Decline of Phoenix area? (Tucson: shop, areas, cities)

[PhxMan500]

Originally Posted by stevek64

Open borders then, scrap all the laws/pick and choose what law works/doesn't work for a political gain on either side, money over all else. Got it!

Yes, these are also great examples of extremest measures that would be embarrassing and detrimental to Arizona. You got it.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by PhxMan500

Yes, these are also great examples of extremest measures that would be embarrassing and detrimental to Arizona. You got it.

Yet other cities/states have policies that could be seen as "embarrassing" and "detrimental", depending of course on one's views/leanings, on a variety of issues. My point is that I think the innuendo that we hear from some that AZ's policy on "issue x" has a more negative impact compared to other policies in other states/cities that generate high emotions is a bit, for lack of a better term, simplistic. I think for any of us that have lived in other states/cities have heard the same game before on various issues if we kept our ears open.

When a state has lost most of its business/no one wants to remain or set up shop, then I think one can start to worry it's doing something very wrong. And I think we are far from that point in the Phoenix metro area.

[Rhaethe]

The following experience is only mine, and may or may not be representative of other folks living outside of Phoenix, and haven't even visited ... though I will be visiting in 8 days

When I have mentioned to friends and family (of whom are an extremely diverse lot) that I was going to visit Phoenix on business, and if I liked it I might think about getting transferred there ... have all said the same thing.

"Ew, Phoenix??! Are you SURE?!"

And I say "Yes, Phoenix. Why the ew?"

The response is always a variation of: "But its 120 degrees plus there all the time. And all of the scorpions and spiders!"

Not once did anyone mention politics, policies, or any of those other things. Which was kinda eerie, considering how diverse they all are, and how outspoken some of them are.

Talking with a friend who did recently move there, within the past year, he experienced similar with his circles of friends/coworkers/family ... everyone seemed to be alarmed that it was (gasp) Phoenix that he was moving to, and it was always due to one or all of these things: Nonstop triple digit heat that allowed you to cook your breakfast on the sidewalk in winter, bugs that took over your home and spiders that would cause you to lose a limb on your kitchen counters, and constant sandstorms that would rip the skin off your body in 6 seconds if you got caught outside in one.

The only time I can think of that Phoenix politics or policies ever got brought up is when I myself brought it up. Any other time the concern (or reason to avoid) seemed to be about heat, bugs, and the occasional storm.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Rhaethe

The following experience is only mine, and may or may not be representative of other folks living outside of Phoenix, and haven't even visited ... though I will be visiting in 8 days


The only time I can think of that Phoenix politics or policies ever got brought up is when I myself brought it up. Any other time the concern (or reason to avoid) seemed to be about heat, bugs, and the occasional storm.

We live here and that's been my experience with friends and family. The summer heat is the biggest topic of all that gets mentioned. And my mother-in-law who thinks we live in a patch of dirt with no civilization for a 100 miles with the pony express delivering our mail. Too funny.

Though I have one confused in-law who's a team player and bought into the "my side of politics is better than the other side" and he goes on and on like a parrot who recites what he reads in the media, as long as it fits his view of course. As a non-team player myself, I have lots of fun discussing politics with him because he can't pick on me as I'm not on the "opposing" team.

Hope you enjoy your visit out here!

[AlohaFriday]

Originally Posted by Rhaethe

The following experience is only mine, and may or may not be representative of other folks living outside of Phoenix, and haven't even visited ... though I will be visiting in 8 days

When I have mentioned to friends and family (of whom are an extremely diverse lot) that I was going to visit Phoenix on business, and if I liked it I might think about getting transferred there ... have all said the same thing.

"Ew, Phoenix??! Are you SURE?!"

And I say "Yes, Phoenix. Why the ew?"

The response is always a variation of: "But its 120 degrees plus there all the time. And all of the scorpions and spiders!"

