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Hi, I was just looking for info on areas around Grants Pass that are good places to consider. I'm coming up from Salinas,CA where we have major problems with illegals,gangs and almost nowhere for kids to go for recreation,. Tired of it! I know spots in Oregon have illegal immigrant problems but I drove around Grants Pass and it looked like a nice place. If anyone lives there, could you tell me if that town has a problem with any gang activity,illegals or crime? That's my main concern. I've looked at house rentals and it sure beats the price of homes here! I'm a cartoonist by trade and work my day job as service writer at a diesel performance shop. Salinas has become more and more crime laden, primarily the east side,I'm in the south part about 5 miles away. Get some overflow from that. And more than half the time I hear spanish so I feel like I'm in Mexico! It's starting to look like Mexico here! Too many roach coaches and ice cream venders! Was a nice Ag town till 20 years ago! So whatever you can do to curb illegal immigration in Oregon,a beautiful state,DO IT!! That's why I want out of here! A few hispanics fine,as long as they are legal there,but not %80 of the town please! Thanks!
Oregon likes all of its citizens to be law biding. Gangs should avoid Oregon because if you get caught and sentenced you will complete your sentence. Oregon does not allow for early parole.
Happ, there are a lot of people that feel California is being invaded by to many illegal aliens. A neighbor two doors down is moving to Colorado. It is not my primary reason for leaving the state but one among many. If this on slot of illegal immigration is allowed to continue, we will all be living in Mexico and trust me you don’t want to live there. Mexico has nothing you would be interested in or you would already be living there.
Happ, you need to study your wars before you spout off here on the forum. The war of 1846 just off the end my patio decided the fate of California in which Kit Carson played an interesting roll. Boy, when I move to Oregon, I sure would not want you for a neighbor. If you can complain about 56MercGal, you can complain about everyone you meet. I say you are the bigoted one here. Not only that but I was offended when you called 56MercGal ignorant. I can clearly tell that you are not an Oregonian. As a native Oregonian, I am not extending a welcoming hand to you that is for sure. One more thing, all she was asking is that aliens be legal and a little information about Grants Pass. She did not ask for a history lesson.
Last edited by Clear2land; 09-10-2006 at 09:23 PM..
I lived in Oregon for 21 years and will be returning when my wife retires. Now that we will both soon be retired, looking for employment will not be a consideration. With that said, we have been looking at the coast, which we think we think is a better place to visit than to live. I have researched Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, and Grants Pass. Initially, Albany was number one on my list, then it fell to Corvallis, and now it Grants Pass. That whole Rogue River area is just spectacular. There seems to be a lot of retirees living there, which is fine with us. The weather is warmer and it gets less rain than other parts of the state. The people who live there seem to love it. There is everything to do in the area if you like the great outdoors. Those that have left GP have regretted it. It is not too hard to find homes with some acres that have river and mountain views. No, they do not have a huge illegal alien problem. The people are friendly and honest as the day is long. Roseburg would be high on my list if I had not already lived there. I liked living in Roseburg better than Salem or Portland. Your radar is locked on to a really great city! You might want to look at the Grants Pass Daily Courier for local news. Here is a link:
I am not ignorant,don't call me a racist! Thank you!
This is for Happ, how dare you call me a racist! That was rude! I have alot of Hispanic freinds who agree with my opiniion. I do not have a problem with people speaking Spanish, but around here it is all the time. I feel when it shows respect to the new country you have immigrated to to learn that country's primary language which here is English,and that's fine if you want to speak your mother country's language with your family or freinds. I am a native Californian, grew up here in Salinas. But why is it that most illegal immigrants seem to not care about keeping things clean and not throwing trash around? I know there are no enviromental laws in Mexico, I've talked to my brother's wife who's Hispanic and she says it's ignorance. They live in Yuma and they see it worse than I do here. Again,whatever laws were in place 50-150 years ago were followed by immigrants,all I ask is follow whatever laws are in place now. Yes, the usa has confusing laws which I think are stupid,especially the time it takes to get a work permit and Mexico makes it extremely difficult to get a permit to cross the border. But until things change,people there must follow immigration laws like everyone else who comes here from other countries. And don't ever call me bigoted again,thank you! Grants pass sounds GREAT!
