Baker County Writes Letter To Legislators

At a meeting today, the Baker County Board of Commissioners decided to become the fourth Oregon board of commissioners to sign an open letter to its state legislators asking them to address the Greater Idaho proposal in the state legislature.  The Board’s letter supports the movement, saying “Eastern Oregon and Idaho, in general, have much more in common.”

The movement is asking Oregon state legislators for hearings and for cosponsors for a resolution that would invite Idaho to begin talks with Oregon on moving the border. 

When asked why the Oregon Legislature would be motivated to give up a part of the state, McCarter pointed to a January SurveyUSA poll.  A mere three percent of voters of northwestern Oregon think keeping eastern and southern Oregon in the state is worth the substantial cost, according to the poll.

McCarter gave another reason to move the border. “Moving the border would let us live and let live. We know we’ll never make Portland agree with us, and we ask that state leaders understand that our communities will never agree with Portland. We will keep sending legislators who slow down their legislature and block their bills. If they want to make progress, they will have to let us join Idaho. Eastern Oregon has always been different culturally and occupationally from the Willamette Valley. Eastern Oregon is using the democratic process. If it’s wrong for Ukraine to be forced into Russia, then it’s wrong for Oregon to hold eastern Oregon captive against its will,” he said.