Bigfork Eagle Editorial

The haves and have nots

What ever happened to the middle class? Its disappearance has been a relatively quick phenomenon. In the 1990s there was a middle class. It consisted of working families who were able to have a mortgage, children, a dog or two and-gasp-a savings account. Fast forward to the year 2004-working families are renting, choosing not to have children because they can't afford them, and they are so far in debt that the phrase "in the black" is one they shall never hear.

As wages in this country, and especially this valley, have either frozen or decreased, the cost of living has skyrocketed. Communities like Bigfork are almost impossible for anyone of the "working class" to afford. The real estate market has become a great new way to discriminate against the proletariat. According to the Flathead County Economic Development Authority, the average Flathead Valley citizen is in their mid-30s, married, working in some type of service industry and has at least a high school diploma. An individual makes an average wage of $23,000 annually. The median cost of an existing home in the Flathead Valley is nearly $160,000. As you get closer to the beautiful waters of Flathead Lake, that number jumps dramatically. And if you want property that might actually have a lake view, well, you better be from out of state and make a six-digit salary.

During the last presidential debate it was mentioned that the solution to rocketing minimum- or low-wage workers out of poverty is to get them an education. The reality is that most did just that-they got their college diploma and hit the job market. Unfortunately, there were no jobs. The dot-coms went bust, the corporations conglomerated, and the economy took a sour turn. Those already with money got more. Those without got credit cards and prayed. The Flathead Valley was not immune to this trend. The result has been a vast chasm of financial divergence. Simply put: The rich are richer and the poor are poorer.

Now here we are, in a time when growth is abundant throughout the valley and yet affordable housing is still non-existent. Mumblings of "I don't want those kinds of people living next to me or in my town," can be heard at public meetings and throughout homeowners associations. People come to the Flathead Valley for a multitude of reasons-some to retire, some to raise their family in a safe environment, some to enjoy the amazing natural beauty of this place. Those who have lived here for generations have witnessed mass import and export of residents. The one thing we all have in common is a love of this valley. Snobbery is tacky, especially when used as a weapon against those of lower economic status who are working their butts off to provide for themselves or their families.