I was devastated when property-rights ballot initiatives recently swept across the U.S. The campaigns actively deceived voters into thinking that they were voting for fairness to property owners. In reality, the initiatives allow speculators and developers to threaten Americans’ quality of life, as well as our valuable farms and forestland.

The Oregon experience with this kind of anti-planning law has shown us that more than anything, these initiatives are clever ploys to deliver windfall profits to a few at the expense of their neighbors. The ballot measure that passed in Oregon, Measure 37, now allows big timber companies to lay claim to turning coastal forests into sprawling subdivisions, and allows corporations to transform productive farmland into gravel pits and strip malls. Many residents of Oregon’s rural communities face serious threats to their drinking water quality, as well as to the availability of scarce water resources, due to Measure 37.

Oregonians have become alarmed at the havoc that Measure 37 will create and are demanding legislative reform. Opponents, however, are fighting at every turn, and are trying to convince legislators that poorly planned development is acceptable in Oregon. Now is the time to speak up and demand reform of this deeply flawed law. Whether by email, phone or in person, the Oregon legislature needs to hear that you want Measure 37 to be reformed, so that it is fair for all Oregonians.

1,000 Friends of Oregon is fighting at every turn and they need your help. Go to www.friends.org to learn more and find out how to take action.