Email Exchange on Measure 37

Clackamas County Commissioners asked for reactions to the Measure 37 Claims Map they sent to nearly every county resident. Here is what I wrote and the email exchange that ensued:

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To the County Commissioners:

I received the M37 claims map in my mail the other day and I can't tell you how delighted I am to see that the county will be experiencing so much development in the next few years. Besides restoring property rights to deserving property owners, it looks like the county will be benefiting from a great deal of increased property taxes in the near future.

Please write back and let me know how much the County spent on printing and mailing these maps to every resident.

I now have your map prominently displayed in my house and look at it regularly with a great deal of pride and excitement.

Matt Wingard
Member, Clackamas Economic Development Commission

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Good morning, Matt……

Thank you for your comments. As a member of the Economic Development Commission you are no doubt familiar with economic issues, including taxation. It would be wonderful if most of these claims were to result in what you have described by bringing more tax dollars to the County’s citizens. The awkward part is most of the claims are for residential development. If you were to research the matter, you would find statistics show that for every $1.00 collected on residential development, a local government spends approximately $1.25 on services to support that development. When you consider the consequences of spending $1.25 for every $1.00 collected, most folks would agree the County is not going to get much benefit from the taxes.

I am sorry, but I do not have details on the cost of mailing the maps. The mailing was performed through the office of Public and Government Affairs. I recommend you contact that office for that information.

Again, thank you for your interest.

Cordially,

John Borge
Customer Service
Planning Division

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John:

Can you back up your claim about residential development being a money loser for the county by providing a few citations? I'm wondering if the theory holds up with the sorts of rural development that will occur under M37.

Also, can you give me an email address for someone at Public and Govt. Affairs who can answer my question about the cost of the mailing?

Thanks for your reply,

Matt

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Good evening, Matt……

Thanks for following up on this subject. Too often folks are just willing to let things go and I really appreciate your interest in trying to become more informed.

I have attached a copy of a Cost of Community Services article that was prepared by the American Farmland Trust. Though there are other similar community services analyses available through other organizations, this article was the quickest and easiest one to forward to you. In the event you want more detailed information, I suspect many similar studies are available from the universities.

Matt, I am not interested in debating the merits of Measure 37 because it would serve no purpose. The only reason I am responding at this time of evening is because I think you might want to be more informed. Please understand around 95% of the Measure 37 claims is for residential housing. Just take a moment, examine the article, look at the map and reach your own conclusions.

Thanks, again….and enjoy your evening.

Cordially,

John Borge, Principal Planner
Clackamas County Planning Division

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John:

I don't find your source to be very neutral. The big variable in rural development is kids. If the people moving into large lot homes on the M37 map do not have kids the impact on the county is nowhere near as great since the roads and utilities are paid by the developer (plus you have SDCs).

The County doesn't have to supply water, sewage or roads in the rural areas away from other development. And the increase in property tax payments on land going from farmland to large lot homes is thousands of dollars per home.

Obviously, tightly developed subdivisions where families move in may be a net negative in property taxes for the county due to school expansion costs.

Personally, I live right up against the UGB at the intersection of Boeckman and Wilsonville roads. There are a couple of M37 developments planned within a short walk of my home in the Stafford Road area. I'm looking forward to the new development, the new neighborhoods, the economic development and the exercise of property rights by the property owner.

I remain very concerned about the rising cost of housing in the County and the decreasing ability of lower income families to be able to own their own home. If a million people are going to move into Oregon over the next 20 years, how will we keep home prices down if we don't build?

BTW, what percentage of the county's undeveloped land due these M37 claims account for?

Matt

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Matt….

Thank you for your comments. Please understand that I am not interested in trying to convince you of the authenticity of a report. I was simply forwarding you the information you requested.
Cordially,

John Borge, Principal Planner
Clackamas County Planning Division

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PRO Measure 37 Repeal Speech at Dorchester

[NOTE: I was asked to make a 5-minute speech at Dorchester against Measure 37. Hey, someone had to. This quickly become known as my "Borg" speech. Enjoy!]

