Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on the patterns of migration into the American Redoubt, based on IRS statistics. It is interesting to see where the newcomers are originating. I’ll provide some details on the three core Redoubt States. (But I’ll skip Oregon and Washington, because their statistics are skewed by inflows to their populous western halves.)
Region-Wide (Migration Into The American Redoubt):
The growing popularity of the American Redoubt Movement is undeniable. With the exception of chilly Wyoming, in-migration from other states of the Union is now booming. To begin, I want to make it clear that I don’t take credit for any of the success of the Redoubt movement. In fact the movement had begun long before I put a name to it, and before I articulated the prevailing goals and the mindset of the freedom-loving newcomers. But I am glad to see so-called Red States turning a deeper shade of red.
I am also quite pleased to see that the Citizens of the eastern half of Washington are making progress in constitutionally partitioning to become the State of Liberty. (A state boundary hasn’t been officially redrawn in the United States since West Virginia was Constitutionally partitioned from Virginia back in 1863. But the Liberty State movement is proceeding apace.) I hope that a similar effort gains steam, to partition eastern Oregon.
Conservatives and their Libertarian allies are developing legislative majorities in several state capitols. Precinct by precinct, American Redoubt adherents are gaining the helms of Republican Party committees. Slates of quite conservative Republican candidates are winning at the county and State levels to displace the RINO Old Guard. Ditto for school boards, city councils, and county commissions. Outspokenly pro-gun and pro-life folks are getting elected as county sheriffs.
Fiscal responsibility is gradually being returned to State budgets. Laws confirming our rights to home schooling, home birthing, home churching, freedom from forced vaccination, and Constitutional Carry (concealed carry of firearms without a permit), are steadily being enacted. Time and gradual demographic changes are on our side. The continuing in-flow of conservative and liberty-loving Christians and Jews from other states is unstoppable. We are winning, folks!
Voting With Our Feet
All of this has been achieved by an informal movement with no meetings, no written platform, and no formal leadership. It is just an osmotic gathering of like-minded people who are fed up and voting with their feet. It is just that simple.
We are already making a difference, but there is more to be done. Be vocal. Write letters to newspaper editors. Show up for “public comment” meetings, and let your voice be heard. Speak out against government over-reach, injustices, and racism. Help to stop expansion of zoning and building permits. Speak out to check any expansion of Federal power, bureaucracy, and taxation. Show up at BLM, Fish & Game, and U.S. Forest Service public meetings. Remind your elected representatives that they swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and remind them about who they work for. Write and phone them often.
Please support liberty-minded and fiscally conservative candidates. If you feel convicted to do so, then run for office. I encourage Redoubters to get involved politically at the city, county, party precinct, and state levels. This is truly a grassroots movement. I encourage you to become a solid root in the sturdy sod of the American Redoubt!
Idaho (Migration Into The American Redoubt)
According to the most-recent available statistics from the IRS (2010-2011), the Top 20 “Source” locales of folks moving into Idaho are (in descending order):
| 1. WASHINGTON |
| 2. CALIFORNIA |
| 3. UTAH |
| 4. OREGON |
| 5. NEVADA |
| 6. ARIZONA |
| 7. MONTANA |
| 8. TEXAS |
| 9. COLORADO |
| 10. WYOMING |
| 11. FOREIGN |
| 12. FLORIDA |
| 13. ALASKA |
| 14. ILLINOIS |
| 15. VIRGINIA |
| 16. NEW YORK |
| 17. GEORGIA |
| 18. NORTH CAROLINA |
| 19. MINNESOTA |
| 20. PENNSYLVANIA |
Thankfully, the majority of these new arrivals are conservatives. Many of them are consciously voting with their feet to flee Liberal Nanny States. All that I can say is: Welcome!
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At Forbes: America’s Fastest-Growing Cities 2018. (Boise, Idaho tops the list.)