Not once did anyone mention politics, policies, or any of those other things. Which was kinda eerie, considering how diverse they all are, and how outspoken some of them are.

Talking with a friend who did recently move there, within the past year, he experienced similar with his circles of friends/coworkers/family ... everyone seemed to be alarmed that it was (gasp) Phoenix that he was moving to, and it was always due to one or all of these things: Nonstop triple digit heat that allowed you to cook your breakfast on the sidewalk in winter, bugs that took over your home and spiders that would cause you to lose a limb on your kitchen counters, and constant sandstorms that would rip the skin off your body in 6 seconds if you got caught outside in one.

The only time I can think of that Phoenix politics or policies ever got brought up is when I myself brought it up. Any other time the concern (or reason to avoid) seemed to be about heat, bugs, and the occasional storm.

That might be because Atlanta is generally conservative. My friends and family back East think Phoenix is redneck central, mostly because of the laws passed here.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by AlohaFriday

That might be because Atlanta is generally conservative. My friends and family back East think Phoenix is redneck central, mostly because of the laws passed here.

Same here.

[Rhaethe]

Originally Posted by AlohaFriday

That might be because Atlanta is generally conservative. My friends and family back East think Phoenix is redneck central, mostly because of the laws passed here.

I wasn't referencing "Atlanta" as a whole, however. Whereas I live in Atlanta now, I have not always, nor was I born here. I referenced my circles of friends, family and coworkers, who run the gamut of liberal, conservative, libertarian, republican, democrat, lgbtq, straight, etc and so forth, and only 1/3 of which live in Atlanta. The other 2/3 comprising places big and small such as Boston, NYC, DC, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Raleigh, Roanoke. And maybe a few other locales I am forgetting.

My only point was that, amongst this very large and very diverse group of acquaintances, friends, family, coworkers of mine, whilst some may agree or disagree with Phoenix politics if I bring it up first (and yes if I bring it up first there are those whom go "Right on!" or go "What the hell, that is so asanine"), the very first knee-jerk reaction about the state isn't "OMG they are so backwater don't go!" .... it is, rather, "OMG don't go you will burn to death or get eaten by scorpions!"

Personally, if I want to analyze it, I would say it is due to one of two things ... my bubble of people care more about your weather and your bugs more than they do your policies OR my circle of people just don't care to talk politics with me. Or a combination of both. Since a good number of them are not afraid to make their opinion known to me otherwise, I'm hazarding it is the former.

Why is that? Maybe they are more concerned with the politics and policies of their own communities more than others' and the OMG 138 degree summers with Dust Storms of Doooooom is a far more fascinating thing and thus sticks in the memory far longer.

Or perhaps I overthink it As I said, it was an experience that may or may not be unique to me.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by AlohaFriday

That might be because Atlanta is generally conservative. My friends and family back East think Phoenix is redneck central, mostly because of the laws passed here.

Exactly.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by AlohaFriday

That might be because Atlanta is generally conservative.

Could very well be.

Though I have friends and family in NY and many of them can't wait to move out of the state for a pile of reasons. And several are in college and won't be hanging around to get a job/wanting to remain. Many want to move either south or west or southwest.

I think often our family, or definitely our friends, are just mirrors of our own views as the people we hang around with mostly are people that share our own views/ideals. So it's not surprising to get a consensus like that I suppose.

Originally Posted by AlohaFriday

My friends and family back East think Phoenix is redneck central, mostly because of the laws passed here.

More than a few people out west/in other parts of the country have some equally ugly views of people back in parts of the east/cities back east for their politics and how they're being run also. It's all kind of silly in a way, isn't it? Especially people making judgements about a place they've probably never even visited let alone spent some time there which I think is the majority and get distorted views on everything from the media spin.

Though I do tell my friends back east, would the last one that's left in joining the exodus to the south/southwest/west to please turn the light off.

[Rhaethe]

Originally Posted by stevek64

It's all kind of silly in a way, isn't it?

I agree