Dear Fellow Democrats,

I am hoping especially that my fellow Democrats from urban areas will read this. My concern is about Measure 37 and its devastating consequences not only for rural areas such as ours, but to the quality of life of all Oregonians, including those in urban areas. The emerging picture of current Measure 37 claims predicts a widespread loss of farm and forest land, a proliferation of unplanned urban and suburban sprawl into rural areas, loss of wildlife habitat, increased strains on ground water aquifers in rural areas, loss of forested areas that serve as carbon sinks to offset greenhouse gases, and aesthetic blights upon the Oregon landscape. There are known impacts to the health of the population with urban sprawl, and the Centers for Disease Control has a webpage devoted to this issue. When people spend more time driving to destinations and less time walking, there is a correlation with obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.ÂÂ

So the bottom line is that Measure 37 is not just a rural issue, but one that affects all of us. Currently the legislature is bogged down in trying to fix the worst elements of Measure 37. Yet it is vital that this legislature take action before the thousands of Measure 37 claims are approved and the bulldozers are moving dirt. Once that happens, the situation can never be reversed. A recent poll of Oregonians showed that over 60% want Measure 37 either repealed or substantially fixed. Many who voted for Measure 37, thinking it was oriented toward helping landowners add an additional house for family members, now realize the Trojan Horse that it is to serve the interests of developers and timber companies who want to convert thousands of acres of their holdings into housing developments. These people now say they would vote against it.

The legislature can still fix it if the Democratic majority has the courage to take leadership on this. The joint legislative Task
Force on Land Use Fairness (see attached) is currently trying to work out a bipartisan bill to be sent to the full legislature to reform Measure 37. Unfortunately the Democrats are capitulating to the special interests represented by Oregonians in Action. This is no surprise, since several of the members of this Committee have conflicts of interest in that they have their own Measure 37 claims totalling millions of dollars.  The family of our representative in Corbett, Patti Smith, who sits on this committee, is pushing ahead with Measure 37 claims in the Corbett area for compensation of over $29 million or a waiver to subdivide various holdings into over 200 buildable lots. These claims are to be heard by the Multnomah County Commissioners next Thursday, April 26 (Case files T1-06-087 and T1-06-124). This clear conflict of interest demonstrates why I believe a bipartisan agreement is impossible.

My wife Julie and I live in the rural eastern part of Multnomah County. We are Democratic precinct workers who have worked hard over many years to elect Democrats. We are now feeling betrayed by the Democratic majority in the legislature. They are not showing the courage needed to take leadership on this vital issue that will affect all Oregonians for generations into the future. I urge you to contact members of the Land Use Fairness Committee (see attached), as well as your own state representative and senator and ask them to take action now. I have attached some talking points of the best reflections I have heard about why Measure 37 should be repealed. I have also attached my message to the Democrats on the Land Use Fairness Committee. We elected them they need to hear us clearly on this issue.

Here's what we are asking:

1. Send a bill to the full legislature to repeal Measure 37.
2. Freeze all current Measure 37 claims until the Big Look task force completes its process of having a conversation with Oregonians about our land use future and makes its recommendations.
3. At least refer a repeal of Measure 37 back to the voters. Many people who originally voted for Measure 37 state that they would now would vote against it, once its implications have been fully understood.

 Sincerely,

John F. Christensen

Corbett, Oregon

Nagarkot247@gmail.com