There is an energy to Lake Ontario, and the air smells different by it. I lived in Oswego for awhile and basically visited it frequently growing up as my Stepfather was from there and we would go for holidays etc. Oswego is about 20-25 minutes from my home and I also live close to the Seneca River. Right now there is quite a bit of flooding due to rain and the river is quite violent. I know exactly what you mean. It seems to effect people differently depending on their affinity.
Jeanne thank you. But why are rural areas more conservative, the cliche is ridiculous in that its true. Why are people so malleable, I can't stand how few people think. I work with rural Massachusetts people, im used to hearing right wing talking points like Canada has death panel's etc.... why why are people so easy to brainwash.
Im sorry Jeanne, just rereading your post. You mentioned new york going underwater by end of century. Are we still going to be dealing with conservative vs. Liberal at that point. Are people still going to be denying climate change then? I just feel so uncomfortable thinking that humanity won't resolve these conflicts by then.
Thanks so much, Jeanne. That is a tremendous help to me.
One more follow-up question: All of the places you mention are back east. What about the west?
I do not think I can move my household by myself across the country.
NY's Capital is in Albany. Upstate in rural areas are pretty conservative but we also have a number of midsize cities that temper that-- Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, hell, even Ithaca. Even as you go downstate, there are more cities like that Newburgh, Beacon etc. Bet even our Republicans are considered moderate except for a few of questionable notoriety. I think most of them got a little angry about the gun laws that were passed as hunting is a popular sport around here. I love Canada but it has been a long time since I visited as I am a homebody. One thing I need to do is renew my passoport, it expired.
Jeanne,
I would move to Montreal or Toronto in a heartbeat if I could get work there as an American.
Toronto and Montreal are black and white. I lived in both, and miss both a lot. Toronto is more American style and Montreal is uniquely itself, hard to describe, but so amazing. I get depressed thinking about leaving them both. I used to think Americans were the same as Canadians. But since living south of the border, the cultural differences are always striking. Kim I would love to go back to Newfoundland, I have great interest in it, there's so much to learn, and such a deep cultural history. I wonder how similar culturally new England is to the maritimes.
I didn't explain how Trumpcare will play out in the liberal states. The blue states have more money to begin with, but they won't be able to be as generous as they have been in the past because they will lose a huge chunk of federal funding. So benefits will decline, but not as badly as in red states. and charitable giving will increase. The blue states have more money, and they will do what they can to help people get the care they need.
There will be shifts in health care provision if so many people don't have health insurance. I remember that Target, for example, began selling common prescription drugs at extremely low rates.
Trumpcare will allow insurance carriers to deny people who have pre-existing conditions. This is a big boondoggle for insurance companies -- it will increase their profits big time because they won't have to cover really sick people who sign up for insurance when they are sick.
However Blue states like New York and Massachusetts will keep the old more fair Obamacare rule that forbids insurance carriers from denying people who have preexisting conditions. So that's a plus for living in Blue States. If you don't have health insurance, and you get sick, (and under Trumpcare, a lot of people will have no health insurance at all) then Trumpcare allows insurance carriers to deny you health insurance because you have a preexisting condition. So those people will pick up and move to the blue states However, blue states that will continue to cover people regardless of preexisting conditions.
The other draconian rule in Trumpcare is that it will allow insurance carriers to charge up to five times higher premiums to the elderly and people with disabilities. I read one analysis that an elderly person who gets $22,000 a year in Social Security will be hit with $14,000 a year in health premiums! I read that this price discrimination will be applied to all states, but I'm not sure how they can make states follow such a rule. If so, the elderly will die like flies. They simply won't be able to afford health care, they'll get sick, as the elderly do, and so they will much earlier.
But the elderly will not take it lying down. As long as we have elections, they will show up and vote the Republicans out.
This is too scary/depressing to continue talking about it. Dying like flies? My God, where does such evil come from, it feels genocidal. It makes me feel physically ill. I will meditate and pray soon that this can be avoided. The elderly aren't likely to start voting democratic. Not to mention the fact that the democrats are in the pocket of the corporations just like the republicans. Case in point, Cory Booker voting against importing cheaper drugs from Canada, and Diane Feinstein going on the record against single payer medicare.