Wallowa County will soon vote on the Greater Idaho movement. I would say go for it.

Guns play a large part in why I think you should vote to join Idaho. Measure 114 made me swear off of ever voting for a Democrat again. As a combat veteran of Vietnam, I don’t think I need any training on how to load and fire a weapon. The Rev. Knutson and his group were proud of the fact that Oregon became a leader in the gun-control issue. Most blue states followed our lead and came up with lots of proposals like banning semi-automatic rifles. Background checks that have been in force for decades with no allowance for already passing concealed-weapons background checks mean nothing. School safety means banning guns instead of protecting kids. The Republicans tried to introduce a bill transferring money from the Department of Education to put armed police guards in schools. Naturally the Dems said “more guns, more deaths.” “When seconds count the police are just minutes away,” is true but they hit the liberal brick wall.

The result of Measure 114 is more hoops for Oregonians to buy firearms but the backlash has been enormous. Previously two states had permitless carry. Now 27 have it. Gun sales are through the roof.

Back in 1973, we went with Senate Bill 100 and created statewide land-use planning. It is impossible for grandpa to sell a few acres of the ranch to a grandchild to live in the country but with the help of our Republican “legislators,” Tina Kotek can bypass Oregon’s land-use laws and authorize up to six 500-acre parcels and two more of undetermined size if a corporation wants to manufacture silicone chips. Paving Willamette Valley topsoil is just fine but don’t you dare build on sagebrush ground.

Oregon is complacent in the southern invasion of our borders with its sanctuary policies and it probably increases the housing shortage with more coming in.

So yeah, bring up things like property taxes, sales taxes, minimum wages, health care and all that. All that means nothing because we are light years away from getting a separation through both states and Congress. But Oregon is making national news with its separation drive and we are not the only state with a desire to separate urban and rural. I think more states will follow our lead. My preference is a constitutional convention that allows states to divide between urban and rural areas. One hundred senators is a lot, but adding another 10 or 20 would be doable.

Separation has already happened in the minds of rural residents. The paperwork will follow someday. Vote yes on Greater Idaho and keep sending a message across the Cascades. We have little in common and less and less every year.

Steve Culley

La Grande