You could be just exchanging one social problem for another. The Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce heavily promotes the area, and the city is set in one of the most attractive mountain settings in the state. But...with regard to social issues in Josephine County...the area is often referred to as Oregon's Appalachia. Many have unfairly typed the people there with labels that end in "-neck" or "trash". Let's put it this way: the percentage of the population in Josephine County that grew up in an economically or educationally disadvantaged environment is high. The attitude of social progressivism that characterizes most of Oregon is in short supply there. Josephine County regularly tops state lists of almost every social problem you can think of -- meth addiction, alcoholism, child neglect and abuse, spousal abuse, sex crimes (check the sex offender database for Grants Pass before you think about moving there), firearms violations, solid waste and land use complaints...the list goes on and on. Child custody lawyers and credit card counselors work overtime in GP. Things are improving (if only because so many people are moving there from out of the area), but slowly. And because the area has a very lean economic base, the social problems tend to be quite a drain on county government. There are growth issues, too, with water availability and traffic congestion being of particular concern. And then there is the famous inversion layer that keeps summer forest fire smoke and automobile smog, and winter woodfire smoke and ground fog hugging the ground at human level.
As with Salinas or anyplace else, the drive-through impression primarily highlights what things are favorable. The darker underbelly of a place is something that is revealed slowly...only after you've bought your piece of paradise and are starting to learn what's what.
You could be just exchanging one social problem for another. The Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce heavily promotes the area, and the city is set in one of the most attractive mountain settings in the state. But...with regard to social issues in Josephine County...the area is often referred to as Oregon's Appalachia. Many have unfairly typed the people there with labels that end in "-neck" or "trash". Let's put it this way: the percentage of the population in Josephine County that grew up in an economically or educationally disadvantaged environment is high. The attitude of social progressivism that characterizes most of Oregon is in short supply there. Josephine County regularly tops state lists of almost every social problem you can think of -- meth addiction, alcoholism, child neglect and abuse, spousal abuse, sex crimes (check the sex offender database for Grants Pass before you think about moving there), firearms violations, solid waste and land use complaints...the list goes on and on. Child custody lawyers and credit card counselors work overtime in GP. Things are improving (if only because so many people are moving there from out of the area), but slowly. And because the area has a very lean economic base, the social problems tend to be quite a drain on county government. There are growth issues, too, with water availability and traffic congestion being of particular concern. And then there is the famous inversion layer that keeps summer forest fire smoke and automobile smog, and winter woodfire smoke and ground fog hugging the ground at human level.
As with Salinas or anyplace else, the drive-through impression primarily highlights what things are favorable. The darker underbelly of a place is something that is revealed slowly...only after you've bought your piece of paradise and are starting to learn what's what.
Gosh Steve, is Grants Pass becoming known as the arm pit of Oregon. If all you say is true, I would not want to live there. I do appreciate your honesty. Is there anything positive about the Rogue River Valley?
Josephine County has always been the black sheep in Oregon's family of counties; it's nothing new. If anything, the situation is probably improving, though cyclical poverty and poor education still plague a large portion of the population. The city-data.com main site provides a lot of red flags, but you have to look carefully. The data show, for example, that Grants Pass is one of the best places to get ripped off in the western U.S. For the most recent year that data are available, the theft rate in Grants Pass was 6294.8 per 100k. Salinas, as a point of convenient comparison, had a theft rate of 3011.4 per 100k. So we good ole white "Americans" in sw Oregon manage to out-steal those illegal Mexicans in central California at a rate of more than 2 to 1.
