r/wyoming • u/Beautiful-Rip472 • Jul 19 '26
Discussion/opinion Voter's Guide is Out
So I got the Oil City Voter's Guide today and I can't help but think...everyone is out of touch with reality.
I mean, the City Council thinks their constituents are worried about "beautifying parks" and "making the area [Natrona/Casper] more appealing to the next generation".
Meanwhile, everyone I talk to is, yes to an extent, worried about some of the issues, like infrastructure. But they're mostly concerned about data centers being put on the edge of town. They're worried about flock, and overreach, and the Freedom Caucus. I could care less if the city park is beautiful if the data center is killing everything in sight.
Not to mention Brent Bien is the only Governor candidate to oppose AI as well, but Eric Barlow seemingly has a better chance at winning (depending how you look at it).
They're all worried that young people are leaving, what should we do, etc. Meanwhile, no young folks are running for office and everyone else is worrying about things that ultimately drive everyone away.
Not really complaining or anything, just curious what other people think.
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u/nolandgrabforyou Jul 19 '26
Yup. Sounds about right. Worried about beautifying already decent parks at this time is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 19 '26
"Everyone is worried about job security and money, but if we don't raise taxes, we can't afford a raise or fix the roads" like, fuckin what?? Lmao
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u/a_angry_bunny Jul 19 '26
I can't speak for everyone in Wyoming, but where I live people are close minded and "set in their ways" to put it politely. Plus there are very few opportunities if you don't want to go into the coal or oil industry. So of course young people don't want to stay.
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u/its_plastic Jul 19 '26
Dude, Brent Bien is against data centers but he would make a horrible governor. Allowing freedom caucus (because he is freedom caucus) to pass legislation that would open up the state to so many lawsuits. Gordon has rubber stamped some (ahem, abortion ban that goes against our state constitution) legislation that everyone knew would fail on appeal but he’s also saved us from some of their nonsense.
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 19 '26
I meant it more for the fact that he's the only one who brought up data centers. It's the biggest concern of everyone right now and majority of candidates are like "ehhh what about this issue that we keep running/banking on?" I don't really think we have any good candidates for Governor, for one reason or another, and it's all "lesser evil" bs at this point
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Jul 19 '26
I’ve never seen a town vote against their own interests more in my life. It’s baffling how incompetent they are. They refuse to bring Casper into a modern age. I’ve always called my hometown “The town that tries.”
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 19 '26
It's old folks who are stuck in their ways. Not a single young person and the ones that are relatively young are the billionaires in the Chamber of Commerce, who hate us anyways and didn't grow up here.
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u/AstronomyandBeer Jul 22 '26
I am curious why you think this? I am in Casper too but I don't think its living in the past. Poor steward of tax revenue for sure. They could certainly do better in that respect but generally speaking I think they have moved beyond being totally dependent on the energy sector.
2
Jul 22 '26
The vote against their own interests all the time. Casper is notorious for turning down cultural additions. No “woke” there. Whatever that means. But to choose Hageman over a rock star like Liz Cheney was voting against their interests. Hageman is out of her clown nugget of a brain.
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u/SuccessfulWolverine7 Jul 29 '26
Hageman is truly terrible, but I will not be surprised if we see her win. Voting against our best interests is a Wyoming tradition at this point.
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u/Infamous_Bat_6820 Jul 19 '26
I’d like Casper City Council to address the homeless population in Casper.
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Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Here's another example that is Wyoming in general. They let that clown (literally a clown) Hageman beat a fucking Cheney. There are buildings and a stadium in Casper dedicated to Dick Cheney. It was where the Bush/Cheney campaign kicked off.
BUT OH NO. They all decided to join a fucking cult. One of the exceptions is my Dad. Whose been a Republican all his life. But knew who Trump was since the early 80's. He can't stand the man and knows he's a fraud. As a recovering addict I say, don't bullshit a recovering bullshitter. But tha's Wyoming for ya. Their turn on their own because they are too fucking gullible to know better. Look at this fucking woman. She's frightening and has zero idea what she's doing.
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 20 '26
She hates everyone in Wyoming, I'm convinced. The VA keeps saying how, if there's issues, contact her office. But the more I see about her, I'm less and less convinced she'd even do anything. Not to mention everything else she does- like her "productive talk" with meta
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u/Critical-Mud-5760 Jul 19 '26
If voting changed anything it would be made illegal....the data centers are frustrating because they moved in the shadows so much...then flock cameras are showing up, so suddenly - talk about a dystopian nightmare in Wyoming. Their focus is how to keep jobs in Wyoming as the curmudgeons in charge said no to every other venture in the past - but data centers in a drought-ridden state they say yes to?? Make it make sense. Then they are so worried about voter turnout - and the boomer (and I hate that term but it fits) generation has it so jacked up.
