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On our very first show, we talked about the changing population of Oregon. Three years later (almost to the day!) we're reexamining some of the questions we asked about our state's demographics. In particular: who's moving here, and why, and how are they changing this state?
Census data shows Oregon's population has been steadily growing faster than the population of the U.S. as a whole. Annual numbers from a large moving company put Oregon's inbound migration near the top of the national list. According to the company's figures, migration to the Beaver State has been up for the past 23 years.
If you think new Portlanders are skewing those numbers, think again. Sure, plenty of people have moved to the state's most populous city (50,530 between 2000 and 2009), but that's only about a ten percent increase since 2000. In the same span of time, Bend's population has swelled by 50 percent. (These numbers come from the annual reports put out by Portland State University's Population Research Center.) As we noted three years ago, Oregon's population is getting older and more racially diverse.
What do all these numbers mean to you? Did you move to Oregon from another place? Do you see the demographics of your community changing? How are you — or your new neighbors — changing the culture of the state?
Tagged as: development · populations
Photo credit: penelopejonze / Creative Commons
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At first the list looks like allot but upon further reading, it appears that there is only outdoor sports here. Just another sports jock import? Portland is rather much deeper in its intrinsic arts and culture than another Vale Colorado Ski resort or California Surf beach. Note the other items in this persons list. Christmas celebrating? God fearing? SPAM hating? These say nothing about a city that is the King of Role Model to city planners across the nation for decades. Unfortunately they cannot import the Oregon geography to their states. The cleanest ecology in the continent for over 40 years. Lets get to the real reasons that locals born and raised here [have stayed here.] We would be blind to leave Portland and say find the same in Denver several thousands miles from the Pacific ocean. Or other top rated cities I could never understand- like Nashville Tennessee? I won't even go to travel into the southern US after stories I have heard from those who once lived there- They are now permanently here in Portland. Texas anyone??? It is obvious to all of us native Portland Oregonians, that we have so many attributes beyond the rest of the nation, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about this today. Why are they coming here,[knowing they do not need work? It says something that no other place can even dream of. There is a reason they are keeping the jobs down- This controls the sprawl from those who do not belong here. But then we have the second largest homeless population in the nation after LA. And we feed them all! [that is an inside secret that only the homeless know.] Let those other states call us liberal but we are more humane than other places too.
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the most exciting, vibrant, interesting places i've lived in were places full of newbies as well as the people who never saw the other side of the block.
You want the boring, the stodgy, the inbred, the under-achievers? Make mean to the folks who had the gumption to up and move here. Sure, some were losers, but then look around at who’s born here and doesn’t leave. That has to be balanced out somehow.
You want people who are nasty to you and the get-outta-my-way sort? Keep the folks who think this is their state and have that special go-back-to-where-you-came-from mentality.
you want to remain ‘appalachia-west’? allow the old-timers to have too much of the say they deserve - you want insular and under-educated youth? the same.
This is an interesting place only in relation to other interesting places, and not somewhere so inherently special that it outshines all other, hands down - because it doesn’t, certainly not after the folks who got here first did all they did to wreck it. And, you have to admit, it is generally their progeny, and the industrialists/speculators they allied with, who continue to plunder the land, rather than consider some sort of sustainable and intelligent development. It is the descendants of those who stole the land, some of them, who continue and abet the misuse of the land. And what they are trying to do now is sell the remnants of what was stolen - i mean settled - No! i mean stolen.
The neighbors? They’re just common folks, just like neighbors anywhere in the world - some nosey, some crotchety, some kind, some artsy, some factory workers, some married, some living in sin, et c.
I had the landlady from hell for a while, and her weird son - they are native, and thanks be that they did not live nearby. They also vacationed elsewhere.
And they complained about all the new folks.
I do not actually mean to generalize from the specific - but i do pick out some specifics which float generally.
