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Viable alternatives and SOLUTIONS exist and are ignored because the banks, multi-nationals and politicians want it that way. I say again, solutions to all our major planetary problems exist -- the ideas, strategies, technologies, value systems -- all that's lacking is the WILL to demand and implement them.
All of this is fascinating discussion for someone interested in moving to Boulder, such as myself. I opted for meditation over drugs decades ago, so that issue doesn't bother me. As for the more right wingers "understanding economics," I can't judge that from here, but I'm becoming convined that few people in this country, including Obama, understand economics. Read a few of the books along the lines of those of David Korten or Ellen Brown's THE WEB OF DEBT to see how stupd our present debt-ridden economic system has become.
Viable alternatives and SOLUTIONS exist and are ignored because the banks, multi-nationals and politicians want it that way. I say again, solutions to all our major planetary problems exist -- the ideas, strategies, technologies, value systems -- all that's lacking is the WILL to demand and implement them.
I'm currently putting together a symposium volume which already has 25 contributors lined up to address the areas of energy, environment, health, food and agriculture, economics, environmental design, etc. These issues are typically addressed separatedly, but the are all interrelated, and you can't solve any one while ignoring all the others. It will be interesting to see how Boulderites view such issues.
Two thumbs up for one of the best posts I've seen. It mirrors what I've said on this forum for years, that we can work our way out of our current problems and while doing so we can make a buck and enjoy the work.
Electric vehicles (EVs) will solve much of the air quality problems we've had for decades, reduce import of OPEC oil and can put people to work making them, here. We lack the political will because our national stage has been purchased by lobbyists who have the money to buy whatever laws they need to make a fortune and to keep the status quo in effect. The old status quo will be in effect until it is overwhelmed (by things like gasoline at $5-10 a gallon, air too thick to breathe, food that doesn't nourish, etc).
IMO, we're at the tipping point on new energy, not a day goes by that I don't see extended-bed semi trucks hauling huge wind-turbine blades on I-25. Solar technologies are moving ahead rapidly, into utility-scale implementations. It's coming. It will take decades to finally be the majority players, but it's coming. Wind and sun are free, we only have to spend on the plants to gather them, and when we do, we will NO longer pay for the fuel itself, as we now do with fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.
For those who want a good book to read that touches on several of these topics, I urge you to get your hands on a copy of "Omnivore's Dilemma" and see the inter-relationship of food, fuel, money and corporate control of our economy.
EV's and houses powered by solar electricity will clear-up Boulder's air. Infill won't add to pollution. A new age indeed.
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IMO, we're at the tipping point on new energy, not a day goes by that I don't see extended-bed semi trucks hauling huge wind-turbine blades on I-25. Solar technologies are moving ahead rapidly, into utility-scale implementations. It's coming. It will take decades to finally be the majority players, but it's coming. Wind and sun are free, we only have to spend on the plants to gather them, and when we do, we will NO longer pay for the fuel itself, as we now do with fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.
I think you are absolutely RIGHT about this. Since I cannot present any scientific support for my feelings, some people will diminish my viewpoint for saying it....I feel the truth of your statement in my gut. Most of the books and city-data threads that I have read seem to believe just the opposite, yet I always feel that science and some otherwise very knowledgeable city-data posters are missing something, that they are not seeing the bigger picture. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Mike and lighteagle. Better include Josseppie too!.
The energy problem, along with the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, are at the root of the major sets of problems we have to confont. The fossil fuel, agrachemical and pharmaceutical industries are all liked together. The toxins placed in our soil, water and food each year in the U.S. by agrabusiness is tantamount to dropping 140,000 atomic bombs on our soil the size of the one dropped on Hiroshima (source, SECRETS OF THE SOIL). While solar, wind, thermal and tidal offer nonpolluting energy sources in the near term, technologies already exist to operate wind vacuum generators and tap zero point energy. Every home, vehicle and business could have its own power generating unit which would generate free energy for life for a one-time investment comparable to a dishwasher or computer. GM had 25 fully working electric automobiles, then destroyed them and sold the technology. GM's problems now are the "karma" for choosing to stay with carbon diozide producing oil-relaint vehicles. Hydrogen energy is not the "dangerous" thing it has been made out to be, so vehicle that could eventually run on tap water are possible. There is a WEALTH of information out there in the form of books, articles and websites addressing the many options we have available, but the public is not EDUCATED about them and therefore is not DEMANDING them, and that's were word of mouth, blogs, group discussions, etc. come into play to let people KNOW what's possible. I'm 75 now and could probably live and be productive another 15 or so years, and I for one am very committed to doing all I can to help these changes come about.
Our government is "owned" by big business, so it will take a subtle underground revolution of people making their own changes. When enough people have changed their ways and chosen alternative health, alternative energy, organic foods, alternative economic livelihoods, etc., then big business and government will eventually be forced to follow, but they will not lead. That's our job. My impression of Boulder is that there are people there thinking/working along these lines, which is why it appeals to me.
You seem to want to "defend" that status quo in Boulder, whereas I am pointing out both good things and bad things about Boulder, in an effort to demonstrate how things could improve. I want to see things improve: the traffic, the crime, and more housing on half acre lots.
It's not a matter of defending Boulder, but rather a matter of ensuring that the original poster and others have access to accurate facts about the city. There is plenty of room for interpretation with many of the topics we discuss, but I've been troubled by your confident, exuberant, prolific statements about Boulder -- many of which have fallacies.
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Originally Posted by Tom Lane
Durango built a huge new rec center w/ its Wallmart (and other) revenues.
