Idaho Governor Warns of Growing ‘C.O.W.’ Invasion from Collapsing West Coast

Idaho Governor Brad Little is raising awareness about the state’s “C.O.W.” problem, writes Jason Mercier, Vice President of the Mountain States Policy Center. No, the state is not dealing with an influx of bovine creatures, but rather residents that have escaped the deep-blue enclaves of California, Oregon, and Washington (C.O.W.s) to make Idaho their new home.

Little addressed this growing trend at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho conference.

“Our tax climate is a significant draw for people across the nation. In fact, Idaho’s real challenge today is the number of ‘C.O.W.s’ — newcomers from California, Oregon, and Washington. We joke about it, but it reflects something real — Idaho has become a victim of our own success,” said Little.

As Mercier noted, this trend isn’t showing any signs of reversing course given that Washington just passed its largest tax increase in state history earlier this year.

Keeping Idaho red

As with all migration, Little noted they’re happy to welcome newcomers that are a benefit to society but also emphasized the importance of maintaining the values that have made the Gem State so attractive in the first place.

“Our focus on common sense policies continues to make Idaho a desirable place to relocate. And our state is evolving, almost a third of our population is new to the state in the past 10 years. It is now up to all of us to ensure we preserve the enduring values that make this state so special — including a government that lives within the people’s means,” added Little.

Little says the Democrat policies of its West Coast neighbors are the chief driver of Idaho’s newfound popularity and even called out Washington by name.

“It is worth noting every state is dealing with fluctuations in revenue — how you deal with those fluctuations depends on the values of the elected leaders. Washington State just enacted its largest tax increase in history to address a budget shortfall. Not in Idaho,” said Little.

“In Idaho, we right-size government to match the people’s means. We always have,” boasted Little.

https://seattlered.com/idaho/idaho-cows-fleeing-blue-states/4115424