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As a retired native Portland grandparent who has contributed in the education field for years, I might not agree with all your sentiments here about the neuovo generational upswing righteous existentialisms but I'll defend your right to say it. However when you use generalized loose phrasing like saying those old weird types from "here" that ruined the place, I just hope that you may have forgotten that most of those "old types" you may be mentioning were the ones that originally preserved Oregon and the Portland design many decades ago that all these newbies are running here now to hang out for free and enjoy this so so-called weirdness- their newly discovered Disneyland. There is really nothing "weird" about this. It is so many now that loosely throw these misnomers in terms around like this. A good example of the large opposite demographic natives here that you may be missing- Read some Oregon history- Our Governor Tom McCall in the 1960's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_McCall
Oregon was the creator of what is now known as the bottle recycling and other environmental protection programs we pioneered here that is environmentally saving the nation in toxic pollution. Portland has a very unique urban growth boundary that protects it from the urban sprawl of other cities like Seattle, outer San Francisco and LA. The city is very carefully and thoughtfully planned and the laws here are some of the most respectably known in the nation- This in turn drives an early respectable society here. See the contrary when you drive over the Columbia River to Vancouver. It’s like another country in Washington State that is not at all the Portland culture. Clark County Washington boasts the most runaway girls and divorcee women in America. I believe you are correct in your final statement about generalizing and that these people you mention are not actually original locals or they are otherwise a very small minority that does not really reflect the original Portland culture that we are known for nationwide for many decades. This is what might now be compromised in the flood of youth that come here with no career intention. Here is the latest mass imported type:“Hey man we hear this the new music scene! Lets go there!”
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Very well said Mark Solarprophet. Just to add to your remarks on Gov Tom McCall: it's difficult to imagine now that a Republican Governor would fight to ensure that all beaches in Oregon should be owned by the public and that there should be no private ownership of beaches. And this in 1967. That's why we can have access to any part of the beach in Oregon. Try that in California where they've got fences that go down do the low tide zone to keep you from walking through. Same in most other coastal states. Oregon stands alone in allowing complete public access to beaches. And this was done by the "natives".
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What all of the posters seem to either not understand or simply prefer to ignore, is the simple fact that Oregon attracts people because from movies and stories in Sunset magazine and similar publications, Oregon projects the impression of being underpopulated, fresh and uncluttered.
The irony stemming from this projection is that it will ultimately produce the opposite effect. High immiration rates. Too many people chasing after too few jobs and endemic hunger and crime. I have never heard of any small town of a befitting size and possessing natural endowments that did not have a chamber of commerce that eventually managed to obtain the growth they wanted. There went all the allure that made the once small town attractive, liveable, and affordable.
People will stop coming here when the economy is shot, along with all the deer and spotted owls, and crime is as high here as it is in nothern Mexico or southern California.
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This is a great topic because we have two major changes taking place simultaneously: an aging population and a striving community looking to lead the country in sustainability.
While Oregon has held leadership roles in both senior services and green business, it is a constant struggle to stay ahead and attract new comers to the state. We have slipped in our leadership position over the years offering innovative services to the elderly. Mostly due to fiscal challenges, but I also believe it is because of denial that we are growing older and that a reformation is needed to help serve this population. While much of our resources are being used to create a green economy, we are still not putting enough effort behind creating a strategy that will sustain older, healthier lives.
If you go door to door in your neighborhood, you will meet people over the age 50 who are unsure what the future brings. Boomers turning 65 this year face challenges about retirement, wealth management, social security, and health care.
We live in a great state that offers our residents wonderful amenities. I just hope we take the time to get to know our neighbors, their challenges, and find out what we can do to help. The only way we will continue to attract great businesses that provide livable wages is by creating an environment where people want to live regardless of their age.
Portland is not just a place where young people come to retire.* It is where older folks want to live their elder years surround by a vibrant culture and community.
Tania Rain
(tay knee a – Rhymes with Romania)*Read more at http://wp.me/p13mpW-5c
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Oregon is one of the states with highes immigration numbers. Many more people are coming here from other states than are leaving it, via hearse or moving van. Which is odd since unemployment remains very high as do the numbers on welfare and/or hungry. I think they like the forrests where they can raise pot, if necessary for income or poach deer which is also increasing.
I live in an apartment complex, and my neighbors tend to be young people attending college or several with their own businesses and retirees such as myself. Quite peaceful and friendly.
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And yet you've got companies like Oregon Steel that are moving their HQ (and executives) to Chicago because they don't think we've got good connecting flights from PDX to the rest of the country...
Yes, Portland has been the hip, cool place for hipsters to move to for a few years now, but remember, what' hip today probably won't be in a few years. And then there's Bend with it's 50% growth, but that was prior to the real estate bust. You've gotta wonder if a lot of this touted growth is being viewed in the rear-view mirror.
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As a member of a family with a century farm in Tillamook county, I tend to side with the great Tom McCall who once said “ Come visit us again and again. This is a state of excitement. But for heaven's sake, don't come here to live.[10] ” Understandable, it is lovely country. Right now we are on tough times and having difficulty attracting big employers while having no problems attracting baristas.
