watched their own hometown get thrashed by a change of landscape I understand where your coming from more often than not.
