Here's how we keep our areas open...

[Pro_Marinero]

http://yakima-herald.com/?storyid=317483858702714

East Washington, the 51st state! Much more friendly to our interests than the 15% of the state that sets the agenda for 100%.

[Old_Man_Time]

http://yakima-herald.com/?storyid=317483858702714

East Washington, the 51st state! Much more friendly to our interests than the 15% of the state that sets the agenda for 100%.

This is exactly the truth that I have been saying for years. Too bad it will be very unlikely to become a reality. If it did happen it would sure drop the jaw of our governor unelect (Christine) who aroggantly thinks her policies represent the whole state. ?

[Firecracker]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here. Politically, I feel similarly--but if we were to split the state, where would our money come from? Not only is the voting base on the west side of the state, but so is the TAX base. We'd either have to raise taxes, or suffer poor schools, roads, counties and state programs like law enforcement and fire departments. Rural towns and counties are already suffering budget shortages. Imagine if you cut the state's budget to a quarter or a third--think of all the things we'd lose.

It's a nice idea, but it would be very difficult to make it a practical reality.

[Old_Man_Time]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here. Politically, I feel similarly--but if we were to split the state, where would our money come from? Not only is the voting base on the west side of the state, but so is the TAX base. We'd either have to raise taxes, or suffer poor schools, roads, counties and state programs like law enforcement and fire departments. Rural towns and counties are already suffering budget shortages. Imagine if you cut the state's budget to a quarter or a third--think of all the things we'd lose.

It's a nice idea, but it would be very difficult to make it a practical reality.

Let me play an angels advocate here ? :

I'm not so sure that is true Sharla. That is what the politicians of Western Washington would have us believe. The budget your talking about actually includes the Westsides expensive lifestyles. I do not believe a budget has ever been worked out showing what actually supports the Eastern half of the state and then analyzed with the Eastern Washington Tax payers contribution in mind. Also I do not believe we need a education system based on all the liberal progressiveness of the West side. It could be we would have a better education system and lifestyle without their liberal mandates.

?

[uncorked]

keep in mind firecracker, many of your local needs come from your local taxes, such as your property taxes and are not funded by the state. i am a west sider in a rural area and we put up with some of the similiar issues as you folks do on the other side of the hills. if you guys split i may just move over with ya!! ?

[unkle_george]

Likewise in Oregon. The flow of Tax dollars is Westward.

... Concrete roads are much more expensive then gravel. I thank my parents for supporting the Portland Max train whenever I go home to Eastern Oregon. ?

- Ryan

[Pro_Marinero]

Likewise in Oregon. The flow of Tax dollars is Westward.

... Concrete roads are much more expensive then gravel. I thank my parents for supporting the Portland Max train whenever I go home to Eastern Oregon. ?

- Ryan

Exactly. The Washington State Ferry system thanks those east of the Pacific Crest for their continued support. ?

[NE_Oregon_KTM]

Several years ago, the idea of making a state from Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho was proposed. At the time, it never went very far. Maybe it is time to start that proposal again. ?

[BrandonW]

When I lived in Spokane, I heard this same argument being proposed in Idaho. All in the northern part thought that their tax money was being funneled down to the Boise area, with little to show for it.

This is not a new proposition.

[BrandonW]

Also, while I am being a nay-sayer, I might as well bring up my foresting buddies. They don't want me riding my motorbike in forest when they are working, or where they will be working.

My hunting buddies also want me out of their forest.

Horse riders do not want us on the trails.

We have a riding area out here that has "un-offically" been ridden for the past 30+ years. Now we got new neighbors out there who want us off the land. What are they using for an enforcement tactic? Dust.

To think that we would get an open ticket out of this kind of proposal is hopeful, but maybe not totally realistic.

There are many people who want motorbikes gone, and not all of them are liberal with their politics.

[BrandonW]

Local radio is saying:

#1. Eastern Washington receives more tax benefits than we put in;

#2. Most of our land is federally held, which would provide no income;

#3. This is a drastic long-term fix to remedy a short-term political problem.

[Rip Wheeler]

http://yakima-herald.com/?storyid=317483858702714

East Washington, the 51st state! Much more friendly to our interests than the 15% of the state that sets the agenda for 100%.

Sounds great, I just purchases 20.25 acres 1.5 miles from the Okanoigan Natyional Forest, 1.5 miles from a snowmobile park. As soon as I have enough $$$, I'm headed over there for permanent residence status! ?

[Old_Man_Time]

Local radio is saying:

#1. Eastern Washington receives more tax benefits than we put in;

#2. Most of our land is federally held, which would provide no income;

#3. This is a drastic long-term fix to remedy a short-term political problem.

My first question would be which local radio? Who owns them? and What is their possible political alliance? It is naive to think that the media doesn't have a bias.

I believe if this really got rolling the liberals would flood us with their propaganda to scare people into doing nothing. Think of all the things they said we would lose if we passed a law limiting tab fees or land taxes. The very first thing they say they will have to cut will be law enforcement and fire departments and then schools. Think about it!!! Why would anyone in their right mind cut basics when there is so much pork fat to cut? Because they want to scare you into taxing yourself to death. It's about time we quit listening to all the propaganda as to why we shouldn't fight back and start fighting back.

Anything worth having is going to cost us something but at least we would be out from under the liberal almighty hand of Olympia.

[BrandonW]

Radio station was KPQ 560 on the AM dial.

