Why I won't be moving to Kalispell Public Comment from Gerald PattersonJust want to let you all know why I declined multiple job offers to work in Kalispell. Sure I love the mountains and even in winter despite being a native Southerner, I can adapt to
the cold and snow as I have in Washington state for the past 5 years. But what I can't adapt to is something that your town has allowed to happen that is ongoing in EVERY single community
in the United States, regardless of if its urban or rural.
You the local governments have allowed modern slave labor to become entrenched in all areas of America. You have done nothing to address and put pressure on employers to raise their
wages to levels of living affordability. Three jobs I applied to in your small city as a CDL Class B driver were for $19 an hour, $22 an hour and $17.50 an hour. FYI neither of those
companies listed their wages when I applied, otherwise I wouldn't have wasted my time.
I'm not talking about pushing local government to increase their minimum wages. I'm talking about directly keeping tabs on what is supposed to be career jobs that people WANT TO WORK
by employers and seeing how their wages are flat for years on end, or the pay increases so little every year and your government not putting actual pressure on your own community to
call them out. I'm not referring to the typical part time retail, hospitality, or service industry starter jobs that are usually part-time. Those jobs in your own town pay up to $18
an hour..even part time yet your industries and hard labor jobs, even in government pay pennies more?
And to top it off, you all, just like 99.9% of local governments allow unchecked buying and flipping of homes and the Airbnbing of your town. Home prices in America have increased an
average of over 160% since 2000, in Montana, it's over 270%. Why? Because after the Great Recession, individuals who had decent credit started buying up properties left and right,
joined in creating multiple investment/hedge funds that bought up residential properties from trailer parks, condos, apartment complexes, individual homes (usually an entire street
at a time) and so on, so they could secure a 10-20 percent annual return. To hell what it does to those who aren't wealthy and work a regular job.
And then the millions of people who bought up homes and said "why rent this 3/2 house for $1,000 a month when I can rent out entire rooms for $800 a month and make nearly three times
the money?" "Ooh, I'll have money left over, so let me do this over and over and be a large property owner and this way it's my sole income source!" Yeah....and how many of you in
the Kalispell government said in recent years "people need to go back to work?". This is their work...buying and flipping homes, renting out rooms at the expense of rocketing up everyone's
housing values and expenses all around. Because you all in local, county and state governments refuse to address the unchecked artifical run-up of housing, congratulations...you allowed
the housing affordability vs income gap to widen to its largest gap ever.
Exactly what do you think is the endgame here? You think this path us going to lead your city to some prosperity for all to enjoy? Homelessness isn't going to be an issue for your
town? Oh, yeah..bring in "affordable" housing is the answer right? Folks can buy a new rapidly built junk quality home or condo for $300,000? Rent one for $2,000 a month? Just make
sure you stay below the poverty level and don't try and succeed and make too much. Wow, what a great incentive.
Your government is like every other one in the United States...selling out to big business and investors at the expense of breaking the back of the common worker. Good luck attracting
everyday average workers to your town. But the wealthy are actually the only ones allowed...I understand.