” I confess to being an Oregon visitor (3 times and may be going for a 4th this fall). Not enough time to really understand the place, but I see a difference between the East and the West in the public behavior and private attitudes of the people I see and meet.”
Oregon is one of the most beautiful states in the Union. It has 3 distinct regions with 3 different sets of people. The coast where it rains 11 months of the year and is populated by hippies. The central part between the Coast range and Cascades where it rains 10 months of the year and is populated by socialists. And East of the Cascades where it rains 1 month of the year and is populated by self-reliant people who just want the government to leave them alone (except Bend) :-)
I’d love to move back - my sister still lives there. It is a beautiful place and I love the mountains. But after living in the freedom of Texas, I just couldn’t put up with the politically correct Barbara Streisand - or the outrageous land prices, or not being able to pump my own gas.
After reading your post about regions and 3 sets of people, I see that you don’t know Oregon at all. I grew up in Eugene and have family all over the state. I may just move back in a few months.
I plan on moving in with my sister to help her out with her land on the east side of the Will. Valley. If you call people in most of the Willamette Valley outside the University towns and Salem socialists, you’d better run far and fast.