Life in Bartlesville, OK
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9/3/2006
I live in the historic district in Bartlesville. Yes, housing costs are low. Yes, cost of living is low in some categories (other than state income tax), but you also pay for that in other ways. The summers are hell on earth. The local "newspaper" can't even write grammatical sentences, let alone report honestly. Government is a joke, on the whole. Sure, there are friendly people here--but there are friendly people everywhere. However, you'd best be prepared to be a flag-waving, neo-conservative, Bible-thumpin' Republican. In many ways I have a great life--lots of friends, community groups, and an incredible house, which I love dearly, at comparative low cost. However, living in the land of "group think," where say, a member of the Libertarian Party (which I'm not) would be close to being run out of town on a rail, with a government that makes the Three Stooges look like intelligentsia, think twice. Example: after running through city employees, they now want to hire someone to be city manager who isn't even sure if he wanted the job. He lives 1.8 miles outside Bartlesville in another county. City regs say you must live in the city to work for the city. So, what does the city council decide to do, without cost/liability studies and future impact? They decide to annex his property and all property in between his land and the city. Then they get upset and angry if citizens ask: what do the other landowners think? How much will this cost us now? How much cost/liability will we incur in the future? Etc. They decide, grandiosely, what they want on the spur of the moment. They cut citizens off when they show up at meetings to voice comments; then complain that enough citizens don't get involved. If you're looking for true graciousness (which involves more than surface "good manners"), this isn't the place. If you want to live in a nice house in a fairly comfy town, move here, but then be prepared to go out of town for good medical care (medical care around here is a standing joke), real culture, diversity in people and thinking, a stimulating environment, and something other than a droning, cult-like chant of how wonderful the place is. Shopping? Go out of town. Make sure you filter your water. Basically, if you'd like to buy a great house in a pretty setting, and then use it as a base to launch yourself elsewhere, come here. But remember: OK taxes are hell, the summer is hell, and unless you think that sitting on your porch admiring the view while chanting "eve
Ardith | Bartlesville, OK