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Here is a recent headline: In North Idaho, leaders brace for rapid population growth
Montana (Migration Into The American Redoubt)
According to the most-recent available statistics from the IRS (2010-2011), the Top 20 “Source” locales of folks moving into Montana are (in descending order):
| 1. WASHINGTON |
| 2. CALIFORNIA |
| 3. IDAHO |
| 4. COLORADO |
| 5. WYOMING |
| 6. OREGON |
| 7. TEXAS |
| 8. ARIZONA |
| 9. FLORIDA |
| 10. NORTH DAKOTA |
| 11. MINNESOTA |
| 12. UTAH |
| 13. NEVADA |
| 14. ALASKA |
| 15. MICHIGAN |
| 16. WISCONSIN |
| 17. Foreign |
| 18. NEW YORK |
| 19. ILLINOIS |
| 20. PENNSYLVANIA |
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Man who died in Yellowstone in 2017 was looking for treasure
Eastern Oregon
I missed this interesting article when it was published last October: Is Bend Oregon In A Bubble?
Eastern Washington
A bit of history on a quintessential “sleepy” town in the Palouse Hills region: Malden, Washington. The defunct local train tracks were torn up and its right of way was named The John Wayne Trail. By the way, I noticed that house prices certainly are affordable there!
Wyoming (Migration Into The American Redoubt)
According to the most-recent available statistics from the IRS (2010-2011), the Top 20 “Source” locales of folks moving into Wyoming are (in descending order):
| 1. COLORADO |
| 2. UTAH |
| 3. CALIFORNIA |
| 4. MONTANA |
| 5. TEXAS |
| 6. FLORIDA |
| 7. IDAHO |
| 8. ARIZONA |
| 9. NEBRASKA |
| 10. SOUTH DAKOTA |
| 11. MICHIGAN |
| 12. WASHINGTON |
| 13. OREGON |
| 14. NEVADA |
| 15. ILLINOIS |
| 16. MINNESOTA |
| 17. MISSOURI |
| 18. NEW MEXICO |
| 19. WISCONSIN |
| 20. FOREIGN |
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A Haven for Blockchain: The Case for Wyoming
Send Your News Tips
Please send your American Redoubt region news tips and event announcements to JWR. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.
Yessir, voting with your feet is the best way to communicate your message.
I left NY and moved to TN, for many reasons folks here would agree with. Not only does it give you the environment and freedom you seek, but it starves the beast of the income they tax for their insane policies. Don’t put it off, don’t be afraid, don’t let fear stop you. Moving 3 years ago was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time, and I couldn’t be happier. My career has changed fields entirely, and is now on a solidly upward trend. Polar opposite of the downward spiral I experienced for the previous 6-8 years (and it never would have happened in NY).
Also moved from VA (by way of Kansas) to TN last year. VA was turning blue as far back as 2004, you could feel it. I still have family there, and you may as well call that state NY South now. KS was far more conservative, but the tax situation there is absurd (particularly property taxes).
If you look around and find yourself outnumbered….retreat to a more fortified position
I am retired military, currently working on early retirement at 55 from state employment in PA. My wife and I plan (hopefully my two sons will join us) to move to Northern Idaho in two years or less. Escaping the liberal North East. Moving this far is expensive, but well worth it imo. We value our freedom and and Conservative values. Our desire is to have neighbors who do as well. The one obstacle is a job to move TO. I had planned to cash in my pension from the State, but they changed it and its no longer an option. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. God willing, we’ll get there.
You vote with your feet . Politicians do not want to lose congressional seats . Politicians open the door for immigrants of any type , they don’t care who as long as they do not lose a congressional seat . Usually these immigrants support the people that opened the door for them , cost be damned. How can this vicious unsustainable cycle be ended ? Is all hope lost ? I do not know . I hope not . As we all know hope is a lousy form of birth control.
Thank you and keep up the good work .
Note : Immigrants politically support those who opened door for them ,while the rest of us financially foot the bill associated with imported voters. Therefore we are financially supporting the very politicians that are making our friends and neighbors move to another state. Thank you . Apologies for not making this point in prior comment.
I’m living the dream. Iv been here most of my life, I have two homes, one in South Eastern WA and one in rural North Idaho. It certainly has changed. But still the best place to live in the Country.
Beware of those moving there from NYC and DC. I am aware of a slow but gradual movement of those people too, which is not necessarily good as they tend to be those leaning much to the left.
The same has happened all over for a long time, starting in the 1980s when long time Californians like myself saw the writing on the wall ( I saw it around 1980) and sought better elsewhere. I went to the Southwest, the High Desert Redoubt. Others went to Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, and unfortunately too many of those ended up turning those States into Kalifornia mini-me’s.
