Oregon bound and I need help

[Bullfrog]

Moving from Colorado

Need help in what I need to know while looking for a job

Colorado has become too caustic and I am a native

I work in law enforcement now and as an electrician while maintaining the custody/control of an officer over 2 level 5 (maximum) prisons

Oregon does not recognize my Colorado electrical license so I would have to retest and that is no small feat.

Looking for support from some Oregon folks hopefully.

Looking at Colton area (clackamas county) initially.

Any help/encouragement is greatly appreciated

[jmort]

"Colorado has become too caustic and I am a native"

God speed, I wish you well, but Oregon is worse than Colorado as far as "caustic" goes, in my opinion. Hope you find what you are looking for.

[dale2242]

We can always more LEOs in Oregon.
Stay away from the north and bigger cities if you want to avoid the Libs.
Ashland is the most liberal city in southern Oregon....dale

[TexasGrunt]

Why? IMHO you're going from the frying pan to the fire. If you're on Facebook then you need to find Lars Larson. He's the biggest conservative radio talk show host in the PNW. Read his page then decide if you really want to move to Oregon.

[Larry Gibson]

I am a naïve Oregonian. I lived in Oregon many years and was a LEO there for 18 years. I always planned on retiring and living in Oregon the rest of my life. Oregon has been thoroughly Kalifornicated. As mentioned, you think Colorado is "caustic", wait 'til you get to Oregon. The property and income taxes are out of sight and getting worse, the gun laws are getting as bad if not worse than Kalifornia. The libtards totally run things, even in what many think are rural conservative areas.

While I still own property there I will not live there.

Larry Gibson

[TexasGrunt]

If you're thinking you're going to buy some property out in the country and build a house in Oregon you're screwed. They have very restrictive land use laws. You have to have a minimum of 80 acres, you have to show farm income for 3-5 years...BEFORE you're allowed to beg the Government masters for a building permit, a permit that they probably won't issue.

http://www.oregon.gov/lcd/pages/farmprotprog.aspx

Or you can find land that has a grandfathered house on it. BUT, you'll not be allowed to expand that house, you'll be lucky if they allow you to even remodel. If something happens to the house you'll probably not be allowed to rebuild.

I lived in Oregon for 25 years. Almost half my life. I'm a child of the Pacific NW. I too had at one time planned on retiring and living in Oregon or Washington for the rest of my life. However the politics and cost made the decision for me. I've very happy here in Texas.

BTW, if you're a hunter and you're used to Colorado you're going to be very disappointed in Oregon. The one thing Oregon has that Colorado doesn't is salmon fishing.

[therealhitman]

Yes. Oregon is a nightmare. Clackamas/Washington/Multnomah counties are asylums for the insane leftists of all ages. Portland is still "Little Beruit". Wouldn't move here if I wasn't already stuck with a brick and mortar business and professional contacts that I rely on to keep working. Retirement, if it ever happens for me, will lead me the heck out of this state finally.

[OS OK]

You fellas aren't painting a very pretty picture for this Oregon bound Bullfrog...

[rancher1913]

You must be at Limon, I did a triple nickel at sterling as a master plumber so I can understand where you are c coming from

[lefty o]

You fellas aren't painting a very pretty picture for this Oregon bound Bullfrog...

better to know before jumping in with both feet. regullarily chatting with someone from clackamas, it doesnt sound good.

[Kestrel4k]

You fellas aren't painting a very pretty picture for this Oregon bound Bullfrog...
I considered posting my thoughts on OR (particularly the east side), but honestly don't really want the flak from the anti-OR's.

Edit: lefty_o, I've sent you a PM.

[lefty o]

I considered posting my thoughts on OR (particularly the east side), but honestly don't really want the flak from the anti-OR's.

Edit: lefty_o, I've sent you a PM.

sent you one back :confused:

[Smoke4320]

Bullfrog you have received much good advice here from people IN Oregon. What I saw says don't in HUGE letters

[quilbilly]

It might not pay as much as the Portland metro area but I would look east of the mountains. Avoid Eugene as well. If you thought Colorado was leftist, the Portland area is insane like Seattle. "Moscow on the Willamette" is a particularly apt nickname. The future of Oregon economically is also not bright since the Democrats have made it an economic house of cards waiting for the slightest breeze due to the PERS system that arguably may be worse than California's or Illinois'. Hard to beat the scenery and recreational opportunities in Oregon, however. I will be abandoning Washington State's winter steelhead fisheries in favor of Oregon's from now on.

