Is Eastern Oregon really Oregon? (Portland, Eugene: tax, to live in, legally)

[MimzyMusic]

I feel like you don't enter Oregon until you are under Mt. Hood. Eastern Oregon is a wasteland, and the pretty parts of it are closer to Boise than they are to Portland.

Eastern Oregon takes up 60% of the state's area but gets 10% of the attention. Oregon is all about the side of the state west of the Cascades, with 50 inches of rain, beavers, ferns, hippies, and everything else that it's stereotyped for. Eastern Oregon is different, it's similar to southern Idaho, Utah and Nevada, it's not Pacific Northwestern. Parts of it are actual desert.

I feel like proper Oregon begins at The Dalles in the north, Bend in the middle and Lakeview in the south. You can take a map of Oregon, cut off the eastern two thirds and still have a functional map.

[dachmom]

YES!! Eastern Oregon is a BEAUTIFUL part of Oregon. Have you ever been to Wallowa Lake?! I previously lived in Eastern Oregon and personally, I agree some parts of it I would not prefer to live in, but obviously some people do. Just because it's not as populated as Western Oregon doesn't mean it should be cut off from the rest of the state. By the way, your post could seem as offensive to people who choose to live in Eastern Oregon, just because you think it's a "wasteland" doesn't mean that everyone else does. One of the great things about Oregon is that it has a climate for people who like desert type areas and a climate for people who like rainy, wet areas.

[PNW-type-gal]

I don't believe you have been elected Queen/King/Despotic Ruler of Oregon anytime recently, and your pronouncements on Oregon and Portland carry about as much weight as, well, some random internet poster.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Oregon is probable 4 or 5 states. There's the coast, Portland, Willamette Valley, southern Oregon & eastern Oregon. All of them are substantially different from the others.

As to eastern Oregon, Bend, Redmond, The Deschutes river, The Steens mountains, Strawberry mountains, Baker City, LaGrande, Wallowas & Wallowa Lake, Smith Rock, John Day Painted Hills, THe Hart Range, Quartz Mountian, Klamath Lake, many wilderness areas, lakes, rivers...

I suppose you're entitled to an opinion.

I suppose.

[bobmulk]

For some, ignorance is bliss.

[LindaWH]

I saw an article in the paper over the weekend about a group that wants for Eastern Oregon to legally separate from the rest of the state--the argument is that the western portion is getting all of the resources and representation. Apparently they are pursuing this separatism seriously.

[MimzyMusic]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

I don't believe you have been elected Queen/King/Despotic Ruler of Oregon anytime recently, and your pronouncements on Oregon and Portland carry about as much weight as, well, some random internet poster.

Gee, you took it a little bit personally.

[Journey2LS]

Originally Posted by LindaWH

I saw an article in the paper over the weekend about a group that wants for Eastern Oregon to legally separate from the rest of the state--the argument is that the western portion is getting all of the resources and representation. Apparently they are pursuing this separatism seriously.

Same thing is happening in Florida. South Florida wants to separate from North Florida because a majority of the tax dollars generated in South Florida is used elsewhere in the state and the money doesnt stay in the region.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by MimzyMusic

Eastern Oregon is a wasteland, and the pretty parts of it are closer to Boise than they are to Portland.

Define "wasteland."

I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. I can't think of a single square mile of land in the entire state of Oregon (or for that matter, the entire US) that I would call a "wasteland." Scratch that--the endless suburban sprawl with decaying strip malls in cities outside of Oregon fits my definition of "wasteland."

Steens Mountain = wasteland? No.
Wallowa Range = wasteland? No.
Rolling hills of the Columbia Plateau = wasteland? No.
Fault-block ranges and basins north/east of Lakeview = wasteland? No.
Ochoco Mountains = wasteland? No.

I'm really trying here. Maybe the stretch of Willamette Valley from Eugene to
Albany is less appealing, but that's more because it's a boring drive than visually unattractive.

[furyu]

Originally Posted by MimzyMusic

Gee, you took it a little bit personally.

You'll see a lot of that around here... some do take their posts very-very personally, and resent anyone who may disagree with them. At least PNW-type-gal gives us fair warning of where she's coming from . (Her statement is rather funny... don't you think, YOU random internet poster?!)

Don't let it bother you. Everyone has an opinion to which they are entitled; yours is as valid as any of the grumps. And if it weren't for all these varied opinions, there'd be no point in having forums such as this.

Regarding your description of that part of Oregon being a 'waste land', beauty is in the eye of the beholder, to reiterate jjpop's comment in his interesting and on-point post. Personally, I agree with you and have found travelling in that part of Oregon enroute to other states B O R I N G ! But I'm no longer enthralled with desert environments and loathe that dry, arid climate. Beyond my personal preferences though, I realize that area is actually quite beautiful, and there are fascinating aspects of its environment, including native flora and fauna.

Oregon is diverse in its climate and geography, but so are California and Washington states. And the talk about splitting up the state? Unlikely to ever happen. Groups in Northern California have been talking about it for decades and there'd be more a case for it to become its own state than Oregon.