re: Five Oregon counties to vote on leaving state, escaping to 'Greater Idaho'

Sure, let's take Nashville and Memphis as an example. My vote means jack shite, even sometimes in city elections because of the influence of the state legislature. The state has been so gerrymandered that even though polls put us at roughly 60%/40% red/blue, our state legislature is actually 75%/25% red/blue.

Several years back, Davidson county wanted to build a rapid bus transit line. I admit it was ill-conceived, but it is what the city wanted, so it shouldn't have been a statewide issue. The state legislature did not like the bus plan, so they passed a law banning rapid bus transit in the entire state.

On another occasion, Nashville and Memphis city councils passed laws to decriminalize marijuana. They cited it was a strain on city resources to go after low-level pot uses. Again, the state legislature passed a law that forbid municipalities from decriminalizing pot. Thankfully our DA gave them the finger and just refused to prosecute any small marijuana cases.

So even if I vote for a pro-pot and pro-transit city council member, it doesn't matter because of the influence of the rural citizens that don't live anywhere near my community.

All of that said, if these counties want to leave Oregon and Idaho wants them, I don't see the issue, assuming the counties are contiguous with Idaho.