Hinessight

House Bill 3540B, the Measure 37 fix that passed the Oregon House several weeks ago, has been a lot like Oceanic Airlines Flight 815: Lost. Thanks to the NW Republican blog, a likely reason why has been YouTube'd up. In a speech on the House floor, Rep. Bill Garrard decries backroom deal making that has been going on between the Governor, Democratic legislative leaders, and so-called special interest groups. Garrard, a Republican member of the Joint Land Use Fairness Committee that came up with the Measure 37 fix, opines that the closed door negotiations over amendments to HB 3540B are…

Political lies don't surprise me anymore. But they still bother me. Especially when the lies are aimed at destroying Oregon's livability. Measure 37 was largely supported by large timber companies and other fat cats. They're out to build subdivisions on irreplaceable farm and forest land. Now Oregonians in Action, a puppet that springs into action when corporations pull the strings, is running full page ads in the Portland Oregonian in an attempt to keep those subdivisions alive. Sunday's ad was headlined, "We're not greedy developers." Yes, you are. Check out the list of major Measure 37 donors. Note that Stimson…

This long-time Oregonian (thirty-six moist years) is willing to admit there's a lot to like about southern California. Hollywood in particular, where my daughter, son-in-law, and one month old granddaughter live. Last weekend I stood in line at the trendy yogurt shop next to the M Café, scene of my previous intimate encounter with Kirsten Dunst--if you agree with me that sitting at two tables separated by a sheet of glass is "intimate." This Hollywood visit, no movie stars. But there was an attraction right in front of me. Two, actually. I couldn't help noticing the twenty-something girls as I…

Oregonians in Action (OIA) conned voters into approving Measure 37 in 2004. Now that the Oregon legislature is on the verge of approving a ballot referral that would fix this horribly flawed law, the OIA con-machine has fired up and is starting to spew more lies. Consider the ridiculous statement on the OIA web site that HB 3540 "effectively kills Measure 37." That's garbage. What this fix does is kill the ability of claimants to trample the property rights of people already living in the area, since it limits developments in groundwater limited areas to three houses. The same limit…

I hate Measure 37. Other people love it. In between love and hate is where most Oregonians are, according to Richard van Pelt. He's a Friends of Marion County activist who likely has forgotten more about Oregon's land use policies than I know now. Yesterday he sent me a thoughtful email about the Measure 37 reform effort embodied in HB 3540, which has passed the House and is to be considered soon by the Senate. Richard had read a comment I'd left on Russell Sadler's Blue Oregon post: "The M37 clock is ticking. Extend it while we debate it." [second…

The Oregon House of Representatives took a first step toward fixing Measure 37 today. Reform legislation will be sent on to the voters via a ballot referral, with voting to take place in September or November. But it's not enough. A hold, or "time-out," needs to be placed on Measure 37 subdivisions to prevent a lot of damage from occurring between now and the vote. My wife and I know whereof we speak. Along with several dozen neighbors, we've been fighting Leroy Laack's plan to put 43 homes and 43 wells on nearby groundwater limited farmland. Today we got some…

Oh, yeah. It's Land Use Reform Raw. I've made the call out in an AP story about Measure 37, "Democrats want voters to take another stab at Oregon land use law." The final two paragraphs: But the prospect of an endless barrage of TV, radio and newspaper adds, pitting entrenched interest groups against each other, is frustrating for some. Brian Hines, a retired property owner in Salem said he was disappointed lawmakers couldn't come up with a solution. "I think that's pretty chicken," Hines said of Oregon lawmakers decision to send the property rights reforms back to voters. "It will…

So close. Yet so far. Word is that a single Democratic House member, who will remain nameless because so many would like to strangle him right now, refused to vote for a genuine Measure 37 fix. [Update: He's no longer nameless, thanks to Peter Bray's post. It was an open secret, anyway.] Thus yesterday, as I predicted, Republicans and Oregonians in Action were handed a major victory without having to fire a shot. At the very least, the Joint Land Use Fairness Committee should have passed the proposed Measure 37 reform bill so every legislator would have to vote up…

This is serious. We're on a Hawaii vacation and Measure 37 is meddling with my Maui mellow. It looks like back home in Oregon the Land Use Fairness Committee (six Democrats, four Republicans) is about to bail out on fixing this environmental, social, and economic land use disaster. In fact, given the three hour time difference between Napili Bay and Salem, they may already have done the gutless deed. If not, I'm pleased to offer in advance an outrage retraction—but given all the signs to the contrary, I'm going to vent my current frustration so I can move my psyche…

Come on, Democrats in the Oregon legislature, this is the time to show you've got some big cojones. (Yes, you too, female legislators.) There are disturbing signs that the ten-member joint Committee on Land Use Fairness, which has six Democrats, may wuss out on the sort of Measure 37 fix that Oregonians are calling for. A recent poll found that more than two-thirds of voters either want to fix what they see as significant flaws in Measure 37 or believe that it should be repealed entirely. Today the state's largest newspaper, the Oregonian, ran a lead editorial titled "Find the…

I hope some of those who've applied for waivers of Oregon's land use laws under Measure 37 will read this post. I've listened to many of you testify at the legislature's Land Use Fairness Committee hearings. We've passed each other in the hall, you with your white and red "I (heart) Measure 37" sticker, me with my green "Fix Measure 37." You probably feel misunderstood and put upon. Well, so do I. You can't understand why people like me don't want you to be able to develop your property in the way that was allowed when you acquired it. I…

Yesterday Laurel and I sat through the entire three hour Land Use Fairness Committee hearing at the capitol. Though we got there 70 minutes early, and dutifully wound our way through the airport-screening-like line to sign up to testify, about seventy people got there before us. Only the first 50 or so were granted entry to Hearing Room B, where the committee held forth. We found our way to one of the auxiliary rooms, where a large screen projected the proceedings in sort of a Big Brotherish fashion. No doubt most of the Measure 37 faithful, distinguished by "I (heart)…