Oregon belongs to all of us, not just those of you who have M37 claims...

These claims will do real damage to Oregon
We have chosen to be different here in Oregon. I meet people on a regular basis who chose to move to Oregon specifically because of our progressive environmental ethic and our forward-looking land use planning laws that have preserved Oregon’s scenic and rural landscape. We have chosen to elevate “respect for the environment” and “sustainability” above short-term economic gains, the profit-motive and the paving and strip-malling of America. We don’t want to look like Los Angeles. We’ve made that decision.

We are in the process of adding one million people to the population of Oregon. Do we want sprawling suburban neighborhoods and no landscape? Or do we want to maintain the Urban Growth Boundaries that were wisely set up to make sure most of Oregon’s natural beauty will still be here for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to enjoy?

The Willamette Valley is Oregon's agricultural industrial park
Measure 37 development claims now threaten at least 132,346 acres of the Willamette Valley's richest farmland. If all these developments move forward as planned, eventually engulfing farmland, land-use specialist Jim Johnson points out, Oregon stands to lose an astonishing amount of its richest ag land -- 2 1/2 times what the state lost to development between 1982 and 1997.

Oregon’s farm families have a strong connection to their land. They have a right to continue that legacy and pass it onto their children without having to worry about urban sprawl running them over. Protecting their way of life is a win-win for us all. When we enforce land use rules that keep subdivisions from creeping towards them or surrounding their farms and pastures, we also protect Oregon’s scenic beauty for ourselves.

A final note
I do not expect to win this vote today. This audience is not representative of Oregon as a whole. The people moving into this state who believe in strong environmental protections--by my estimates about 8,000 of us each year—we believe there must be balance between property rights and environmental concerns. In many ways, M37 was a trick, a cruel joke on Oregon’s voters. Dorothy English was used as a stalking horse for large corporate interests. The voters did not intend for this outcome.

We have the votes, we have the courts, we maintain political control over all of Oregon’s major cities and all of Oregon’s statewide offices. Each year we grow stronger. We sit on the planning commissions, the economic development commissions, the city councils, the transportation committees, the transit committees, the task forces, the Big Looks, the New Looks, the alliances, the chambers of commerce, the school boards…and in nearly every case, we dominate them.

You are outnumbered.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

October 4, 2006 Predictions

Issue #36
October 4, 2006

There's Much on the Line in November
Brace Yourself for a Cold Wind

Ballots go out in the mail on October 20th here in Oregon. This is so cats, dogs, illegal aliens and dead Democrats can vote. The election is less than one month away. I’m often asked what I think is going to happen. Even before the recent Mark Foley scandal and resignation, this was not shaping up to be a good year for Republicans.

First of all, I expect voter turnout to be very low this year. Turnout will seem slightly worse than it actually is because of over-registration from the 2004 presidential election. Millions of people who registered and voted in 2004 will never vote again, but they count as voters today. So when they fail to return ballots in November the turnout as a percentage will look very low.

I expect Republicans across the country to fair very badly this year. This will not be because of Iraq or Foley or Katrina. Falling gas prices will help but I’m betting not enough. Republicans failed to show real leadership during this two-year cycle and that’s why I expect them to lose seats at the federal level and very likely control of the House of Representatives as well.

As I’ve written before, I believe the trend started right out of the gate when the President called for Social Security reform and Republicans went soft. That was the first sign they were going to play dime- prevent defense all term. Nothing they’ve done since then has been any different. If Republicans do find themselves in minority status they’ll wish they’d reformed Social Security before they were shown the door.

So, I expect in January the people of San Francisco will control the most powerful legislative body on the planet. Say hello to Speaker Pelosi.

Here in Oregon, the news for Republicans is not as bad. In fact, we may see our first Republican governor in nearly three decades. Ron Saxton is beginning to lead in the polls and I give him a better than average chance of winning his race. He has run a very good campaign so far and his staff should be congratulated.

