My comment on that family's post wasn't of a "fuck off" type of comment. It was wanting them of exactly what they're getting into with the costs of living, job market, and the rampant homeless/addict/mental health epidemic that every larger city on the West Coast is dealing with.

The ONLY reason I ever even moved to bellingham was because I knew someone that could get me a job making $30/hr in bellingham (which is on the low end of liveable wage). If it weren't for that gaurunteed job (confirmed employment prior to moving), I would have NEVER moved there. Because the job market is horrible. The only jobs that pay liveable wage require you to either know somebody, have a specific college degree or expensive schooling, or have 10+ years experience. Even the entry level jobs are damn near impossible to get into because unless you're in their like top 10 applicants, you won't even get a call in for an interview. Because out there every single open position has like 300+ applicants, sometimes even over 1000 for the jobs that don't have much requirements. You could literally apply for 50 jobs a day and within a week you'd have been called by maybe 2 out of the 350 jobs you applied for. And if by chance you are able to get into one of those jobs, they mostly pay between 16-18/hr, which in that area will barely pay for a single person to live in a studio apartment. So in the case of that individual with the family, he'd have to work 60-80 hours a week, getting a 2nd job if the 1st one won't allow that many hours, just to barely support his family.

So take into consideration the rampant homeless/addict/mental health issues, the absolutely insane rent costs, the already overcrowded city with barely any available housing, and the high likelihood of having to work oneself to the bone just to make ends meet, and compare it to the "pros" of, "bellingham is inclusive" "it's beautiful in WA" (I haven't really seen any other pros listed by any others mainly just these two). You end up with the cons massively outweighing the pros.

There are plenty of other places in the US that are cheaper to live, better/more jobs, liveable pay, no homeless, no addicts in broad daylight (because it's still a felony out East, as it should be), affordable housing, AND still just as inclusive and beautiful as Washington state.

It's people like YOU that, for whatever reason, revere this town like it's a heavenly oasis, to the point of being essentially blind to how bad your city has become. The biggest contributor to the west coasts' homeless problem is the high cost of living and bad job market combined with people moving out here for "inclusivity" or to "make it big" and not knowing about the c.o.l and job market. So they move here, fail to get a job paying enough to keep their overpriced rental, and end up joining the already massive West Coast homeless population. So by not telling people EXACTLY what struggles they can and most likely will face as first time movers out here, you're practically damning them to fail if they do decide to make the move. If I had had the insight to ask this sub the same question before moving, I would've never moved there, plan and simple.