Yes, the left is every where we are (just like cockroaches), that doesn’t mean to not be careful, and definitely don’t elect any of them to even local offices. Something you will deeply regret if you do.
Also, make sure as the migration continues to do everything you can to get the “natives” to realize that they need to control the growth, and not to let it become urban/suburban sprawl, or those really wonderful places you have lived in all your lives, or have lived for many years, will become just like those places these people have come from…s-holes. I work with someone that grew up in Bozeman, and he said the changes just over the past 10 years since he left are something he thought he would never see happen there.
Be ever vigilant.
It would be nice to see Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon, combine forces and partition off into the 51st state together.
My wife and I are looking for property around Bonner’s Ferry, Sandpoint and St. Maries with an eye towards relocating from this $hit-hole state of CA. We have grandkids in CDA which is a big draw, but the political environment and cost of living is the main reason we’re being forced out of CA.
Voting with the feet is nice, but saying goodbye with one’s middle finger is just rewards!
When I took the last uhaul from Ca to Montana, I stopped at the Nevada border and had a picture taken of me flipping off the leaving California sign..It was a good feeling to get out of there.
You cannot have any record of being in CA for over a year after you leave or they will still charge you state income tax….FYI..
Thanks for the info Ray! Yet another reason to hate the Libtards that run this place! And I will DEFINITELY pose for the photo op! 🙂
Almost no Canadians immigrate to the Redoubt as US immigration is almost impossible for us. Yes we get a six month tourist visa no problem, but a green card? Almost impossible.
Alan, I would say Around the area of kelowna, penticton/peachland/summerland and okanagan falls, Osoyoos. Literally a hop skip and a jump to the Redoubt area. I have friends that live and work in osoyoos. we meet up for lunch and do a little shopping at Princes when I am up that way. You might look into moving to that part of Canada, the weather is very mild compared to the rest of Canada, and for the most part, Canadians in that area are like minded..
I hate to rain on the parade, but I think that the Redoubt is drifting to the left fast. I have lived the greater share of 70 years here. The culture here (Montana) has changed significantly. True, some “conservative” folks have moved here but for the most part it is people who think they are “conservative” but are not. A great many are “progressives”. Couple that with so many who move here drag the “big city” ideas with them. People who moved here call us “preppers”. Baloney, the wife and I have lived a lifestyle of doing things ourselves for almost 50 years. We get tired of it. The Redoubt is heading down the rat hole along with the rest of the country.
I moved to Montana from California. I live in a small mainly conservative town in Teton County. I am one of those real conservatives. The college towns/ counties are overwhelmingly liberal..Too many people living there squashes a county of 5000 people or 10000.. which is most except 4 or 5..
The problem here is everybody but one in the city council etc is a liberal. They are starting to mess things up here. Most have lived here their whole life.
Boise, being a college town with liberal educators, has been drifting left. You can feel that change in the air. Idaho used to be middle of the road in all the “best of” lists (taxes, weather, etc) but with the stupid Forbes list showing Boise the fastest growing city it will ruin it just as it has done with other top listed cities.
West Virginia was “Constitutionally partitioned from Virginia?” Nothing could have been further from the truth.
As background, I write this message as a person who is very happy that the South failed in its effort to secede. I see no benefit to me or the country to have the equivalent of a Southern Canada today. Nevertheless, I believe that a little history lesson is necessary, and that there is a “teaching point” here for survivalist and preppers.
A state’s consent is necessary under the Constitution before a new state can be created from part of its territory. The County of Kentucky in Virginia, for example, was admitted to the Union as the Commonwealth of Kentucky with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s consent.
Although the New England states were the first to openly consider secession during the War of 1812 (look up The Hartford Convention), we were in the middle of a Civil War concerning secession in 1863. Republicans were determined to weaken the South as much as possible. Senator Thaddeus Stevens, one of the most radical members of Congress, was one of the main Congressional architects of the plan to admit West Virginia into the Union without the consent of the existing State of Virginia. This process violated the clear provisions of the Constitution.
And note that the fact that Virginia had declared itself to have seceded did not resolve the question, as neither Congress nor Lincoln recognized Virginia’s right to secede. The Union position was that the right to secede did not exist under the Constitution, even though nowhere in the Constitution did it say that the Union was permanent and that secession was banned. Only after the Civil War ended and after Lincoln’s assassination, did Congress collectively decide, “You know what? It looks like these states did secede, so we will refuse to seat their congressmen.” The Reconstruction Period followed.
