The American Spectator : The Battle Moves to the States

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The Realignment Spectator

The Battle Moves to the States

By Grover G. Norquist from the March 2011 issue

Government in Washington may be divided, but not in the rest of the country.

The pundits who live in cable TV-land tell us to keep our eyes on the looming battle royale in Washington, D.C. In one corner, the 242-member-strong Reagan Republican majority in the House of Representatives, which can pass almost any conservative legislation and defeat any liberal effort. They are assisted by the 47 Republican senators who can (unless the Democrats change the rules) filibuster any truly destructive liberal proposal. And on some issues, Senate Republicans might be able to join forces with any four of 12 vulnerable Democratic senators up for reelection in 2012 to pass legislation through the Senate.

In the other corner stand Obama with his veto and Harry Reid's Democratic majority in the Senate. The Senate Democrats have near-total control over the schedule and the determination of which votes will take place. And the Democrat-friendly establishment media will referee the bout.

Yes, out in America voters support the GOP agenda of repealing Obamacare and reducing both spending and taxes, but within the Beltway the two teams each have veto power over the other. Watching this "Mexican standoff" for the next two years will, to mix metaphors, look like watching well-matched sumo wrestlers push each other around, or two rugby teams contest the same two yards for hours.

There will be no big victories or losses. Obama's plans for ever bigger government cannot pass the House. Republicans' plans to roll back the damage of the last two (or 20) years can be stopped in the Senate and/or vetoed by Obama. So in D.C. the real action will be each party positioning itself for 2012. Republicans are likely to win a net gain of at least four of the 23 Democratic seats contested in 2012, thereby gaining a majority. It is possible they could win 13 seats for a 60-vote filibuster-proof majority. The big prize, therefore, is the presidential veto pen.

The battlefield is quite different in the 50 states. There the 2010 elections yielded examples of unified government, as opposed to the gridlock gripping the U.S. Congress. It is at the state level that legislatures and governors will enact game-changing legislation that could move the country toward or away from European welfare statism.

WHEN THE DUST SETTLED from the 2010 elections, in which Republicans gained six governorships and 715 state legislative seats -- including winning control of an additional 21 legislative bodies (taking into account the 25 party switchers from the Democratic side). The GOP now has control of the governor's office and both houses of the legislature in 21 states. The 21 unified Republican states are: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Republicans also possess majorities in both houses of the state legislature, but lack the governorship, in Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.

Democrats have complete, unfettered control and the opportunity to create little Greeces in just 11 states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.

There is a legislative stalemate in D.C.: liberal senators from California can vote to stop conservative senators from Texas from reducing taxes, reforming entitlements, liberalizing labor law, and dismantling regulatory schemes. But at the state level, majorities can have significant effects. Illinois is a good example: the unchallenged Democratic majority there had no one to stop it from raising the personal income tax by 67 percent as its first official act.

In states with GOP majorities in both legislatures, governors are consciously channeling New Jersey's Chris Christi -- although Christie, working with a Democratic-controlled assembly and senate, does his high wire act without a net. The governors of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas have taken the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to oppose any tax increase. What that pledge means in effect is a requirement to reduce future spending by $5 billion in Pennsylvania, $8 billion in Ohio, and $3.6 billion in Florida. Spending will have to be cut by more than $20 billion in Texas, according to its comptroller's office.

Such large reductions in the growth of spending fall heavily on the key constituents of the modern Democratic Party, namely public sector unions, big city political machines, and the grant recipients who use taxpayer dollars for "community organizing." And the promise for tort reform, which would never escape a Democrat's veto, threatens the power and financial clout of trial lawyers, another key Democratic bloc.

Labor laws written to force millions of Americans to pay union dues to labor union bosses are another obstacle that Republican governors and legislatures could undo. States like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana could enact right-to-work laws making union membership voluntary, or "paycheck protection" laws that stop unions from taking your union dues and spending them on politics without your express consent.

PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK for state-level Republicans will be redistricting. Redistricting for the 2012 election will work to maintain the unified party control of the incumbents, in both Republican and Democratic states. The partisan gap between red and blue states will continue to grow over the next 10 years. In turn, many small businessmen, high-skilled workers, and wealthy retirees will move from D to R states. And that dynamic will confirm and reinforce the partisan trends. For example, Illinois may drive away all of its entrepreneurs. Texas would welcome their talent and their resources...and their Republican votes.

