why are some people so mad? (Billings, Bozeman: big house, to move, swimming pool)

[the watcher]

I live in another part of the US,At one time I had over 300,000 acres of land to hunt on.It was open to everyone .The wealthy flatlander moved came,in less than 10 years
they now lease all of that land.We the people that grew up there are locked out.You
can tell us it is their right to do that,some do.Its not right,I hate wealthy flatlanders now as many others do to..

[GiftShoppeGuy]

This benefits Montana because over the years we've been on the long end of a very short stick. We're used to having to make due, and we're good at it. Downturns in the economy just causes us to become a little more resourceful.

If someone wants to move their business here, then great. Self employment often times rules the roost in these parts, and given that the *downturn is already hitting the Bozeman/Belgrade area harder than we like, there isn't anything wrong with giving someone with the nads to move here a leg up. This is how we do things here.

I survived the 70's because of our ability to network amongst ourselves. Another thing we are very good at. When times get tough around here, it's not "every man for himself" like it is in most places. We work together and hit our slow times head on.

You might be surprised to know that we here in Montana do some of our best work when things are slow. Montana has gone through all of this sort of thing before. Oil Companies, Mining Companies, Logging Companies.... they all come and go, and wise are we to take the money and put it aside to use for later, until the next big thing comes along.

I've been in Montana for a pretty long time (all of my life) and I've seen this sort of thing before. We have good, and we have bad. Out of state developers are only the latest of a very long string of those who would pump money into this state, and, they won't be the last.

This cycle is coming to an end, and in, oh, let's say, 15 or so years, someone or something else will come along and start the whole process over again.
This is how it works around here. From the early 1850's it's been doing this, and I don't see any reason for the cycle to stop.

As far as business is concerned, I've made 12 dollars per square foot doing stamp work during the good times, and I've made 6 dollars per square foot during the bad. You adjust. You survive. You become resourceful, and you "stay" in business.

And the land will fall in price and value JoeJoeMan... trust me on this. It will happen in your lifetime.
And, the government infusion of funds into private businesses only defeats our supposed free market economy by the way.
Free markets don't depend on or ever expect government handouts.

In a free market, businesses that fail are left to their muse and bankruptcy.

As far as full-on economic rivalry? (laughing)... we don't stand a chance. We'ld be caught dead to rights with our arm out and our leg up on that one.

China and Russia are only just now realizing their monetary strengths. They are, where we used to be, 70 years ago. The writing is on the wall for us I'm afraid. These industrial powerhouses don't have much time for whiners, which, incidently, we've become.
You think Google will never move offshore? Think again. Every major player that we might have ever had over the past 30 or so years has done it, and Google, is no exception. The day will come when they realize that Mountain View just isn't the place to be. Just like Ford/GM decided that Detroit wasn't the place to be. The government is going to pass some silly law, or something, and Google will pack it's bags.

I remember the days when there wasn't such a thing as "bubbles". The American middle class was strong and proud of the work they did and the families they raised. These days, however, our economy floats from bubble to bubble. One day we're going to run out of bubbles. And then we'll have to trade our gas hog SUV in for an old Datsun and get back to work. Surviving on our own wits instead of sitting around waiting for the government dole, or the inflated housing market or the internet to do it for us. Free money isn't really very free if it costs someone else their job or their home or their way of life.

I feel bad for the folks that think getting their hands dirty is beneath them. Because in the end, we're all going to have to get a little dirty, just to make ends meet.

[Sweetenedsapphire]

The main problem people have with 'outsiders' anywhere, is more to do with people who come from other states and then try and change 'your town' into what their previous one was.

My husband and I, as well as a couple we know, are planning to move to Billings in 2009 to get away from the fact Olympia, wa has become too much like california. We've had so many people come from california and then want all of us to become 'like them' in laws, ways, etc. that we are more like a sublet of california now from the laws, people, etc changing for them. Billings is a lot like our Olympia, wa used to be 20 years ago - the way we liked it, which is why we plan to move to that area.

Overall, 'outsiders' from anywhere would not be too much of a problem if they didn't try to make the place they move too, into the place they just left.

[GiftShoppeGuy]

I don't know how big Olympia is, but I do know that Billings is much larger now than Everett.

