Measure 76 and the state budget: Think twice before unraveling what voters made clear

Published: Friday, March 04, 2011, 8:00 AM

 By Guest Columnist 

By Janelle Sorenson 

I noted with interest the recent headline in The Oregonian about new developments in the Legislature surrounding Measure 76 ("State deal on parks, schools unravels," Feb. 26). 

It was my privilege to serve as the statewide organizer for the "Water, Parks and Wildlife" campaign that eventually became Measure 76 on the November ballot. In this capacity, I worked directly with volunteers from all over the state who were dedicated to ensuring continued funding to protect Oregon's clean water, provide thousands of jobs and to preserve our parks and precious natural resources. 

More than 2,500 volunteers gave tirelessly of their time and energy to achieve those goals, and they were a constant source of inspiration to me. Together they gathered more than 55,000 signatures in order to get the initiative on the ballot -- a remarkable feat by any standard. 

What was it that got people so fired up about this particular election campaign? There isn't just one answer to that question. The volunteers defied typecasting. They were middle-school students and great-grandparents, cattle ranchers and vegans, teachers and nurses. They were hikers, bikers, bird-watchers, fishermen, parents, political candidates and community leaders. They were Democrats and Republicans. Many of them had never been involved with a political campaign before, but this issue spurred them to action. 

It's clear that Oregonians care about keeping our water pure and about people keeping their jobs. We care about parks remaining open. We care about preserving the beauty that makes Oregon special for all of us who live here now, as well as for future generations. 

Once the initiative made the ballot, the coalition of supporters for Measure 76 grew to include hundreds of endorsers, including elected leaders, businesses, nonprofits, faith-based groups, neighborhood associations and many more. 

This was clearly a measure that resonated deeply with the majority of Oregonians. Indeed, the bipartisan support for Measure 76 was evidenced by the fact that it received nearly 70 percent of the votes in November. As pointed out in The Oregonian, this included a majority in every county throughout the state. This was a rare measure, a rare issue that transcended politics as usual, and it obviously struck a chord with Oregonians of every persuasion. The people have spoken, and they have done so unequivocally. 

So it would be ill-advised for legislators to return the matter to the voters again, asking them to reduce the protections that they just overwhelmingly voted into place. Doing so would be contrary to the wishes expressed by Oregonians in the November election and would add an unnecessary financial burden to our already strapped state government. 

I'm not writing here on behalf of The Nature Conservancy or any of the other organizations that did so much to support Measure 76. But, based on the November election results, it would seem that I'm expressing the views of a majority of Oregonians. 

Those contemplating unraveling Measure 76 would do well to take note.