Native Oregonian, I've had enough. Moving to Utah... Good luck.

[Mike7b]

Reno, that's funny. Our daughter and son in law live in Reno, we try to get down there a couple times a year. I love it down there. Road trip, once you hit Jordan valley, you're in the great basin, put the hammer down. Probably because it'd so different from the mountains, trees and lakes up here, such a visual difference. It's funny, growing up in grants pass, I couldn't wait to get out, my daughter couldn't wait to get out of our town up here. She loves Reno. No rhyme or reason, just something that tells you your home.

 

[mkwerx]

We're pulling the pin on Oregon this year - had been kicking some places around- Idaho, Utah, Texas - Texas won out because of family and business opportunity down there, besides the better weather (generally). St. George, Utah would still be at the top of my short list of alternate places to move to though, and who knows we may still yet wind up in Utah at some point.

I'm over Oregon's 30 years of solid democrat rule and the increasingly frustrating stupidity coming from the state and local governments from big stuff to small stuff - things seemingly as benign as fishing licenses - two years now they've pushed e-tags on us, got rid of the old system and the nice small waterproof license that was actually printed on paper. Now if you want a physical copy it's on a full sheet of normal office paper, or you can pay for "waterproof" paper that's really not at some retailers that still won't fold nearly as small or neat as the old stuff. And god help you if your phone dies when you're afield and you *don't* have that copier paper copy on you - you can now get a ticket for that.

I can't say I'm thrilled with some of the local politicians in the bigger Texas cities - they've got more than enough idiot lefty loons down there too - but the state gov is pretty solid despite some mis-steps from the COVID stuff. Good governor, good Lt. Governor, good state AG. There's ruminations that a Constitutional Carry bill may be introduced down there, which I'm hoping for. I'll be really happy to be able to do actual private transfers again, without paying $25-50 for the "privilege" of exercising that part of our 2A rights.

When I looked at St. George when we were studying places to maybe relocate too, they had really decent weather most of the year, summers got a tad warm but only a handful of 100+ days, not too much snow, mountains and lakes close by to play in, and its only 100 miles NE of Vegas if you need a taste of Big City life. Pretty cool area to be in, and its a town about the size of Hillsboro. I met a nice couple from St George who were vacationing up here to see family last summer, and they had no complaints and said its a pretty solid red area. Utah is a very appealing place to be if you're escaping Oregon - good luck with the move!

 

[4Freedom]

Native Oregonian (almost) here... I left my home state many eons ago... I miss it, but don't regret moving.

 

[XoXSciFiGuy]

I was a shirt-tailed kid when I lived in Oregon, going to that (now defunct) Catholic school in Roseburg. My old man accepted a $5,000 bonus and a big wage to move us to WA in the mid-60's. Been here ever since, and we used to run a small farm down near Sumner, WA. That was a LONG time ago and things have changed. Even all my kids bailed to Nevada, Missouri, and Arizona. My wife and I are the last holdouts.

Next year we are leaving the Evergreen State for good. It just isn't the same here anymore. Even when times are good and WA gets all the tax revenue they need, they don't know how to use it properly. They don't know how to keep the roads fixed, or provide for all those homeless folks living under freeways. I'm a lifelong Democrat, but even I know WA has sometimes done better with a GOP governor running things here.

I will miss a lot of things about the PNW, but I choose cheaper living and more freedom any day of the week. And twice on Sundays. We will probably end up in NW Arizona. This location will put us in driving range of MY folks, the wife's mother, and all the kids. And I like desert camping anyway.

 

[Mikej]

Damn, seeing Nevada light blue on that map pains me.

Moved here from Nevada. Love it.

Don't plan on leaving. Oregon has been good to my family and I.

Coming from a desert with nothing but a dead and further decaying industry of gambling, Oregon was literally a breath of fresh air. It has industry galore, food is actually grown here, forests everywhere, it's freaking green everywhere.

I could go on.

I get it, if I was raised here, I'd likely be jaded and see it differently. I hate going to Reno to visit. Town sucks. Yet, folks from here, when I tell them I am from there, say it's beautiful. I'm dumbfounded, but I can see how a dead desert of brown and grey nothing can be pretty to someone that lived in a green oasis of water and rain for their entire life.

Best of luck getting gone!

When did you come to OR? I have the same feelings about my home state of Utah. Some real beautiful places in the state. And a bunch of places, where if you love desolation, desert, flat sagebrush, wind, stifling heat in summer/miserable cold in winter, then it's for you. I'm pretty sure the places I remember going , and would love to go again are all messed up and over regulated by PEOPLE. Politicians, and miserable humans. That goes for many of the places in Wy., Mt. and Id. where we used to travel, camp and fish too. I have to stay in this climate. I love the rain and dark cloudy days over freezing cold and snow.