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Who is my neighbor; largely ‘Imports’ that brought their money and (sadly) their need to make here resemble the place they were running from.
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I would have to dispute the premise of this write up as incomplete and bordering on inaccuracy.
"Annual numbers from a large moving company put Oregon's inbound migration near the top of the national list."
By inference Oregon is a 'hot' state and PDX is a 'hot' city for hipsters and much of America wants to move here.
We have comprehensive data from the US Census for the past 200 plus years. By the recent Census data, Oregon is lagging much of it neighbors.
The US as a whole grew 9.7% in the past decade. Growth has been concentrated in the Sunbelt, South and West. The West has grown an average of 13.8%. The South leads at 14.3%. Oregon has underperformed at 12%.
Among the fastest growing states in the past decade per capita is Nevada(35%), Arizona(25%) and Texas(20.6%). States with a lot Hispanic immigration.
Even California, which lagged the national average at 10%, grew in absolute number in the past decade greater than the entire population of Oregon.
In terms of popularity of western states, our neighbors are out-competing us: Utah(24%), Idaho(21%), Colorado (17%), Washington State(14%) and even Wyoming(14%).
We are growing. We are popular. But no more than New Mexico...Or Alaska. Looks like Gov McCall's reprimand to 'NOT move here' is working.
Perhaps the moving company data sample is too small or limited in scope. Internet data needs to be vetted better. ;)
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php
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I'm a retied city planner and during the last recession in the early '80s I got a phone call from a person seeking a job who had just graduated with a masters degree in urban planning from an east coast university. I told him the job picture was bleak in Portland, but he said he'd learned so much about planning in Oregon while in grad school and was coming without a job or prospect of one. This is only an anecdote, but I think speaks to a certain mystic that Portland has nationally.
Richard
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I moved here almost 2 years ago, after some research. I lived in a very small town in NM that was very isolated. I chose Portland because my children had come here for college and I loved the city. I was looking for a place to age in, so transit, walkability, and lots of free or low cost cultural activities were what drew me. One child already lived here and another has just gotten a job here and will move here this spring.
I had hoped to find a job, but hit at the beginning of the bad economy. I am OK financially, but would love a small job. I volunteer with several organizations, and am very happy that I made the move.
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I moved to Portland in 2007 from California for the same reasons many of my neighbors moved here - more reasonably priced real estate and a better lifestyle for raising a family. Before I moved I was warned that Portlanders are tired of Californians moving here and that I might face a negative attitude. Almost 4 years later I have yet to encounter this. My move has lived up to all of my expectations, I live in a great neighborhood and my children are enjoying an idyllic childhood.
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Before I moved I was warned that Portlanders are tired of Californians moving here and that I might face a negative attitude. Almost 4 years later I have yet to encounter this.
Probably because most of your neighbors moved here from CA within the last 10 years?
I remember when I was a kid and our family moved to Coos Bay (It's in Oregon, on the South coast) from Texas in 1976. We had just driven into town with a U-Haul in tow and two different motorists within about 10 minutes shouted "Go Home!" at us... Us kids were a bit concerend, but my parents had gone to college in Eugene said something like "Yep, we're back in Oregon!" and dad explained that it's so nice here that people want to keep it that way. Fortunately, I was young enough to be able to lose my Texas accent within a short amount of time (and after some ribbing from my classmates).
Oh, and my parents moved (back) here in 1976 without having jobs lined up ahead of time. Dad figured he could substitute teach and mom figured she'd be able to find work in a hospital as a nurses aid. It was a tough couple of years including all of us picking ferns in the forest which we sold to a florist wholesaler as well as digging clams at low tide so we'd have some protein. Tough, but memorable.
When I moved back again in 1990 I made sure that we changed our California plates as soon as possible. My wife (a California native) didn't understand why I was in such a hurry to do that.
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It might be fair to say that Portland’s acclaim is essentially, ideological in nature, that people move to Portland because they identify with the way of life lived here, and it is the way they feel life ought to be lived. Of course many may like the landscape, but that surely is not the only, or main, draw. Whereas people probably move to places like Florida and southern California because they like the warm weather. This Portland ideology is liberal in its roots, but its flowers seem to appeal to certain people across the spectrum. Portland is and has been for some time a tolerant place, and one of the biggest problems for the future is will Portland become less tolerant as the population changes?