In 2012, based on population migration, 10 states will lose congressional seats, and eight states will gain seats. Personal income tax rates are twice as high in the loser states. Government spending is one-third higher in losers, and four states gaining seats levy no personal income tax at all. Republican-controlled states such as Arizona, Georgia, and North Dakota could encourage further immigration of talented, productive, and industrious workers to their own voting rolls by eliminating their income taxes. By the same token, if states like Illinois and California continue their "job creator-cleansing" policies, they will create a more solidly government-employed and welfare-dependent Democratic voting bloc.

The question before America is whether, when this process reaches its natural conclusion, the productive, well-governed, job-creating states have more electoral votes than the mini-Greeces being created in states like Illinois and California. Ultimately, control of the presidency, the Senate, and the House will depend on the answer to that question.

About the Author

Grover G. Norquist is the president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (46) | Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 3.25.11 @ 6:32AM

It's becoming increasingly obvious that the real heroes are out in the states and that Speaker Boehner lives in the delusional state of being Washington bipartisanship.

This is the time for real leadership in Washington, D.C. and sadly, there is none.

Example: The Republicans want to cut 5 million dollars from NPR. What a farce! They should and could demand and get a total defunding of the Center for Public Broadcasting (right around 500 million) and that would be bold, but it's also what is needed.

In the meantime in The Prowler in TAS we find Cantor's staff dissing Michelle Bachman who is out there doing all the heavy lifting and taking the shots right along with Sarah Palin.

Between the two of them they have more guts then the entire Republican leadership.

Don't kid yourselves. The Republican leadership only wants reasonable cuts, i.e., they don't want to upset the Ruling Class inside the beltway of which they are a vital and necessary element.

The next election will see more of them hit the road as it's become rather obvious they would rather cling to the vestiges of power, as opposed the any pathway to honor. The only honor in politics has become what you can slip by the public while you are slipping it to them.

Mike D.| 3.25.11 @ 8:03AM

The battle for this country will be won in the states and I have little faith in anything changing in DC. DC is terminally ill, rogue, and if allowed, will finish the job of destruction of this country.
It really is amazing to watch two women who have more collective gonads than the entire male bunch in DC take the arrows up front while the rest of the cowards pay lip service to what they know is right. I salute both Palin and Bachmann, true courage and conviction on display. Two people who get it. For the rest of the Republicans, statist cowards.

Room 101| 3.25.11 @ 11:16AM

You nailed it Mike. Boehner, Cantor and that bunch of the self-anointed ruling class are cowards. When push comes to shove, they look out for their own skins. Bachmann in particular is willing to make the real arguement, which is liberty and small government vs. indentured servitude and massive government.

Pete| 3.25.11 @ 1:08PM

"Public service" turned into "self-service" long ago, sadly.

Mitch Angoop| 3.25.11 @ 4:00PM

The most infuriating thing going on is the travesty in Wisconsin. If the historically cowardly GOP ever needed a "Wake-Up Call", Wisconsin should serve that need. The democraps are doing everything they can to undo the 2010 elections by their criminal riots in the streets and slithering out of the state to give their hired goons and allies in the media time to finish their guerilla warfare schemes in their absence. If the GOP does not pull out every trick, clean or dirty, at their disposal to completely CRUSH the democrats and their thugs in the public unions, it is all over for everyone of us, regardless of election results.

Frankly, the democrats are laughing at the rule of law and need to experience the consequences of their own rhetoric about "Breaking heads in the streets" before they'll learn a damned thing. If it's war they want, war they should get. I'd love to see a bunch of pansy libs out there protesting in their mincing trot against a few thousand well armed 'good ole boys'.

The sooner we all realize that the democrats have no intention of obeying the laws of the United States of America; the sooner the real battle can be taken to them. Whatever happens, they have brought it on themselves. This is eerily like Germany in the early thirties; when the Nazis did everything the democrats are doing. How soon is too late? (No, kiddies and trolls, I am not threatening anybody. This is hyperbole. If you don't know what that means, look it up.)

tomshup| 3.25.11 @ 4:17PM

Way to go Mitch! Hit that nail squarely on the head!

