Secession?
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If you can't secede, just move the border.
Another push for eastern Oregon to become part of Idaho.
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/greater-idaho-movement-could-be-on-wallowa-countys-ballot/
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Earlier this week, the Greater Idaho movement submitted a petition that could potentially add its ballot initiative onto Wallowa County’s ballot in May 2023.
Greater Idaho advocates are pushing for the states of Oregon and Idaho to move their borders so that Oregonians who live in more conservative counties can be a part of Idaho, which has historically been dominated by Republican voters.
According to Oregon’s Election Division, new measures are placed on ballots as long as the petition received enough valid signatures. If Greater Idaho’s petition is successful and makes it onto the ballot, Wallowa County could be the 12th Oregon county — out of the 15 included in the proposal — to vote in favor of moving the state lines. Wheeler, Klamath, Harney and Malheur counties are among the counties who have supported the movement in past elections.
“Two major statewide ballot measures got 51% of the vote last month,” Greater Idaho spokesperson Matt McCaw said in a release. “That means Eastern Oregon came within one percentage point of vetoing them. Western Oregon would be free of our interference if they stopped holding Eastern Oregon captive and let our communities join Idaho.”
Greater Idaho says that the movement’s initiatives demonstrate to legislators that voters want to discuss changing the state lines.
“If Oregon had let Harney County go when it voted for our measure, then a Harney County judge wouldn’t have blocked Oregon’s gun control initiative from going into effect statewide. Now his injunction might stand for a couple years while he decides the case. Harney County is ranchland, and Portland is not. It doesn’t make sense for these two cultures to be dictating policy to each other,” McCaw said.
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I understand their frustration. Katrina didn't have many benefits, but the saying down here was "God flushed the toilet". For decades, New Orleans controlled state politics and the state purse. After the dispersion of New Orleanians over much of the state (and Houston and Atlanta), the state became more moderate politically. And crime went down, over all.
No, it didn't solve all of our problems - we're still a poor state with a lousy education system - but our fiscal house is in better order, and the epicenter of political power became dispersed somewhat.
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US is not different from other countries that go through the same thing. Usually, the rural parts feel they are being left out.
I think we had a discussion a while back on the ability of the rural parts of the US to survive without the cities and the ability of the cities to survive without the rural parts.
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Follow up a year later.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/secession-why-some-in-oregon-want-to-become-part-of-idaho/
I don't think it is a good idea to have the US made up of 25 states that are 100% Republic and 25 states that are 100% Democrat.