It is true that people don’t own the place, or any place----we didn’t conquer the moon by simply landing there. But it is fair to feel that a place is being changed and wonder whether the good parts, or the parts that are good to you, are being modified or ruined through those changes. For instance, if I moved here because of ideology and I feel it is being eroded, then why not be concerned? Really our problems and concerns are current and mirror those in much of the rest of the world: are we tolerating the intolerant?
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Tom McCall was a great "Moderate" Republican governor and I probably voted for him so long ago. He worked for The People and for businesses.
Now I wish the "Moderate" Republicans would take back their party from the current extremist Conservatives who work against The People and Small Businesses and only for Big Business, Giant Corporations.
The current Republican Party might as well be renamed the "Conservative Republican Party", and called the party of the "CRPs". ( As in Nixons' Committee to Re-Elect the President, CREEP.)
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Doesn't Oregon claim to have elected the only KKK governor west of the Mississippi, not once, but twice?? Tsk, Tsk, tsk! Very naughty.
However they redeemed themselves (somewhat) with the invention of what we called in public administration, the 'Oregon model'. Oregon was the first state to separate the office of a city mayor from the administration of the city by hiring a professional city manager. Now it is followed just about everywhere.
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I moved to Portland in late 2006 because my adult daughter lives here. Since coming, I have met many, many other people who moved/retired here because adult children are here. I have no idea whether that phenomenon is as common in other cities.
I do know that as retirees, often early retirees, we have leaped into Portland life, volunteering, participating in arts, schools, civic activities, trying to contribute whatever we can to this place we have quickly come to love.
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We moved to Portland from the midwest, where we enjoyed a very low cost of living for 7 years. We were eventually driven to move by the rise in crime that accompanied the recession. (Three police chases ended within 2 blocks of our house, the last straw being the one that ended on our front lawn. That was a Wednesday night. Saturday morning my son and I found a loaded gun hidden under a bush. Monday we called a realtor.)
We chose Portland because of the low crime rate and the creative class. We work from home for clients in New York and California, so we were able to bring our jobs with us.
The cost of living here is higher than where we came from, but for us, it's worth it.
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A recent import to Portland from the Bay Area, my husband and I came for the music scene, good food, funky progressive politics, DIY culture, friendly vibe, slower pace, proximity to mountains and parks, and significantly lower cost of living than California.
That said, we'd never have here if we had not been able to bring our jobs with us. We were "warned" in our visits prior to moving that we shouldn't expect to find work since the job situation is so tough. After being here a year, I agree that jobs are extremely scarce despite all the youth and talent here.
Not only is Portland a city where "the young come to retire" as they say on Portlandia, the other big wave of imports are old retirees, who don't need to worry about the high income tax rate, and benefit from the low cost of living, no sales tax and low property taxes. I see this as a looming problem for OR as these folks will consume a lot of services but contribute very little economically.
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LIFESTYLE CHOICE: Move to PDX, Drive a 4WD Subaru, Get a Golden Retriever, Wear a Gortex Parka and Nike Cross Train Hikers with Vibram Soles, Get a Starbucks Frequent Customer Card, Shop @ REI, Read your Books at Powells, Eat Sushi.
I feel sorry for the neglected lifestyle dog who deserves better.
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Jacob,
They have sushi, REI, bookstores, dogs, Nikes and Starbucks outside of Portland. Most of us were doing those things well before moving here. The Suburu, however, is definitely a Portland thing...
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Replace Starbucks with Stumptown.
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They have sushi, REI, bookstores, dogs, Nikes and Starbucks outside of Portland. -- Naomi in NEPDX — Mon Jan. 24th 9:55a.m.
Indeed -- most of those things (save for NIKE) were invented elsewhere. REI in Seattle; Starbucks in Seattle; bookstores were invented centuries ago -- in fact Benjamin Franklin was the very first mail-order bookseller in the New World! The only thing on the list that was invented in Oregon (specifically, Eugene) was Nike's.
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Have to say, Jacob, if you haven't checked out Spot Magazine or CityDog Magazine you are kind of off base in feeling sorry for what you are calling the neglected lifestyle dog. From what I can see the reason pdx is considered one of the dog-friendliest cities in the US is because those dogs ARE getting a better life. Also Oregon has a very active Golden Retriever rescue group called Golden Bond. Good thing those Goldens are part of the "Lifestyle Choice".
