Info on Montana Towns (Dillon, Thompson Falls: low crime, home, private school)

[neighborly1]

I haved lived in the Arizona desert my entire adult life and will hopefully be moving in a few years. I was looking for information on cities around Montana.
I wanted to find out about the crime, politcs, and religion in certain areas.

What are the politics of the following areas: Thompson Falls, Dillon, Philipsburg, White Sulphur Springs, and Lincoln?
Are they more Liberal or Conservative?
Are these are more or less Christain areas?
What is the crime like in these areas?
Living in the desert all my adult life, I have never had to drive in the snow and ice. How difficult is the driving up there?

Thanks for any help on these questions or any other info you can give me on these towns.

[michael11747]

all christian, conservative cities with hardly any crime and a live and let live mentality. crime has been on the rise in the past 5 years all over the west due mainly to meth, and smaller towns have been hit hardest, with indian reservations getting the worst. driving is what you can expect, rough in winter, wet in spring, and dry as a bone in summer and fall. you won't get stuck in town if you're careful, but you will if you venture far out into the blm lands or forest lands.

what are you looking for? this might be a better way to steer you in the right direction.

[Rickers]

You should visit first in summer and winter You may not like either. As far as politics of certain areas go I think that most people in Montana really don't think about politics all that much except during an election maybe. The rich folks don't care as long as tax laws allow them to keep their fortune and the folks at the bottom are too busy keeping their heads above water to care either. They feel screwed by both parties. The few middle class people who vote, voice their views by voting !

[neighborly1]

Originally Posted by michael11747

all christian, conservative cities with hardly any crime and a live and let live mentality. crime has been on the rise in the past 5 years all over the west due mainly to meth, and smaller towns have been hit hardest, with indian reservations getting the worst. driving is what you can expect, rough in winter, wet in spring, and dry as a bone in summer and fall. you won't get stuck in town if you're careful, but you will if you venture far out into the blm lands or forest lands.

what are you looking for? this might be a better way to steer you in the right direction.

Looking for a small town (under 20,000) that is conservative, Christian, low crime, pine trees and mountains (nice scenery), and a private Christian school.

Some of the main reasons are 30 years of 8 months of 100-120 degree temperatures in the Arizona desert is enough. When I moved out here there were 1 million people now there are 5 million. So when I read about areas that are changing across Montana and other parts of the U.S. they have nothing on us. One big final reason is the changing of our culture out here. 50+ percent of the babies born in Arizona are "anchor babies." Illegal immigration is out of control out here, and it does affect everybody in some way. My wife was hit in her car a while back and the people who hit her wound up in a ditch and scattered into the desert. There is a stated goal to "retake" the southwestern U.S. for Mexico. Some people may laugh at this but I see it happening right before my eyes every day.

It may not sound very Christian, but that is just the way it is.

[michael11747]

neighborly, if that is all you are looking for, you won't have a problem finding a town. some that come to mind are dillon, polson, kalispell (rainy), west yellowstone, whitefish... these are all on the higher population end but lower than 20,000. what else are you looking for? if home prices aren't an issue, just put your finger on the map and move there. (joking of course) but seriously give us a little more to work with. there aren't many places in montana with high crime, and those are mainly in isolated areas of the larger cities. christian schools here are a dime a dozen. what kind of christian are you exactly maybe we can steer you in the right direction with more details.

there is a problem with immigration here, although not as bad as in arizona im sure. i work with a lot of mexicans and central americans, and they are actually fascinating people. i have had altercations with them, but people are people. what can you do? i talked to a 17 year old mason in big sky, who was in montana enroute from HONDURAS just making enough money to move to vancouver. this kid had a story that was just unbelievable. i don't want to get into a debate about immigration, but my parents were illegal immigrants from poland in the early 70's escaping communism, and just looking for a better way of life. they worked hard and retired by the age of 55, unthinkable in their homeland. don't let skin color stand in the way of humanity. each and every one is different, and some are criminals, i will not deny that. some take jobs away from americans, i have to agree as well. but this is a global economy and if you want to blame anyone, blame the government, not someone escaping a corrupt government (only to arrive at another corrupt government), or unbearable poverty.

like i've said before, consider any town under 5000 a conservative town, and any town under 10000 a neo-conservative town. i think you will find what you are looking for in montana.

