NFR Does this Sprinter Van make my trust fund look big?

[Richard E]

Sorry, bub. You’re not the first to experience this lightning strike of common sense. Folks have been moving to Bozeman long before I ever did, and they’ve been exploring the mountains, rivers, forests and sagebrush looking for the good life just about as long as anyone can remember.

Don’t you think millions of Americans would do the same thing if they could afford to pull up stakes like some modern, dust-bowl refugees and escape this societal dumpster fire currently raging throughout our country?

Well, actually it’s been happening for quite a while now. Check out Bozeman’s local job postings for a few hundred reasons why an even greater influx of wealthy, possibly diseased telecommuters who stash money is a bad idea. Here, you’ll see plenty of jobs in the service industry paying between $10 and $15 per hour, but very few offering career benefits or a livable wage. In fact, Montana’s median wage is just $20.47 (according to the DLI), which is one of the lowest in the nation.

Factor in the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, $1,200, and the average cost for a single-family home, $510,000, and you’ll quickly see the economics are grim for working-class people in our community. There are very few affordable housing options, and urban sprawl continues to creep into valley pasturelands under the guise of overpriced tract homes with cheap finishes as far as the eye can see.

So, what’s a good Montanan to do? Thank our wealthy benefactors who have decided to grace us with their metropolitan cash in exchange for fresh air, good fishing, and fewer coronavirus cases? Placate them with more breweries and restaurants? Perhaps we just train our workforce to build bigger and more ostentatious mountain lodges for them to hunker down in, complete with elk-antler chandeliers and wrought-iron sculptures of eagles and rams?

Or, do we take this time to better organize and pay teachers, find safer ways to educate our students (who are threatened by the same outbreak of disease, despite contrary rumors), pump our economic stimulus dollars into new business ventures, build attractive affordable housing, and figure out how to bring high-paying jobs into Montana?

Are you ready to buy a ticket out of this pandemic? Which ticket is Montana trying to sell you?

Man, this "affordability" condition isn't anything new and has existed in the popular fishing areas of Montana for decades. I recall in the mid 90's Steve Probasco telling me he'd moved to Montana for the lifestyle, and within a year had to leave because he couldn't find a job. I've known many folks who moved to Missoula or Bozeman or (fill in the blank) trouty spot in Montana, just to leave within a year because the jobs available couldn't support expenses.

And, the writer asks "What's a good Montanan to do?" The writer could very well be a transplant. After how man years living in Montana does one become a "Montanan"?

I don't have a solution. Sad to say, affordability is a condition often realized by many places that offer an attractive outdoor lifestyle.

 

[psycho]

I do not know about Monatans, but Newfounlanders are quite protective about their status. A friend of mines grandfather married a girl from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, his mother and father were born in Newfoundland, but they are considered from "away" as is my friend. No Newfoundlander status for them.

 

[Old406Kid]

Man, this "affordability" condition isn't anything new and has existed in the popular fishing areas of Montana for decades. I recall in the mid 90's Steve Probasco telling me he'd moved to Montana for the lifestyle, and within a year had to leave because he couldn't find a job. I've known many folks who moved to Missoula or Bozeman or (fill in the blank) trouty spot in Montana, just to leave within a year because the jobs available couldn't support expenses.

This reminds me of a joke that I heard years ago.

"Do You know the difference between a rich Californian and a poor Montanan?


About 2 years"

 

[Elliott5400]

I had some dude bro roll in in a sprinter van to a GT hike we were starting recently.

He quickly parked and approached us in a rather quick pace.

He then asked us if we knew how bad some concern sections of the trail were, with obvious concern in tone.

We asked if he planned to fish, and he got real cocky and said he was going to beat us to it and "catch all the fish".

Me and my buddy chuckled, looked at each other and then turned to the trail and left dude bro in our dust.

Never once saw him on the way up, at the lake, or when we were leaving the next day.

If he didn't do his homework on the route (stream crossings, multiple large blow downs, trail intersections) he was definitely screwed.

I guess those vans are only good to roll up to a more serious trail and sit there contemplating if you can even hang here.

 

[Poff]

I do not know about Monatans, but Newfounlanders are quite protective about their status. A friend of mines grandfather married a girl from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, his mother and father were born in Newfoundland, but they are considered from "away" as is my friend. No Newfoundlander status for them.

From my time living in New Brunswick - if you can say 'understand' you can say 'Newfoundland'

Wouldn't want anyone to mispronounce it and have someone think they weren't local...

 

[newfydog]

From my time living in New Brunswick - if you can say 'understand' you can say 'Newfoundland'

Yet there always seems to to be someone to correct me....Oh yes, "new FUND lan". I need to train the dogs to attack when they hear that.

 

[MGTom]

OK, I really though you guys were joking, but I pulled up to find this in MY parking spot this morning.