Will A Fiscal Libertarian Survive Or Complain In Boulder? (Denver: apartments, foreclosures)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by tfox

Actually, I've found that the libertarian contingent is pretty well represented in Boulder, although they sometimes like to pretend their under-seige from an army of "nanny-state liberals" supposedly running the town. Believe it or not, "Soldier of Fortune" magazine is actually headquartered in Boulder, as out of character as that may seem. You'll find plenty of kindred spirits in Boulder, and perhaps some shared camaraderie in the process.

Despite what most people seem to think in Colorado, liberal politics isn't really the defining characteristic of Boulder (liberal college towns are, after all, a dime a dozen) -- the town's true passion is an unparalleled obsession with fitness and with natural/organic products.

That said, Boulder has an activist slant and it seems like everyone and her sister is actively involved in campaigning and canvassing for some cause or another. You may find that it gets tiresome after a while if your world doesn't revolve around politics. You may also find that if you are active in expressing contrary views that you'll get some high-decibel pushback from others. Just remember that it's your first amendment right to disagree but others have a first amendment right to disagree with your disagreement.

The other thing that bugs me about Boulder is that the liberal politics reflect environmentalism more than human services. A human services person ran for council recently and this was commented on by the powers that be in Boulder.

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Well they sell a bunch of Bush hating, anti-Repulblican t-shirsts, posters, buttons, games, and other propaganda. Never any thing negative about the left or Dems. Never.

Most businesses in Boulder will sell anything to anyone with the money to pay for it. Just like anywhere else.

[POhdNcrzy]

VegasPilgrim said: "...a lot of over-edjamacated, self righteous, phoney elitists."

Hah ha, when you have a PhD but spend too much time walking around in your pajamas, you are "over-edjamacated". Hah!

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by subsound

Also was the one who loves libertarians for all the social safety nets they have for the homeless (Libertarian Party Platform - A Quick Summary of the Libertarian Party Platform).

I only said I was a fiscal libertarian ... for lower taxes and less environmental regulations so that businesses can easily establish themselves.

Hence my concern that Boulder might be like Flagstaff, in that there are too many restrictions in Flag to allow new businesses to establish themselves.

Due to the restrictive policies in Flagstaff, we now have unemployment in the double digits. Many of us are looking for an exit strategy to places such as Boulder.

Also, Flagstaff has terrible services when it comes to helping newcomers and the homeless find housing and employment. How is Boulder for this?

I am a socialist when it comes to the Homeless, the Disabled, and raising the Minimum Wage to $14/hour nationwide (as Thom Hartmann suggested), so I know most people in Boulder will agree with me.

But will the tax structure allow one to set up a small business? Maybe the debate is now just academic, since others have posted that there are outlining communities that are more centerist!

[subsound]

Originally Posted by Tom Lane

I only said I was a fiscal libertarian ... for lower taxes and less environmental regulations so that businesses can easily establish themselves.

I am a socialist when it comes to the Homeless, the Disabled, and raising the Minimum Wage to $14/hour nationwide (as Thom Hartmann suggested), so I know most people in Boulder will agree with me.

Nothing against you at all, just an example where some people in Boulder love to go around championing things and have no idea what it is. They do it just to be hip and cool and against the grain, which I have also seen in Portland Oregon...kind of makes my brain hurt.

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by Katiana

The other thing that bugs me about Boulder is that the liberal politics reflect environmentalism more than human services. A human services person ran for council recently and this was commented on by the powers that be in Boulder.

Very interesting to read your comment again 4 months later - because here in Flagstaff, I've come to the same conclusion. It's a sweeping statement, but everyone here talks about the The City of Flagstaff acting like it's more interested in preserving open space than preserving the middle class.

The City doesn't comment on the Flagstaff Cost of Living Index - it's higher than yours - 122% vs. 103%. At least in Santa Fe, they raised their minimum wage to $10/hour -- recognizing that a tourist town would have problems with drugs and crime unless they paid people more.

Here in Flag there isn't enough affordable housing, and the health care system is corrupt. Very few doctors take Medicare or regular Insurance plans. One report said there are 600 homeless students attending Northern AZ University -- and many stay overnight in the Cemetery (and by that I mean because they have no place to sleep).

The City Council recently refused to pass a gay civil rights ordinance. What an outrage when it's a college town. Fortunately the University has its own GLBT protections, but many students work in the town, and face discrimination in rural Northern Arizona.

Food is expensive since there is no Costco, Trader Joes, or Whole Foods.

