Clark County’s stance
Which brings us to the purpose of this missive: Which side is Clark County on?
Oh, I know we are on the wet side — at least geographically. But in many ways, Clark County would seem to empathize with the Tea Party bent that is as prevalent as open ranges and apple trees on the east side of the Cascades. We have, after all, three Republicans on the county council, which just so happens to have three members. We also have a Republican Congressional representative. We also favored Republicans for governor and lieutenant governor and secretary of state in the 2012 election.
We won’t mention, however, which way Clark County leaned in the presidential race, lest we damage our conservative credentials.
Yet, I am intrigued by this whole secession movement, not that there’s anything new about it. For generations, portions of southern Oregon and northern California have been interested in forming their own state. They’ve even picked out a name — the State of Jefferson — and in recent years several California counties have submitted a Declaration of Independence to the secretary of state’s office.
Then there’s Texas, where just 14 months ago, some 125,000 people signed a petition urging the state to secede from the United States and form its own country. Surprising, considering how well that went the last time somebody tried it.
The lesson, apparently, is that if you are politically opposed to people who outnumber you, it’s better to cut and run than try to forge compromise and find common ground. Which says much about the condition of the nation’s political discourse.
It also says much about the notion of cutting off your nose to spite your face. While people who favor the idea of secession typically argue in favor of “equality of funding for state programs and infrastructure” (instead of supporting the liberals in, say, Seattle), they demonstrate only a passing acquaintanceship with reality. According to the state Office of Financial Management, King County provides nearly twice as much in tax revenue as it receives in return — donating about $3 billion a year to people in other parts of the state. For Clark County residents, in fiscal year 2013, we received $188 million more than we paid. Thanks King County!
And yet there might be something to this love-it-or-leave-it philosophy. Look at it this way: If Clark County had thumbed its nose at Washington years ago and become part of Oregon, we would have a new bridge by now.