To the Editor:

This is in response to last week’s letter in the Blue Mountain Eagle regarding moving the Idaho border. In Eastern Oregon we do have a different lifestyle from city living. Ours is country living.

But to say “we live by way different standards” denies the rich diversity of life here that makes Grant County a great place to live. It would be a disservice to our communities to say we all live the same way, or we all have the same values. We simply do not. And how boring that would be if we did? The rich diversity we have brings out creativity and innovation that has kept our county moving forward. Do I agree with everything about politics here? No, not really. And I think no matter where you live you will encounter something you don’t particularly like.

Do we really want to trade Grant County’s minimum wage of $11.50 an hour for Idaho’s minimum wage of $7.25? That is a lot to give up. I bet people in minimum wage jobs here wouldn’t be too happy with that. Oregon has no sales tax. Idaho has a sales tax even on groceries. Is this what you want? Be careful what you ask for.

So really, to those of you who don’t like Oregon and the opportunities we have as Oregonians, you have options to move to a place you like better, or you can decide to remain here and enjoy what we do have. And it wouldn’t hurt for each of us to work more closely with the people who represent us in Salem. And, by the way, I hear through the grapevine that Idaho is slowly shifting leftward. You just might have to move again.

Eva Harris

Canyon City