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Its hard to get a job but easy to start a business. I would never be able to find a job of similar title or pay as the one I left in San Francisco. But I was able to start my own business as a consultant with almost no startup costs. I brought to Portland certain work experience that was relatively uncommon here, and have had little trouble securing enough consulting work to pay my much-lower mortgage, even in the recession.
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My husband and I retired to Bend in Dec. 2010. We had looked seriously at other places (primarily New Mexico) but were concerned with water availability there. I did my internship at OHSU about 30 years ago and have always like OR. The main reasons we left Texas were the heat and humidity, unrestrained growth, and pollution. The advantages of Bend, in addition to climate, are the clean air and water, dark skies at night, water availability, and friendly people. The city is the perfect size with just the right amenities. One very important thing for us was that the state seems to be acting responsibly and not allowing Bend to grow without restraint. Having seen the effects of rapid growth in TX, that was important to us.
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We moved to Eugene from Las Vegas in 2009 and the biggest reason for us was education and a sense of community. We have two young children, one who has just started kindergarden and we wanted a place that had a good variety of schools to choose from and a community that would make you feel at home. My wife also teaches at the University level, so a city that had a University in it was definately a bonus.
We are in our second year here and love our choose of the Eugene Waldorf School for our children. The community has welcomed us and we really feel at home here.
Shannon
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We lived in OR 35 years ago, lived in several other areas, and returned to retire (bringing capital that we earned elsewhere and volunteer energy, both of which will diminish in the future). After evaluating the alternatives we chose Oregon because of 1) the natural environment and 2) the way that natural environment has been protected from growth that detracts from agricultural and forestry (most places are far worse).
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My partner and I moved to Portland in 2005. We went to other cities like Seattle, San Diego and Los Angeles. and whe we came here we were pretty amazed at home prices and just how friendly people were. I was able to bring my job from San Francisco California to Portland while my partner has had to take a Restaurant job as he found it more difficult to find work. It too him a couple on months to even get his current job.
While I love it here he does not. What we could afford for a house at the time is further out than he wants to live. We are now weighing the option of selling the house and going back to being renters but living in the Pearl District.
Lastly, we are both in our fifties and it has not been easy to make friends. We know our neighbors however they are young and have young childern. We had two kids and they are both grown.
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We moved to La Grande, OR in September 2010. We ultimatley came here because my husband got a job at EOU but we made the final decision to move to La Grande for a variety of other reasons. We came from Laramie, WY where both of us became adults and in a sense figured out what we wanted in life. So we had an idea of what we wanted and chose La Grande because it matched up with many of those things. We wanted a place close to outdoor activities; walking, hiking, cycling, fishing, and skiing. We also wanted to live in a town where you can walk or ride you bike to work. We also wanted a farmer's market, brew pub, and a downtown that was not a bunch of run down buildings. I feel that we've found all these things in La Grande. Plus, the people here are amazing. They are SO nice and welcoming and they come from a variety of backgrounds. So far, we really love our experience in Eastern Oregon and hope to be able to stay!
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The reason there are few jobs here, is because many of the good things, the things we love about Portland and Oregon, may be somewhat self-defeating and unsustainable. One of the biggest economic problems, is the cynicism of consumers, oddly people don’t mind paying high prices for food here and they seem to drink the booze a lot, but few people are shoppers. For some reason expensive food and restaurants are perfectly acceptable but forget about expensive clothing or anything else. While I admire the desire to get away from commercialism, I think the application is largely lopsided and misguided. It can also end up with detrimental results. You need money coming in to support what is here. You can’t sustain a city with consumers who don’t want to spend money. It is wonderful that people feel freedom to be slackers but who is going to pay for that? How can you keep that going? Somebody has to make the money, somebody has to bring the money in to the local economy. We can’t all be cynical insiders, someone actually has to do the living and the buying to keep things afloat. It is almost ironic that there are so many designers here, because the culture will never support actually buying things from them. It is as if we all have hopes and dreams to be stars, but we expect the rest of the less-informed country to support and pay for them, to be our consumers. There is such a limited local money-spending base.
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You can’t sustain a city with consumers who don’t want to spend money.