When the West Virginia question was pending, one person asked Stevens, “Senator, isn’t this effort unconstitutional?” His reply? “Of course, it is unconstitutional, but it is necessary.”
The irony is that a monstrous war that occurred as a result of the slavery issue saw West Virginia admitted to the Union in June 1863–as a slave state. And, of course, once the rebellion was over, West Virginia did not rejoin Virginia. I will leave it to others to determine whether history reveals that West Virginia’s failure to reunite with Virginia was a wise choice from an economic and political point of view.
What the process of West Virginia’s admission into the Union revealed is how people will attempt to bend the clear requirements of the Constitution when they decide that an effort to achieve a political objective is “necessary.” The objective may be unconstitutional, but “they want what they want.”
That is why is it is very important to keep activist judges from being appointed to the Supreme Court who are of the mind that the Constitution is a “living breathing document.”
The Second Amendment is under heavy attack at this time. Hollywood and other Leftists argue that it is no longer relevant in a modern world. They argue that massive new restrictions are “necessary.” Some good news here is that current reports indicate that NRA membership is swelling as a result of the recent attacks, so it is obvious that many people believe that the Second Amendment is still relevant and vital. (Anyone who is not a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and who is not a member of the NRA, in my humble opinion, cannot in good faith call himself or herself a prepper or survivalist.)
While many Congressmen run from the issue and many seek to compromise Constitutional rights because they deem it “necessary,” preppers and survivalists must hope that new ant-gun legislation that will ultimately make its way through the courts is decided by “originalists,” and not by activist judges who will cave in and restrict our Constitutional rights because they decide that doing so is “necessary.”
Just a note:
Since West Virginia did indeed unconstitutionally secede from Virginia, the precedent has been set. I find the need to ask an existing state permission to separate from that state one of the many flaws of our Constitution. I don’t see why the proposed State of Liberty (Washington), or the proposed State of Jefferson (California), or the proposed State of Superior (Michigan) and maybe the (so far unproposed, except by me) State of North Michigan, need to ask anyone’s permission to separate and set up a separate polity. It should just take a vote of the citizens of the counties involved, preferably by a super majority of 60% or better.
There are several States that desperately need to subdivide to make their representation in congress match the actual will of the people.
WVA did not become a state by consent of it’s citizens, but by the machinations of it’s elite whom had been driven in fear of tneir lives from their homes and into the northern panhandle and PA by southern sympathizers. The po!ls were controlled by the Union Army. Swhy the capitol was at Wheeling until the elite (read wealthy) could return safely to their propertys.
This disparate division of the classes continues to this day!
Charles K. :
Please do not forget Southern Oregon in the state of Jefferson, Thanx.
The proposed state flag for the state of Jefferson two “XX” on it to represent the ‘double cross’ that continues to this day from Sacramento and Salem, which means there attitude felt by Southern Oregonians and Northern Californians is treated like third world citizens with no real voice, stolen water rights, stolen mineral rights, stolen land rights, ect, ect, ect, and the list goes on and on.
Those of us that live in these two regions of these two states do not like leaving either one left out for the above, and many more, reasons. Thanx again.
I don’t mean to be out of line but; BOISE! Really! I can remember Boise 50 years ago, nice little town. Honestly I never would have guessed it would grow to be the traffic disaster it is today. But move there??? Not if they paid me. I’m more of a middle of nowhere kinda guy. You may not agree but Boise is your neo-LA. It is growing and will consume you just like NY City consumes the rest of New York. It is your Achilles heel. Just saying.
Had the opportunity to visit Boise 40 years ago while conducting military exercises at Gowen Field. Flew from Fort Bragg NC and jumped in at night. In the field for 9 days training in desert warfare tactics, techniques and procedures. Was told this was the closest to Golan Heights we would see without going there. Finally got out of the field for one day to look at the city. Ended up in a bar called Humping Hannah’s. Told the owner to let us know if any of our troops got out of line and we would handle it. Didn’t pay for a drink the rest of the night. Hard to believe it’s been 40 years….
Just a quick note from Arkansas. If you are retired military , you do not pay any state tax on it starting this year!
