Go 49ers! – Measure 49 is good for Oregon

It’s voting season yet again, and with all the ads infecting the media these days, it can be difficult to understand what the actual skinny is on the ballot measures this year. Measure 49, if passed, will help Oregon continue to be the great state we have come to love.

This is why you should vote yes on Measure 49.

When you think about Oregon, what comes to mind? Portland, the Columbia River, Crater Lake, the coast, perhaps bad drivers? Ask any resident what they like about Oregon, and you will most likely hear about natural surroundings, hiking, wineries and working farms. Measure 49 aims to help protect these places of Oregonian pride.

Three years ago the citizens of Oregon passed Measure 37. It was a valid attempt to help guard the rights of Oregon landowners. In case the state does something such as passing a law that would threaten the value of a property, the landowner has the right to be compensated. If the state cannot compensate the owner within two years, then the laws affecting the landowner are to be waived.

Unfortunately, Measure 37 had some loopholes that contradicted its intended purpose. Some have found ways to continue cutting into farmlands and other expanses only to create vast and profitable urban sprawls. As the state cannot possibly afford to compensate every Measure 37 claim, many get their lawful rights waived. Measure 49 was created to help remedy these loopholes.

If Measure 49 passes, areas like our farmlands and forests will remain as we desire them to be. It will limit the amount of development allowed on plots of land, so the Oregon we have come to love will not be paved over with concrete and urban sprawl.

Consider Stimson Lumber Co., a firm which has filed more claims under Measure 37 than anyone. Recently, they donated $200,000 to Oregonians in Action, a group opposed to Measure 49. They were not alone. Though Stimson Lumber has contributed the most amount of money, lumber companies and land developers from all over Oregon have donated to Oregonians in Action. These groups constitute the largest number of Measure 37 claims in the state. If Measure 37 stands as it is, Stimson Lumber, and their community of developers and corporations, would have a clear avenue to construct numerous housing developments and strip malls.

While companies such as Stimson Lumber oppose Measure 49, it gains support elsewhere. One of those groups is the Oregon Environmental Council, which notes that the development that could take place if Measure 49 does not pass would threaten ecosystems, such as our water sources, while creating more traffic that gives off more pollution.

We should always be keeping an eye out to make sure the government doesn’t overstep its place. It is not good to have government meddling too far into our rights as citizens or property owners. However, in the case of Measure 49, government is not overstepping its place at all, but rather acting on behalf of the people-as it should be.

In the end, it really comes down to what we value as Oregonians. What is it we treasure about our communities? Is it the vast expanse of suburban developments and the pavement that accompanies them, or is it the farms and wineries that adorn the land?

Is it a strip mall or a forest?

It is truly up to Oregon to decide. If, to you, Oregon is the farms, the wineries, the local feel, the environmental-friendly attitudes or the communities, then vote yes on Measure 49.