From: garyg@netcom.com (Gary Greene)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.oregon
Subject: Re: Influx of Californians? Gee--what a surprise!
Date: 23 Nov 92 08:33:49 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

stansbury-travis@yale.edu (Travis Stansbury) writes:

>I think you now are missing my point - it is not Mathematics or
>Statistics that are important - Oregon IS unique in her situation... 

You mean Washington State hasn't the same problem?  Or Montana? or
Coer-de-Laine?  Actually it is a matter of degree.

>it is a wonderful state unrivaled in natural beauty, in people, in
>atmosphere, and it is being spoiled....  

I might be willing to argue that some places equal Oregon in natural
beauty.  Others are different but just as beautiful, and watching
that beauty decay from the assault of uncontrolled growth is just as
hard on their native population as on you.

>You can not possibly say well X
>represents the CA population, Y represent the OR population, etc, etc,
>etc, ... so therefore it is OK that all these people are coming in.
>Sure it makes sense mathematically, but for those communities where a
>hard working family cannot afford to live because of inflated prices due
>to CA'ers, I don't think your mathematics are going to wash.  

You will note from my signature that I am posting from California.  And
this shows where your argument breaks down big time.  My uncle's family 
lives in La Grande; my grandmother, until recently, lived in Salem, but 
now also lives in La Grande; all of us come from Baker, and all of us
have lived at one time or another in California.  In my case I must admit
I was born in California during one of those sojourns in California, so
perhaps I don't count; I grew up in both states.  Each time we ex-pat 
Oregonians came home we affected the market.  Each time we left we did so 
too.  Given a choice, I would live in Oregon, but if you practice a 
profession you go where the jobs are.  Until recently that has been 
California.  There has been a constant history since before WWII of 
Oregonians spending part of their working lives in California.  So its not 
just Californians who are causing the economic problem.  The problem comes 
from the difference in the two *linked* economies.

Baker had several opportunities to develop some new manufacturing 
during the 50s and 60s, but chose not to.  Instead they chose to rely 
on mining, forrestry, and farming.  Now the town is half the size it was.
They have done several things over the 80s to change course but it 
has been a struggle.   It will never be the town it was, but it can
recover and my heart goes with their effort.  

>Perhaps it
>does not fit your logic, but for a native Oregonian, born and raised in
>the greatest state in the Union, it is crystal clear.  Just becuase
>there seems no way to stop it, or it fits a certain explanation doesn't
>mean it has to be accepted, or that is is ok.... 

>-- 
>   ______________________________________________________
>   | Travis Stansbury, Yale '94  || 2358 Yale Station   |
>   | travis@minerva.cis.yale.edu || New Haven, CT 06520 |
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your Connetticut signature is case in point.  There are a lot of good
schools in Oregon, but they aren't Yale are they?

Cheers,

Gary Greene
Santa Clara, California				garyg@netcom.com