Suggestion for posting in this forum

[ashling]

We are getting some good discussions going here which I think can be very helpful. Most folks who post here will probably be from rural areas, but not all. . . and from different regions.

Anyway, I was thinking that it might be helpful to post the state, region, town, city, as sort of a background.

What do you think?

central Texas

[UL_Approved]

1. North-central Montana

Otherwise know as the Hi-Line.

Open prairie, small towns, huge farms, and a railroad are about the only human activities out here.

If you want some good regional politics, I present the 4-for-2 project. U.S. Highway 2 runs through this area and is essentially the only transportation corridor outside of the BNSF railroad. North Dakota has a four-lane version of Highway 2 across its entire state. Residents on the Hi-Line want this extended. We feel that the old, two-lane road is stopping economic development. Local Democrats and Republicans want to have this happen, but at the state level, a Republican controlled legislature and governorship have put this on a permanent non-funded list through budgeting tactics.

With the newly elected Democrats, like Brian Schweitzer, we are hoping to get something done. After all, U.S. Highway 2 runs through his home district of Flathead County, and the county seat of Kalispell.

[illflem]

3. Another Montanan

What are you doing up so early UL?
West/central in the banana belt of the S. Bitterroot Valley.
Our newly elected governor and almost/maybe 50/50 state assembly make Kerry's defeat bearable. I'm hoping advances in the next few years will swing many voters back to Demo. Lord knows the Reps have done an excellent job of muffing things up.

[UL_Approved]

6. We can only go up from here

The GOP has driven this state into the ground like a tent peg. After all that we have seen and done, we finally got a Democratic state. The Bush thing happened, I think, because a regional candidate was pushed by the Democratic party, and one who was not well enough known by election time.

As for the Bitterroot Valley, I'm sorry. How can you stand to live in the land that hold refugees of the California Neo-con exodus? The scenery is great, but the people?

And as for early in the morning, what's your excuse? I'm up studying for finals.

All in all, great to see more Montanans.

[sandnsea]

16. Stevi & Havre here

I lived in Stevensville from 1988 - 1997, Havre from 1981 - 1984.

:hi:

[TaleWgnDg]

2. What if you've lived in rural, suburban, and urban?

But presently in suburban? heh. Not trying to make things difficult but I can relate to it all.

[ashling]

7. That's great

I just thought it would be a clue as to what colors your look on things. I have lived in rural Mississippi, the suburbs of Wash, DC, and Houston, Texas, the Puget Sound region of Washington State, and now in the country in central Texas.

As far as I'm concerned, urban and suburban are welcome here, but since the forum is specifically Rural Issues ....

on edit: . . . It seems that one of the benefits of this is for us "country folk" to commune with other "country folk", but also, and perhaps more importantly, to brainstorm as to how to get the rest of the folks out here in the country back where they belong - solidly in the Democratic party.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Fine with me

I live in the Arkansas Ozarks. My county is one of the largest area wise and the least populated. There are no traffic signals, no McDonald's, no Wal-Mart. The largest town, the county seat, has less than 400 inhabitants. There is a lot of National Forest here, lots of wildlife, some farming.

[TexasProgresive]

5. In South-central Texas

In a county that is slowly being suburbanized. We have watched in awe as the rural subdivisions have steadily marched towards us. As yet there are none on our road but several city folk have bought land and build McMansion weekend retreats. Few are able to make a living farming here. Most have in town jobs and the traffic on the farm to market roads is getting harrowing.

[ashling]

13. Pretty much the same here in Llano County

[democratreformed]

8. Arkansas

Seven miles out of Bald Knob - on Russell hill to be exact. Our road was still gravel until about four years ago. And, I wish it still was.

[jandrok]

9. CenTex here too....

Caldwell County

Lockhart, Texas

25 miles SE of Austin down highway 183.

Population around 12,000

Lockhart is the County Seat of Caldwell County.

Good to meet fellow Texans here!

[TheMightyFavog]

10. Northeast Wisconsin

Marinette County, up by the Michigan border to be exact.

Lots of family dairy farms going out of buisness no thanks to people voting with their Bibles instead of their brains.


Although Most of the county is strictly Repuke the Dems here are surging. Thanks to the influence of Bart Stupak's district across the river in Menominee, MI, the city of Marinette usually goes Dem. However, outside the city, it's pretty well much Freeper Country.

[MissMarple]

11. Formerly from south central Colorado. But we go back, A LOT.

[MountainLaurel]

12. Now in Northern Virginia

But was raised in West Virginia, about 90 minutes south of Pittsburgh.

[k8conant]

14. I was raised in the Detroit area but have been in WV for 21 years..

I say I moved to the Eastern Panhandle to to get away from the city but damn if the city hasn't been growing out to swallow us up. I'm on the Blue Ridge next to the Shanandoah River.

[sandnsea]

15. A couple

I've lived in rural Montana & Oregon, my extended family lives in rural Arkansas. My mother grew up on a Missouri farm.