They push Rush Limbaugh from 9-12, Micheal Medved from 6-9 and SavageNation from 9-11. Condotta has weekly addresses.

They are very pro-conservative.

[2PLY]

.....................if you guys split i may just move over with ya!! ?

Me too!! ? I still have my big jar of spare coins... i can help out. ?

[Pro_Marinero]

My first question would be which local radio? Who owns them? and What is their possible political alliance? It is naive to think that the media doesn't have a bias.

I believe if this really got rolling the liberals would flood us with their propaganda to scare people into doing nothing. Think of all the things they said we would lose if we passed a law limiting tab fees or land taxes. The very first thing they say they will have to cut will be law enforcement and fire departments and then schools. Think about it!!! Why would anyone in their right mind cut basics when there is so much pork fat to cut? Because they want to scare you into taxing yourself to death. It's about time we quit listening to all the propaganda as to why we shouldn't fight back and start fighting back.

Anything worth having is going to cost us something but at least we would be out from under the liberal almighty hand of Olympia.

The capital was between Olympia, Ellensburg, and North Yakima back in 1889. Wonder how much different things would be now if it was one of the latter two?

While Brandon is certainly right that not everyone on this side is pro-OHV, the demographics of the east side are far and away a different sight than them dadgummed 206'ers. ? Urban sprawl is not even close to being what it is in the Puget Sound area and beyond. Eastern WA doesn't have housing developments going up 10-20 miles from city centers. Although the loss of tax base is a scary thought for some, the lack of social programs to support would instantly gain a good portion of that base back. On top of that, I think a lot of 509'ers would be happy to pay a bit more of their own tax to have some say in their political future. At this point, Washington is becoming such a business-unfriendly state with all the various excessive tax (B&O for instance) that I'm sure more than a few companies would be happy to relocate a few miles inland to a more hospitable set of regulations.

Although I'm currently pretty much wed to the wet side (waterfront container terminal management), I can guarantee you that I would be hitting the road to the dry side the first chance I got at a decent job there.

[Rip Wheeler]

I can guarantee you that I would be hitting the road to the dry side the first chance I got at a decent job there.

I was on the Washington Census site just looking at the population. King county has almost 900 people per square mile, Pierce Co is at 833, Okanogan Co is at 7.5! My property taxes for my entire 20.25 acres I just bought in Okanogan cost me a whopping $27.54 for the entire year! (there is a nice loophole/tax break written into the state constitution) and I took advantage of it! I have a good 15 years to maybe 20 and I'm headed out!

[uncorked]

i agree with "old man time". use caution with state propoganda. i am a professional firefighter. none of your critical services would be cut. very little if any of these services are funded by the state, meaning police,fire. these taxes you are paying locally already. i enjoy agreeing with "old man time". he is a fellow xr rider. ?

[Old_Man_Time]

Radio station was KPQ 560 on the AM dial.

They push Rush Limbaugh from 9-12, Micheal Medved from 6-9 and SavageNation from 9-11. Condotta has weekly addresses.

They are very pro-conservative.

I am familiar with 560 and they seem to play quite a few conservative based talks. So no smoking gun there Brandon but that still doesn't make them right.

What I'm saying is there is more to the financial stability of the State of Eastern WA than first meets the eye as some have already pointed out. We for sure would be more buisness friendly. Since businesses are exiting the Western Washington controled state as fast as they can, why not make the move to cheap power, buisness friendly state of Eastern Washington?

It would be up to the courts as to how much of the present states revenues would be given to the new state. Western Washington should not mind returning our contributions to their tax system since we pay such a measly small amount, they would not even notice it. Thats according to their own testimony concerning Eastern Washington.

Their disdain and condescending attitude toward our political needs is very irritating to say the least.

[Old_Man_Time]

Also, while I am being a nay-sayer, I might as well bring up my foresting buddies. They don't want me riding my motorbike in forest when they are working, or where they will be working.

My hunting buddies also want me out of their forest.

Horse riders do not want us on the trails.

We have a riding area out here that has "un-offically" been ridden for the past 30+ years. Now we got new neighbors out there who want us off the land. What are they using for an enforcement tactic? Dust.

To think that we would get an open ticket out of this kind of proposal is hopeful, but maybe not totally realistic.

There are many people who want motorbikes gone, and not all of them are liberal with their politics.

True enough but the majority of them are Liberal. There is no question that the majority of those who are liberal in their politics are our greatest enemies. It is a very small minority of Liberals who don't care about our recreational passions. There are some conservatives who because of their personal activities don't like dirt bikers. But when push comes to shove I hope they have enough savy to realize we all must stand together or we will fall together. If we are pushed off the trails it's only a matter of time till the horses are too and then the bicycles, then the watercrafts and finally the hunters. The Liberal's with their green tendencies hate us all.

1) I have friends who ride horses and they also buy their children motorbikes and atv's.

2) There are forestry people who cooperate with us and are more concerned for our safety while they are operating their heavy equipment. They do not necassarily all hate us. After all it's the liberals that took their work away not the dirt bikers.

3) Many hunters use motorized atv's and dirtbikes to aid their hunting. They want to restrict motorized recreation during hunting seasons to hunters only.

4) Most fishermen are much in favor of watercrafts but want certain restrictions during fishing season.

These are difficult issues that need to be resolved by the recreationist not the Liberals. And the only way the recreationist are going to be allowed to make such decisions is a new state.