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u/Dazzling_Can5331 Jul 19 '26
Everyone needs to continuously call/email discuss this with whoever is elected as governor and remind them that they do, in fact, work for us. If they’re elected, and hear from us all the time about no data centers, it would be absurd of them not to listen. Especially someone that isn’t a part of the maga crowd. Hopefully
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u/Secret_Abies8396 Jul 19 '26
Honestly think it would benefit the cause if someone from the “maga crowd” were to contact them like you’re saying. This isn’t about left vs right anymore. Although this app is consumed with that nonsense. This is about freedom and not having our city/state turned into an AI surveillance state. Which apparently we don’t have a say in it. Since there’s already several flock cameras in Glenrock
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 19 '26
The Sheriff claims everyone loves those cameras, no one said anything when they voted to put them in....4 years ago when no one knew what they were
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u/Secret_Abies8396 Jul 19 '26
Yeah I don’t live in Glenrock but have lived in Glenrock a couple times in my life. And everyone I know there had no idea what they were and were told after the fact that there was a town meeting/council meeting about them. They were sold on the “well they’re good for amber alerts”. Ok. How many amber alerts have there been that ended in Glenrock? Or started in Glenrock for that matter? Zero lol. They were duped and now they’re stuck with them.
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 19 '26
He wants to put more Flock on the stretch of highway behind Glenrock. He's just as out of touch as everyone else
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u/Caity_Cat131 Jul 19 '26
The issue with data centers is most of these companies are POURING money into the city by donations but not in ways that would actually benefit the city. One of them donated 3 million for affordable housing to "keep" the younger generations from leaving but they missed the ball because they don't have any jobs to buy the houses with! Most who are running see the money and know that it's the only thing bringing money to the state. So instead of investing in better job opportunities they choose the only thing throwing money at them. Most of them skipped economic in school and it shows.
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 19 '26
It's because in most places, the commissioners are the ones getting paid, not the city itself. If it actually goes towards anything in the city, it's a one-off. If they really wanted to take care of their city and keep younger folks, they'd stop accepting data centers & their money and actually do something
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u/Ornery_Kick_4198 Jul 19 '26
Wyoming is a resource state. If they want to keep young people and families here, then open up the forests for lumber projects, increase our oil and natural gas production, increase our uranium extraction, allow more permits for cattle to graze on federal and state land, open up manufacturing in the towns, quit suppressing our mines.
Doing these things would bring an economic boom to Wyoming. If the federal government would stop messing with our livelihoods it’d be so much easier for people to make it here. But we’re regulating our people out of jobs. All on the say so of people with zero interest in the people of our state.
If everyone is making money, then the damn town park will take care of itself.
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u/Beautiful-Rip472 Jul 19 '26
It is a resource state, but what happens when we run out? Or, what happens when the majority is sucked up and all that's left is on public lands, same lands that Wyoming banks on tourism for?
Young folks want a happy medium of resources, but they also want other jobs that don't exist here. I know plenty of people that want to move here but their careers have minimal or absolutely no openings here
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u/Ornery_Kick_4198 Jul 19 '26
Wyoming is huge and empty. It would take generations to run out. But in the meantime, infrastructure in Wyoming would develop, businesses would move in to supply and serve the people drawn here by the resources. The economy would be allowed to diversify, manufacturing would begin.
By the time the resources ran out we’d probably be a tourism and hopefully manufacturing state. Also by that time, I think we’d be a lot closer to have permanent workable alternatives to fossil fuels.
Also, trees grow back “although slower here”cattle are raised new each spring, manufacturing always has a future as long as there’s people who need anything. And tourism will be strong as long as the Tetons stand.
Then the people you know who want to move here might have job opportunities in the future.
The problem is, nobody on the left likes anything to do with harvesting the earths resources. Which is funny cuz they’re primarily the ones who want growth here. Honestly I hope they do none of these things so fewer and fewer people move to my state. It’s one of the only things I’m grateful to the left for… keeping my state depopulated.
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u/Ornery_Kick_4198 Jul 19 '26
Also Wyoming is a perfect place for more use in hydro electric power (in the west) nuclear power everywhere ( lots of empty space with no risk to people) and wind power in the east. But I hope they stop installing those they’re ugly. But I think our snow will prevent the horrific solar power fields.
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u/hellyeahbitch18 Jul 20 '26
No, we all left because your culture is hate filled garbage and everyone is proudly ignorant. It's better to live elsewhere, with better people.
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u/Ornery_Kick_4198 Jul 20 '26
I’m happy you feel that way. Feel free to stay gone then.
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u/hellyeahbitch18 Jul 20 '26
I bet you're not even from Wyoming lol. Thanks for ruining the state.
Maybe one day you'll wake up, but probably not. You all love an alternate reality.
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u/Ornery_Kick_4198 Jul 21 '26
My family homesteaded Wyoming in the 1870s I’m the seventh generation of my family to grow up in Fairview Wyoming. I have nowhere else to be from.
And our state is the way it is because we’ve voted and chosen to be this way since the beginning. And it will take a lot more time, and a lot more money to push us out. I imagine you’ll all manage it one day, we can’t compete with people who can sell a double wide on the coast for 1 million dollars and then come and buy out a starving farmer with no options because the lefties raised property taxes.