Boulder has three wonderful public rec centers, a YMCA, the Flatirons Athletic Club, the CU Rec Center, 24 Hr Fitness, One Boulder Fitness, an indoor velodrome, and at least three rock gyms. We are not hurting for indoor places to recreate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Lane
A City-Data composite crime index in the 200's is VERY high for a college town near the Mountains. Compare that to Cary, North Carolina at just over 100.
Apples and oranges here. One minute you're talking about college towns and stating that Boulder is more dangerous than Flagstaff or Durango. Then when challenged on the FBI Crime Index stats, you bring in an entirely different town -- Cary NC -- which is neither a college town nor is in the mountains. Have you been there before or just read about it in Richard Florida's work? Cary NC is essentially the equivalent of Superior/Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree. It's a bedroom community in the Research Triangle mostly populated with families in big houses. Of course crime is low there -- in Superior it's almost nonexistent. Chapel Hill might be a better comparison, but then it has a higher crime rate than Boulder so it wouldn't support your thesis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Lane
One cannot argue with the study that found Oregon the most unhappiest state in the US, and Oregon has the highest unemployment, and very severe smart growth restrictions. Places with drug problems tend to have smart growth: Flagff, Phoenix, Tucson, Eugene, Corvallis, Boulder, etc. And, they have high levels of unhappiness on the happiness index (see Richard Florida for more info)
Your own guru Richard Florida wrote an article last year praising Portland for stating that "The Portland region stacks up well, according to the large-scale Place and Happiness Survey."
You see Richard Florida makes great money advising cities on how they can attract the creative class and when they follow his advice he blesses them for being forward thinking. He is an itinerant because the University of Toronto offered a well-endowed position there.
Some of the points you raise are valid. I completely agree that Boulder has left money on the table by allowing Superior to capture much of its retail traffic. Same point can be made about the indecision around Crossroads Mall that gave Flatirons Crossing a window to develop. Now Superior and Broomfield benefit from Boulder resident tax dollars. But your comments are undermined by a very loose commitment to getting your story straight. I really didn't know I was a Boulder defender until I saw your posts.
One thing about R. Florida and many of his devotees -- they see cities and towns as a consumer would. They look for their perfect place that has the right combination of attitudes, economic characteristics, beauty, weather, housing quality, education quality, and outdoor recreation. But there's such a focus on consumption that it almost removes any sort of responsibility on the part of the newcomer to contribute to the community in some meaningful way. If all we do is "consume" cities and towns, there will never be anyone taking an active role in building something better.
I'm open to hearing about Boulder's shortcomings, but would also like to hear what you would propose to do to address them aside from relentless opining on this forum.
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I will join the chorus and say, you need to visit Boulder to see if it fits your needs. From your brief description, it sounds like you are describing a utopia that does not exist. (A place where everyone loves their jobs? Sign me up!) And Boulder also has big box stores and chain restaurants -- but that isn't all it has.
It is a great town, but it might not be as relaxed as you might like. Another place I thought of when I read your description is Asheville, NC.
Come visit!
I will join the chorus but say to the OP "LIVE IN BOULDER FOR A WHILE". Even at first glance when you visit it can still seem magical. But I think a lot of the way boulder is described is what it was 20, 30, 40 years ago.
If you are single and not well off, just looking to get started in life, Boulder might be a difficult prospect today. It certainly does have a lot of the "new age", but then again it always make me wonder how many of those residents with a prayer flag in front of their doors actually have been to Tibet. See if you can come out for the summer, take a sublease or something see and get a feel for it. It's a cool place nonetheless, but a cool place to visit, or a cool place to live, makes a lot of difference. Who knows, maybe what you are looking for is right around the corner in metro Denver.
"You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world." - William Hazlitt 18th CE
....but I've been troubled by your confident, exuberant, prolific statements about Boulder -- many of which have fallacies....But your comments are undermined by a very loose commitment to getting your story straight. I really didn't know I was a Boulder defender until I saw your posts..... I'm open to hearing about Boulder's shortcomings, but would also like to hear what you would propose to do to address them aside from relentless opining on this forum.
You do not see me questioning the authenticity of your posts or that of anyone else, because: 1) I use my real name 2) I provide references to back up all factual material that is referenced in writing my opinions. Same is true on all other city-data threads.
If I make a mistake, I correct it. If you find mistakes in my posts, please site specific examples instead of posting sweeping generalizations, i.e. rather than just stating that my posts have errors.
As to offering solutions, I have posted several ideas in this thread.
Your own guru Richard Florida wrote an article last year praising Portland for stating that "The Portland region stacks up well, according to the large-scale Place and Happiness Survey."
I like the post very much, I just wanted to add that Portland also has the second highest unemployment for large cities (Detroit beats it) so anyone who reads Richard Flordia should take it with a grain of salt. You can't have a happy place when you are living in the street (there's a great number of people here doing that), plus he's dead wrong about roads (save public transit) and schools...he should live there for a bit and see how short the school year is compared to spending and how suicidally clogged I-5/I-26 get.
I've lived 13 years in Philly, 1 year in England, 11 years in Boulder, 3 in Denver, and 1 so far in Portland (+1 as a baby in CA)....and each has it's share of good things and bad things. A great number of people idealize Portland and Boulder as these magical places of happy farting liberal elves where nothing ever bad happens. I like the Denver metro (including Boulder) so far more then most places it isn't heaven, you get the same jerks and social problems you see everywhere else. Maybe more so for trying other lifestyle choices (including trying drugs) in Boulder, because "there is a time and a place for everything...and it's called college" (Chef, South Park).
People vibe is all individual, I know some great people in Boulder...but there is a noticeable amount of high strung twits and extreme alternative lifestyle's. Mostly because it's expensive in Boulder, and those who are type A's tend to navigate their way higher faster and those who are extreme at alternative lifestyle's tend to teach their spouses who have extra money to throw around.
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Getting the story straight
