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Bozeman's worst
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Forgot a few
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| Impact fees and the "tree tax" | |
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expensive
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We need more yuppies. There are just not enough of them! Just kidding. I would say that the biggest issue that chaps my hide here is the low wages and cost of living. It's rediculous that the median house price is around 300g (without much land mind you), but the job market is paying average 12.00 an hour (median family household in 2006 is around 41g). Of course the stats are much higher, but I couldn't substantiate my comment with 2007 results of the census because I couldn't find them. |
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Right on, you got stars
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Second all of the above. I read the median home price in today's paper also. What on earth? How much are "our" kids/young people going to have to come up with as down payment for a home in Bozeman? Well to avoid MIP an individual will need to put down 20%. Today's price of $300K, will leave them with a mortgage of $240,000.00 assuming they can come up with 60K down plus closing costs. HUH? Even with low interest rates...How many young people can afford a 240K mortgage especially if they are right out of college? What about those who do not go to college, and set out to find respectable employment? Let's not forget the taxes and insurance on top of the mortgage payment... I am sure there is a lender who can tell us the income one must have, to qualify for a $240,000.00 mortgage. I understand terms (interest rates, number of years, loan types) But a 30 year, fixed rate, percentage based on good to very good credit score, etc. In 10 years, (national average) most homes in the U.S. will double in price. My youngest will not be ready to purchase a home for at least 15-20 years. The market here is going to determine "who" is a homeowner, and who is not. That is unless you're a heir to the Budweiser fortune or something like that. |
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RE: Right on, you got stars
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| I totally agree about housing. We constantly scratch our heads wondering how folks can afford this market. | ||
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Bozeman's worst
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I like this topic. It starts off with negatives so we don't have to wait for the thread to get that way. The most negative thing about Bozeman for me is that my boss works here. |
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RE: Bozeman's worst
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LOL, that all you got? I can get your boss taken care off...I have connections to the Bozeman govt. They can call Guido for me. This is a good topic. Yay negativity! |
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RE: Bozeman's worst
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Dying to know...(not that you can say) where you work. Laughing! |
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Bicycle riders that do not obey traffic laws.
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| That one bugs me too. | |
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The Worst RE:
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| I agree with all the post and would like to add the homeless. I DONT want to build a shelter, because IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME. | |
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RE: The Worst RE:
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| Ouch! That's a pretty nasty thing to say, ladybug. I hope you or someone you know ever wind up out on the street...you never know, you know. | ||
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RE: The Worst RE:
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| I know what you are saying Danie, but you can't deny the truth in ladybug's statement. If something (god forbid) did happen to me or my family, I would hope for aid of some sort to help me get back on my feet. Not just a place where I can go after a long day of begging to count my $ (which I understand can be quite a bit more than I am currently making in Bozeman). A homeless shelter is a wonderful thing. But WHAT is being done to get the homeless back in a functioning capacity? Begging at intersections should be outlawed. We need to offer a way for them to "get back on their feet." I couldn't imagine much worse than that situation, but unfortunately a homeless shelter will only be a bandaid on a much bigger problem. | ||
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RE: The Worst RE:
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| Guess you missed it--they are already here. Of course, some Bozemanites don't want to see it leading to the continous use of "bus therapy." Alot of the homeless don't come here--they lived here. THey are disabled, veterans, children--they are our neighbors. How sad we would be willing to pay 1.2 million to house homeless animals but nothing to house homeless humans. What does that say about our town? What is really scary are these factors--cost of living combined with low wages in the middle of this mortgage crunch will lead to more homeless families and this war with such a high percentage of injured (and extreme levels of PTSD) veterans coupled with Montana's huge veteran population--are only going to increase this problem. To make a difference--this problem needs to be met head on and not continue to be swept under the rug! They are here and will continue to be here regardless of what we build. | ||
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RE: The Worst
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| I attended some of the meetings about getting the current version of a shelter together, and Paul (the soup van guy, certainly not getting rich. . .) made an excellent point about "if you build it they will come." He said that the phrase is better applied to big box stores, which give a steady stream of traffic for panhandlers. The place they are working toward now will be a day shelter, where people can get a meal and a shower, and it will be open when it gets deadly cold. Not something people will be flocking across the country for. Bozeman is the only "major city" that doesn't even have this, and there are plenty of homeless. | ||
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Service
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| Sometimes the service and quality/ commitment to do the best lacks a little around here. Maybe it has to do with the low pay vs high cost of living? | |
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RE: Service
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| Been in the service industry...there's no excuse. Good service is part of the job! | ||
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Great Post!