The ugly side is that House Republicans could find themselves victims of the national tide. A strong surge for Democrats nationally could lead to a situation in Oregon where Republicans control the Governor’s office, but Democrats control the Legislature. An extremely lopsided surge for Democrats could even cost Saxton his race.

That would make Oregon very blue indeed--sending thousands fleeing for Vancouver, Washington. Imagine San Francisco, but on a statewide level. Think: Pelosiland.

Any Democrat victory at the national level will create very ugly conditions indeed. The War on Terrorism will be pulled back to a more defensive position. The Administration will find itself harassed with subpoenas and hearings, and tax cuts set to expire will not be renewed. Get out your wallets.

On the bright side, a House controlled by Democrats will be so ugly that Republican chances for the White House in 2008 will look very good. Hillary Clinton needs Republicans to maintain control of the House and the Senate next month or she doesn’t stand a chance in 2008.

Expect a very mixed result next month.

Exchange with Rep. Brad Avakian

Listen to the audio here. Exchange Starts at 1:15:00

Rep. Brad Avakian:

Whether you’re in a public school or whether you are in a vouchered school, chartered school, some other private model, that your choice is equal. If you don’t like what’s happening at the school you have the choice to go somewhere else. The biggest difference is that with regard to a public school, there is a statutory and constitutional process that guarantees a parents right to be heard. You have free speech rights because the Constitution applies to public entities. That does not apply to private entities in which a board, or whatever manages the school, is the one that outlines the process.

Now with regard to competition and this is where if you’d like to comment I’d certainly love to have your comments on the record. This notion of competition is an interesting thing with regard to public education because it has the appearance on the surface of fitting very well because in the free enterprise market competition drives the economy very very well. But it’s a double edged sword because competition also created things like exploding Ford Pinto and flammable children’s pajamas. Because you don’t always get greater quality with competition. Sometimes you get lesser quality as the business tries to create a profit.

Now with regard to public schools, it seems to be there should be a system somewhere in society that guarantees that every single school provides an excellent education for children so that some third grader is never left with a competitive model that gives the potential of landing on the losing end of that competitive model. So what I’m curious about even though you’ve very artfully described your perception of your education model what do you think government’s role is? Isn’t the government’s role suppose to be to guarantee an equal excellent education for every child?


Matt Wingard:

Rep. Avakian I would agree with you whole heartedly. That absolutely is government’s role and I guess my question would be, “is that what the government is doing right now?”


Rep. Avakian:

And expand on your thoughts now please because whether the government’s doing it or not, if that’s the government’s role should society not force the government to fulfill its role rather than replace it with a competitive model that may end up with some children on the losing end like I described.


Matt Wingard:

Well I’d argue that there are children on the losing end right now. But I would disagree that a competitive model doesn’t still achieve the goal that you’re after that I think we’re all after which is that people are entitled to a free public education. In a voucher system they’re still getting, and I would submit that any school that provides education to that child using that voucher is proving them with a public education. It’s a publicly funded education. Even if it’s a private Catholic school that’s educating that child, we as the taxpayers paid for that public education to be provided to that child. It just happens to be that’s the school that the parent chose.

On your question of flammable pajamas and the Ford Pinto, I would ask this question, “Where’s the Ford Pinto and the flammable pajamas now?” The market pushed those out. When we have schools that fail, where are they? They reopen the next year and they continue to do business. I would make the argument that there are Ford Pintos across this country in education that continue to operate year after year and there’s no pressure for them to get pushed out of the marketplace.

And I guess the last point I’d make is that I think we have to ask ourselves when we want to provide this free public education to everyone is, “Who really should control that? Should the adults in the system control the money that’s provided….The point of that money is to provide a free public education for that child. Should the adults in the system control it or should the consumer, the child and the parent—the people it’s entitled for, should they control it?”