Really? Why would buying "expensive clothing" sustain the city? What about sustaining the city with producers who are frugal and save money? The things they produce may be bought outside of the region. They may not even be physical things - software, for example. Sure, in recent years (decades?) we've been brainwashed to think that it's all about consumption, but that wasn't always so and now we definitely need to be more focused on production as well as saving (to rebuild the capital base). Growing your own food in your own yard can be part of that production as can developing your own ideas... and it's not all about money. Living on less is good not only for the environment, but also affords us more free time to do things we actually want to do instead of slaving away just to keep the consumption machine running. -
skeptictank,
Yes, that is exactly the sort of thing, the sort of problem I am talking about---the irony of it all. What is it all for? What are the savings for? What are we saving the environment for? So we can live these contrived evangelically restricted lives where we paint a picture of the outside world as bad and us as good. What if we fix everything? What then?
What exactly do people attempt to achieve with their creativity? Who are they going to market this to? I won’t accept for a second that they don’t intend to market it. I assure you that almost all of the creative people here would like to get popular, they would not mind economic success. Perhaps, somewhat unfortunately, the modern world thrives on people spending money. Not everyone is that enamoured with the superficial idea, that growing your own veggies is a superior way, this primitive philosophy is actually pretty boring and half-baked to many people, and its efficacy is in dispute. And, anyway, we have to think beyond environmentalism, it is an unsophisticated dead-end. I am not against environmentalism, but it is a negative, critical ideology, that is inherently and obviously not about the new, it is entirely consumed with criticizing the past. It is like only ever reading literary criticism. It might be prudent to actually read the literature, or even go further and write it.
Environmentalism has a lot in common with religion, because it is consumed with what is wrong with the world, and the ‘god’ in this case is how we can make it right. Of course, you may say, well, but it is rooted in science and fact, whereas religion is not---maybe, but the ultimate question, the question behind it all, ‘whether the planet is worth saving?’ cannot be answered with science, and resolutely requires faith. People forget this question or they don’t even think about it, they just forge ahead with their zealotry. Perhaps, this is why environmentalism has often seemed at odds with religion, not just because of science, but because it is a conflicting sort of faith. For the traditionally religious, if god thinks the planets needs saving, he can do that himself.
It is an artificial battle, that gives people a direction and a force to oppose. And if conservatives and liberals are the same at all, it is in this area, they both achieve success and power by creating an enemy---and, this similarity is also the problem, the ideologies are so fueled with commentary on the opposition, they are so heavily weighted to what we are against, rather then what we are for.
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Ecological frugality, oddly reminds me of the perils of places like Wal-mart and Costco, yes, they save money, but what fun are they? Even despite their manufacturing and employment concerns, who wants life reduced to these austere levels? If I could buy the whole world at Costo, then what would be left of the world? If I did everything possible to save earth, would I even want to live on it anymore. The similarity between Wal-mart and Greenpeace is that their penultimate goals are rooted in efficiencies. Wal-mart wants to spend less money, so they can make more of it, and Greenpeace wants to reduce consumption, so the earth has more left of it for future people to consume.
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If environmentalism is a "religion" of sorts as you suggest, then why isn't consumerism also a religion of sorts - I would suggest that consumerism is the current state religion, in fact, as it is encouraged by the state.
I'm simply suggesting that we look at the way things were prior to the time when we bought into this consumer religion - this happened in the post WWII period according to the documentary "The Century of the Self", but I digress. I can recall my grandparents living very contented lives in what would now be considered a very small house (probably about 900 sq. ft, 2BR 1Ba) and with a very ancient car. Yet they were happier than most people I meet these days. They lived simply and always had a huge garden and they were gleaners. I think part of thier secret was that they came of age before the advent of that consumer religion (and as such, they had vivid memories of the Depression) as well as the fact that they lived in an area that at the time had no TV reception - so they didn't realize they were missing out on anything as they weren't constantly being reminded of what products their lives were lacking.
So you're saying that the current way is normative, but I'm saying that prior to this epoch of consumerism there was another way. And may be people were actually happier then with less.
(oh, and WallMart is not the type of frugality I've got in mind)
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Bend, Bend, Bend why is that all I ever hear about is people moving to Bend. I moved to Oregon in 2006 from NW Washington. My wife and I had been looking at Bend for about six years previous to our move but decided it had grown way to much to interest us by the time we were ready to move. We choose Hood River instead and I am so glad we did. I think it has everyting Bend has to offer, great biking, skiing and outdoor recreation of all kinds plus the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Keep moving to Bend everybody and hopefully that will keep Hood River from having the many problems Bend is having.
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I was born and raised here. I feel that Portland has recently become extremely liberal with no respect or room for a conservative political viewpoint or candidate. Why this change?