Well done!

Deborah D| 3.25.11 @ 8:20AM

Yes, Palin and Bachman are what Palin refers to as "Mama Grizzlies." There are a lot of us out here who are sick and tired of the business as usual, and we want the entrenched folks in D.C. to pay attention to what kind of country we'll be leaving our children. I keep wondering what the Dems and others in D.C. really think. Do they think their children will be somehow excluded from the suffering? Or are they so delusional to think that since they'll be in charge that the whole world will be sitting out in cafes drinking coffee and writing their memoirs.

JimP| 3.25.11 @ 9:33AM

Amen to all the above. Re what are they thinking, I suspect the Dems and Repubs like Boehner etc are like the criminals who exert tremendous energy toward illegal enterprises when a fraction of such expenditures legally directed would result in huge success. I suspect it's a combination of stupidity and lack of moral fiber (honor).

Alan Brooks| 3.25.11 @ 3:20PM

You will cut state govt, but not the fed-- you don't want to disturb the system that pays for defense, or your families' goodies. You are being forthright on state govts-- disingenuous on the fed.

The Old Chief| 3.27.11 @ 1:09AM

From your keyboard to God's eyes, I hope.

NedB| 3.25.11 @ 8:25AM

I suspect that in the next 2-3 years. we will see calls grow for a constitutional convention with the goals of stripping power away from the beltway bandits.

The Bishop| 3.25.11 @ 8:44AM

A constitutional convention is nice to fantasize about, but I fear that there are still too many placating cowards who would subvert said convention to install status quo concepts that would then have the sanction of constitutionality. We need more backbone in leadership to live within the Constitution we already have. But, it is a great fantasy.

Maddox| 3.25.11 @ 8:53AM

We have a fine Constitution now, it is being overruled and ignored. I do not think a newer version will have more power over the treasonous group that has stolen our freedom and raped our economy. Removing liberal "think" from the interpretation of our Constitution and the minds of politicians (both R & D) is all that is necessary

Ret. Marine| 3.25.11 @ 8:36AM

We should, one and all of the Republic minded persuasion, be thankful to the one and only obamas bin lyn because he openly confronted the Patriots of this Country to take a stand upon our G-d given rights, thus allowing the We the People to hunt down the demonrats and replace them with those of the mind of our freedom (s). This is heating up to be another good fight because as the obamas bin lyn of this country are now seeing, we are mad as hell and we are not going to take their lies, deception and in another world reality to lull us to sleep or dare I say allow their false assumption of us all being socialist now Bull shale. I have much more faith in those who get it than I do with those who just say get them. If we are to see the light at the end of this tunnel, We the People need more face time with the weaklings at the district of corruption. How we do this is to do exactly what we are doing right now, just amp it up a little more and more as the election cycles once again comes closer. We need to break a foot up the arses of those in the district of corruption, but more importantly We the People need strong leaders at the State level to combat this fight for our Nation. The truth of the matter is, more and more are now seeing the truth for what really matters in their lives, and this is a good thing to my simple mind. I may not be rich, I may not be the brightest light on this string, and I might not even believe what I see most of the time, but the one thing I do believe in is the truth has no agenda, but eh demonrats are busy at their agenda, and it does not include my voice.

Patzer| 3.25.11 @ 9:05AM

The real question for me is, to I get the hell out of Illinois (assuming I can find someone dumb enough to buy my house), or do I stay and fight?

I'm thinking it's a lost cause here...

Redstateboy| 3.25.11 @ 9:41AM

think of the implications of what Norquist writes.
Slave Party Cities and States are failing precisely because they Impliment their insane political philosophies of governing. Ergo.. people are: "voting with their feet." and going where?? Why to our Eeeville Racist Homophobic Red States - We need this stark comparison. At some point - even the most stupid, Welfarite, Democrat dependent Moron - must eventually arrive at the conclusion that the Slave Party's ideas do not work. That's the only hope I can see for what's left of our Nation.

