West Linn, Tualatin, Durham, Lake Oswego, W. Portland Park, S. Portland:
Your senator is the president of the Oregon Senate! Do you want him to let the Greater Idaho movement have a hearing?
Eleven counties of eastern Oregon have voted in favor of the idea of making eastern Oregon a part of Idaho.
Do you want Oregon to hold communities captive in a state they don’t wish to remain in?
Eastern Oregon is a huge drain on the state budget – $690 per northwestern Oregon wage earner annually, according to an economic analysis funded by the Claremont Institute. A poll found that only 3% of Oregonians think that keeping these counties in Oregon is worth the cost. Is it worth it to you?
Why should western Oregon’s taxes go to counties who don’t appreciate it, vote against those taxes and programs, and reject Oregon government?
We in eastern Oregon don’t feel the impact of western Oregon problems and we don’t understand western Oregon ways of life. Our voters weigh in on statewide ballot measures and our senators & reps cause gridlock in the Idaho Legislature. But after the border moves, the new Oregon would be more progressive than Washington State.
Idaho is a red state. If Oregon and Idaho choose to move the border to the Cascades, then western Oregon conservatives could move to Idaho and still be within driving distance of friends and family. Many conservatives polled said they would probably move.
Don’t be the kind of imperialist who wants to hold onto territory and people just for a sense of control or to keep the status quo.
We in eastern Oregon ask you to contact Senator Rob Wagner and ask him to let our bill have a hearing. The bill, SJM 2, simply invites Idaho to begin talks with Oregon about the possibility of moving the Oregon/Idaho border.
Contact his office at 503-986-1600 or Sen.RobWagner@oregonlegislature.gov 900 Court St. NE, S-201, Salem, Oregon 97301
Sample Letter:
Senator Wagner,
As of November 8, the Greater Idaho movement has won elections in five consecutive election cycles in eastern Oregon. 12 of the 15 counties that could vote on this there have already voted in favor.
The Greater Idaho movement would like to build a coalition of Democrats and Republicans who support self-determination for eastern Oregon. SJM 2 is a bill that would invite the Idaho Legislature and governor to begin talks with Oregon on the moving the Oregon/Idaho border.
Will you help this memorial get a hearing in committee to explore the sources and the solutions to the discontent in eastern Oregon? Every gubernatorial candidate, and your own press release, emphasized the importance of listening to each part of the state. This is your chance to fulfill these promises.
The Greater Idaho movement is offering a win-win solution. It is good for western Oregon because:
1) It would eliminate a massive drain on the Oregon state budget – $690 per northwestern Oregon wage earner annually, according to an economic analysis funded by the Claremont Institute.
2) It would reduce gridlock in the Legislature: Democrats would have the supermajority necessary to pass taxation bills. Republicans in the Oregon Legislature would no longer have the numbers to deny quorum by walking out or slow the legislature by forcing bills to be read in full.
3) It would allow western Oregon to get what it wants without interference from eastern Republicans. Eastern Oregon would no longer vote on statewide referendums or statewide candidates.
SurveyUSA did a poll of 1068 voters of northwestern Oregon in January and found that only 3% think that having eastern & southern Oregon in their state is worth the cost. The poll showed that 68% of northwestern Oregon voters thought that the Oregon Legislature should hold hearings on the idea, and only 20% were opposed.
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