In Oregon, we are seeing tremendous stress fractures forming throughout the state and local governments. Friction between law-abiding gun owners and the urban gun grabbers is growing exponentially. The deep divide between rural farmers and ranchers and the green climate-change nuts gets larger every time a water-control bill or land-grabbing bill is proposed. There is more talk about the Greater Idaho movement and seceding from Oregon every time Portland elected officials try to squeeze more taxes and wealth from rural landowners. It is bizarre to watch Portland, with a multi-million-dollar deficit and out-of-control spending, trying to saddle Eastern Oregon residents with higher taxes to support the Portland urban tax gluttony. And then, the state attorney general and governor proclaimed Oregon a sanctuary state, which led to federal funds drying up like a small puddle on a hot parking lot. They didn’t understand the warning signs or get the meme that antagonizing the source of your funds is stupid at best.

California, our neighbor to the south, has been put on notice by the federal government, and money is being held up because Newsom and the California legislature act like they are still driving the limo. It is only a question of time before Oregon is on the fed's list of places that need correction, and the money stops flowing into Oregon. With Oregon being awash in debt and large, expensive programs on hold or dead, I guess things will get quite interesting in Oregon. Friends in the Oregon legislature indicate that even if all these radical bills become law, there will be no money to implement the programs.

Now, this is the delicious irony of the situation in Oregon. Governor Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield, by declaring Oregon a sanctuary state, have cash-starved the Democrat liberal programs and doomed them to failure. An Eastern Oregon farmer made this observation on this decision. “Smart, I am not, but I know enough to keep my fingers away from the running chainsaw.”

John Woods: Veteran, Conservative, Patriot, Father, Husband, Certified Action Range Shooter, Voting Delegate to state Oregon Republican Party.

Image: Oregon Department of Transportation