[Grovenet] Re: Wal-Mart, etc.

[Kristy]

Joy...Do not underrate the importance of the drive time to get to your 
daughter and grandchildren tho. Of course it depends some on how much time 
you hope to spend with them, but you'll want that a manageable distance for 
you to do (and manageable traffic volume, etc., too.)

It's been a while since I had much connection with the Scappoose area where 
Robert is located. But I surely liked it then! Real folks were there. There 
is (was?) a hospital in the next town NW.  Not so far (30 miles or so, just 
like FG) from the NW edge of Portland which has some good hospitals too.

Worth your while to check that area too.
Kristy


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert VanNatta" <robert at vannattabros.com>
To: "'Forest Grove local interests list'" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2006 7:17 PM
Subject: RE: [Grovenet] Re: Wal-Mart, etc.


> While I largely agree with Eric's assessment  (though Eric and I rarely
> agree on much),  you may want to take a little bit bigger look at the 
> area.
> Oregon as a state is about as un-military as you can get.   We have had at
> least one some times two Pentagon hostile senators for 50 years, and the
> price of that is that the state is devoid of military facilities other 
> than
> a national cemetery and some national Guard armories.   This contrasts 
> with
> Washington state which in the seattle area has major Navy, AF, and army
> facilities.
>
> The state tax systems are also aggressively different.   Washington has a
> high sales tax and no income tax and the politicans spend they time
> insisting that the state would be much better if it just had an income 
> tax,
> and Oregon has a high income tax, and the political types insist it would
> solve all the problems if we just had a high sales tax also.
>
> If tax issues matter,  Vancouver WA is closer to Portland than F.G is and 
> is
> increasingly popular.   IT's also profoundly closer to Ft. Lewis---about 
> 120
> miles up interstate 5 from the Oregon border.
>
> The down side of Washington county  (I was born in Hillsboro when it was a
> courthouse, a hospital and a farm equipment dealership on each side of the
> highway going into town) but live 50 miles North in Columbia county, one
> that you didn't even mention is that it is the epicenter of INTEL and the
> high tech world.   High tech got a start in Washington county after WWI 
> when
> a garage electronics business grew into the States largest employer, and 
> the
> overflow from the silicon Valley has settled there providing large numbers
> of well paying jobs.   This has lead to great prosperity in the region, 
> but
> this has its dark side in the form of high cost of living.
>
> If you are not going to flinch at paying $300,000 for a modest home then
> Washington county is the place for you.  The thing that comes to my mind 
> is
> this.  Working folks chose a place to live because of where they job is.
> If you are retired then that constraint on where you live doesn't apply.
> You can get a retirement check mailed anywhere.   Your retirement income 
> is
> pretty well fixed so if you chose a location where there are no jobs or
> which is economically struggling you can save a bundle on your housing
> costs-- and have more left over for other things.   Since the greater
> Portland area is the most overpriced in the state there is plenty of 
> reason
> to settle almost anywhere else---and profoundly beyond commuting distance
> from the Portland area which has the jobs in the state.
>
> As to where you land it will be interesting to see.   My daughter's inlaws
> are going through the same exercise.  They just retired from the aerospace
> industry in Southern California, and since 2 of their 3 children have
> settled in the Portland area have in mind bailing out of Ventura, CA for 
> the
> greater Portland area.   I think they have been up here house shopping 3
> times in the last 3 months and haven't been able to make a decision. 
> Close
> in things are over priced and way out things are well, 'way out'.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
> Behalf Of JBlair2154 at aol.com
> Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2006 1:09 PM
> To: grovenet at rdrop.com
> Subject: [Grovenet] Re: Wal-Mart, etc.
>
> Hello, All.
> Just popping in to say I hope each of you are enjoying a pleasant,  safe
> holiday weekend.
>
> My husband I just got home from a Wal-Mart.  Please don't hit  me. I don't
> enjoy shopping there, but my husband is price-conscious and the  nearest
> military commisary is 50 miles away. If we move to the sort of Oregon
> community
> where I devoutly want to live in retirement, we probably won't be able  to
> buy as
> much food or other items, period, Wal-Mart or not...but hey, we'll  love
> everything else about your state!
>
> Seriously, I'm a moderate when it comes to the issue of Wal-Mart. I 
> believe
>
> there are places for that kind of retail establishment and places where 
> it
> does not fit in and should be opposed. My gut feeling is that most rural
> communities in Oregon will be better off without Wal-Mart.
>
> Now, if anyone on either side of this issue still feels inclined to  speak
> to
> me, can I ask you another  stupid-outsider-kind-of-question?
> Which county is a better place, overall,  to live: Washington,  Clackamas,
> or
> Yamill? Or does it make a difference?
>
>
> Joy
> "I don't know  where I've been or what I've done,
> but I wouldn't have missed it for the  world."
> --- Red Skeleton
>
>
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