[Geezer in NH]

Pot to the fire IMHO. Find a state that will accept your electrician license. Then look for LE job. Definitely not another west coast type attitudes.

[Plate plinker]

Go forth and raise 10 conservative children there. We must turn the tables!

[rockrat]

Colorado has Kokanee(sp) salmon fishing. Blue Mesa lake (not far from me) has it along with lake trout

[TexasGrunt]

Kokanee are descended from salmon, but they are not salmon. Salmon require a trip to the salt.

[quilbilly]

Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon. If they are given an opening to sea, away they go. The reverse is true if you stick premigration sockeye in a lake where they can't find their way out, they become kokanee. This is why the little salmon taste so good and smoke so well. This is making me hungry.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Want another opinion? Well, perhaps another experience would be a better description. Here's my Oregon story:

Moved here in 1988 from Calif. as a medically retired LEO. While the injury was not fun, the pension was adequate. I worked in jack-of-all-trades building maintenance for three years, then went into full time gunsmithing. Business was pretty good because Oregon is a big hunting state, plus lots of folks just like guns. I stayed at it for 15 years, but it would slow down in the winter and I started looking for supplemental employment. I could have gotten by, but have never been one to waste time. I got into the armored truck industry as a driver and messenger, and soon the gunsmithing started getting squeezed down to the supplemental job! Actually, I really enjoyed the armored job, going here and there, usually not on the same route two days in a row, and observing "The People of Walmart". When I reached 63 I retired again and we moved from a beautiful 30 acres in the Coast Range where the property taxes were $1,800 per year to a small town in the Willamette Valley where the taxes on a .485 acre lot and a 3 bedroom 2 bath home were $2,500. I built a shop in the back yard, and after living there for 11 years, last year the taxes were $4,035. I could afford them if I wanted to pay them, but I don't, so I just completed a move to the Cascade Mountains where I have 2.5 acres, a very nice manufactured home and a 30' x 40' shop. Last year the taxes were $800, but I anticipate them possibly going as high as $1,500 because the sale price will cause a re-assessment. But perhaps not. So, it is true, that in parts of Oregon the property taxes are outrageous. Now I can see snow capped mountains from my kitchen window and a deer or two walk through my little meadow every morning and evening. I'm sure the winters will be cold and memorable, but it's worth it to me. I'm laying in a huge pile of firewood, and will spend my time hibernating and reading the Castboolits Forum.

But, on the plus side: There is no sales tax. If the item is marked $2.50 that is what you pay. The cost of vehicle registration, be it brand new or 35 years old is $86 for TWO years. The last year I lived in Calif., 1988, my wife had a 1986 T-Bird and I had a 1987 Dodge Raider (still have it!) and between the two the fees were $1,000 for ONE year. So the savings there, between sales tax and vehicle registration are worthy of consideration.

There is a lot of great fishing and hunting, but the hunting regulations -- more so the various zones, seasons, tags, drawings, and regulations are such that, although I was a Hunter Ed Instructor for several years when in the gunsmithing business, I never hunted as I previously had in Calif. There are guys who wait half-a-lifetime to get an Elk tag and then don't see one. Deer hunting is less complicated.

Of interest to you, my son-in-law is a Deputy Sheriff with 15+ years on the job. He makes a good salary in a mid-state county, and my daughter works in a CPA tax business. Between them they seem to do very well. Law Enforcement is kind of hard to get in to. You haven't indicated what your age is, but the older you are the more difficult it is to break into the field, because some agencies prefer to train a recruit to do things their way; and then of course, there is the consideration of will you have enough time left to pay into a pension plan. More agencies, like Portland P.D. are requiring a B.A. degree. On the other hand, electricians seem to stay pretty busy. I do believe that there is economic opportunity for those willing to work.

What you've been told already about the politics is right on. There are three heavily populated counties in the northern part of the state that are
deep blue, as are several of the major population centers. Because of the large voting block they pretty well control the state's politics, although the other 85% of the state is decidedly red and conservative. Baring some unforeseen event happening to change their minds, it will likely never go back the other way because you can't outvote them. But if you live in one of the red areas, and again--that is most of the state geographically speaking, you'll meet lots of nice people and get along well.

So, next year I will have been here for 30 years. I have no regrets, and would do it again. Best of luck to you in making your decision and move.

DG

[OS OK]

Outstanding revelation! It's exactly what I thought...having been there/through there at times in the past decades...Your plight is so similar to my own within the state you live.
The numbers are a little different but your intentions are the same.

