Home Mobile Archives Reader Blogs Register Login

Monday, July 17, 2006

North Dakota Gets Two Spots On The Best Places To Live List

Outmigrated Nodaker points out that Bismarck and Fargo got spots 77 and 64, respectively, on Money Magazine's "Top 100 Places To Live" list.

Not a bad showing for such a little state. Taking a gander at a map (links located in the middle of the page near the top) of the winners/finalists indicates that North Dakota having two cities in the finals was pretty significant. A number of states had no cities in the finals, and even more had only one city.

Democrats here in North Dakota often make a big deal out of how bad things are here in North Dakota. They complain about low wages (of course, they never want to mention cost of living in that discussion), few jobs and a lack of cultural experiences. It is interesting when we get confirmation from an outside source that North Dakota actually isn't that bad of a place after all.

It certainly makes me think that these complaints from Democrats are little more than the petty whinings of an out-of-power political party that desperately wants to be back in power.

Comments

Avatar for jason

And on the 10 Best Big Cities to live in, Austin, TX gets #2.  Hooooooaaaa!!

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top100/bigcities.html

Must be that liberal CNN bias, huh?

jason on July 17, 2006 at 10:49 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

What cities in North Dakota would be considered Democratic/"Blue" cities?

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 01:10 pm
Avatar for robert108

jason: Austin, TX is way liberal, if that’s what you mean.  It’s a bright blue city in a bright red state.

robert108 on July 17, 2006 at 01:58 pm
Avatar for Zsa Zsa

Robert108...To say Austin is way liberal is putting it mildly. BUT, that is nice of you to put it that way. Austin is a fun town despite all the strange characters. Maybe because of all the characters???

Zsa Zsa on July 17, 2006 at 02:05 pm
Avatar for robert108

ZZ: IMO, Austin is the Berkeley of Texas, with much better music.

robert108 on July 17, 2006 at 02:11 pm
Avatar for Puzzlefeet

Anon, Grand Forks is somewhat blue and Fargo is turning bluer. The western part of the state is the reddest as is the central part. Legislatively, it is definitely red as are state wide officials.  However, parts are turning bluer, like the Fargo City commission. Overall the state is pretty red, though change is being seen in the Fargo area.

Puzzlefeet on July 17, 2006 at 02:56 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

So then the city in North Dakota rated the highest is a blue city, and one of the bluer city in the state, i.e...sort-of like Austin in Texas

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 03:06 pm
Avatar for robert108

So, maybe the survey is a little biased to the left?

robert108 on July 17, 2006 at 03:28 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

it could mean that, among other things..

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 03:33 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

..it could mean that, but it could also mean something else.

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 03:35 pm
Avatar for Rodney Graves

Hmm…

Interesting study.  Clicked around it some… I currenlty live not far from Livermore (#31 on the list, Fremont to be precise), but am moving soon (to San Jose, much closer to work).  I also lived in Hoover, AL (#75) for a couple of years.

Frankly, the only things going for CA in my estimation are the climate and the rate of real estate appreciation.  Retirement will most cetainly be somewhere else (on the proceeds from the home, a process known in the West as Californicating).

Come on Retirement!

Out Here
Rodney Graves

Rodney Graves on July 17, 2006 at 04:26 pm
Rob
Rob
18553 comments
Send a private message

Overall the state is pretty red, though change is being seen in the Fargo area.

North Dakota isn’t going blue any time soon, Puzzle’s wishful thinking aside.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on July 17, 2006 at 05:27 pm
Avatar for gilbyguy

Its a shame the way Gilby was shunned by the acadamy. :(

gilbyguy on July 17, 2006 at 05:35 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

pUZZLE says,

Overall the state is pretty red, though change is being seen in the Fargo area.

rob says,

North Dakota isn’t going blue any time soon, Puzzle’s wishful thinking aside.

rob I don’t think he is saying North Dakota will turn blue. In fact I think he is saying quite the opposite,

Overall the state is pretty red

what he is saying in response to my asking of which cities in North Dakota are blues is that Fargo, North Dakota’s “Best Place to Live” is turning blue.

..and actally, Fargo is not turning blue, it is VERY blue already(11th district).

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 06:04 pm
Avatar for robert108

Big cities are inherently socialist(leftie) because of the absolute dependence on city govt for services.  People who live in the country are more independent, and so recognize the inherent fallacies of socialism.

robert108 on July 17, 2006 at 06:05 pm
Avatar for gilbyguy

Oh Come On aNNON!!!!!! in cass county there are 27 legislators, 23 (or 22 if you don’t count Sandvig) are Republicans, Fargo isn’t goin Democrat anytime soon.  Please ..... really.

gilbyguy on July 17, 2006 at 06:18 pm
Rob
Rob
18553 comments
Send a private message

Anon, you picked one district of several that cover the Fargo area.