Who Sgt. Warner is Fighting For

Biography

Matt Wingard began his career as a television reporter and then served as both a congressional aide and a legislative administrator before starting his own consulting company. He has managed campaigns at the state and federal level, including races for Congress, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Oregon State Legislature.

Matt is a native Oregonian who graduated from Aloha High School. He attended the University of Southern California where he received a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. He spent five years in Central Washington, as a television reporter and congressional aide. At the CBS affiliate (KIMA-TV) in Yakima, Matt covered agriculture, crime and politics. He then joined the office of Congressman Doc Hastings who is currently Chairman of the House Ethics Committee.

Matt returned to Oregon in 2001 and administered the Government Efficiency Committee in the Oregon House for Representative Jerry Krummel. After the session, Matt ran Rob Kremer’s campaign for State Superintendent of Public Instruction—the only campaign he has ever lost. His record as a campaign manager is 4 and 1.

Matt has run his own consulting company for the last four years. His most visible role has been as Executive Director of Oregonians for Jobs and Power. OJP is a broad-based coalition of elected officials, businesses and community leaders that Matt built to support private enterprise in Oregon and defeat efforts to condemn Portland General Electric. In April 2006, OJP won that fight when PGE issued stock and once again became a stand-alone, Oregon-based private company.

Matt is heavily involved in the struggle for public education reform. His clients include two of the largest charter schools in Oregon as well as Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free-market think tank.

Matt’s op-eds have been published in The Washington Times, The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, The Portland Business Journal, BrainstormNW, and a number of community newspapers.

Matt publishes The Wingard Report, the most popular conservative electronic newsletter in Oregon. He lives in Wilsonville and is the father of Hunter, 12.

The Columbia Gorge

Railroad Baron Sam Hill's Tomb (1857-1931), down the hill from Stonehenge. The epitaph reads "Amid Natures Great Unrest, He Sought Rest."

Bear & Wolf Center (West Yellowstone, MT)

They started howling the moment we arrived. Pretty cool.

Yellowstone National Park (Sept. 2006)

Bison in the road. One walked right by Hunter's window.

Praire Dog Town next to Devils Tower

Their mounds are visible here and you can best make out the PD center, bottom third.

Devils Tower in Wyoming

Custer Fell Here (Little Big Horn Battlefield, MT)

Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer fell at the marker with the black spot. He is buried at West Point.

William Clark's Signature

It's hard to see in this picture, but Clark's carved signature and the date of July 28, 1806 are both clearly visible when you're there in person.

Pompey's Pillar

Hunter and me at Mount Rushmore (September 13, 2006)

Daniel's Note

In response to The Wingard Report Issue #31

Your "paper" would be simply laughable if the subject matter did not affect the greatest and most powerful nation on the planet. I am sure my logic and facts will fall of deaf ears, since this "newsletter" is nothing more than retyped Fox News talking points given out by the RNC. I do not have time to show all of the copious errors and just out right lies made by your group, so I will just illustrate enough to show that not all of us true patriots are buying the load of garbage you are peddling. Oh, by the way, you may note that true sources are cited as proof, not just Blogs that show a person's opinion. Also, this is not done by some angry liberal, but by a person that that does not use their birth certificate as a handicap parking permit as most of your readers obviously must. Note: Not intended to offend any legitimately handicap people.

First, the piece on that "liberals" are tying the hands of our military in Iraq and that is why we can't win. This is truly disturbing. First, it lacks any moral clarity and is just run on dribble creating one strawman after another, never really dealing with what has happened in the wars that were "lost".
Argument one, "Enemies must be defeated. They must be targeted and killed wherever they hide." This is interesting, considering that Bush said, "And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him." http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html This after he promised that, "I want justice. And there's an old poster out west, that I recall, that said, ``Wanted, Dead or Alive.'' September 17, 2001

Gee what ever happened to that?????? Huh, funny how the guy that did attack us is forgotten about. The one that everyone on the planet wanted dead. Now, our leader decides he is nothing to worry about. Very interesting how liberals turned Bush on that one. An interesting quote by Bush showed his mind set on the whole thing, how he was reserved in finding him just two days after the attack, "I'm not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. " Spoken at a September 13, 2001 meeting with the four senators from New York and Virginia. Reported in "A President Finds His True Voice", Newsweek (September 24, 2001) What is 2 mill?? Like anyone would have gave a damn! We wanted him dead. But hey, spend 300 billion on a war that was not necessary, now you are talking! But, I am sure that liberals made him say that too. A tough guy like him would not hold back on the person that murdered more than 3,000 of our people because of money!

