Turned down a job in gun-friendly New Mexico. Am I crazy?

[JJohnston015]

I'm currently in Bakersfield, PRK. The job was in Roswell, NM. It was essentially the same kind of work, at about 25% less pay (less of a cut when compared to the cost of living).

But Roswell is a DUMP. I'm now more certain than ever that whatever happened there in 1947 was not a UFO crash, because no one, not even aliens, would go there voluntarily. If it WAS a UFO, it can only be that they were lost and were looking at a map and not watching where they were going. Bakersfield is actually quite nice by comparison.

As my dad said, if there aren't definite, clear, articulable benefits to swiching, you probably shouldn't do it - and the more gun-friendly climate is about the only benefit I could see.

After 12 years of just saying I was going to get out of PRK, I finally did something, and this was the first job I tried for, and I was sure I was going to take it, until I saw the place.

Thoughts? Discussion?

 

[TallPine]

From what I know, New Mexico is not especially "gun-friendly" compared with states like Arizona and Montana.

What kind of work are you looking for ...?

 

[El Tejon]

Residents of that square state will forgive me, but Albaquirky and Santa Flake have all kinds of pull disproportionate to their size. Witness the recent carry "reform" and surrounding silliness.

That said, always have a good time when there even though I did not wear silly hats or bolo ties or talk about the bears I have shot.

 

[JJohnston015]

NM allows open carry, and they just enacted CCW. There are no other laws - federal only. Strong pre-emption law.

Civil Engineering/construction. That kind of work tends to get shut down during winter, so Montana's out.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I spent two months on the road last summer looking for a better place to live. These things take awhile.

 

[Walosi]

I spent (or mis-spent) my high school era youth in a little NM town that considered Roswell to be one of the "big cities". Great people, and fifty years ago, a NM "liberal" was someone who thought you shouldn't drink on Sunday. The remnants of that thinking is what drives the gun-friendly part of the state now. I'm better off where I am. You have to make your own decisions. to paraphrase - "If it don't fit, don't commit". NM winters aren't as harsh as some, but they can be bad enough to cause long construction shut-downs. Don't worry about it. There are better places out there.

 

[JeanC]

Crazy? No I don't think so. I've considered moving to find a better living, but I never really clicked with any place I considered. They had some nice things going for them (better restaraunts, more cultural activities, etc), but they just weren't were I wanted to actually live.

If you HAVE to make yourself really like a place, it isn't the place for you.

 

[Art Eatman]

Roswell is one of those "on the edge of" places. It's on the eastern edge of good hunting country, for instance. Not far from antelope country to the NW. Not far from Cloudcroft or Ruidosa--the latter with its winter skiing and summer pari-mutual horse racing. Federal non-park land west of Carlsbad, north of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Dunno about the fishing in the Pecos River, there...

But right around Roswell, it sho' is flat!

, Art

 

[Dave R]

Never been to Roswell. Been to Ruidosa, though. Pretty country.

Here are some off-the-wall thoughts.

-I'm guessing that 25% pay cut is equivalent to a 15% pay raise after cost-of-living adjustments.

-Hunting will be better.

-Fishing will be better.

-Shooting will be better.

-Skiing will be better.

-You can buy semi-automatic rifles and a wider assortment of pistols, if that does anything for you.

-No threat of an ammo tax.

-The place is a dump? The town or the place you will be working? If the town is a dump, live out of town. For the price of a modest home in Bakersfield, you might be able to get acreage in Roswell. If work is a dump, then stay where you are.

-What are the people like in Roswell? If the people are good, doesn't matter to me if the architecture is outdated or the buildings are old. You may have different criteria.

 

[stellarpod]

Ditto Art and Dave R.

I lived in Artesia, NM (about 60 miles south of Roswell) when I was a kid. Although the immediate area wasn't what I'd call "scenic" the short drive to some marvelous pinon-pine forest to the west, and another 30 miles to White Sands kind of sums it up for me. There is just about whatever climate you want in New Mexico.