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Who are my neighbors now? I'll tell you and I'm not happy about it but it seems there is simply nothing to be done. I live in an area where there is SO much drug activity and gang activity....and next door to people who fight dogs, fight roosters, have loud drinking/drug parties until all hours, horribly abuse and neglect their horses, butchered a goat for their daughter's 16th birthday party a goat that HAD BEEN someone's pet, they let their chief fighting pit bull run the neighborhood and harass others' livestock and try to fight with neighbors' dogs, and lie to Lane county Animal Control about the foregoing, they let their kids run wild in a local store and destroy merchandise, run commercial operations on their rural residential zoned property, threaten me and mine, threaten the other neighbors around them, etc. etc. ad nauseum. I hear the same sorts of stories from people all up and down the Willamette Valley. Law enforcement is unable or unwilling to do anything about the foregoing due to "cultural sensitivity." Predatory street people make navigating city streets here a hazard for an older person. Oregon has a far different national image than the largely unpleasant reality of day to day living here. Unfortunately given Oregon's terrible economic situation and entrenched lackadaisical attitudes toward actual law enforcement I not only cannot afford to move back to Washington but also have no idea how to have a safer existence where I am now.
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Unable to chime in during the live show, but I do have two principal comments.
1) When I relocated to the Portland area about twenty years ago I was struck not only by the lack of cultural diversit--color, language, socio-economic, sexual preference, etc.--(except in small, largely segregated pockets), but even more so by this fact: When I took a look at the leading institutions--at government, the mainstream cultural institutions, as well as in philanthropy and the large charitable organizations, in higher ed., in health and hospitals, and finally in business, whether it be the technology sector, in professions such as law or finance, everyone looked, thought and sounded the same. 99% Caucasion, 75% men, and lacking diversity in just about every category one could imagine. Additionally it seemed quite literally, when one examed surnames and family relationships, it seemed that about the same twenty-five or so families managed and controlled every instution in every sector of society here in Oregon. Particularly when one examined boards of directors and appointed commissions and advisory boards, etc. That is only a slight exaggeration. In some respects, the gestalt here seemed more late 19th Century than late 20th Century. [Despite the vaunted environmentalism, planning-oriented ethos, and ostensible liberal political regime.] How extraordinarily predictable and boring!
Having arrived here from a fairly major cosmopolitan city, this was nothing less than shocking. In the past twenty years as I have seen that gradually change in some quarters, more quickly in other quarters, as I have seen a greater degree of cultural diversity in many neighborhoods, entire communities, in the streets, in the shops, and at the civil society leadership level, I can only imagine that it has been all to the good. Including of course, all the youthful, entrepreneurial, creative, optimism of many arrivals during the last decade, college educated or not. Sure there are certain challenges presented by greater diversity. But what as far as I am concerned, what a net benefit to Portland and to the state of Oregon.
Welcome to the 21st Century, Oregon. Welcome to 21st Century America and the modern diverse, cosmopolitan world!
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Something that most of you don't want to hear and if I lived in Portland, I'd be right there with you.
I'd like to be your neighbor in the worst way. From the little I've gleaned of your residents - manners abound and there are no pickup trucks with ear-splitting exhaust pipes roaring up and down your roads.
As a 59 year old woman with an elderly, grumpy Manx, the toxins in S. Louisiana are creeping up my sidewalk. Not only in the form of hazardous chemicals but toxic, audio terrorists. They've finally come to my front door. I hardly sleep a night that the boy lacking internal power has to crank up his truck to go to work while I levitate off the bed in fright. I've left a note to no avail. I don't want the police involved. The boomers and exhausts are really unnecessary and governments have used noise as torture for many generations.
I am a retired photo/journalist and self-sustained. My house is almost paid off. I'm dying here, now. I just want to find a couple of goofy, happy people who may not need a roomie but wouldn't mind having one. And wouldn't mind my cat tagging along.
As I said previously, I understand why you wouldn't want me or anyone else immigrating to your beautiful state. You would be possibly saving a life. I don't drink or smoke and I'm low maintenance. I just want happy people and constructive noise.
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New "neighbors" include many different kinds of people, too varied to describe them all. Here are a few:
International private corporations buying up vast tracts of land (tens of thousands of acres) with public grants and private donations, but with few funds to manage those lands, these corporations happen to be non-profit, but have difficulty funding the part of their mission that would involve local/indigenous communities or stewardship.
High net worth individuals buying up vast tracts of land (tens of thousands of acres) for private hunting preserves they can visit occasionally, and for whom minimizing interaction with the local population often seems to be a high priority.
