"Bozeman ain't what it used to be" or "Bozeman has totally lost it's way." Those phrases are often heard from people who weren't necessarily born and raised here but have lived here at least 20 years. I'm not exactly sure what that means. Bozeman is different, yes. Bigger, yes. Better? In some ways.

I've lived here for nearly 25 years. Went to college here. Fell in love here. Worked my ASS OFF here and feel pretty lucky to do so.

It's a beautiful place and in high demand. The way of the world, right? I don't have answers to affordable housing or higher wages, but what I do know is that aside from arguing about home prices, taxes and low wages, there are things we can do to "Make Bozeman Great Again."

1. Stop Driving Like Jerks

Sure, you're a great driver, but this town is chock full of inattentive, bumper riding, impatient, quick-with-the-bird clowns.

CONSTANTLY on our cell phones. Speed limits (especially in residential neighborhoods) are a suggestion. Pedestrians can, for the most part, go screw themselves if they're at a crosswalk without a light.

So fixable with some attention and patience.

2. BUY LOCAL. Like, Way More Often Than We Like to Think We Do

There's a balance. Buying certain things locally often costs more. More money I often don't have, but think of all the things that are easy to buy locally every time: a cup of coffee, an oil change. Your bank may not be local or regional. Is that changeable?

(Photo Michelle Wolfe/KMMS)
(Photo Michelle Wolfe/KMMS)
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3, Take Better Care of Our Rivers When We're Floating/Tubing

WTH - Is it drunken laziness? All I know is walking banks of the Madison is an eye opener. In a bad way. There are plastic bottles, cigarette butts, beer cans and all sorts of other crap laying around and floating downstream. It's embarrassing.

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4. Let's Shovel/Plow Our Sidewalks Better and More Often

The first real snowfall and shoveling session can be charming and most of us are pretty good about it. However, the frequency seems to diminish as winter continues. Bozeman sidewalks become uneven danger zones of tracked down snow and ice.

One of the best things about Bozeman is how "walkable" it is. That all goes down the tubes when half the sidewalks are ignored. (This includes you, MSU renters! Just because you don't own the house doesn't mean it ain't your problem.)

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5. Avoid Left Hand Turns When There's No Lead Arrow

Petty? Maybe. Not always doable, but traffic would flow a heck of a lot better around here if we'd plan routes a bit better to avoid making left hand turns especially at intersections with NO lights.

You know exactly what I mean, right? I'm thinking Main Street at commute times and places like Peach and Rouse.

 

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