Cabermon| 3.25.11 @ 4:18PM

Heck, Patzer, just lease your house to Democrat legislators from Wisconsin and Indiana, and then move to Texas!

play nice| 3.25.11 @ 5:32PM

"...or do I stay and fight?" Think Alamo!

Bob K.| 3.25.11 @ 9:23AM

Don't look for help in PA Grover. The Republicans are in the process of trying to lose their majority now.

Whether we like it or not their failure to support an extraction tax on the natural gas industry is extremely unpopular and is going to cost them votes.

Every state but PA has this extraction tax and the press is beating it like a drum and tying it to the huge contributions the gas industry made to the political campaigns of the Republicans.

The gas companies don't care and are happy about it. They have incorporated in Delaware to avoid PA's high corporate taxes. The Republicans are doing nothing to lower these taxes to encourage job growth in PA. Like the Bourbon Monarchs of France, they "have learned nothing, forgot nothing."

You will likely find similar examples of foolishness in the other states which went Republican in 2010.

Timothy L. Pennell| 3.25.11 @ 9:59AM

My friends. Go to frontlinewisconsin.com
Obama's Unions are pouring money in to the Recall Operations that the Democrats/Socialists/Marxists are running, up in Wisconsin.
Go to the DONATE PAGE, and put your MONEY where your MOUTH is.
I did. I gave $25. If 1 MILLION of us would do the same, we can SUPPORT these guys. Cause you know that the SCUMBAGS that follow that Marxist POS - TRUMKA - are gonna pump MILLION$ in to this effort to crush these Republican Legislators, for the "CRIME" of Stopping the Spending MADNESS.
If we don't let these Legislators, who are willing to step in to the BREACH, and do the RIGHT THING, know that we've got their back? They won't have OURS, when the time comes around again.
frontlinewisconsin.com
Do it!

Pete| 3.25.11 @ 1:15PM

Done. Best cause I can think of. I'd like to see more of an analysis on these pages of exactly what the union stooges are up to in terms of recall, etc...

Indy| 3.27.11 @ 4:46PM

Pete, two blogs to follow on this story are Althouse, she's an attorney in Madison and been on top of the story since day one,

http://althouse.blogspot.com/

and legal insurrection
http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/

biggovernment is another one, we are all watching, donating, April 5th is the vote for state supreme court justice, see the story at big gov which goes into detail on this election

Indy| 3.27.11 @ 4:48PM

http://biggovernment.com/jjmno.....-4-judges/
from the article -

What You Can Do

If you live in Wisconsin or if you know anyone who does, make sure Tuesday April 5th is circled in red on the calendar. Vote. Vote. Vote.

In the meantime, you can volunteer.

And you don’t have to live in Wisconsin. Get engaged on Twitter. Get engaged on Facebook. Anyone, anywhere can be an activist today using social media.

Start here with Justice David Prosser’s campaign site and Facebook page.

What you can’t do is nothing.

Who Knows?| 3.25.11 @ 11:09AM

Boehner and Cantor aren’t the problem, meine Freunde.

We live in a representative democracy, and the way they attained their powerful positions atop the Republican House of Representatives pyramid was---a free vote, by their peers, who were also freely elected.

So, it ain’t the LEADERS---it’s the majority of representatives who chose them over the insurgents, those claiming to be for the Tea Party.

No, wait!

It’s not THEM---it’s the one-by-one majority of voters who voted for THEM.

See—that’s why elections MATTER.

I, myself, am still seriously “challenged”, i.e. handicapped, by that most basic human trait, hyper-analyzed by that bad old fascist, Heidegger---caring.

As a resident of the lost state of Oregon, the southern mostly conservative part, every time the goofy fools in the Portland area manage to vote another liberal into the governor’s office, it just sucks---and HURTS.

AND---soon enough, what the boys and girls do in Salem, when the voting dust has settled, ceases to concern me.

Of course, I’m all for the politicking that anyone chooses to do, in between elections.

But, let’s see---one day out of four years: that’s 1 out of 1,461 days. And, anyway, maybe I won’t even live to see the nest election day, so what else to DO, except live “my” life as consciously as possible, eh?

“Be Consciousness.

Contemplate Consciousness.

