Often, I am asked what I think about Montana. To some degree, it reminds me of living in Massachusetts 50s & 60s as a child; the populace is very white. The first thing you do when you move to Montana is ditched the California license plate; Californians have such a terrible reputation for ruining things. One dislike is that we are improving the value of the real estate and can be a bit pushy (New Yorkers are worse). Pushy? or are we a bit more sophisticated?
Seriously, Californians and New Yorkers are looked upon as a plague upon the land in the eyes of many Montanans. “Don’t Bring California to Montana “is not an unusual bumper sticker here in Big Sky, and they are very serious. Trump is king here, too; after all, it is America or at least what was once normal for most of America. Corruption is alive and well in our major cities, which is also concerning; Montana is easier to watch. No question that corruption is here, too, as it is fair to say that all organized government is corrupt. For me, it was great, easy peavy. First thing, I got rid of my California driver’s license. I applied for all my ‘personalized’ license plates I had in California and got all of them for Montana. It was only natural to become licensed in Montana. I took the test and now hold 3 licenses for 3 different states.
Having to commute to work via DELTA and NetJets is not so difficult. I suffer in first class or on a private jet with my dogs. You will notice when you are in Montana or the Dakotas that traffic does not exist. More cattle than people. Life is good. Did I mention how cold it can get?
Having been a fan of rodeos and riding events since I was a child, Montana is heaven for me! I have attended several rodeo events in the short time I have been here and loved every minute of it. Last year we became ‘sponsors’ for a few events, and that is pretty cool to see our name on banners attached to the arenas.
I keep my Rolls Royce and Bentley as old trophies in my 6,000-square-foot garage. Realistically fun to have but not a practical vehicle to run around in. Pickup trucks and SUVs are the vehicles of choice here. Something I found interesting was in the summertime you will see old white guys driving corvettes and Harleys. Seldom do you see Mercedes or all the exotics I enjoy seeing on the roads in Los Angeles. Not totally rid of the California Dream, I keep a condo in Century City that I use occasionally. When you see a Mercedes in Montana, it is the low-end ones, not the gorgeous big S classes or the Hitler Dream Machines. Rolls and Bentleys, you will seldom see one as you move around Montana; there are no service facilities locally. To my knowledge, there is no place to get them serviced in this state, and that goes for BMW motorcycles, might be one or two dealers in the entire state! Harleys are king, and as I previously stated, there are ‘Lots of white guys ‘in Montana.
Occasionally I hear Spanish being spoken, and I look to see where it is coming from. Unlike wonderful California, where Spanish is often heard as often as English! If you are paying attention, generally, a small group has been brought in to work in Montana for a ‘white’ contractor while that contractor is making his fortune.
Building a home here was as miserable an experience as you could imagine. The costs and acquiring material were a total ‘fuck fest.’ Unlike in California, if you need cement work, you could get all kinds of bids from dozens of highly qualified Hispanics at a reasonable price. Montana? Hold on to your saddle. You are going to get a ‘white’ guy driving a brand-new pickup truck, and when he gives you a bid, you realize who is paying for that truck! Outrageous labor prices on anything and everything you might want, someone to cut grass, wash your car, trim a tree, or do anything that involves labor, it will be that ‘white’ guy driving a brand-new pickup truck! And the other thing they love in Montana is towing a trailer to haul their equipment and/or materials. Again, this is unique to Montana in comparing it to California. It was a nightmare completing a few of our builds, and the costs were all terrible, horrible! The worst part was that the ‘white’ guy knew he was screwing you and that you HAD NO CHOICE!
Indeed, some cities in Montana such as Bozeman and Missoula, are known for being very liberal and sometimes mentioned with disgust as having similarities to California. In so much wanting that liberal agenda and wanting to help the poor and stupid. Let it be known that Montana is as “red” as it gets, which is good for me. I miss California for a few things. Black people here, too, seem to be in short supply. I see one or two sometimes while driving in the downtown areas of the major cities. However, I am terribly sorry to report that not so much out in the country. Could it be our Constitutional Carry laws??? Not too many of the populace would be easy pickings like in New York, Chicago, or Beverly Hills. Someone trying to rob someone or commit a heinous crime could find themselves all wrapped up in their “hoody “dead.
So, as you see, there are some good points and some bad points. When I visit California, New York, and Boston, I realize pretty darn quick that these cities that I always enjoyed have been turned into ‘criminal zones.’ The criminal element is being protected, and god-fearing Americans are being stripped of their right to protect themselves and the 2nd Amendment. God Bless Montana!
By John Nazarian
My Montana John J. Nazarian, Private Investigator
December 26, 2022
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