Hi, I want to thank Bend for giving me an opportunity to explore the countless mountain biking trails in and around Bend.
As a biking commuter I will be relocating to California since I can bike commute 12 months out of the year without the worry of iced up bike lanes.
I’ve lived here for a mere 5 years and have had little luck meeting proactive, inspired, passionate, enthusiastic, compassionate, honest people in Bend. This is the first city where I have met few contacts who do not flake out. Surprising since this city has been in many magazines that say Bend is a proactive outdoors mecca for athletes. I have met quite a few cyclists mainly out on Phil’s Trail, Mrazek, Deschutes River Trail, Swampy Lakes etc. Working in the grocery retail industry however has allowed me to really meet many residents here in Bend and most seem very on guard or reserved. Why? This whole area is surrounded by stunning country with the Cascade mountain range to our west and Smith Rock to our north.
Perhaps the inspiring 2030 plan that is now in effect will offer some solutions to this when it brings in those huge companies like AT&T, Qwest, and Nike who will offer a combined 20,000 jobs. The average pay will be around $17.00 per hour….Uhhh NOT! More like low-end restaurants. And when I visit in 20 years I won’t be able to distinguish Sunriver from Bend. By then the intelligent people would have moved on to a more viable state.
The median income in Bend is $40,000…Ooooooh what a wonderful salary of $10.00 per hour. I do have a friend who is a trader making $10,000 per month so perhaps we should have classes on how to be traders and give the low-paying jobs to those who have a 3rd grade education.
There is definitely money to be made and there are those saavy enough to make bank…outside of working here in Bend. I see plenty of people at restaurants spending plenty of money so it is obvious people are still making bank. To all of you out there, check out YouTube. They offer video options on how to make serious money like $10,000 a week.
Good luck to you all.
Ralph
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2009.
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Don’t let the door hit ya where the dog bit ya!!!
“Iâ ™ve lived here for a mere 5 years and have had little luck meeting proactive, inspired, passionate, enthusiastic, compassionate, honest people in Bend. This is the first city where I have met few contacts who do not flake out. ”
Very well said. It is one weird community. Passed off like a small town and just won’t grow up – politically, economically and mannerism-wise to be the big city it really is. Honest is the word I focus on in your farewell. Not too many honest people in these parts or if there are they sure stay hidden. Greed is a word you missed. Good luck to you. Don’t worry too much about the beautiful Cascades. Remember they are volcanoes and at least 1 could blow in the very near future.
Bye-bye. Write if you find work.
(Ok guys, you can all stop hiding now. He’s gone)
Ralph thank you for your letter of encouragement, your moving on letter brought hope to my heart, maybe just maybe more like you will follow.
Dear RALPH,
We are sincerely disappointed that our amenities did not meet your expectations. However, we regret to inform you that no refunds are available. We do hope you give us another chance to serve you in the future.
Love,
Bend, Inc.
P.S. Bring more money and a girlfriend next time!
As someone who fled California, someone who lived all over the state, and someone who worked in small towns and truly huge metropolitan cities, I’d like to know the location of this Nirvana you are migrating to. Bend is another place to live with the same kind of people you find everywhere else. Too bad that if the five years you were here you never made contact with people who mattered to you. Most people who lack that egocentric perspective of smugness you seem to display successfully find people they can make a connection with almost immediately. Of course, they are obviously less intelligent and sophisticated than you.
There are such places in California; they’re growing more affordable by the day. Ralph has a point – this is a real-estate driven, ponzi-scheme resort place, rather than your average working town. But never fear. The emperor has no clothes; that’s becoming obvious. The RE money is about spent. Then Bend will return to the nice, albeit poverty-stricken, place it was 30 years ago. And that won’t be a bad thing.
The “grocery” business you were in… that wouldn’t happen to be serving cooked “groceries” as owner of a couple recently-closed restaurants, would it?
Ralph’s gotta be the most uppity supermarket checkout clerk I’ve ever heard of.
Rapunzel
Hey man–I’ve been working here for decades and have never worked in Real Estate, construction or overpriced restaurants. Any schmuck who has the nerve to come here and bitch about not being able to ride his bike all year round can go back to where he came from. It amazes me–the grass is always greener somewhere else. What will Ralphie be bitching about in five years?
no matter where you go you will bring yourself with you so nothing will change
I’m following Ralph this Spring, just not to CA, but South West. Rather you love Bend or not, problem is finding year round solid work in Bend these days that pays in match with living expenses is very hard. All in all Bend is not a town for the poor, or the low middle class. Bend is a town for the upper middle class and wealthy. There are plenty of small towns in just as kick ass recreational places, if not better that are more suited for those of us that make $30g or less. Towns that if you drive a Mini that is considered a rich man’s car. Like Ralph, I’m another one you can clap your hands and rejoice as I and my family are leaving to a more affordable and even better weather outdoor recreational town. And down the road as I come back to visit other family, it will bring a smile to my face if I see more and more fancy restaurants and shops close their doors, hopefully to be regenerated with a true cluster of eateries and shops that do not require a full month’s pay to enjoy. And I won’t even start with Bachelor, such a world class resort that is.
Even the middle class in this town is getting its ass kicked.
Hey Ralph…I guess you never met any of the “proactive, inspired, passionate, enthusiastic, compassionate, honest people in Bend” that help to make recreation around here what it is. Have you ever heard of COTA? the Tumalo Langlauf club? MBSEF? All the people that volunteer to put on events like the Cascade Cycling Classic and Pole, Pedal, Paddle? Or all the folks that work full-time within city and county government that never get any thanks? And those advocates that show up at various committees to make cycling and outdoor recreation here what it is? and the journalists that continually report on cycling, fishing, trail running, paddling and all that good stuff we enjoy here. oh yeah…none of those people exist because you never met them. Silly me. A community is what you make of it. If you want to meet some of those folks, try getting involved and you might have better luck. yeah…there aren’t many paying jobs here you can live off of and some people have two or three jobs to make ends meet. Having skills and an education MIGHT get you a better job here, or it it might not. But ya know what? I have my own gripes about this place, it’s not perfect. But, I’ll take low pay and killer fly fishing over brushfires, mudslides, earthquakes and drive-by shootings any day. In ‘n’ Out burger is totally overrated also. Don’t forget to pay sales tax when get back to paradise.
what’s the motto here? cowards won’t show and the weak will die? wait..no, that’s not it. that’s right, it’s: when you see that sign that says welcome to oregon….that means you’re not in California, and if you want to be in California, turn around now and don’t whine about it later. If Ralph were part of the Donner party….my guess is he would have been eaten first.