Bullhound posted
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>couldn't afford an ATV if they wanted one. They live in places like Elk City, Peirce, Weippe, Elk River, Bovil, and so on. Alot of these people worked for years for outfitts like Potlatch Corp. Most are struggling like hell now to survive. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bullhound, hopefully I don't piss you off, and we can have a civil discussion.
Here is my take on these towns.
I have spent considerable time in Elk City, so that is the one I will comment on, I have driven thru the rest, but can't say that I have even bought a soda pop in them.
I do not think the whole town of Elk City is in the SSS category, and I actually think there is a wide variety of thought in that town on most of these subjects. I have spent wayyyyyyyyyyy to many nights in the Reno Club, sipping on long neck Coors Lights, to not feel like I have some sense of the spectrum of opinions.
I have never bought more than one beer in the Reno Club, as generally, one of the locals will start picking up my tab, maybe it is just my charm, maybe just my wit, but they seem to like to have intelligent discussions. I have talked about breaching dams, wolf re-introduction, and
Welfare Ranching and never had anybody raise a voice in anger toward me. I think some people on these boards may not give adequate credit to the ability of these people to think for themselves.
From my observations, Elk City has the following:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Civil Servants (Forest Circus, Transportation Dept, County and the School)<LI>Business Owners (South Fork, Corner Store, Grocery Store, Reno Club, etc.. etc..)
<LI>Gypo Loggers
<LI>Retirees
<LI>Welfare Recipients[/list]
From my point of view, the Welfare people don't care about jobs, they actually live there and move there to make sure they don't have a chance at a job. It is the most amazing thing, but I think they prefer not working. They don't care about hunting, fishing, wolves or frogs. They just want to have more white trash babies and get a check from the goverment each month.
The retirees enjoy living back there, and being somewhat isolated from the stresses of a city/town. Life is good, they can drink coffee downtown, drive to Grangeville once a week for Dr. appointments, and generally complain about the weather. These guys all will complain about Wolves, but none of them have ever seen a wolf. They do know somebody who talked to somebody who has a brother who used to be in jail with a guy that slept with the wife of a guy that saw man who saw a wolf track.
But, they will never see a wolf, nor will they ever SSS a wolf, despite their claims. For these guys, hunting is loading up in the pick up and driving up Wheeler, hoping to find a white tail doe standing next to the road.
The Gypo Loggers aren't hunters either, or they sure don't seem to care about it. For them, life is chainsaws and 12-packs. Yes, they complain about the logging/timber industry, but they really don't care about Elk or Wolves.
The Business Owners actually do care about the Wolves, and would like to see them gone, as the F&G has bad mouthed that unit so bad, that the non-residents (read that as Californians with $$$$$) aren't coming to town each October. Everybody is convinced there are no Elk in that unit, as the Wolves ate them all. But none of the owners of the businesses in town have any time to go hunt wolves, so I doubt they SSS.
And finally the Civil Servants, I don't think they are that adamant about the wolves. Most of them are educated people, and the more education a person has, the more acceptance/tolerance one has for reintroduction.
You'll notice I didn't mention the Mill Workers. I have yet to meet a Mill Worker from Elk City in the Bar. It seems like all the mill workers are actually from Grangeville, and they don't care about Elk City, they just like the job they drive into.
Nor do they care about Wolves.
What does all that mean? Hell, I don't know, but it was interesting to think about.
Actually, I guess the point is, we shouldn't feel too sorry for the people of Elk City, as they live there by choice, and some of that choice is done knowing there are few jobs. I would love to live in Elk City year round, but I know I can make a lot more money outside of the Clearwater region, so I live elsewhere. I do not feel anybody owes me a high paying job in Elk City, nor do I think these guys in Elk City want sympathy for not being able to affor ATV;s. They make choices, and for the most part, they have chosen a different lifestyle than I, but they like living there, and they know the ups and downs, and don't want your sympathy nor do they feel they need the government to fix all their problems.
I would guess that Buzz could easily walk into the Reno Club, pull up a stool, and be able to have a conversation without getting his teeth rearranged.