I think you'll like Billings though. Big place, lots of things to do, and it's not so far from all of those wild eyed Montana cowboys. You know the ones I mean... rootin' tootin'.

Welcome to Montana.... Welcome home.

[Sweetenedsapphire]

Olympia, is around 1/3 the size of Billings. Though Olympia, lacey, tumwater kind of just flows together which still makes billings quite a bit bigger. I have family that lives in red lodge and my mother was born and raised there. I have spent enough summers and months out there when I was younger (not too long ago) that I am not too worried about liking it (I've always loved it there). My husband rather likes the area too. We plan on renting for 6 months when we move and then buy about 20 acres or so just outside of billings - that way we get to live in a rural area, but still close to town and jobs. (Which is kind of like we are now, we live in a rural part of town, but town is only about 3 miles away.)

[JoeJoeMan]

"Why are some people so mad" - to answer the orginal post title -

Because they are people, 'so' is a relative term, and 'mad' - it's human nature, people will always be getting mad about something, you could no more stop them from getting mad than you could stop them from getting happy............so the question is pointless....
Besides they're just p*ssed off because this place (western MT) is just getting trashed and crowded, simple as that. I ain't never seen a thing in my life that when you trashed it and made it more crowded that people actually like it, 'ceptin maybe the owner of the local garbage dump.
JOEJOE hath spoken Good day

[wallstreet1986]

I live in Alabama and some similar stuff is happening here in the Southeast. As far as people selling off their land, some people do it for the money, some are poor and not making as much in agriculture as they were before, and some cannot afford the property tax increases that are imposed when new people move to the area.

Local Montanans are very angry because new people are moving in and completely disrupting the way of life with little or no appreciation of what made the place the place to begin with. When you've been going to a local restaurant for years and years you don't want a Starbucks and a Panera Bread popping up everywhere. You don't want cookie cutter development houses that no local could ever afford bought by outsiders who think its cheap. You don't want to be forced to provide services to the new outside elite that you've never provided before - imagine going from working for years at a local restaurant where you see the same people getting their coffee and pancakes and bacon day after day to making deli sandwiches for a faceless corporation to a bunch of new faces who will never get to know you and for a measy, unflexible paycheck.

Unfortunately jobs are increasingly for big corporations or located near big cities. This forces people to have long commutes and I predict it to get worse in the future. Right now here in Birmingham we have the South suburbs that are all yuppie and crowded as hell. Northeast ones have become like that and the North is more middle class and has beautiful country. Developers are already starting to invade the North building boring luxury homes at not particularly affordable prices (people stretch themselves for the houses) and in 10-20 years the traffic there will probably be just as bad in the South suburbs.

I'm sure y'all would be a lot more pleased with the newcomers if (a) they came in less numbers, (b) they bought existing homes or built in a traditional Montana log cabin style or whatever y'all have and not luxury development houses, (c) they purchased from the local economy and did not demand big box stores from the outside, (d) appreciated the history and culture unique to Montana. Down here in the South I am so much more pleased and appreciative to know that someone likes it here for what it is - they like the food, history, and culture, Alabama football, and try to blend in. Usually the newcomers move to the big box areas with all the traffic because they would probably be more freaked out by the authentic thing. Well America is losing its authenticity and I sure hope that doesn't happen there in Montana. You have a right to be angry. I sure am with whats happening to Birmingham and Atlanta.

[Rickers]

Every body has a right to be an angry unhappy person due to uncontrolable circumstanses. We also have a right to not give a flying muskratz patootie and go outside and enjoy what hasn't been ruined yet. Life is way too short to waste it being mad at things and people. Life is also too short to waste too much of it reading this fruitless thread !

[little peg]

Originally Posted by rickers

Every body has a right to be an angry unhappy person due to uncontrolable circumstanses. We also have a right to not give a flying muskratz patootie and go outside and enjoy what hasn't been ruined yet. Life is way too short to waste it being mad at things and people. Life is also too short to waste too much of it reading this fruitless thread !

You always crack me up! I agree 100%, Just move already and blend in, no problem. and as they have told me, don't wear any spurs,

[Rickers]

Spurs that "jingle jangle jingle" ? !!!