Now in the case of Iraq, the war went to shambles because of poor planning. End of story, Bush ignored top commanders telling him he needed 500,000 troops to secure the country. True, you could just nuke everyone like you stated in your piece of poetry, but hey, I guess, you are more moral than the rest of us. We could ignore all of the retired generals coming forth criticizing Bush, but hey they must be disgruntled, they are retired!! I mean, it is not as though Bush is beyond ending the careers of those currently serving in the military, or is he?????? Zinni was retired when he made his criticism and Shinseki was forced to retire not long after making his remarks; a move that did not go unnoted in the officer corps. That would explain why active-duty military personnel have been fairly restrained in their public comments on the outlook for the war as the insurgency in Iraq has gained strength since the end of major combat operations in 2003. "Nobody likes to be forced to fall on their sword," according to Colonel Dan Smith, US Army, retired, fellow on military affairs for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. "If you are going to speak your mind you want to stay in the service to fight another day." http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GF17Ak03.html
But hey that is just some Asian Business paper, what do they know we don't right. And we all know business journals are very liberal, so they can't be trusted!!!

And of course, Bush listens to all of the advice of his Generals, the ones he said he would let conduct the war. Just a few of the complaints:


With the exception of Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, the former head of Central Command who opposed the Bush-Rumsfeld rush to war, the other generals did not publicly protest until secure in retirement. Nevertheless, they bring imposing credentials to their charges against the defense secretary.
Major Gen. Paul Eaton, first of the five rebels to speak out, was in charge of training Iraqi forces until 2004. He blames Rumsfeld for complicating the U.S. mission by alienating our NATO allies.
Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs up to the eve of war, charges Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith with a "casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions – or bury the results."
Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the Army's 1st Division in Iraq, charges that Rumsfeld does not seek nor does he accept the counsel of field commanders. Maj. Gen. John Riggs echoes Batiste. This directly contradicts what President Bush has told the nation.
Maj. Gen. Charles J. Swannack, former field commander of the 82nd Airborne, believes we can create a stable government in Iraq, but says Rumsfeld has mismanaged the war.
Well, that subject is getting boring, and let's face it, the article is not fit for a 5 th grader to debate, so I will move on. And look at those people with their poor military credentials!! I am sure Rush knows what is really is going on.