The City is obsessed with "smart growth," click here -(Smart Growth Online) which I think Boulder is also (i.e. the 10' wide "multi-use" sidewalks, 7' grass strip medians, and 6' bike lanes on both sides of the street). It definitely looks nice, but smart growth causes housing prices to skyrocket, as someone pointed out about Boulder. When the cost of living is through the roof and people are hungry and homeless, smart growth isn't apporpriate, esp. during a national recession.

I didn't know about this smart growth paradigm until a month ago. Since then I've posted several posts on city-data with links discussing how home prices skyrocket, like in Flag and Boulder. Albuquerque doesn't have smart growth so homes are cheaper.

I know that if I continue to live here or somehow can move to Boulder that I wouldn't be able to buy a home for another 5 years - although both places are PERFECT places for independent thinkers and outdoors enthusiasts. I could move to Albuquerque and buy a home in 2 years, but who wants to deal with crime and 750,000 people when you're used to 90,000!

What do you think about Boulder's smart growth environmental policies?
Flagstaff's City Manager Kevin Burke came from Boulder. Was he a popular politician there?
What types of human services could be improved in Boulder?

Ultimately the small outdoors college towns will have to solve the poverty problem -- and that will probably involve
canceling some of the smart growth policies. As for bicycle trails, I'd volunteer to help build and maintain them, because I use them. I'd rather see my tax dollars go to build low income housing for the 600 University students.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by Tom Lane

. . .
Here in Flag there isn't enough affordable housing . . .

A couple of links you might be interested in, to info about City of Boulder's affordable housing program:

City of Boulder, Colorado -- Official Web Site - Division of Housing

City of Boulder, Colorado -- Official Web Site - Homeownership Programs (http://ci.boulder.co.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2636&Ite mid=840 - broken link)

[STAYCALM]

Or you could move to Santa Fe New Mexico and join the other radical limousine liberal radical fascists in their efforts to maintain Santa Fe's Anglo supremacy, prevent cruelty to insects, ban leather shoes because they are a cruelty to animals, relocate prairie dogs from homes where they are perfectly happy, censor the English language's references to any human's nationality or ethnicity, eat only vegetables that are humanely harvested, name all dogs "Luke" and smoke "organic" tobacco, etc, etc......

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by STAYCALM

Or you could move to Santa Fe New Mexico and join the other radical limousine liberal radical fascists in their efforts to maintain Santa Fe's Anglo supremacy, prevent cruelty to insects, ban leather shoes because they are a cruelty to animals, relocate prairie dogs from homes where they are perfectly happy, censor the English language's references to any human's nationality or ethnicity, eat only vegetables that are humanely harvested, name all dogs "Luke" and smoke "organic" tobacco, etc, etc......

Was there for one month in 2007 when first moving to the S.W. from Seattle. Absolutely couldn't stand it. Moved to Albuquerque and then to Henderson, NV and now in Flagstaff, AZ.

The advantage to Boulder is that despite the far, far left aspect, it's still a top rated town for singles, and is close to Denver, a "normal" (oh?) economically liberal city with 2.25 million in the metro. Albuquerque is also "normal," whatever that means.

Organic tobacco tastes horrible because there are no additives, but I've given it up hopefully forever - I'd rather spend my money on organic vegetable seeds and harvest them with a machete.

Good news for unemployment in Boulder, only 6% - read earlier today in the daily camera paper today, but tonight the link won't work!

Seriously, though, Santa Fe, Boulder, Flagstaff, are all great outdoors towns even for us coasters *IF* one can find friends who think alike....easier said than done.....

BTW - off topic briefly - an up and coming place in the S.W. is Yucca Valley, CA. - U can buy a home on 5 acres next to Joshua Tree State park for 125K - or a "cabin" on 5 acres of desert for 50K - So far, not that many jobs -- although there's the long commute down 4000' elevation to Palm Springs....

[STAYCALM]

Santa Fe bike trail only a few miles long--like 8 miles. Upstate NY has them paralleling the canals for hundreds of miles.

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by suzco

If you're liberal on social issues, you'll fit right in in Boulder.

Boulder is big on environmental restrictions, but also has a long history as a hotbed of entrepreneurialism. Unemployment is lower than in many areas. Theses figures are not the absolute latest, as they're from September, but here's an article from the Daily Camera (start reading the Camera to get a good feel for Boulder's mindset):

Colorado's unemployment rate dips : Local Business : Boulder Daily Camera (http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/oct/21/colorados-unemployment-rate-dips/ - broken link)

Boulder has the MOST restrictive energy policies in the country. There was a recent meeting regarding the energy standards for construction, and the Broomfield Representative that was there (the most restrictive building department in the country) told the boulder guys that they were being TOO restrictive.