Playing the‘Greater Idaho’ game

I watch the “Greater Idaho” movement like I watch a cricket match – with a strange and curious attraction.

For those who don’t know, there’s a movement to pull the counties on the eastern side of Oregon into the abutting state of Idaho to make a more simpatico “Greater Idaho” state.

Why?

Because politically and culturally, the coastal side of Oregon, which holds the bulk of Oregon’s population, is different from the eastern side of Oregon. You might say that one side wears sandals, the other cowboy boots.

As the “Greater Idaho” website says, the coastal elites of Oregon will “violate more and more American values and American freedoms.” So, eastern Oregon counties ought to join with like-minded Idaho where only 13% of the state’s population lives in urban Boise.

I guess I’m okay with that. Seems more like a political parlor game than real life. But, apparently counties can move from state to state if the legislatures in both states agree and then petition the U.S. Congress to make it so. Get it on if you can get it on, I say. However, for the purposes of this column and in no way advocating for something like that here, I will acknowledge that Nevadans experience similar angst.

In the last 100 years, Las Vegas has become different from the rest of Nevada. Economically, Las Vegans no longer identify with ranching and mining. It’s 24/7 gaming, entertainment and tourism. And, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just different from the lives of those who live in rural Nevada.

The woes and issues of the Las Vegas school system, crime and infrastructure are on a different planet than those in Hawthorne, Ely and Caliente.

Unlike eastern Oregon, rural Nevada counties don’t have a logical partner. California’s not an option. Hell, Nevadans would rather be ruled by a mythical Egyptian cat gawd than by the socialists in Sacramento. Utah has potential, but I don’t see it happening because, as we all know, Utah is Utah. While Utah folk like Nevadans well enough, they are happy just the way they are, thank you very much. They are the beehive state. Their motto should be “Leave Us Be.”

If Nevada were going to play that game, I’d float the idea of moving Clark County to Arizona. I suggest this because as you may know at one point in Nevada’s history – way back before Bugsy Siegle – Las Vegas was part of Arizona. Las Vegas legislators didn’t go to Carson City to make laws, they went to Prescott, Arizona.)

As a sidebar to the idea of sending urban Nevada to Arizona, I’d also move the town of Tonopah to Esmeralda County and then put the rest of Nye County into the Arizona package. Let Arizona deal with the peculiarities of Pahrump for a while. Why not?

Of course, I’m just foolin’ around. Truth is, I wouldn’t want funky, schizo Nevada to be any different than it is today. Oregon and Idaho can do what they want.

FUNNY

This actually happened. After the despicable Hamas terrorist attack in Israel in which Americans were killed and captured, Nevada’s two lightweight U.S. Senators issued a press release with this goofball headline:

“Rosen, Cortez Masto Join Bipartisan Letter Urging President Biden to Do Everything in His Power to Rescue American Hostages.”

Really? We should do what we can to get our hostages back? It makes you wonder whether any adult in either office reads these press releases before they push the “send” button.

NOT FUNNY

After two Americans were released for “humanitarian” reasons by Hamas last week, the Washington Post used the word “detained” to describe their plight.

Detained?

Someone at the Post should have been fired on the spot for that mischaracterization. But, I’m sure they were not. Instead, the post quietly changed the word to say the two were taken hostage by Hamas.

Beware anti-Israel bias in corporate U.S. media. It is real.

ONE MORE THING

– As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I remind myself that you can’t always trust Google Maps.

– It’s not a self help checkout line if I need help every time.

– Dad, are we pyromaniacs? Yes, we arson.

Thanks for reading a Battle Born Media newspaper. Until next time, avoid soreheads, laugh a little and always question authority.

“Properly Subversive” is commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick, a Nevada Hall of Fame journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.