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Danie you got 2 stars. I do understand about the "build it they will come," but we cannot and must not let anyone freeze to death (in Uhaul trucks) again. How to control this, I do not know. I think it would be a great idea for the Chronicle to do an interview/article directly with the fellow who is renovating the home for homeless people, which is located next to H&R Block. He must have some thought regarding this. |
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RE: Great Post!
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| His name is Paul Thomas, and if you see him around, stop and talk. He will be happy to fill you in. An amazing individual, especially in this "day and age." | ||
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Homeless
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I personally know Paul, the guy who is trying to keep the homeless from freezing and starving to death. He has worked with every Church organization possible to try to equip these people for living "real" life. Let's all pitch in and help out-then we won't have to complain about people being on the dole, or "unsavories" hanging around. Bozeman has a terrible NIMBY attitude. |
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Do a story... (another story with a different focus)
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Give the people of Gallatin Valley, Belgrade and Bozeman some facts. We are all speculating. We cannot ignore this community issue. We cannot let people freeze or starve to death. There needs to be a separate post on this issue, or wake up the old post as I tried to do yesterday. Hate to say it, not too many care. This from a die hard conservative. |
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Sketchy Recycling Program
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I have to say for such a "progressive" community, we sure have a lame recycling program in the city/county. They keep taking away satellite accumulation areas...I have to go all the way to the WalMart parking lot to dump the recyclables these days. I understand that the current program is in limbo (perhaps due to the impending transition to curbside collection)and business owners who allowed the accumulation areas on their property in the past became fed up with the mess, traffic, etc., but geez, why reduce the number of collection/accumulation points until they have the alternative up and running? It seems like there must be more to the story, but I am out of the detail loop on this one. |
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BOZEMAN BUMS
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| I knew my opinion wasnt PC, but let them be homeless somewhere else. Most of them have mental problems and alcohol and drug abuse. I dont want them in my back yard! | |
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RE: BOZEMAN BUMS
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I understand your point, but really...is it right to just say "go somewhere else, let someone else deal with them?" As a tax payer, what is your suggestion on how to deal with them since you are so against the shelter? |
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These people already live in our backyard
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A lot of those"bums" are our neighbors. They are people from this area who have run into hard times--many are vets and disabled. When I read such things like--"they have mental problems"--I want to scream!!! Mental illness is treatable--would you say "they have physical disabilities" with such disregard. How about the man I work with who worked his whole life and then had a stroke that left him unable to speak yet alone work? Would you want him to move to a different town just because you don't want him in your backyard? You have got to be kidding me! For the others who want to help and not just brush this under the rug--Paul Thomas is a wonderful man! He works his bu!! off to help people and has a heart of gold. But he cannot fix this by himself--note that the building of the shelter has been on hold for quite sometime now with no finish date in sight. Some others--a lot of others--in this community are working together to come up with a plan. THe Continuum of Care meets monthly and discusses what is being done and what can be done. Our goal is to end homelessness in Gallatin and Park counties through awareness and assistance--not shipping people out of town because they hit a rough spot!!! Currently we are working non-stop to put on Project Homeless Connect at the First Pres on July 12th from 10-7. We are constantly looking at ideas and are in contact with the Billings Major Council on Homelessness. Little FYI--no homeless person in there right mind would "flock" to Bozeman with our weather and the disdain many feel for "their kind." NEED I REITERATE--THESE PEOPLE ARE FROM HERE--THEY ARE VETS, DISABLED, MOTHERS, FATHERS, CHILDREN, OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FRIENDS THAT HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN A POSITION WHER THEY ARE STRUGGLING. ONE QUESTION FOR YOU LADYBUG--WHEN YOUR NEIGHBOR LOSSES THEIR HOME AND MOVES INTO THEIR CAR, EXACTLY WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE US TO SHIP THEM?????????? |
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RE: These people already live in our backyard
