I would actually be okay with that. I think CA is too big as it is, and there is too many cons/R’s there that don’t have representation that reflects their values and beliefs
That’s my old neighborhood…I m surprised it’s only 5 counties. Personally I wish eastern and southern oregon and Eastern Washington and Northern California would form a new state…it’s already got a name … the state of Jefferson idea has been around for decades. Get a couple more Republican senate seats to offset the District of Columbia.
Those people in eastern oregon have built lives and those lives are constantly being messed with by leftist idiots like governor Kate Brown and the Portland salem elite. Idaho far more represents the values of Eastern Oregonians than the kook fringe keep Portland weird crowd. Malheur county is actually in the mtn time zone it’s more aligned with Idaho than the rest of oregon in many ways.
Even with subsidized Forest Service leases, their product just isn’t worth that much. It’s a romanticized, culture war notion that ranching in SE Oregon and Idaho could be profitable without the government. It’s only possible because it’s largely underwritten by the government.
Like a lot of small businesses, ranching is being strangled by a globalized meat producing machine and their products as a result aren’t worth very much, even with as much help as they get.