[pct-l] JMT Query from AT Forum

[dsaufley]

I would take this another step further.  Back in the 60s during the height
of the hippie drug era, hippies, many from California's Haight Ashbury,
invaded Oregon. They moved into farm areas, where many let's say, extreme
"right wing" types lived. Imagine Burning Man taking place in the middle of
Lubbock, Texas.  The hippies preached free love and believed in what could
be described as socialism; they believed the land and possessions should be
shared. They moved into rural areas and often lived communally.
Unfortunately, from what I've heard, they felt that the tools and produce on
farms in Oregon were also resources to be shared, lived on land that belong
to others, and helped themselves to five-fingered discounts.  The result was
culture clash, and ill feeling towards hippie-looking types.  If you're
seemingly unemployed and have time to be hiking for five months and look an
awful lot like a hippie, you're suspicious and unwelcome to some who still
harbor these sour memories.

These ill feelings were exacerbated by the real estate invasion of the 80s,
which brought a new type of character to Oregon from California:  yuppies.
The exodus from high California real estate prices unfortunately drove up
the market in Oregon, which priced many people out of their local real
estate market and drove up property taxes. 

I guess it's understandable some resent Californians.  In my business
travels throughout the country, I found other states where people feel that
Californians are off the deep end.  

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Brian Lewis
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 4:18 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] JMT Query from AT Forum

"Can you shed any light on this whole California treatment I sensed I was
getting from people in Oregon? Why don't they like Californians?"

I'm not Ellen, but ...
When I was a youth growing up in Oregon there was a certain dislike felt for
Californians who move up north and buy (for us) really expensive houses.
Their real estate prices were higher, and at that time at least, to avoid
paying capital gains taxes from selling a modest home in CA, they would buy
a house of equivalent cost in OR, getting a relative mansion.    We had
"Oregon Ungreeting cards" to send to out of staters to encourage them to
come visit and bring their tourist dollars, but not to stay.   I imagine
some of this overall idea persists.

Not difficult to do an internet search and come up with some ideas about
this, such as:
http://www.oregonlive.com/century/1970_intro.html


Brian Lewis / Gadget '08
http://postholer.com/brianle
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