Transcend EVERYTHING in Consciousness.

This is the epitome of the Way of Truth.” Da Free John

tomshup| 3.25.11 @ 4:33PM

Wrong! Boehner and Cantor were elevated to their positions becaause of the results of the Nov.2nd election. Yes, their peers voted them in, technically, but they are very aware of how that evolved. They just choose to ignore the results and do business the Beltway Way!
You sound a bit unconscious to me. Although, I do have to sympathize with you being at the mercy of the rabble in Portland, etc. Visited your beautiful, but disconnected state in Oct. last year.
From North to south and East, truly a beautiful place. Portland was a city in decay!
God Bless!

Who Knows?| 3.25.11 @ 8:04PM

Well,

TECHNICALLY Obama got to be president.

And you think I sound a bit unconscious?

Is this too technical for you?

NaturalBorn Texican| 3.25.11 @ 11:13AM

Term Limits!

Term Limits!!!

Term Limits!!!!!!

Term Limits!!!!!!!!!!!

Term Limits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Room 101| 3.25.11 @ 11:21AM

In addition, or in lieu of, reduce the salary and benefits, and take away the pension and other goodies. Only the true public "servants" will apply. The term "career" needs to be removed from the political lexicon.

RichTex| 3.25.11 @ 12:05PM

It has become clear over the past few decades that we can no longer allow politicians to become entrenched in office. Even good men (and women) who go to Washington all too often eventually grow apart from their constituents and lose the concept of what it means to be a private citizen. Instead, they accept the idea that they are the “ruling class” and have the power and the wisdom to impose their ideas upon the common folk.

Imposition of terms limits will help reverse this. When politicians discover that they will be forced to live themselves under the same rules they dictate to the common folk, they may finally realize that small, less intrusive government is as beneficial to them personally as it is to the rest of us.

I would propose the following: A maximum of three consecutive terms for House members and two consecutive terms for Senators. Then, once a member has reached his maximum allotment, he must remain outside of Congress until a period of time equal to his previous tenure has elapsed. Even with these limits, it may be possible for someone to spend almost a fifth of a century in Congress, 6 years in the House followed by 12 years in the Senate. To reduce that possibility and to emphasize that service in Congress is a service given to the country, I propose the complete elimination of Congressional pensions. Make their retirement dependent upon what they can earn in the private sector.

This would take a constitutional amendment to put into practice. But upon its ratification, it would allow those in office to complete the terms for which they hold at that time. Then the time out provision would kick in for each individual member. Someone who has already served for 30 years would have to wait another 30 years before being eligible to run again. Congress would be given the power to devise a repayment vehicle for those who have already paid into the present pension system to be refunded their individual contributions, but no more. Since I’m feeling especially generous today, I would allow those retired members who have achieved the age of 80 to continue to receive benefits from the existing pension plan, but no one else.

tomshup| 3.25.11 @ 4:36PM

I second this amendment!

Inquiring Mind| 3.25.11 @ 11:41AM

Hey Grover,

Is it really true that you married an Arab and gave converted to Islam?

Libsmack| 3.25.11 @ 1:05PM

He forgot to mention New York State. Don't Dems control both assembly and senate?

DRed| 3.25.11 @ 1:39PM

Who Knows?| 3.25.11 @ 1:41PM

Here’s a scary thought---

Too many states are in the midst of their “lab experiment” on a downward spiral, economically AND culturally.

California, as usual, leads the pack.

And, what’s the one word that can most perfectly describe what’s been going on in that state, at least since the sixties---

DECADENCE.

Yes, led by Hollywood, academia, all the usual suspects---don’t forget public education, a la John Dewey’s influence---America has been going through a terrible amoral phase.

In an article on the WSJ, today, reviewing a book, I plucked this pithy definition---‘

Decadence--- defeatism before the consequences of defeat have been felt.

This says it all.

How many are indeed infected by this “It’s already over” attitude?

Hey---let’s just party like it’s 1999!!!!

WL| 3.25.11 @ 2:38PM

You miss one other very possible conclusion...

SPLIT

The country will split in between 5-10 years.

