Your vote, your voice - Shut Up!

The Oregon State Lobby Game
*
1. Citizens vs Special Interests

2. Government Bonds for Special Interests

(government deluded, builders happy)

3. Citizens vs Government and Special Interests
(profit, power and bad ideas)

4. Bad News for Citizens' Rights

Game Pieces:

The People Government 

Rigged Game: Roll dice to play again.

Government teams with builders, realtors and land investors to subvert city charters statewide to undermine Home Rule in order to force annexations without a vote of the electorate, with the excuse of increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Does the State Constitution allow usurpation of a city's charter?  We'll see.  Urban services to places like Damascus and Stafford are non-existent.  If builders had to pay for new infrastructure, housing would not be affordable., or current residents would pay making their houses unaffordable. Where is our City Councils on this issue? Whoever supports this measure should be replaced!  It is clear these legislators believe they know better than citizens what the future of their towns should be - and we will all be alike.  We need a revolt in Salem! 

One can only imagine what a city under seige by builders and land speculators might look like and what it would cost to serve new territory and residents with new city services.  With the stress of tear-downs and lot partitions in Lake Oswego we have had a taste of this, but this takes the struggle between current residents and developers to new heights when the power to annex shifts away from citizen control.

Are you angry yet?  I am.  So are a lot of people and groups that testified at a Public Hearing in February regarding SB 1573.  Excerpts from testimony are below.   Follow all committee meetings and read the testimony for and against the measure by clicking HERE.  The bill is currently awaiting the Governor's signature.  Will Governor Brown sign on to a bad bill?