I'd give up the metropolis of Oklahoma City for a simple life in New Mexico if I could find the means to support my family.

stellarpod

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

My wife owns 220 acres in Roosevelt county, NM kinda NE of Roswell. She's never seen it; just pays her taxes on it from the income she gets for letting some geezernaut graze 10 head of scrawny cattle on it every year. My understanding of the land quality is that it barely supports these 10 head, but that's another story.

We may go see it someday, just to look, but I'd imagine it's pretty much the same as looking at any patch of dust west of Weatherford, TX. One idea we did have is to put up teepees and open it up to ecotourists or UFO spotter types and make a fortune. I did a quick Monster search for jobs out that way and there's just not too much available for folks with my 'specialties'. Now, if I wanted to generalize, there's probably a fair amount of work to be had, but I've gotten somewhat accustomed to a quality of soft living in my advancing old age and infirmity. Besides, I like humid weather too much, and the ranges and gun stores here know me by first name, for the most part.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[coonan357]

i'd say do it , better than Illinoyed or newyork or Maryland .

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

As a Sicilian American, I couldn't live out in places like New Mexico. Only Italians out there are in the Witness Protection. You got my thumbs up for turning it down. Hang in there -- the right job might be around the corner.

 

[Zorro]

New Mexico is a great state, IF! you mainly want to be left alone and like just walking in the Praries and Desserts and Mountains.

If you want Theaters and Homosexuals then, no New Mexico isn't your kind of place.

Me? I'm a Dessert Rat! Love the Place! All I need is a way to earn a honest living in Carlsbad, NM!



AWSOME! Public Rifle Range in Carlsbad too! 1,000 Yards!

 

[Freightman]

Well I am not very far from there 300 miles or so not far as we recon distance, and I had rather starve in Roswell than get fat in PRK sorry that is my opinion.

 

[Neal Bloom]

Roswell is not representative of New Mexico. Quite a diverse geography and climate. Good hunting, fishing, backpacking and other activities. The politics are quirky and all the new 'immigrants' (Californians, New Yorkers, noveau riche... etc) make it worse. They come here with an attitude that we are ignorant natives and need educating. Or they try to adopt the 'culture' and look silly in their bolo ties, long skirts and concha belts.

The other immigrant problem from south of the border has created communities called 'colonias' which really are something out of the 3rd world. Amazing to see these ramshackle colonias and across a field or river are ranch homes and mansions for the upper crust. While there are a lot of poor people there seem to be a lot of people with money.

Jobs are scarce. 60% of all jobs in New Mexico are government related. The state would dry up if it weren't for the Federal govenment. A classic example of a welfare state.

I am a native and while it does have it problems I remain. Spent time in high school and college in California and could not wait to get back to my beloved mountains in New Mexico. Really don't want to live anywhere else.

 

[fallingblock]

A good word or two for Eastern N.M....

Roswell does come across as somewhat 'less than inspiring', but I spent four years at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales and, while Art is perfectly correct about the flatness of the landscape, the 'edge' comment is also spot-on. There are pronghorn to hunt and mule deer in the arroyos and caprock canyons, lots of quail and rabbits too, both cottontail and jack.

That cottontail is Sylvilagus auduboni, cousin to Sylvilagus aquaticus:

"We may go see it someday, just to look, but I'd imagine it's pretty much the same as looking at any patch of dust west of Weatherford, TX. One idea we did have is to put up teepees and open it up to ecotourists or UFO spotter types and make a fortune."

Roosevelt County has a few nice spots scattered around; I nearly bought a nice little rock house on 10 acres out near Boone Draw back in 1981...for $10,000 it would have been cheaper than the rent in town! Go look at your wife's place some time, and get to know some of the folks in the "Baptist Belt"

Stellarpod, Freightman and Zorro: I agree!

Neal Bloom: I've heard about the "new" Albiquirky and Santa Pay
residents from my buddy in Ft. Sumner....too bad they finally found N.M. on the map Y'all need some N.M. bumper stickers like I saw in Colorado 20 years ago: "Don't Californicate Colorado".
Our neighbor to the west here in Alice Springs is an 'expat' Santa Fe potter who thought it was getting too crowded and expensive there

 

[JJohnston015]

Maybe I should've said so at first: I'm also a New Mexico native. Spent the first 24 years of my life in the "Kerky" and Las Cruces. In fact, I always considered California temporary, even though "temporary" has become 12 years.

