By Kristie Young
On one side of the street, horses graze in an open pasture, shaking their heads and stomping their feet on the grassy field. On the other side of the street, eager consumers prowl the strip mall, fervently hunting for the best deals on the clothing, kitchen accessories, and perfume sold in bulk quantities. This is an eerie collision of two worlds, man and nature. This is California.
And this could be Oregon in a few years.
More than 7,500 Measure 37 claims for development threaten to permanently exploit over 750,000 acres of Oregon land, much of it in Oregon's protected farms and forests. Measure 49 would stop this, putting an end to the threat of strip malls, big box stores, and subdivisions where they don't belong.
Measure 37 was passed in 2004 and was presented to voters as a way for landowners to build houses on their property for tax or retirement purposes if they had lost that ability due to rezoning, or to claim compensation for lost property value from the Oregon government.
There were, however, horrific unforeseen consequences. Landowners around Oregon have filed claims to sell out to big business and subdivision developments in protected farm and forest land, in places where water is already scarce. If the Oregon government was to pay out all of the Measure 37 claims, it would amount to $15 billion dollars.
$15 billion. Funded by Oregon taxpayers.
Measure 49 would fix these unanticipated flaws of Measure 37. If passed, it would prevent big box stores and subdivisions from coming into Oregon's protected areas while still allowing for individual landowners to build up to three houses on their lots.
Measure 37 threatens Oregon's way of life. There are 100 proposed claims for new houses and condos on Sauvie Island, which would effectively eradicate the allure of the small farming community. There are claims along the coastline of Cannon Beach, which would drastically restrict public access to the area. There is a $5 million claim to build a Wal-Mart in Sellwood, despite overwhelming neighborhood protest. Washington County alone has claims for new housing subdivisions amounting to 5½ new Beavertons in size.
This cannot happen.
But it will. Unless Measure 49 is passed.
This November election will decide the fate of Oregon, of her beaches, and her farmers. This is a collision of two worlds in a very real sense. And there is only one way to protect what Oregonians love most about their state.
Vote yes on Measure 49 this November.
Kristie Young is a senior ?political science major.