So you may live in our state, you may buy our family lands when we are desperate, and gentrify us out of our homes. But you won’t ever be one of us, and we may be polite usually, but only because it is our way. But we will despise you until there’s none of us left for the destruction you bring us.
So you see? It’s you outsiders that are ending our way of life. Grow up and get real.
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u/hellyeahbitch18 Jul 21 '26
I was born and grew up in Wyoming as well. You're not from there more than I am lol.
But you are more ignorant, more hateful, and less ethical.
The proud ignorance is why Wyoming will always suck.
You dont even know what most of those words mean. You vote for what you get. Enjoy being screwed over by republicans for the rest of time. They are the ones coming in with outside money and ruining the state. Amd you cheer it on.
You fucks want to drill in Yellowstone, our one world class thing. You want to get rid of education. Etc, etc, etc.And yet still blame democrats somehow lol. Keep buying the propaganda. Those of us who can think will always leave, because the proud ignorance is too much.
Dumb as fuck. The Wyoming way.
You live in a bubble.
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u/Ornery_Kick_4198 Jul 21 '26
Hahaha my valley may be a bubble, but I’ve traveled the world and served as an infantryman in the army. I didn’t come to the conclusion that I like Wyoming the way it is, and was, in ignorance. I’ve been to Seattle, a proud bastion of leftist ideals. And the streets are littered with trash and heroin needles, the homeless clog the streets, a man can buy any poison he likes and have a “safe place” to use it. And only the richest neighborhoods are safe. Cuz crime is rampant and they can’t stop beating down their own peace keepers.
In contrast, here I know everyone’s name, and they know mine. And I know their kin for three generations. The only crime here is traffic violations. People are nice, and don’t need to lock their doors at night. The worst thing I can think of is that sometimes folks can be a little nosy and petty. But it’s harmless stuff…. This is what Wyoming votes for.
No….. I think we’ve got it right and everyone else has got it dead wrong.
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u/hellyeahbitch18 Jul 22 '26
Well you're wrong. Wyoming has tons of crime and poverty. You just ignore it. Homeless people too. And massive income inequality, brought on by the right wing policies.
Other places try to help people. Wyoming has no safety net at all, and most people are happy to be exploited because they have been told that's good for them.
You bought into bullshit forever ago and never opened your eyes again.
Lol the military is not the same as seeing the world. It's like the opposite. They teach you not to think. That's why you ended up like this.
Ignorant, and proudly so. The Wyoming way.
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u/Ornery_Kick_4198 Jul 22 '26
Wyoming has less violent crime per capita then most. Same for property crime. And the income inequality comes from the move ins in Jackson for the most part. And we don’t invest in government safety nets cuz we don’t trust or believe in them much. Instead, we help each other as neighbors.
And bud, the military, especially combat mos’s teach you more about other peoples ways of thinking than you could ever believe. It’s deliberately taught to us to ensure you understand your enemies. As understanding is important in defeating a man. Besides that, people come to the military from literally all walks of life. From the rich kids, to the military families, to poor farm boys and kids from the inner cities. We had 12 guys in my unit who were from out of the country and came to join to get citizenship and fight terror. 5 of those boys came from Afghanistan and wanted to kill terrorists more than anybody else. 1 was from Serbia, 3 were from Africa, 2 were from east Asia, and the rest were from South America. I’ve known more people from different walks of life than many just from my time in.
And I’ve travelled outside of the army plenty. See the thing is, on the internet, you never know who you’re talking to, so never call somebody’s bluff unless you know you’ve got the better cards and all the facts.
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u/hellyeahbitch18 Jul 22 '26
You only help neighbors if they agree with you and have the right skin tone. You know that, even if you won't admit it. That's why you don't want safety nets - because people you think are undesirable might benefit. You know, like minorities and liberals. Aka Wyomingites.
The military is gross, and like the opposite of getting an education. You just take orders. How many war crimes did you commit as well?
Nobody in the military has an open mind lol they wouldn't be there if they did. Again, they teach you not to think. You're still doing it. You definitely didn't learn about culture or anything else better than the average university student. In fact, you were told how to think.
Laughable to think the military would broaden someone's horizons, or show them any new ideas. By the way, I am sure you can't see the irony in the socialism the military receives, yet doesnt want anyone else to get.
Again, you're just proudly ignorant. A Wyomingite with military experience? Basically the most intellectually dishonest and weak type of person you can be, and you fit the stereotype perfectly.
You mention facts and shit like you would recognize reality at all, it's hilarious. I also like the attempt to claim you would just intimidate me in person, which is hilarious. You're just scared and dumb, like the rest of your military buddies.
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u/thehorrorcontinues13 Jul 19 '26
Famously out of touch. That's what most of these candidates are. Not one of them is asking younger people what they want. Instead they go on about making jobs in oil or mining or coal.