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To begin, I do support the homeless shelter. But correct me if I am wrong here, aren't disabled Americans and vets usually qualified for government assistance? That being said, I understand there is low income housing available in the area. So why are these individuals homeless? I have seen many homeless going to the bank to get their vet benefits out drunker than snot, over and over again. I fully support helping those that have fallen into hard times. But I do not and will not support those that are alcoholics or drug addicts. If we had a good program set up to assist the families falling on hard times, and that was our homeless problem, I don't believe people would be nearly as negative about the homeless. I personally don't like the idea of being out at night and running into a homeless person that is a drug addict or alcoholic...doesn't make me feel safe. Yes, we should have programs for those in need. Maybe I am wrong here as well, but I would guess the homeless out begging in front of the high traffic shopping areas are not the families that have fallen on hard times. Usually those people want to get back on their feet and will take whatever job they can get to do so...I know that's what I would do. |
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RE: These people already live in our backyard
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| If you truly feel afraid of the dangerous, drugged-out homeless folks invading Bozeman, take advantage of your 2nd Amendment right-to-carry law and apply for a CCW permit. Sounds extreme and absurd? It's no more so than some of the homeless NIMBY comments made on this post. | ||
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RE: NIMBY
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| There's that wonderful word — designed to shut people up by painting them as unfeeling elitists — because heaven forbid anyone should ever have any feelings or ideas about what goes on in their town. That would be 'judgmental'. 'NIMBY' is name calling, not debate. | ||
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RE: These people already live in our backyard
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Hey tahoe19! Based on what I've read on this post, it certainly sounds like some citizens want to "shoo" away those pesky homeless folks. Heck, to quote ladybug224, "I knew my opinion wasnt PC, but let them be homeless somewhere else. Most of them have mental problems and alcohol and drug abuse. I dont want them in my back yard!" That's hardly name-calling; it sounds like the epitome of the NIMBY principle to me. Besides, in the grand scheme of social ills, Bozeman is pristine. |
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RE: These people already live in our backyard
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danie006: Not to put too fine a point on it, some people here have said some things that are a bit objectionable, and others have expressed their genuine concerns. Just what is it that you think people should do about the homeless beyond what's already being done? I'm not being flip here, I'm seriously wondering. It seems as if there are a lot of concerned folks trying to make a difference, but it's a tough problem. I don't see how denigrating people by calling them names like NIMBY accomplishes anything to further the discussion. |
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RE: These people already live in our backyard
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Gixa - I'm not calling anyone a name, I'm pointing out an attitude, "NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard", that persists among some who essentially state that they don't want the bums around. What to do about them? - well, I think it was berrymountain who pointed out that somehow the community was able to cough up $1.2 million for a pet shelter. It seems like there is a viable demand for a homeless shelter in town as well. Some place for a hot meal, shower,a bed and some guidance would help out many who are trying to get back on their feet. Paul does a great job with limited resources; I bet he could work wonders with a little more. |
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RE: These people already live in our backyard
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RE: "Gixa - I'm not calling anyone a name, I'm pointing out an attitude, "NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard", that persists among some who essentially state that they don't want the bums around." Hate to sound harsh, danie006, but so what? It's free speech. I could point out commenter's 'attitudes' all day long, but it wouldn't change anybody's opinion. I may not like someone's attitude, but it's not my place to judge his or her right to have that attitude anymore than it's their right to judge mine. As for berrymountain's observation about the community coming up with $1.2 million for a pet shelter but not being interested in a homeless shelter, I agree that it shows a skewed sense of priorities. But that will only change if people can be persuaded to reconsider what they value. They'll only be won over by convincing appeals, not by impugning their characters. Your comments display wit and intelligence, and you've shown that you are fair and reasonable. Use your skills. =) |
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RE:Tahoe19
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| I couldnt have said it better myself! | |
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It's easy to answer
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