[GL49]

Oregon Administrative rules:
Quoted in part:

"OAR 918-282-470
The division may issue a provisional general journeyman electrician license to an applicant who meets the requirements of this rule.
(E) Applicants from the State of Colorado must provide:
(i) A copy of a valid journeyman electrician certification issued by the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. This certificate must be current and in good standing with no history of violations;
(ii) Proof of passing the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies journeyman electrician examination; and
(iii) A copy of certificate of completion from an approved apprenticeship program.

Effective Dates
(1) Applications for a provisional general journeyman electrician license issued under OAR 918-282-0470 must be submitted to the division prior to July 30, 2017. Applications will not be accepted after this date.
(2) All provisional general journeyman electrician licenses issued under OAR 918-282-0470:
(a) Are valid from the date of issuance;
(b) Expire effective February 1, 2020; and
(c) Are not eligible for renewal."

Oregon has established a method where applicants from selected states and provinces in Canada can apply for a provisional license in the state of Oregon. The deadline for applying is July 30. No applications will be accepted after this time. You'll have to pass a four-hour "Oregon Rule and Law" course, I'm completing an online course for my continuing education requirements for my Oregon license at this time. No big deal. If you can meet the application requirements, this will get you licensed in the state and you'll have about three years to prepare to take your Oregon Journeyman exam before your provisional license expires. If you're interested, google OAR 918 and read the requirements, contact the Oregon Building Codes Division, (google OregonBCD), for more information. If I can help, PM me.

Oregon's not so bad. You can find something wrong with anywhere you live. If you can get the electrical license, there are a lot of jobs available.

P.S. dale2242 is correct about Ashland, it's "different". I live there, but prefer to tell everyone I live "west of Klamath Falls".

[snowwolfe]

Good luck with your choice. We lived in Colorado for a little over 3 years and moved out before taxes and fees ate us alive and the dems ruined everything we liked. It was/is the only state we lived in that both the wife and I absolutely hated.

[Gunor]

There is work for electricians - my wife runs a electrical contractor company..union shop. They are always looking for electricians that stay put....

[TexasGrunt]

Want another opinion? Well, perhaps another experience would be a better description. Here's my Oregon story:

Moved here in 1988 from Calif. as a medically retired LEO. While the injury was not fun, the pension was adequate. I worked in jack-of-all-trades building maintenance for three years, then went into full time gunsmithing. Business was pretty good because Oregon is a big hunting state, plus lots of folks just like guns. I stayed at it for 15 years, but it would slow down in the winter and I started looking for supplemental employment. I could have gotten by, but have never been one to waste time. I got into the armored truck industry as a driver and messenger, and soon the gunsmithing started getting squeezed down to the supplemental job! Actually, I really enjoyed the armored job, going here and there, usually not on the same route two days in a row, and observing "The People of Walmart". When I reached 63 I retired again and we moved from a beautiful 30 acres in the Coast Range where the property taxes were $1,800 per year to a small town in the Willamette Valley where the taxes on a .485 acre lot and a 3 bedroom 2 bath home were $2,500. I built a shop in the back yard, and after living there for 11 years, last year the taxes were $4,035. I could afford them if I wanted to pay them, but I don't, so I just completed a move to the Cascade Mountains where I have 2.5 acres, a very nice manufactured home and a 30' x 40' shop. Last year the taxes were $800, but I anticipate them possibly going as high as $1,500 because the sale price will cause a re-assessment. But perhaps not. So, it is true, that in parts of Oregon the property taxes are outrageous. Now I can see snow capped mountains from my kitchen window and a deer or two walk through my little meadow every morning and evening. I'm sure the winters will be cold and memorable, but it's worth it to me. I'm laying in a huge pile of firewood, and will spend my time hibernating and reading the Castboolits Forum.

But, on the plus side: There is no sales tax. If the item is marked $2.50 that is what you pay. The cost of vehicle registration, be it brand new or 35 years old is $86 for TWO years. The last year I lived in Calif., 1988, my wife had a 1986 T-Bird and I had a 1987 Dodge Raider (still have it!) and between the two the fees were $1,000 for ONE year. So the savings there, between sales tax and vehicle registration are worthy of consideration.

There is a lot of great fishing and hunting, but the hunting regulations -- more so the various zones, seasons, tags, drawings, and regulations are such that, although I was a Hunter Ed Instructor for several years when in the gunsmithing business, I never hunted as I previously had in Calif. There are guys who wait half-a-lifetime to get an Elk tag and then don't see one. Deer hunting is less complicated.