Try looking at District’s 21, 41, 46, 27, 13, and 22.  District 11 (which you named) has three Democrats.  District 21 has two.  The other districts that make up the Fargo area, combined, have 16 Republicans.

In short, 16 Republicans versus 5 Demcorats for the Fargo area.

Yeah, real blue.  Notice also that District 11 has NDSU in it.  All those professors and college students case an aberration.  Fargo, except for the influence of NDSU, is as red as the rest of the state.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on July 17, 2006 at 06:20 pm
Avatar for gilbyguy

There are 9 districts in Cass County ... 7 of them are totaly controled (3 out of 3) by repoublican legislators.  1 district (the one that aNNON mentioned) has three democrats and one other one has two democrats, one republican.  Very Blue ... Indeed!!!

gilbyguy on July 17, 2006 at 06:21 pm
Avatar for aNONMISLY

North Dakotan who live in the country are seen their neighbors become more and more few

aNONMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 06:26 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

ROB, a policy of relatively low taxes seems to be one of the reason behind Fargo’s success.

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 06:29 pm
Rob
Rob
18553 comments
Send a private message

North Dakotan who live in the country are seen their neighbors become more and more few

Anon, we already had this outmigration talk.  What’s your point?

You just trying to be irritating?  Or maybe trying to change the subject after you just got exposed as a fool on the whole “Fargo is already blue” thing?

Maybe you’d like to call me fat and ugly again.

ROB, a policy of relatively low taxes seems to be one of the reason behind Fargo’s success.

Thanks to Republican majority leadership, though to be honest with you Fargo has the highest taxes in the state.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on July 17, 2006 at 06:33 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

Anon, you picked one district of several that cover the Fargo area.

Try looking at District’s 21, 41, 46, 27, 13, and 22. District 11 (which you named) has three Democrats. District 21 has two. The other districts that make up the Fargo area, combined, have 16 Republicans.

In short, 16 Republicans versus 5 Demcorats for the Fargo area.

Yeah, real blue. Notice also that District 11 has NDSU in it. All those professors and college students case an aberration. Fargo, except for the influence of NDSU, is as red as the rest of the state.

I picked the district that includes Fargo City, which was the city rated as “the Best Place to Live” in North Dakota by the Magazine which you cite.

Money Magazine,

See America’s best small CITIES plus the 10 best big cities, including detailed city stats and customizable maps

rob, would those other districts which you cite be considered to include the small city of Fargo, North Dakota?

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 06:39 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

Maybe you’d like to call me fat and ugly again.

rob, that was made in jest, lol

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 06:41 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

Anon, we already had this outmigration talk. What’s your point?

You just trying to be irritating? Or maybe trying to change the subject after you just got exposed as a fool on the whole “Fargo is already blue” thing?

I wasnt trying to change the subject. ..was simply commenting on robertt108’s stamente.

aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 06:45 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

There are 9 districts in Cass County ... 7 of them are totaly controled (3 out of 3) by repoublican legislators. 1 district (the one that aNNON mentioned) has three democrats and one other one has two democrats, one republican. Very Blue ... Indeed!!!

Cass county was not the that was awarded by appearing in Money Magazine, it was the small CITY of Fargo, North Dakota.

Money Magazine,

See America’s best small CITIES plus the 10 best big cities, including detailed city stats and customizable maps

(source)
aNONOMISLY on July 17, 2006 at 06:51 pm
Avatar for jason

robert108:

jason: Austin, TX is way liberal, if that’s what you mean. It’s a bright blue city in a bright red state.

We’re the “Blue Island in the Red Sea” baby!  And proud of it!  Second best big city to live in according to that CNN poll.  You should head down here sometime.  You won’t want to leave.  (That is if you choose to experience the total Austin culture.)

jason on July 17, 2006 at 08:09 pm
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

r108 says,

People who live in the country are more independent, and so recognize the inherent fallacies of socialism

Independent North Dakotan who live in the country side are outmigrating from the farm and inmigrating into greener pastures, the cities.

I’m seriously contemplating a move to ND, probably either to the city of Bismarck or the city of Fargo and so I have recently developed an interest in the State’s politics.

It is fair to say Fargo, ND is a very liberal city in an ultra red, and extremely conservative state. I guess one could say Fargo is the Austin, Texas of North Dakota?

