what is causing the rapid growth in Southwest Missouri?

[pstokely]

?

[cornermouse]

1. Maybe retirees?

Certainly not job growth. I'm not exaggerating when I say the help wanted section of the newspaper is 1 to 2 pages less than what it was before Bush.

[MoJoWorkin]

2. This is AG land down here in SW MO

Assembly of God HQ, and all the fake religious RW nut jobs are moving to their Mecca. They have their Evangel University and 3 other "religious" colleges here--seminaries, etc. I have seen this area get so much more RW since that happened. Back in the 60's we could actually elect a Dem once in a while. Now we garner maybe 30% for a candidate that is as close to Jesus as we can get.

[pstokely]

3. where are these fundies moving from?

are they moving from other parts of the state or are they coming from other states?

[pstokely]

4. why don't they just rename Springfield Colorado Springs, MO?

this thing happened in Colorado Springs after Dobson moved his headquarters there

[leetrisck]

5. Laotians are swamping this SW area

buying some land - started with mostly chickenhouses. Don't know what's happening - keep trying to find out but can't.

[FeelinGarfunkelly]

6. There's stuff to do...and people are nice.. and jeebus.

Seriously, Springfield and SWMO has seen so much growth (I think) in part due to the draw of Branson. People visit, they see it as a nice place with nice people, folks they can identify with. But I think it goes beyond that.

Yes, we're Jesus Central. The buckle of the Bible Belt. But even with the influx of those people there are also new people, more progressives, coming in. The new downtown Springfield is drawing a new crowd to the area; when you build up a community like that, college students will probably stay rather than go back to St. Louis. As far as jobs go, I just read that some T-Mobile call center is going to bring 700 jobs to Springfield. That's more than anyone since Zenith came in the 1960s.

As much as I absolutely HATE all the friggin Pukes I still love the area because you can get away from it by hittin' the rivers or the lakes, or just go on a road trip. The Ozarks in general are a great place to grow up and learn how to deal with adversity. I really think I'm a better Democrat because I've had to deal with so many damn backwards Republicans. And if more Dems move in, maybe we can move the pukes out!!

[turtlelowe]

7. One hyphenated word, Wal-Mart

I live in the most SW corner of the state and all of our growth is coming from the Wal-Mart Home Office. Property values are going sky high as Wal-Mart spreads from Bella Vista and Bentonville north, to Missouri. It will only be a matter of time before our quiet country towns look like Fayetteville. I will have to move further into the country to get away from it.

[Bosso 63]

9. Bingo!

I once lived in Mc Donald Co., and every time I go back I'm stunned by the changes. I keep hoping that someday it will change from "Red" to "Blue". I won't hold my breath, but a DU post from that part of the world gives me hope. :]

[Broken_Hero]

10. Ha, thats my wife...

we are both in Mcdonald county, and one of the main reasons why SW Missouri is growing is because walmart is spreading further north from bentonville, through bella vista, and now into sw missouri, through jane/pineville/anderson/goodman.....

This county is very damn red, and its the typical church going, rw nut haven...but there are Duer's here in sw missouri for sure...i'm a displaced alaskan, married to a wonderful woman, in sw missouri...:)

[HeeBGBz]

8. Branson's on a big building phase

Branson Landing Convention Center is opening next year. They are supposed to be putting in a gazillion condos in another part of town.

What they need to be doing is putting in affordable housing for the workers or they won't have any people to attend the needs of the rich touristas.

[pdx_prog]

11. I am from Springfield...

I left there in the mid 70's and moved south. I moved out to the west coast in 2000, but before I moved I almost accepted a job in Springfield. The salary the company there offered me was so low I almost laughed out loud. I don't see how there could be such a boom with the low living standard there.

[pstokely]

12. Lots of cheap housing around there