Of interest to you, my son-in-law is a Deputy Sheriff with 15+ years on the job. He makes a good salary in a mid-state county, and my daughter works in a CPA tax business. Between them they seem to do very well. Law Enforcement is kind of hard to get in to. You haven't indicated what your age is, but the older you are the more difficult it is to break into the field, because some agencies prefer to train a recruit to do things their way; and then of course, there is the consideration of will you have enough time left to pay into a pension plan. More agencies, like Portland P.D. are requiring a B.A. degree. On the other hand, electricians seem to stay pretty busy. I do believe that there is economic opportunity for those willing to work.

What you've been told already about the politics is right on. There are three heavily populated counties in the northern part of the state that are
deep blue, as are several of the major population centers. Because of the large voting block they pretty well control the state's politics, although the other 85% of the state is decidedly red and conservative. Baring some unforeseen event happening to change their minds, it will likely never go back the other way because you can't outvote them. But if you live in one of the red areas, and again--that is most of the state geographically speaking, you'll meet lots of nice people and get along well.

So, next year I will have been here for 30 years. I have no regrets, and would do it again. Best of luck to you in making your decision and move.

DG

There is that 9% income tax though and if the Political class can find a way to get rid of the property tax cap they will skyrocket. Many of the rural counties that depended on timber revenue are going broke since they haven't been allowed to cut down any trees. The whole state is facing bankruptcy over PERS.

[TexasGrunt]

Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon. If they are given an opening to sea, away they go. The reverse is true if you stick premigration sockeye in a lake where they can't find their way out, they become kokanee. This is why the little salmon taste so good and smoke so well. This is making me hungry.

198702 198703 198704

These are salmon. I know the history of Kokanee. I just like to give the people whose gear outweigh the catch a hard time.

[fatelk]

Having lived in Oregon my whole life, I'm heartbroken over where this state is going politically. It's always been a little different, not traditionally conservative or liberal, more libertarian maybe? The rural areas are all "red", but the Portland area is hard-core deep blue. They are absolutely nuts up there, and the population of Portland absolutely rules the state.

It reached a tipping point just a few years ago, to where they now have their unbeatable majority. They are now starting to run roughshod over everyone else, like they do in California.

That said, bash on Oregon politics all you want, but please don't bash on Oregonians in general. We're not all radical leftists. It always bugs me a little when people get going on Californians. Sure, the politicians in charge in Sacramento may be raving lunatics, but there's still a lot of good people left in the state.


the gun laws are getting as bad if not worse than Kalifornia.

No, not even close. Not by a long shot. It could go that way I'm sure (the loons in Salem openly idolize California) but I sure hope not.

[RedJackson]

Wyoming would welcome you. We have more guns than people, NO gun laws, NO income tax, LOW sales/property tax .....need I go on ?

[dragon813gt]

I am so glad I don't have to go back to Oregon anymore. Was working on a project there since last August. The state is beautiful. But the weather sucks just as bad as the politics. I would only move there if I absolutely had to for some reason. I got to see a good bit of the state and everything was expensive compared to home. Even w/ no sales tax. It's a real shame because the state is gorgeous.....when it's not raining.

[Edward]

198702 198703 198704

These are salmon. I know the history of Kokanee. I just like to give the people whose gear outweigh the catch a hard time.

Now that was funny :bigsmyl2:

[rockrat]

Been living in Colorado for 26 years now. On the Western side of the state. Would hate the Denver area

[tdoor4570]

Been living in Colorado for 26 years now. On the Western side of the state. Would hate the Denver area

Rockrat you just about know your way around , I have been here for 70 years

[Bullfrog]

Thank you kindly for the comments and suggestions. Life is full of choices and although some are driven by spouses, some are concessions to find balance. Sure there are other places in the country that I have considered, but with the last name I have,color of my skin and being American Indian the prejudice and discrimination is also a factor. Thus why Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho is off the list. Sad I have to think that way, but after all the schooling I have under my belt the reality is that the minority of society still can make existing a private hell. I have it where I am at and choose to be alone on the plains to avoid the bull ****. I am fully capable of protecting and defending but by choice I choose peace. I know that I will have **** no matter where I go but I can limit the number of ******* people and choose the flakes over the hatred. Pointing out political **** does not help because unless you are privy to what I know here then going to another state with similar but different **** is still **** but a different smell. I have been here all my life and never left except to Fort lost in the woods. My skin and sinuses need the moisture and the inside of my nose is all scar tissue from years of dryness. The wife is from the pacific northwest and so I seek to find my little area that I can go home to and live with new experiences while I work to live and enjoy my wife and daughter. I am leaving more than political bull **** and this is not an easy decision. I am leaving family and truth is that only my parents and one grand daughter is a regret. I am choosing to do this while I still can and have a chance to start over. As far as kalifornia and the disease spreading across the country it is a national crisis and not just Colorado or Oregon.

