» Rejoice! A bumper crop of McMansions

Rejoice! A bumper crop of McMansions

February 23rd, 2006

Background: Measure 37, an extremist property “rights” initiative, was approved by Oregon voters in 2004 after a propagandistic campaign. This Measure can roll back any and all land-use regulations, allowing for subdivision of farmland, fragmentation of wildlife habitat, clearcutting, and increased externalities on neighbors. To help limit Measure 37’s impact, please join 1000 Friends of Oregon.

See that nice forest above, bordering Tillamook State Forest?

Oregonians, the seeds we planted with Measure 37 are sprouting! That forest will soon giveway to a new crop of homes:

Up at the north end, in a wooded area six miles north of Sheridan, Robert L. Hemstreet owns an 850-acre tree farm, and he has filed a Measure 37 claim with Yamhill County to develop an 850-lot subdivision on it. Built out, that could mean more than 2,500 residents - more than the population of some Yamhill County cities dating back to early pioneer days.

Of course, perhaps this isn’t surprising from right-winger Mark Hemstreet’s uncle?

So, Oregonians, a question for you…

“I guess my reaction would be to ask a rhetorical question,” Reeves said. “Is this what the voters of Yamhill County wanted when they passed Measure 37? Did they want 850 acres of forest land rezoned for 850 homes?”

Personally, I hope about 100 projects of this scope are quickly foisted on our open spaces. I hope we witness massive loss of farmland and forest. And I hope that we see huge ugly McMansions bordering national and state public lands.

Why?

Maybe… maybe THEN will Oregonians realize their mistake with Measure 37 and do what they can to repair the damage. But even that’s doubtful. Seismic shifts occur every so often all the time… in California with Proposition 13 and in Oregon with Measure 5. And so we will probably slowly get used to more sprawl. More pollution, and development. And the Oregon we know and love will be gone.

After all, many people call Houston home. And doubtlessly those who live there probably can only faintly remember when that city was anything but a sea of concrete.

In 20 years, in Oregon, in Portland, will any of us remember what we once had? Probably. But only a very few.

5 Comments Add your own

1. L. Deasy | March 2nd, 2006 at 1:32 pm

We live in the United States, a union of 50 sovereign republics, that guarantee each and every one of us the rights granted to us by our Creator, the Lord God Almighty. The constitutions of each state including Oregon’s are designed to protect these rights. In a democracy, mob rule is designed to extract the equity of lifetimes of hard work and redistribute it under a communist system masquerading as environmentalism, or the green movement.

This has been the plan of socialists \ globalists for a long time now, and it’s only been since the desire to save the planet has been coupled with communism \ communitarianism ideals have people embraced the idea with such enthusiasm.

The time has come for people of all political persuasions to come together to battle the globalist plans for world domination in order to truly protect our environment and our way of life here in these United States. And don’t shirk your duty to respect the lives and property of those folks you don’t agree with just to further your own political agenda. Otherwise there is no truth in what the environmental movement professes to stand for.

Together we stand, divided we fall.
2. Peter Bray | March 3rd, 2006 at 1:19 am

Please re-read the Constitution which guarantees the right of governments to regulate, tax, and, when necessary, even “take” private property for the greater good. I guess you didn’t know that even Jefferson supported massive redistribution of land…?
3. Gene Johnson | March 8th, 2006 at 11:44 am

If you’re so upset with people wanting to use their own property as they originally intended at the time of purchase, then why don’t you buy it yourself and be happy knowing you are using the land the way you see fit?
4. Gene Johnson | March 8th, 2006 at 11:52 am

Peter, I just read your little ad for getting rich quick with measure 37. M37 does not allow for mining, adult shops, or such development. While I can understand your concerns, if you keep blowing things out of proportion, it will be hard to take you seriously.

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