While this seems like sci-fy talk to most (right now it is)...just remember, when things start happening, they happen fast and go farther than you ever think....ALSO, if the population can be duped away from the constitution (as is happening now) then the constitution will lose its ability to hold it together.

Ken (Old Texican)| 3.25.11 @ 2:57PM

WL,
no.
We WILL take the country back to the constitution, or die trying.
best regards

NaturalBorn Texican| 3.25.11 @ 3:18PM

I LIKE IT, RichTex!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 3.25.11 @ 3:29PM

THIS BULLEXCREMENT [You will cut state govt, but not the fed-- you don't want to disturb the system that pays for defense, or your families' goodies. You are being forthright on state govts-- disingenuous on the fed] will be unearthed in November of 2012 when we FINISH the political job we started in November of 2010. Oh, and as to 'goodies', say goodbye to that of Medicaid, which will be substantially reduced from its outlandished welfaric amounts. It's THE BEGINNING OF THE END, and especially for YA BOY [and don't scream RACISM]!!!!!!

Tulsa Jack| 3.26.11 @ 9:47AM

Mr. Norquist writes that "when this process reaches its logical conclusion" -- but there is no such "when," because life goes on. The one-party socialist swamps that Democrats are creating are like drunks who have to hit bottom before they can begin to recover. They will simply continue to spiral down to become barren Mudvilles, a result already evident in Detroit, Michigan. Haiti on the Great Lakes.

This conclusion is foregone. So the issue becomes, do the good-government states bail out the socialist swamps, misusing taxpayers' hard-earned dollars to subsidize destructive, counter-productive gangster elites whose only interest in public office is to loot the greedy, selfish, ignorant, irresponsible citizens who fall for their demagoguery?

That is where the future national conflict lies. Do we institute Federal Socialism, conservative host states supporting leftard parasites? Or do we respond with the only answer that will solve the problem: Buddy, you broke it, you pay for it.

Ned the Red| 3.26.11 @ 10:59AM

From the Column: The partisan gap between red and blue states will continue to grow over the next 10 years. In turn, many small businessmen, high-skilled workers, and wealthy retirees will move from D to R states. And that dynamic will confirm and reinforce the partisan trends. For example, Illinois may drive away all of its entrepreneurs. Texas would welcome their talent and their resources...and their Republican votes.

From Me: Maybe these states will refuse to let folks leave. For the first time in this country we might see fences to keep people in, not out.
Isn't that the formula, when the talent naturally wants to seek a more fertile (free) environment their progressive hosts build a wall to keep them in.
Perhaps someday we will hear the governor of Utah say to the governor of California, "Mr. Brown, tear down this wall."

martin j smith| 3.27.11 @ 8:07AM

Ned the Red: agree with you on the point of the money makers leaving Blue States. Then when enough of them leave the Red state leaders will say: TAX THE RICH--but there are no rich. It will resort to TAX THE TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is what many of those fools don't realize.

Peppermint Tea| 3.28.11 @ 12:53PM

The beginning of the article that explained the Beltway gridlock would be a good prologue to a future history of why the U.S. did nothing as their dollar withered away due to overspending and Fed printing. Followed by, "Reforms were suggested, but before these could be enacted, inflated dollars from around the world returned to jolt the U.S. with inflation by summer 2011, when the Fed began QE3 so that the Treasury could sell bonds. By 2012 hyperinflation was underway, protests and riots were commonplace among those with fixed incomes (retired, gov workers, and teachers) many of whom were highly organized and supported by the President as he stood for re-election. When riots turned into violent clashes between unions and Tea Party sympathizers, it was easy for Obama, in the name of safety, to suspend the 2012 elections, seize gold, and introduce a new currency."

Watch Out| 3.29.11 @ 5:08PM

What you should all know about Grover. By Eric @ Redstate.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/.....ers-unite/

Mark Anderson| 3.31.11 @ 5:16PM

I can't wait until every state is like Mississippi, the most conservative state and 50th in everything.

kai| 3.31.11 @ 10:42PM

@ Mark A. - Too true.

@ Tomsup - Oregon is, indeed, beautiful country and a generally independent-minded place. Portland in decay. Nice. Maybe decadent Portland? I'm sure the city was as glad to see you leave as you it.