Political "vibe" in Boulder and surrounding areas (Denver: fit in, health insurance)

[shawn94568]

Just some background: I've lived in the SF Bay Area my whole life (50 yrs) close to Berkeley/Oakland/San Francisco. I wouldn't classify the area as liberal or progressive. Instead, I'd say most people here are just plain nuts. The political climate in my area is outright hostile, angry, nasty, and militant. Anyone who watches the news with all the protests over the past couple of years can probably understand. No, I'm not exaggerating. Toe the party line or expect to get angry responses. Trust me, at your job you learn to keep your mouth shut.

I've heard Boulder is progressive, and with a lot of young college students, etc., that's expected. I'm pretty much a libertarian and a "live and let live" type of person. So, my question is what the environment is around the area. Are they aggressively trying to social engineer things with massive soda taxes (e.g., Seattle and the $10 tax on case of $15 soda), local taxes, etc? How about going to a restaurant? Am I going to see additional charges on my receipt for "employee health insurance?" As far as the area "vibe" are people friendly or is there an underlying anger and hostility?

[hikernut]

It's been a few years since I lived in the area, but my opinion is you'll tend to see that type of social engineering from Boulder. A few years ago they instituted a ten cent fee for every grocery bag, just as an example. And there are pretty severe (IMO) development restrictions. It's nice to set aside open space, but my view is they went a bit overboard on this one, having created some pretty severe traffic problems as a (probably unintended) consequence.

[shawn94568]

Thanks. The social engineering isn't a deal breaker. I just want to know what I'm in store for. I'll assume there's plenty of parking spaces set aside for "clean air vehicles." Just silliness, like in California you go to the big box hardware store and purchase a 16-foot piece of painted baseboard. Hey, can you please cut this in half so I can fit it in my car? Nope, the State of California says painted wood is a hazardous waste, so we can't cut it for you. So...it's okay for me to cut it at home, because obviously it will need to be cut but you can't cut it. Got it.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by shawn94568

Thanks. The social engineering isn't a deal breaker. I just want to know what I'm in store for. I'll assume there's plenty of parking spaces set aside for "clean air vehicles." Just silliness, like in California you go to the big box hardware store and purchase a 16-foot piece of painted baseboard. Hey, can you please cut this in half so I can fit it in my car? Nope, the State of California says painted wood is a hazardous waste, so we can't cut it for you. So...it's okay for me to cut it at home, because obviously it will need to be cut but you can't cut it. Got it.

Don't know about the hazardous wood cutting, but in Boulder it wouldn't have even been an issue until roughly ten years ago. There is a history of not wanting big box stores, although they finally broke down and allowed a Home Depot in the city.

In some of the retail areas it's frustrating to park, as both the number of spots and the size of each spot seem to be intentionally small in order to punish drivers.

Here's a somewhat humorous article that might give you a flavor...

https://aboutboulder.com/blog/6-weir...-boulder-laws/

[shawn94568]

Hikernut, that was a pretty funny article. I dunno, maybe I'll fit in just fine as I tend to refer to my pet cats as "human companions!" =)

I get the feeling it's a young/progressive fun town vs. the old, radical, militant stuff we get in my area. I'm not sure if Denver is any different than Boulder in this regard. I think Denver just decriminalized defacating in public so that's concerning...

[emm74]

Originally Posted by shawn94568

Hikernut, that was a pretty funny article. I dunno, maybe I'll fit in just fine as I tend to refer to my pet cats as "human companions!" =)

I get the feeling it's a young/progressive fun town vs. the old, radical, militant stuff we get in my area. I'm not sure if Denver is any different than Boulder in this regard. I think Denver just decriminalized defacating in public so that's concerning...

If you get your news from Joe the Plumber, you are likely not going to like living in either Boulder or Denver.

9news.com | Verify: No, Denver didn't legalize public urination

[Westbound and Down]

You need to visit and assess for yourself...you have been warned.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by shawn94568

Hikernut, that was a pretty funny article. I dunno, maybe I'll fit in just fine as I tend to refer to my pet cats as "human companions!" =)

I get the feeling it's a young/progressive fun town vs. the old, radical, militant stuff we get in my area. I'm not sure if Denver is any different than Boulder in this regard. I think Denver just decriminalized defacating in public so that's concerning...

Boulder is certainly nice enough. I don't think of it as militant at all. Definitely a liberal slant to things of course. Expensive to live there. We were in Louisville, which is plenty close enough to Boulder that we'd go there a lot for hiking, dinner, or to just walk Pearl Street Mall a bit.

[brown_dog_us]

Boulder is far from militant. Sure, it's one of the more liberal places in the country, but it's not aggressive about it.

I think Boulder works hard to create an image of ultra liberal almost hippy city, but if you watch the big things they do they're actually fairly middle of the road. They're all for a 10 cent bag fee that makes the national news but they struggle with the city's low recycling rates for example.

-Boulder has a high recycling rate when you compare it to all cities, but it's low when you compare it to other cities with curbside recycling.

[Thoreau424]

I don't know about the political side, but culturally, the town might present issues. From my experience, there is one or two types of people that gravitate to the town. If you don't jibe and fit in with the one or two types, you might feel alienated. Besides neighbors, it can definitely impact the work environment too. The looks one might get are...interesting. There's also a weird fitness gonzo attitude by many. If you're not running 20 miles a day, or biking 20 miles a day, you might not be worth squat.

I've learned to stick with cultures and regions that I recognize, and where things click, rather than try to tamper with the formula. Been there, done that.