Search Results

What could the guy next door do if I-933—or other western property initiatives—pass on November 7? Sightline has just launched a No on 933 issue ad that shows how these initiatives could pave the way for irresponsible development and an end to many commonsense protections. Watch the ad! Forward it! If you have an extra second, go to the YouTube version and rate it! Please comment below or send feedback...

** Late yesterday, the Montana supreme court unanimously upheld the lower court’s decision to invalidate Initiative 154 because of pervasive fraud. ** Speaking of fraud, one of Howard Rich’s key shell organizations, Chicago-based Americans for Limited Government, has been operating without a license to do business for almost 9 months. ALG has pumped well over a million in cash into the property ballot measures. It’s not clear yet what the legal ramifications...

On Monday night I was down in Vancouver, Washington participating in a panel debate on I-933. It was heated at times, like any old fashioned civic debate should be. But I was troubled to read the newspaper coverage the following morning. Here’s the bit that stuck in my craw: Zimmerman said farmers resorted to I-933 because they couldn’t get state government to take their concerns seriously. He saved most of his...

Fascinating article in the Boise Weekly. We’re so accustomed to conflict and outrage grabbing the headlines that it’s surprising to hear about the day to day cooperation between Idaho’s ranchers and conservationists—they’re working together to protect both wild wolves and livestock. If you need a breather from the over-heated election cycle, this one’s worth a read.

Sightline’s 2006 analysis documents a growing backlash against “property rights” initiatives by chronicling six stories of Oregon communities deeply affected by Oregon’s Measure 37. The report also examines the implications for Washington and other states considering similar initiatives this fall, including Idaho, Montana, Arizona, and California, which are all modeled after Measure 37.

Hot off the presses folks: “Property Wrongs,” a new report from Sightline, documents a growing backlash against Measure 37. It chronicles six Oregon communities deeply affected by Measure 37—ranging from a suburban community in Marion County outside Salem to owners of a small resort at Newberry Crater National Volcanic Monument. The report also examines the implications for other states considering similar initiatives this fall. Washington’s I-933, Idaho’s Proposition 2, Montana’s...

New poll data from Montana: I-154, the property-rights measure, had the support of 51 percent of those polled, while only 24 percent were against it. 25 percent said they are undecided. A district court invalidated the initiative because of fraudulent signature-gathering, but the state supreme court has yet to rule on the case and could overturn the lower court’s decision. In any event, valid or not, I-154 will appear on Montanan’s...

[This is part of a series.] New items are coming in faster than I can keep pace with. But here are a few gems… In Washington, a group of developers and affordable housing advocates released a report arguing that I-933 would severely impair efforts to supply decent affordable housing. In a similar vein, David Horsey, at the Seattle P-I, has a clever cartoon in today’s paper. Researchers at the University...

[Note: This is part of a series.] There was an odd little story in USA Today on Sunday, covering the raft of so-called “property rights” initiatives on the November ballot throughout the Western U.S. I say odd, because it almost completely misses the point. As the story notes, a lot of people are pretty exercised about a 2005 US Supreme Court decision in the case of Kelo vs. New London,...

When, oh when, will Eric end this Ahab-like fixation on the takings ballot measures? Don’t hold your breath. Yesterday, Washington’s Office of Financial Management released estimates of the financial impact of Initiative 933. It’s not pretty. Analysts are ballparking the costs to taxpayers at between $7.3 and $9 billion over the next six years. I won’t get into the technical details today—partly because I haven’t studied the analysis carefully yet....