[neighborly1]

You have already been very helpful. Thank you. I basically asked the same questions on the Alaska forum and they just got upset with me thinking I was trying to change Alaska. Says a lot about Montana versus Alaska. Do most of the towns you listed have pine trees? That is very important to my wife.

My parents came here as LEGAL immigrants in the 1950's after spending time in a concentration camp after WWII in Yugoslavia. The key there is they did it legally, learned the language and assimilated. That is not happening here now. They march in the streets burning American flags demanding rights. They hate America. It is by no means about skin color. The BEST neighbors, co-workers, and friends we have had have all been legal Mexicans. Who, by the way, also do not like what is going on because it gives them a bad name. I do blame the government. It has let us down so many times and this is just one more. Unfortunately I think this may be one more time too many for the American culture as we know it.

I think for now I have all the information I need as long as it is conservative, Christian, and has a private school (and of course pine trees).

[Radek]

Originally Posted by neighborly1

You have already been very helpful. Thank you. I basically asked the same questions on the Alaska forum and they just got upset with me thinking I was trying to change Alaska. Says a lot about Montana versus Alaska. Do most of the towns you listed have pine trees? That is very important to my wife.

My parents came here as LEGAL immigrants in the 1950's after spending time in a concentration camp after WWII in Yugoslavia. The key there is they did it legally, learned the language and assimilated. That is not happening here now. They march in the streets burning American flags demanding rights. They hate America. It is by no means about skin color. The BEST neighbors, co-workers, and friends we have had have all been legal Mexicans. Who, by the way, also do not like what is going on because it gives them a bad name. I do blame the government. It has let us down so many times and this is just one more. Unfortunately I think this may be one more time too many for the American culture as we know it.

I think for now I have all the information I need as long as it is conservative, Christian, and has a private school (and of course pine trees).

Its Montana. Pines are fairly common, I can't think of a place that doesn't have them.

Montana is a great place because not only do most people have a, "Live and let live" kind of attitude, most of them are just generally nice people. So that when you first run into them, they're friendly, etc... and then if they don't agree with your views, they leave you be. I hope people continue to bring that to Montana.

Good call on avoiding the bigger towns and cities, as they tend to be more liberal, but liberal in Montana is more like Moderate in Seattle.

Anyway, the towns listed are great places, and I encourage you to visit before you come.

Points mentioned before but need restating:

Crime. Crime is 'low' across Montana, but many people are concerned about the meth addiction (rightfully so), and the crime that comes with it. So, look for that in whichever town you end up deciding on. One of the best bets, is to find a local place to eat (not a chain) and ask the waiter/waitress what things are like. They tend to have been there for a while and can give you a better idea than us folks from neighboring towns.

Weather. Montana is a land of extremes. Extreme heights, extreme heat (okay, from Arizona you have us beat), and extreme cold. Be prepared for the cold, and visit in the winter first, because you'll need to experience it to believe us.

Driving. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not think that just because your vehicle has 4WD that you are then invincible on the roads. I know way too many people from Seattle who think just that. The key is don't do anything sudden, go easy on the gas AND particularly the brake, and go slow. Best tip I can give you is to go find an empty parking lot and practice a bit. Get a feel for what it feels like in your car, and how it responds. I'm from Seattle, and know that I don't have the skill the montana natives have, and so I take it easy, take it slow and give plenty of space.


Montana is mostly Christian, different sects tend to be in different places, and if you're looking for a private school, I'd recommend you search for that as your foremost, since I bet thats the most important (if you're going to pay for a private school, pay for a good private school). Though, if you're in a small enough town, your child(?) would have a great shot at Valedictorian, just for being the only person in their class. :P (Know a few people like that)

And that the community around the school you're looking for will probably be centered around your views and beliefs as well.

[michael11747]

you will have at least 3 and maybe 4 (ponderosa) species of pine to live next to. most common: lodgepole. most people think they are ugly but they are probably the most vital to the forest ecosystem. they have a very shallow root system, and topple easily in high winds, thereby providing a foothold for other forest plants which normally would have a hard time taking root in an generally windy and rugged climate.