 

[Rickenbacher39]

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one that got fed up with the west coast nonsense.
My wife and I moved out of Washington state last month for that very reason.
King, Pierce, Thurston and Snohomish counties should be declared legally insane
and removed from the planet.
Seattle has gone completely off the rails and those folks just love Inslee and their
cute little socialist city council member.
I don't understand it and I quit trying.
Give me sanity or give me death.............or something...............

 

[Idaho44]

The myth of moving to a supposed 'red' state continues despite the preponderance of property sales to the purple people. Moving to a 'red' state is not really a solution since they are turning purple or blue. It always amazed me when folks moved to a rural environment and thought they would blend in! In reality they stick out like an American in a foreign country!

 

[Member 34319]

Reno, that's funny. Our daughter and son in law live in Reno, we try to get down there a couple times a year. I love it down there. Road trip, once you hit Jordan valley, you're in the great basin, put the hammer down. Probably because it'd so different from the mountains, trees and lakes up here, such a visual difference. It's funny, growing up in grants pass, I couldn't wait to get out, my daughter couldn't wait to get out of our town up here. She loves Reno. No rhyme or reason, just something that tells you your home.

Exactly my point! Many love the area. Desert, heat, actual snow and winters. Reno has changed some, still needs a major overhaul to compete with the Hillsboro Beaverton areas though. Cost of living is drastically less, yet cost of entertainment is much much higher in my opinion. If you couldn't afford a boat, dirt bikes, RV, etc. You will run out of things to do in Reno before you know it. Best thing about Reno, at least for my family growing up, was the lakes in California just over the boarder. If we didn't have a trailer, that would have never happened. That and the trips to Oregon. Without the trailer growing up, camping (and falling in love with the area) in Oregon would not have happened. Till this day, my folks come to Oregon 1-2 a year just to camp on the coast. Sometimes, they don't even come to visit us. Just to camp. I'd never go to Nevada just to camp. Maybe Tahoe, but that's a stretch. Too much going on up here in OR and WA to explore.

When did you come to OR? I have the same feelings about my home state of Utah. Some real beautiful places in the state. And a bunch of places, where if you love desolation, desert, flat sagebrush, wind, stifling heat in summer/miserable cold in winter, then it's for you. I'm pretty sure the places I remember going , and would love to go again are all messed up and over regulated by PEOPLE. Politicians, and miserable humans. That goes for many of the places in Wy., Mt. and Id. where we used to travel, camp and fish too. I have to stay in this climate. I love the rain and dark cloudy days over freezing cold and snow.

Moved here in 2013. Planted roots, had a kid. Never going back. Don't plan on going anywhere honestly. If anything, if we retire well and can afford it, move to the coast and die there after at least a few years of walking the beaches daily and a few hundred sunsets.

 

[Mikej]

Never going back. Don't plan on going anywhere honestly. If anything, if we retire well and can afford it, move to the coast and die there after at least a few years of walking the beaches daily and a few hundred sunsets.

This is where we were at....until the "rona" came in and destroyed a third of our net worth. Central coast, smallish town and the hopes of never having to set foot in this fetid potland ever again

 

[3MTA3]

Native son who has lived 53 or my 60 years here.

Bailing out as soon as a few surgeries are taken care of. My medical plan here has incredibly low cost co-pays that will save us many, many $$$$$,

Oregon is currently in a state of soft tyranny. You can see now how the ruling politicians (really a single party state) have used the pandemic to test hard tyranny. It's clear they love authoritarianism to an orgasmic level. I refuse to have my state income taxes pay for them any longer than needed.

Live in chains (it's coming) or leave the place I love the most and stay free (for a while). Cost of living differences also mean an earlier retirement. Staying here pretty much has me working to 75.

Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming are on the list, but I'm pretty certain where we are going. Wherever I go, the closest city will be no greater than 50,000 and that will be no closer than a half hour away. All areas I've looked at have primary resources, especially water, covered.

 

[Legs]

Moved here in 2013. Planted roots, had a kid. Never going back. Don't plan on going anywhere honestly. If anything, if we retire well and can afford it, move to the coast and die there after at least a few years of walking the beaches daily and a few hundred sunsets.

Been here on the coast since I was 19 (1974) when I took a job logging. Lot's of sunsets.... and I try not to take for granted where I live and take a look at the ocean every day. Easy to do.