There are a lot of good things about the Rogue River Valley, though a lot of them -- such as climate -- are subject to personal preference. Some people like having four sharply defined seasons (it's certainly a good climate for certain kinds of gardening). Others think mild summers should be your compensation for having to endure dark dreary winters, and the long hot summers of the RRV put them off, especially with milder climates being nearby to the north and the west. In downtown GP, there's a famous sign that says "It's the climate", which pretty well sums it up. It doesn't claim that the climate is good or bad, but merely that it is a force to be reckoned with. Rampant commercialism is another. If it's important to you to have ready access to large mass-merchandising stores so that you can fill your home up with cheap garbage made in China, the RRV will fit your needs. Wal-Mart tramps will feel right at home, with one strip mall right next to another all the way down the highway. Generally, the further east you go in the valley, the better the economy, the better educated the residents, the more gentrified the city planning, and the fewer the social problems. Put another way, the lower the real estate prices, the more likely it is that you're looking at property in one of sw Oregon's "Appalachian" neighborhoods. If you are a big fan of river running or fly fishing, you may find that opportunities for that kind of recreation provide a certain offset for the social issues.
Hi again! Wow,thanks for the info on Grants Pass. Yes,it was a neat little town,great antique stores! Very nice people,but I was there for just a few hours. Of course it was MUcH nicer than Salinas,or Scuminas as it it sometimes called! We have nothing but malls,Walmart and every chain store you can think of and quite often a lovley fertilizer smell The place in Oregon I would be looking for would be near great fishing,hiking and outdoor recreation. I would like to work at a winery,event cordinator/tasting room,etc. Also do my cartoon work on the side. Must be low crime,nice people. Rent for now. Around $800-1000 a month. My father has a lot in Shady Cove,off Rogue River drive. But I'll probably move with my boyfreind before he puts a new house on the lot. We tore down the old cabin that had been there for 70 years last year. They are building a large nicely spread out housing project behind the hill where our property is. I would like to be out of town,sort of in the country if possible. And a place that's safe to walk out at night for the most part.
There are 8,197 cities covered in the database. Brookings is looking better all the time.
Last edited by Yac; 09-12-2006 at 02:22 PM..
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Hi, I was just looking for info on areas around Grants Pass that are good places to consider. I'm coming up from Salinas,CA where we have major problems with illegals,gangs and almost nowhere for kids to go for recreation,. Tired of it! I know spots in Oregon have illegal immigrant problems but I drove around Grants Pass and it looked like a nice place. If anyone lives there, could you tell me if that town has a problem with any gang activity,illegals or crime? That's my main concern. I've looked at house rentals and it sure beats the price of homes here! I'm a cartoonist by trade and work my day job as service writer at a diesel performance shop. Salinas has become more and more crime laden, primarily the east side,I'm in the south part about 5 miles away. Get some overflow from that. And more than half the time I hear spanish so I feel like I'm in Mexico! It's starting to look like Mexico here! Too many roach coaches and ice cream venders! Was a nice Ag town till 20 years ago! So whatever you can do to curb illegal immigration in Oregon,a beautiful state,DO IT!! That's why I want out of here! A few hispanics fine,as long as they are legal there,but not %80 of the town please! Thanks!
I am not ignorant,don't call me a racist! Thank you!
OK,WHere To Go???
Hi again! Wow,thanks for the info on Grants Pass. Yes,it was a neat little town,great antique stores! Very nice people,but I was there for just a few hours. Of course it was MUcH nicer than Salinas,or Scuminas as it it sometimes called! We have nothing but malls,Walmart and every chain store you can think of and quite often a lovley fertilizer smell
The place in Oregon I would be looking for would be near great fishing,hiking and outdoor recreation. I would like to work at a winery,event cordinator/tasting room,etc. Also do my cartoon work on the side. Must be low crime,nice people. Rent for now. Around $800-1000 a month. My father has a lot in Shady Cove,off Rogue River drive. But I'll probably move with my boyfreind before he puts a new house on the lot. We tore down the old cabin that had been there for 70 years last year. They are building a large nicely spread out housing project behind the hill where our property is. I would like to be out of town,sort of in the country if possible. And a place that's safe to walk out at night for the most part.
City crime rates - side-by-side comparison