The other stuff:

Better skiing - that was, in fact, one of the main selling points. (too many Texans skiing there though - you know the old saying: If God had wanted Texans to ski, He'd have made bull **** white. )

Hunting - I'm not much of a hunter, so what's available around here is okay.

Fishing - I don't.

Shooting - The only range I've ever been to that allows holstered handguns is 27 minutes from my door here. There's also plenty of uninhabited, NM-like scrub desert around here.

Better gun availability - Touche.

As a Sicilian American, I couldn't live out in places like New Mexico. Only Italians out there are in the Witness Protection.

That explains the cashier at Wendy's.

*sigh* I'm going to keep looking, and I'll get out someday, but I have no regrets for now.

 

[Dave T]

My sister spent 17 years living and working in NM. I have visited often and heard countless first hand accounts.

It is indeed a "land of enchantment" if you like scenic beauty and variety. The problem is the state government. They are very left wing (Democrats). It is a welfair state as aluded to above. NM went for Gore in the last election - although it took a good bit of voter fraud in Albequerque.

My sister worked for the state government and the frustration finally drove her back to Arizona.

It is a beautiful place and there are some great people there but they fight a constant battle with the liberal/socialists.

 

[Echo23TC]

DJJ -

Don't put Montana out, the DOT is always looking for Civil Engineers, Year 'round.

www.mdt.state.mt.us/departments/personnel/eng_opp

Skiing is good, and there are plenty of places to shoot. Gun availability - Normally, if they've got it and NICS is up, you walk out with it in about 15 minutes. If you've got your carry permit, you pay, fill out the form, and walk out with it. Oh, carry permits are $50 for 4 years, shall issue. You do have to have some kind of training.

The bad part, of course, is the generally lower pay. That's kind of offset by lower housing costs.

Check it out, we need some California transplants that will fit in!

 

[ball3006]

I have heard NM called land of....

enchantment and also land of entrapment. I only have experience in the NE corner where I would move to if given the opportunity. Anywhere beats California, and I have been there, with the exception of Illinoise and the north east part of the country. Spent two months at the White Sands missile range in the 70's and it is all what you make of where you live. I have 8 years to go before retirement then it will be winters in Texas and summers in the UP.......chris3

 

[Russ]

DJJ,

I lived in Bakersfield for 12 years before I moved to Kentucky a year and a half ago. I really miss Bakersfield. It is a nice sized city and you can get everything you want there. They even have a Trader Joe's! (You should check it out if you haven't already!)

However, I hated the Summers there. It got unbearably hot for quite alot of it as you know. Probably not much different than Roswell.

While the gun laws in CA suck big time, because we were ruled by the fruits in SF and LA, the place is very conservative politically. If Roswell is worse than Bakersfield in the Summer then you don't want to go there.

NM is not nearly as gun friendly as Arizona, Nevada or Utah. I think even Oregon and Washington might be better in some cases. While they did just get CCW in NM, most of the other states around it have had it for some time and a CCW is not as hard to get.

Just keep looking around. Flagstaff, AZ is a really neat place if you can find work. Utah is nice too but real estate is expensive there. Don't kick yourself. I live in place that is like the Garden of Eden compared to Bakersfield but I still miss it there. Just remember, in 45 minutes, you can be in Balch Park next to some amazing Sequoia trees.

Good luck finding something. You will. The economy is ready to take off and things will be a little easier.

Russ

 

[FPrice]

DJJ...

"Thoughts? Discussion?"

Moving to a gun-friendly state is certainly a plus, but it should NOT be your only reason to go. But your job and the place you live are VERY critical to any decision concerning moving. I would not move to a more gun-friendly state if I did not think that I would enjoy living in the place I was moving to. If you don't think you would like living there, you probably won't.

Look for other places in other gun-friendly states.

 

[Erich]

I would respond to this thread, but I have to shoot a bear that's breaking into my office!

 

[George Hill]

Me, personally... I'd have gone.

My thought process would have been like this:
"A ticket out of California?" *swoosh*
/you can hear in the distance the fading sounds of running feet.