I decided on Wyoming before I heard of the American Redoubt. I looked for Christian Libertarian Conservatism (Not turning sins into crimes – live and let live), and the high plains ended up hitting my high score. A heavy weight was given to how Law Enforcement was handled.
One thing that dissuaded me from Idaho is the number of bad cops (see Jack Yancy’s shooting by two deputies and the LACK of penalties, and their big push to do civil asset forfeiture).
http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/2015/06/road-pirates-assemble-desert-snow-is.html
But apparently there is a bill passed fixing forefeiture, and as it gets more conservative, they are fixing liberties.
Worse for Oregon and Washington, at least until Liberty breaks off (Go Matt Shea and Co.!).
I used to live in the Florida Keys when the dot com bubble was expanding and saw a LOT of people move to the Keys because they were “SO DIFFERENT”. Then after being there a while they did not like having chickens wandering the street or crowing all day and night. They also did not like the dress code of t shirts, shorts and no shoes, and if no holes then that had been considered Dressed Up, but no that was not right. Well after retiring from US Navy and partying a couple years I have moved eventually to N. Fl. And am now seeing a similar influx of people to this are from down South and the NorthEast. Let me say I am seeing some of the same attitudes and remarks from these folks. “Oh it is so different and much warmer”. Then wait a bit and you hear “but that doesn’t seem right, we didn’t do that back home,”, “why can’t we do like we did back home”, etc. And I do seem to remember how W Wash and W Ore were much different than today, before the influx of people from Ca and NY came in. Just my two cents worth.
In education I recommend the course from the Institute for the Constitution from http://www.theamericanway.com
I have hosted this course for many years and am starting a new class this next Saturday; in it the students learn to connect the Christ in the Constitution to show our founders faith written into the founding documents of our Republic.
The bible tells us “My people perish for lack of knowledge” and for anyone who truly wants to make a difference this course is a very good starting point to recovery of our nation.
I read here how many feel and in some cases see that there area of the American Redoubt is being turned into a wanna be ‘Hippie Utopia Heaven Socialist Fascist’ haven for the truly delusional.
Have no fear, for when the SHTF the vast, and I do mean VERY vast, will have no way of defending themselves from the Golden Horde or will become the part of the Golden Horde and when they end up on the business end of a TRUE prepper/survivalist/conservitive community that will pretty much be the end of things as they know it.
Stay involved in our communities, build and cultivate good relations with our neighbors and stay involved in local politics do not give them any thing, let them know that you are there keeping an eye on everything and will not stand for there liberal garbage in your community.
Remember my fellow American Patriots ‘A Republic If We Can Keep It, I Say We Keep It’.
Stay Frosty America! Semper Fi!
I would like to suggest that folks check out the Convention of States Project. It is one way of reeling in the out of control Federal Government.
@Wayne,
While I understand the desire to wipe the slate clean and start again to remove the evil in one fell swoop, I would caution against this approach. When you start a constitutional convention, you have no idea what you will end up with in the end. The last time this was done, the Articles of Confederation were thrown completely out and the whole process started over. Yes, we did end up with the Constitution out of that mess, but I don’t believe that the politicians today (even those at the state level) are as honorable men as the framers of the constitution were. I’m firmly in the camp of “fix it” rather than “throw it out and start again.”
I don’t advocate throwing it out and neither do the supporters that I have talked to. The things I’ve heard discussed are term limits, balanced budget and Federal over reach such as the Bureau of Land Management.
This isn’t a constitutional convention, this is a Convention of States. You propose amendments that then have to be voted on by state delegates.
The issue with some of the redoubt states is the people flowing in from California. If they leave their politics behind when the move then it is good to go. However, as i noticed in Colorado, when the hordes move i from the “left” coast, they bring their lunatic left wing agenda with them. They pay exorbitant prices for the properties causing the property taxes to skyrocket.
And I just read a post about the “Convention of States”. Here is the problem I have with this, conservatives are not the only ones that will get a voice in this. Even the hard core left will have a say in this and when you open this up, the ENTIRE Constitution is opened up, not just what we Conservatives want to open.
My parent’s finally convinced themselves to move from Eastern WA to North Idaho where their grandbabies are. I guess they are part of the #1 group moving to Idaho. I know that doesn’t bode well for the Liberty State, but I don’t know if that will happen and I’d rather have them in a state that is already pretty cool. Also, more babysitters for me!