> One of the things I have trouble understanding is why "rural mountain towns near large population centers" are exploding in the West, but not the East. West

> One of the things I have trouble understanding is why "rural mountain towns near large population centers" are exploding in the West, but not the East. West coast tech types have all gone nuts, believe they're Ernst Stavro Blofeld and think they need to build secret mountain lairs. Either that or nuclear lifeboats. (Different symptoms of the same disease.)