[jmort]

Like I said earlier, I hope you find what your looking for.
Most every post seemed sincere to me, just wanting the best for you.
God Speed.

[fatelk]

Well, having spent my whole life here racial discrimination is something I've never seen much of. I have been told that as an average white guy I probably wouldn't notice, so maybe that doesn't count for much. I've known plenty of people of various ethnicities over the years and never known it to be an issue.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Bullfrog--that last post of yours is very interesting. I'll second fatelk's statement that discrimination and prejudice in Oregon is something I haven't seen much of either. I'm pretty certain, though, that American Indians don't necessarily get along well with themselves either, different tribes and groups. But, economically, which is what your original post seemed most about, you might be interested to know (if you don't already) that there are a number of smallish, wealthy tribes here that own Indian Gaming Casinos. Among them would be the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indians who have The Seven Feathers Casino on I-5, the Selitz (sp?) Indians who have a casino in Coos Bay, several on the coast owned by different tribes. There is some reservation land left and they might have their own police agencies. Also, casinos use security, usually employees of the casino, and prior police experience is a big leg up on getting one of those fairly well paying jobs.There are many Klamath Indians and their descendants in the Klamath Falls area, and they have a casino on Hwy. 97 in Chiloquin. Bet those casinos hire electricians..........this is what you call using lemons to make lemonade.
Best wishes.

DG

[tinhorn97062]

We just moved from the Portland area down to the New Braunfels, TX a little over a year ago. There's things we miss about Oregon, but pretty much every post I read is accurate. I know you've likely made up your mind, and I'm not one to try to persuade a guy in either direction anyway. But, there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors and I hope you count the cost before going. Easy side is high desert, brush, junipers...west side is dense pine forest, rain, gray skies...I lived in both areas at one time or another.

[thxmrgarand]

I live in a very red state, thankfully, but I live in the state capital. State capitals tend to be liberal because of public employee unions and other features of big government. I go to moving sales often. Whenever the people moving are lesbians they are invariably moving to Portland, OR. I don't have any idea why that might be but Americans now tend to cluster together along philosophical lines. That seems more and more to translate into state politics. Possibly the best those of us with views that tend toward rural values of self-reliance and freedom can do is continually work for reducing the size of government; admittedly we haven't been successful for the past 75 years or so.

[Chief]

If you are comparing Oregon as a positive move from urban California you do have a small chance to find something positive.

[RedJackson]

You have been warned. If you go ahead, you're only a few steps ahead of an old, unarmed white guy, with Franklins falling out his pocket, deciding that a night time walk thru Watts is a fine idea.

[fatelk]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the OP wasn't asking whether or not he should move to Oregon, just looking for advice concerning a move because he IS moving here. I've found that it can be pretty discouraging to have definitively made a decision, only to be told repeatedly how it's the wrong one.

Other than politics and the cost of living, we really like it here. Until quite recently the politics haven't been as bad as some think. Sure it's a generally liberal state, but historically with a strong libertarian slant. Portland is probably the most wacky hard-left city in the country. They're quite proud of their crazy weirdness. Unfortunately that population center has grown to where they run the state completely.

I absolutely hate the thought of moving away, myself. We like the fairly small town we live in, in a conservative rural county. I'm raising a young family and putting down some roots. I have a good job that I actually like. Picking up and moving, selling my house and buying another; it's a big deal and very expensive. It bugs me when people say "Just move".

It also bugs me a little when people badmouth a state as a whole. "Californian" has always been a four-letter word where I grew up, and you couldn't pay me to live there, but nowadays I'm always careful to differentiate between the nut-jobs running the state and the crazies in the big cities, and the beautiful country and good people in the more rural areas.

[Duckiller]

Thank you fatelk! There are even some nice people in urban areas. Police barely know where my street is.