I too am going to bail on this state when I retire in a few years. Last year I purchased a central Idaho house not far from Lewiston, in a very small town on a city lot with water and sewer. I don't want to be screwing with septic systems and wells... and I don't need acreage to take care of when I'm retired. I'm going to do the snowbird thing... 8 months in Idaho, 4 months in Yuma sampling Mexican food, tequila and hookers.

I purchased in an area I have been familiar with and visiting for 25 years. Have friends there (how I bought the house), and while I will stick out as the "Oregon guy" I know the locals well and I can contribute to the community. Fun part is I go over there once a month to work on the house, a 1950 stick built four bedroom with great bones, and still get to go fishing and shooting, ride my quad, and take a long weekend away from the now Portland playground of the coast.

Only thing I will miss is the ocean... it will be there when I visit... and my friends will come see me.

 

[XoXSciFiGuy]

I like the guy back there who said that a long time ago....everything outside of Portland used to be like Mayberry. That is a good description of Old Oregon. Not today, of course.

 

[IOM]

You can run, but you can never really hide...

Political Locust's are still feeding...

 

[03A3Sporter]

I like the guy back there who said that a long time ago....everything outside of Portland used to be like Mayberry. That is a good description of Old Oregon. Not today, of course.

Yeah I haven't seen anything Mayberrryesque other than some of the small towns main street etc. Such a shame too 5 years ago when I moved here wasn't sure what I was in for , but I know now and I honestly do love the diversity of climates. Central Oregon is actually my favorite place to be . The Bend , and Madras areas are just spectacular , I just can't see a change back to a more conservative direction for the state with the elected officials that are in place, it's like most of them try to out progressive one another.

A couple of years ago when that state rep up portland had the police called on her while she was canvasing for votes, they immediately passed a law basically making it a hate crime to call the police if the person you are calling about might be of color. Very strange and dystopian by any measure for most normal folks

 

[Legs]

You can run, but you can never really hide...

Political Locust's are still feeding...

True that, but I like a level playing field. Right now the libs have the high ground in Oregon and will probably hold it for many years to come. I would rather use my energy in a situation that is not hopeless.....

 

[3MTA3]

Note to those of planning to leave... When I left Oregon many years ago I learned that Oregon will absolutely rape you on your state income tax the year you leave. The later you move during the calendar year the longer it will take before you don't walk funny.

When I jump ship for my second and final time I will do it as close to but no sooner than January 1 of the year I leave.

 

[Legs]

Note to those of planning to leave... When I left Oregon many years ago I learned that Oregon will absolutely rape you on your state income tax the year you leave. The later you move during the calendar year the longer it will take before you don't walk funny.

When I jump ship for my second and final time I will do it as close to but no sooner than January 1 of the year I leave.

Hell, as a business owner I am getting raped now...!!!! Not a friendly state anymore for small businesses.

 

[mjwpar72]

When are you moving? What part of Utah?
I've considered moving there as well, spent a week around SLC last June just to check it out.

I like big evergreens! Makes me sad that I'll probably be moving away from them sometime.

SW Utah early june

 

[Ironbar]

Not being a native and moving here as a part time resident, there is a lot to like about Oregon, but the political climate is not one of them. I hope that your move to Utah is all you want it to be, I know that in the near future I will be leaving when I am done working, its really a shame how progressives and socialists have ruined the Pacific Northwest. I can only imagine what it was like here 50 years ago.

50 years ago Oregon was a red state.

 

[03A3Sporter]

The myth of moving to a supposed 'red' state continues despite the preponderance of property sales to the purple people. Moving to a 'red' state is not really a solution since they are turning purple or blue. It always amazed me when folks moved to a rural environment and thought they would blend in! In reality they stick out like an American in a foreign country!

You are not entirely correct, I moved here from Oklahoma and speaking as a lifelong Oklahoma resident with some brief periods living elsewhere for work. Oklahoma started out early on politically progressive with a heavy socialist tint through a large part of the state history and has radically shifted to the right in my lifetime. It used to be the only way you got elected in Oklahoma was having a D after your name. You could not even run for city dog catcher as a Republican, socialism was quite popular and present from the 30's through the 50's and we had some interesting gun control laws on the books as well mostly related to carry. There are several states that have made similar shifts . I do not see progressivism taking over the country as many envision, but what I do see as many of the places that have embraced it having economic and social problems that continue to grow till the systems eventually have to reset.

I do also believe there will be a time when people are forced to choose on a large scale how they want live. At some point Cali, Ore, Washington and other states that have embraced socialism will have a Venezuela style problems . it is inevitable as state economies are strained under the burdens of giving everyone free cheese.