Planning Versus Property Rights In Oregon

The WSJ editorial board sounds the alarm over the loss of property rights and a judicial system run amok in Oregon.

1 minute read

December 15, 2005, 9:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Oregonians, like many others, have been fighting to force their state government to honor property rights. Like reformers in other states, residents here had seized upon the one tool more powerful than entrenched state politicians: the ballot initiative. In 2000 and again in 2004, voters passed measures to protect landowners from state regulations that reduced their property value.

Yet nothing has changed. This is because initiatives are only as powerful as the court system lets them be. Two separate judges struck down the property measures on embarrassing legal grounds. And voters can't count on a state Supreme Court that revels in meritless decisions to right things on appeal."

Thursday, December 15, 2005 in The Wall Street Journal

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