[trebor44]

Having lived and worked in Cali, Ore, MT, ID and CO in addition to having traveled extensively in WY, UT, NV, AZ, TX and many parts of the South there really is no Paradise out there. Some places are more tolerable than others but you have to make it work for you. I would like to move to a 'better place' but none fit my criteria. The West and Northwest is becoming more and more 'settled' by emigrants, immigrants, refugees, reallocates etc. etc. Make the move, make it work for you! The hundreds of deer that I use to see from my kitchen window have been replaced with trail bikes, dogs, houses, you name it. Gone are the 'good ole days' of open space, good hunting etc. Oregon is what you make of it!

[Bullfrog]

THanks all and FatElk I am resolved on moving and it is not a subject I have taken lightly. As a result I am being cut out of the family will and taken off as executor of the estate, so I am basically walking away from what little inheritance I was getting which involved mountain property. There are reasons for everything and it is a big decision that I have been contemplating/planning for 7 months now. Reality is that My wife left me a year ago Jan. 2016 and I have fought to bring our marriage back and won. SO on faith I contend that I must make a change and unless someone has lived in my boots they would not understand. My treasure is upstairs and this move will give me some semblance of peace that I lost 2 years ago when I sold my farm because I miss open spaces, which is where I will be looking in Oregon. To those whom do not truly know Colorado like I do, because of work, then you will not understand but the state is radically changing and morphing into something that I do not want to be a part of anymore. I am probably one of the last of the native holdouts and the family has been here for hundreds of years so again it is not a rash decision.

[Bullfrog]

There is work for electricians - my wife runs a electrical contractor company..union shop. They are always looking for electricians that stay put....


I am a commercial/industrial electrician but in Oregon I would have to start over. I have been a licensed journeyman (with ability to get a masters here) but again, Oregon does not reciprocate the license. What town is the business in? I would make an outstanding apprentice if the pay was there. Also, I am non-union as an electrician here so not certain that a union shop would have me regardless of my license, at least that is how it is in Colorado. Nothing against the union, just got hired by a non-union shop when I first started.

[rockrat]

Bullfrog, yeah, the Front Range is nothing like it was when my Sister moved to Ft. Collins 40 years ago. I moved, but to the other side of the Continental Divide and its still fairly sane around here. We are generally ignored by the Front Range (Denver and such), when it comes time to give out $$ (look at our obstacle courses they call roads), but when they WANT $$ (or water) or votes, then we are begrudgingly acknowledged.

Visited Oregon couple of years ago, some places were beautiful, but Portland reminded me of Denver.

[jonp]

I've had the luck to travel all over the country including the North West. Invariably the cities suck and are left wing/progressive with enough votes to steamroll the rest of the state. Out of state liberals get sick of the hellhole they created and move to a different state then destroy that one by pushing the same stuff that ruined their own state. Vermont, my home state, was ruined by NY, Mass, CT etc; Maine and NH are getting destroyed by the MA and NY/CT moving into the southern parts, WI is getting overrun by IL people, MT getting destroyed by Californians as is OR, WA, NV, ID etc.....It's the same all over, unfortunately. I found the people in Oregon that live in the mountains and west of the Cascades to be very nice. Those east of the mountains near the cities typical sneering progressives that are just plain smarter than the hicks in the sticks. Ask them and they will tell you.

"I am probably one of the last of the native holdouts and the family has been here for hundreds of years so again it is not a rash decision."

I feel your pain. My family was in VT before it was a state or Republic. Not as long as yours in your place but a few hundred years. The liberals from away forced us out to make a living elsewhere. Not an easy choice but you have to do what you have to do.

[GL49]

I am a commercial/industrial electrician but in Oregon I would have to start over. I have been a licensed journeyman (with ability to get a masters here) but again, Oregon does not reciprocate the license. What town is the business in? I would make an outstanding apprentice if the pay was there. Also, I am non-union as an electrician here so not certain that a union shop would have me regardless of my license, at least that is how it is in Colorado. Nothing against the union, just got hired by a non-union shop when I first started.


BullFrog,
Read post #22, IF you have a journeyman license from Colorado you can get a provisional license from Oregon, good for about two and a half years, or until you can pass your Oregon exam and receive your Oregon license. It's not that tough, I teach apprenticeship classes and a student who applies himself can pass the test. The plant I work for hired an electrician from California, and found suitable work for him outside of the electrical field until he studied the NEC, tested, and received his journeyman license. You just have to hurry and apply before the end-of-July deadline, and submit proof of your qualifications. The license will allow you to work in industrial facilities, schools, and as a general journeyman electrician anywhere in the state, but I don't know about the union shops. You'd have to contact one and find out what's required to work there.
No need to become an apprentice again, if you can fulfill the requirements for the provisional license. All you've got to do is apply.