Your attack on John Murtha is despicable. If he did commit crimes, there is a not liberal out there that believes he should have a pass based on his war record. It is Republicans that time and time again look the other way while their colleagues steal and commit fraud. Also, I find it funny how Republicans can talk so tough. They are like the drunk guy in the bar, talk big and bad, but when it comes to the fist to fist, they head for the door, or have someone else fight for them. Let's take a look at true patriotism and those that served honorably verses those that got out….. I mean served in ways that were more dignified, like running companies into the ground and stealing.
Take a man like John Murtha, he VOLUNEERED for Vietnam, and served from 66-67, even after he had left the service as a Captain. While in Vietnam he received 2 purple hearts and a Bronze Star. http://www.house.gov/murtha/pdf/record2.pdf And people like Culter and Limbaugh have the nerve to call into question his patriotism!!! If anyone has the right to question war it is those that have served and experienced it. Gee, lets see, Culter got the pass for being a woman, even though women could serve during Desert Storm. Will let her slide on that, but not for being a vile human being. Limbaugh, had an anal cyst as stated on his deferment, or the football injury he cited on his show? "As for Limbaugh himself, the broadcaster stated that he was not drafted during the Vietnam War because he had been classified 4-F after a physical found that he had an "inoperable pilonidal cyst" and "a football knee from high school." He added: "I made no effort to evade it or avoid it." (Colford)
I guess he has two excuses! According to the Military Entrance Processing Command, a pilonidal cyst was then and is today a so-called "disqualifying condition" for induction. It's a congenital incomplete closure of the neural groove at the base of the spinal cord in which excess tissue and hair may collect and cause discomfort and discharge. The malady can be corrected by surgery, but short of that it is viewed by the military as a needless risk amid unsanitary conditions in the field.
Colford, Paul D. The Rush Limbaugh Story.
New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993. ISBN 0-312-09906-1 (pp. 14-20).
So, ft was the cyst, as stated on the military deferment, it could have been corrected with surgery, but hey, he had better things to do.
Next, Bush, never mind he opted for state side service during Vietnam, I am sure he had some Vietcong to take care of in the Panhandle! But consider,
· The President did not attend enough drills to complete his obligation to the Guard during his final year of service.
· During the final two years of his service obligation, Bush did not comply with Air Force regulations that impose a time limit on making up missed drills. Instead, he took credit for makeup drills he participated in outside that time frame. Five months of drills missed by the President in 1972 were never made up, contrary to assertions made by the White House.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/roane040908.htm
I am not even going to bother with talking about Cheney, Rumsfeld, and basically the entire Cabinet, it is all the same. Besides, I am sure you will not believe the facts anyways.
As for corruption and Murtha, as stated before, if guilty hang him. Liberals do not have a problem with accountability, unlike the present administration. This is not a full account by any means of the fraud committed by these individuals.
A couple of key players, the guy in the White House, committed fraud with his company Harken, but was given a pass by dad who was Pres. When he went under investigation by the SEC. The matter is still left "undetermined". "In June of 1990, Bush sold two-thirds of the Harken stock he had received in the Spectrum 7 deal--and collected $318,430 more than it was worth when he first obtained it. Get low, sell high? Anything wrong with that? The month before this sale, Harken appointed Bush to a committee to determine, as Ivins and Dubose put it, "how restructuring [of the firm] would affect ordinary shareholders." According to Ivins and Dubose, who note the previous reporting work of " U.S. News and World Report," when Bush served on this committee, he was privy to information indicating the company was in trouble. He then dumped his stocks before this news became public. "U.S. News" concluded that at the time of the sale there was "substantial evidence to suggest that Bush knew Harken was in dire straits."" http://www.thenation.com/capitalgames...
The Bad Hunter (Cheney) : Haliburton has been accused of a Enron type scandal with misleading investors while Oh Dead Eye was at the helm. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2119981.stm

Well, thanks for the laughs, keep them coming!!! And yes, I did enjoy this, I am sure that you would like to believe that I did this out of uncontrollable rage! Really, the only part that upsets me is when people call themselves "patriots" and criticize the service to country of others, when they do not step up themselves. Just remember, the Army will now take you until you are 39. And yes, in the case of asking someone to give their life for a cause, you better be willing to do the same…. It is not like putting flags on your car or singing songs that you hear at NASCAR races, that is not being a patriot or a tough guy. Has been like having a debate with a six year old…. Actually, that would be an insult to my six year old. So I take that back. Be sure to pass my name onto the FBI to tape my phone. I am sure I will not hear back from any of you. Unless it is just one line insults, which is ok with me. I know you have tons of lies to make up and people to smear, all in the name of moral fun.

Cordially,

A True Patriot

Daniel Russo

Note: I do not have military service either, but I will not call those a coward that do. I point out the problems with Bush's based on the fact that his is nothing compared to those that he and his administration continually call into question. The ones that were on the front lines willing to sacrifice their lives and lived the horror of war in order for me to be able to hold this "debate" have my undying gratitude despite political opinion or personality defects.

-- Aloha, Daniel Russo