People who can be hard to meet because they aren't here much, part-timers, buying 160 acre "lots" and building new houses.
Mentally ill folks arriving to receive residential care in a rural small town setting, generally low income and basically friendly.
Younger families, returnees and twenty-somethings looking for some of the typical Oregon lifestyle - outdoor recreation, clean living, creative soup, and who often are attracted to a place they feel has a sense of community and family, and who often have to start a business or three and travel a lot to make ends meet.
Retirees or semi-retired, some wanting to be closer to children.
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Okrafeet I hear your pain BUT Oregon is not not not for you. First, the redneck wannabees are everywhere and (read my post below) the nationality may be different but the behaviors are just the same. Anywhere south of Portland the vet care for your cat will be problematic; my experience with vets in the Willamette Valley generally is that they are all and only about money and few if any really care about animals (and OSU generates a big graduating vet class and they all leave the area for better financial pickings, the ones who stay want to extort it to the greatest extent possible from pet parents). The State of Oregon has a wonderful national image. That image is incorrect. The image is one of liberalism and yet most of the laws on the books here are strongly conservative. You will also find here an overwhelming number of illegals who are allowed to get away with the worst crimes including drug crimes because the authorities either don't know what to do about the problem, or if they do know won't because they don't want to tread on anyone's cultural sensitivities. Aggressive street people in every city in Oregon are the norm - not the exception. Oregon is not a kind state for the older person for many reasons, including in its taxing structure (not just income taxes which are figured onerously making Oregon one of the highest income tax states, but also municipal and local taxes and fees and more taxes and more fees - you even pay extra in many places for the parks and libraries). The cost of living in Oregon is very, very high yet incomes have a difficult time keeping pace with it. Fixed income types have the hardest fight of all. Doctors practicing geriatric medicine are scarce outside the major metropolitan areas and doctors accepting Medicare are even scarcer than that. Yes, Oregon is beautiful - in parts. But there are other places which are every bit as or more beautiful and have nicer people, and are more affordable. So: Don't buy into the "image" of Oregon. As one who deeply regrets moving here 20 years ago and yet cannot afford to move away, I'm here to tell you the image simply is not the day-to-day reality.
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My thanks, sunvalleysally - it's good to know the truth from an insider and I'm sorry to see the dark/darker side of Oregon. I loved your statement about treading on anyone's cultural sensitivities. I've long ago given up jousting at windmills for my right as a woman to simply exist in a very unfair world. Yet, while my pay was a joke, I still have to look over my shoulder wherever I go - I mustn't offend any one else's rights. Your comments pretty much touched on any question I may have had so I do appreciate you're taking the time to educate me on the myth that is Oregon.
Thank You saramiller, as well for your insightful comments. If I can get this one redneck wannabe to get rid of his truck, I'll regain my tiny peaceful neighborhood again after twelve years. If any of you have ever been to S. Louisiana - you know how terribly brutal the heat and humidity can be. However, in light of what I've read, I have to say that the area below Interstate 10 - the actual Cajun country has the friendliest humans I've ever known. So, I'll see what I can do to rid myself and my neighbors of the exhaust, save my money, travel and appreciate the good care for both myself and my grumpy cat. I sound like a cliche'. Ahh what to do but laugh at ourselves. Thank you both and if you ever go to Mardi Gras - DON'T go to New Orleans. The country is where it's real. Mamou, Breaux Bridge, etc. Take care and all have a great life.
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Just an ordinary Subuaru-driving, rain-loving, wood-chopping, latte-sipping, Hiking boot-wearing, cell phone talking, Thai food-eating, mass transit-riding, Green energy-consuming, Ducks-cheering, Yoga-posing, tree-hugging, Facebook social-networking, aluminum can-recycling, organic vegetable-growing, Mt. Hood skiing, two fisted-kayaking, hemp-smoking, internet surfing, condo-living, book-buying, Apple computer-loving, Global warming-believing, Trailblazing, one-speed bike riding, craft beer-drinking, Gortex-wearing, natural-spring water drinking, SPAM-hating, salmon-fishing, marathon-running, pinot noir-sipping, Simpsons cartoon-loving, Peruvian Knit cap-wearing, Christmas-celebrating, No-sales tax-paying, God-Fearing, Libertarian-leaning, Democratic-voting, Pragmatic, Grooming-challenged, New Age, Neo Liberal Oregonian who happens to like dogs. Seeks Same.