Angry residents of Idaho town say retired California cops and firefighters flocking there aren’t conservative enough – and fear they’ll enact liberal policies (but newcomers’ hefty pensions have helped rejuvenate local economy)
This story comes from the Dailymail.com
Californian transplants are stirring the political pot of a quaint Idaho suburb – with furious locals claiming they are not conservative enough to fit in.
The new dynamic involving the Boise-bordering town of Eagle was unveiled this month by The Los Angeles Times, in the form of statements from residents – and local politicians – both new and old.
They mostly complained about how, in recent years, the town of 32,100 has been bombarded with new arrivals from The Golden State – particularly those receiving hefty pensions following careers in public service.
Abetted by pension funds, the long-in-the-tooth lawmen are swiftly supplanting longtime residents, they said – pointing to the so-called ‘liberal baggage’ the ex-cops and firefighters are bringing with them as they move in from hundreds of miles away.
This ideological clash recently came to a head in the town’s mayoral election this month, during which City Council President Brad Pike won a resounding victory in a heated runoff over incumbent Mayor Jason Pierce.
The win, aside from serving as an upset, comes as California pension money is quickly becoming the ‘lifeblood’ of the area, in the words of The Times report.
Both men are Republicans originally from California, and spoke to the Times for its report. Pierce, however, moved to Eagle more than two decades ago, and thus bickered with his rival who was less influenced by their old state politics.
Pierce framed his challenger as a secret progressive, but Pike, a retired Santa Clara County fire captain who arrived in the town shortly after Gavin Newsom was elected, ultimately came out on top.
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This article is an excerpt from an MSN News article based on the article in the Dailymail.com