“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”-Dorothy, MGM’s 1939 movie version of Wizard of Oz
Just as North Dakotans are dealing with hyperinflation thanks to their exploding economy, which in turn is no thanks to their oil boom, now Kansans are experiencing the same thing: “It’s like a gold rush. No one knew this little area was worth anything, and now all of a sudden there’s all kinds of business going on, and everyone wants a piece of it.”-Kathy Smith, motel owner who turns away 25 customers per day!
The oil industry has been busy in Kanasas, and the result is that in the past three years the cost of living there has tripled, at least. Oh and don’t forget the new wind farm that was built. The result is a population boom, caused by the wind farm and the oil industry, and that has caused prices, like rent and even food to skyrocket.
Sure there are lots of good paying oil jobs in Kansas now, but those oil workers are paying thousands of dollars in rent, for homes that were costing only hundreds to those living in them before the oil boom.
In fact, just as in North Dakota, the Kansans living in those rental homes were actually kicked out by the property owners, so that much much higher rents could be charged to the incoming oil workers: “We’re one of the ones forced out of our home. We lived in our home 11 years and four months, we received a certified letter in the mail saying we had one month to get out. There was no where to go. That month was a holy hell!”-Eileen Morris, Harper County resident
Here’s what a real estate “entrepreneur”, who caters to the oil industry, said about the housing situation: “My goal was to get housing available as quickly and efficiently as possible.”-Bobbie Oliver
To give you an idea just how high rents have gone, mobile homes (aka “modular” homes) that would normally rent for several hundreds of dollars per month, are renting for as much as $2,100 USD per month!
But what about those Kansans who aren’t working for the oil industry? Here’s what a local county official in Kansas said about that: “…people are charging higher rent prices and so these guys that have jobs that are paying $12 to $15 an hour, it’s a hardship for them.”-Mike Lanie, Economic Development Harper County
Some of the oil companies, like Shell, are actually paying holding money on homes that were forcefully vacated, in order to ensure that their oil workers have a place to live when they get there. So far no one’s said what’s happened to those Kansans who were kicked out of the homes they were living in.
And just like North Dakota, Kansas is seeing a skyrocketing crime rate. According to Tracy Chance, Undersheriff of Harper County, the biggest increase so far has been car accidents and public intoxication.
Isn’t the promise of fast easy money wonderful? Welcome to the false Christian run western Whore of Babylon oil industry! Like Peter Voser, current CEO of Shell, who will be attending this year’s Bilderberg beast conference in Virginia! Like Edward P. Cross, current president of the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association and a paid lobbyist for the oil industry! Like Tom L. Ward, current CEO of Oklahoma based SandRidge Energy, which holds horizontal drilling rights in Kansas!