Letter: Don’t move to Dickinson unless set up in oil field work

This is just a word of advice to people who are potentially thinking of coming to Dickinson; don’t do it unless you are in the oil field or supporting the oil field jobs.

For the simple folks who work at the schools, restaurants, stores and such, it’s just not worth it.

Both myself and husband have decent jobs but we simply cannot make it here due to the greedy local landlords trying to capitalize on this boom.

I work two jobs and my spouse works one, although it is fair money with good benefits we can’t make it here anymore. After one year of struggling here, we have to give them up and go home to an impoverished area with no employment whatsoever. I find this to be ridiculous and heart-wrenching.

Shame on the gougers of this area, taking every penny one makes just to have a place to live. We are so much further in debt than when we came out here.

We have paid $1,700 per month (total of $13,000-plus for eight months) for a small top of a house — with disrespectful young loud punks that we have to put up with living below us in a basement. We have no rights at all regarding this situation. Landlords don’t care as long as they keep getting their big bucks every month, they have gold in their eyes and what a reputation they have given this town of Dickinson!

So in closing, all I can say is beware, this is a very hostile, money hungry, disrespectful, no-rights-for-tenants town.

How disappointing this area has become. I am sure at one time this was a wonderful community that one could make a living at and be proud to be a member of this town that cared about their people. After speaking to several senior citizens, I find it terrible that they are fearing for their own housing and are also being forced to leave their own homes after being here their whole life.

Shame on the greed. Thank you for listening to my story.

Lori Patrick, Dickinson

Tags: opinion, letter, letters, energy, oil