Some research on the name of the city and one quickly finds out that it is actually named after a Democrat from New York. How fitting, isn’t it?, ..

William George Fargo

there you have it: The “Best Place to Live” in North Dakota is is way liberal, a bright blue city in a bright red sea/state. Fargo an Austin, Texas, --a “Blue Island in the Red Sea that is North Dakota”

rob says,

just got exposed as a fool on the whole “Fargo is already blue” thing?

who “just got exposed as a fool on the whole ‘Fargo is [very much red]’ thing?

p.s. rob, whatever happened to your pick? ..

in jest,” lol

grin
aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 02:05 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

*very much as conservative as the rest of ultra red North Dakota

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 02:20 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

to the OP,

Sunnis are a minority in Iraq, however, during the Saddam regime they held the most power.

Today they are both the minority in terms of ethnicities and in terms o power.

They want us to stay because they fear the Iraqi ethnic group we liberated the most, the shiites, ..

Secterian violence has eclipsed al-qaeda:

Although Sunni Arab insurgents have instigated months of violence, Shiite militias such as the powerful Mahdi Army have been blamed in the past week for orchestrating dozens of brutal attacks.

..

The violence erupted July 9 when Shiite Muslim militiamen rampaged through the al-Jihad neighborhood and killed dozens of Sunni Arabs. By Friday, the sixth day, the death toll in Baghdad stood at 628 people, according to Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Nima of the Interior Ministry,
...

Amar al-Zobaie, a resident of Ghazaliyah, said militiamen broadcast their own sentiments through megaphones, walking past his home shouting: “We are all your soldiers, Sadr!”

On Thursday night, gunmen scattered fliers in the street addressed to “the scum of Ghazaliyah,” giving Sunnis 72 hours to leave the neighborhood.

Otherwise death will be your destiny and the destiny of all those who underestimate this, and bullets from the rifles of chivalrous men will land in the heads and chests of those who support evil and shook hands with the devil,” the flier read.

The next day, Sunni groups distributed their own warnings. One flier, which hung on the wall of al-Abbas mosque in Amiriyah, told children not to buy candy or toys from Shiites and instructed their parents to stockpile weapons, leave mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhoods or abandon Baghdad altogether.
At the top of the page, above the list of instructions, the flier read: “What are we going to do when the civil war starts?”

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 03:17 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

WRONG PLACE!

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 03:21 am
Rob
Rob
18553 comments
Send a private message

would those other districts which you cite be considered to include the small city of Fargo, North Dakota?

Yes.  Fargo isn’t a small city by ND standards.  It is our largest city, thus it takes up several legislative districts.

You’re just flat out wrong, not that you’ll admit it.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on July 18, 2006 at 05:27 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

ROB, I’m wiling to concede that you in fact know more about North Dakota than I can dream of ever knowing.

However, I’m still unconvinced that the Fargo menssioned in the article which you cite takes the districts you cite above.

sorry if I may have come out sort-of arrogant, but take a look at this map

the 21st district could perhaps be included, but that would still make Fargo’s delegation overwhelmingly Democratic --[(D)=5, (R)=1)]

what other district do you think are part of the city of Fargo proper?

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 05:40 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

THE 44TH district is also within Fargo [(D)=5, (R)=4)]

still Democratic but dwindiling, by the smallest of margins, lol

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 05:43 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

Districts 41 and 46 are too

[(D)=5, (R)=11]

I admit defeat!

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 05:45 am
Rob
Rob
18553 comments
Send a private message

Anon, this is a better map.  It allows you to zoom in on the Fargo area.

I’ve already told you which districts make up the Fargo area.  If you want to keep beating this to death, go right ahead.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on July 18, 2006 at 05:46 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

27TH DISTRICT TOO +3-R
47TH DISTRICT TOO +3-R

[(D)=5, (R)=17]

(this tally reminds me of the 2000 presidential election, lol)

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 05:56 am
Avatar for aNONOMISLY

Did I get them all?, lol

aNONOMISLY on July 18, 2006 at 06:01 am
Avatar for Paul

I’ve lived in both Chicago and Albany, NY and believe me, Fargo is as liberal as Teddy Kennedy is conservative.

Paul on July 23, 2006 at 07:33 am
Page 1 of 1        

Post a Comment


Before commenting, please recite:

Grant me the serenity to ignore the trolls,
the courage to debate with honest opponents,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Name   
Email   
URL   
Human?
  
 

Upload Image    

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Note: Notifications will only be sent to confirmed email addresses.