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Opinions October 25, 2007 |
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Guest Opinion
The New Nez Perce
By Steve Culley
Tonight Oct. 25, 2007, right here in Baker City you will be invited to attend Thousand Friends of Oregon Envision Oregon at the Geiser Grand. I think it would be a good time to ask them what their vision really is. My vision of their vision is one in which at least 98 percent of the population will be forced to live behind an urban growth boundary. No country living for rednecks anymore. We can build up, not out, not sprawl and as the population from an insane immigration policy expands we can build even higher. The land will be covered with Pinot Noir vineyards with wolves in them. Apartment and condo living for all except the very rich, usually imports from large urban areas forced out by expanding populations. And those new comers are flush with dollars. After all that’s where the money is, in the big cities. A yuppie society of royal castles on the hill and redneck serf hooches in the ville. Fifteenth century Europe will be back in force.
During the last three decades or so of land use planning in Oregon, while we saved the open space, forests and farm land there was one class of people who were ignored. I like to refer to them as the New Nez Perce. They are the ones who have always been country folk, many tracing their tenure in rural Oregon back to wagon train days. At one time they could aspire to owning a few productive acres where they might raise a beef or two, a large garden or even have a horse for the kids and grandkids. A place where they didn’t feel crowded and might even see the night sky away from the city lights. But one of those imports from Massachusetts, Tom McCall, had a vision and enough media exposure to get his vision implemented. Oregon, the only state to do so, instituted state-wide land use planning and the urban elite got their way, the natives got the shaft. It’s democracy at it’s best. The cites are where the population has imposed their will on the rest of us and were able to maintain their tyranny of the majority right up until Measure 7 in 2000 when a revolt happened. But a good counter attack through use of the I-5 judges threw it out. The people came back with measure 37 and Thousand Friends tried the same judges tactic, but amazingly lost. Now they are back with 49.
They aren’t pulling any punches. They got the Big Look canned by the Democrats in the legislature and contrary testimony to their vision is down the tube for the time being. The Oregonian furnishes free publicity for their point of view and most editors of newspapers fall into line. The people ignored them on Measure 7 and 37 and hopefully will on 49. A no vote is called for if Oregon’s elite planners and zoners are ever going to be brought under control.
Some years back I followed what is now known as the Nee Mee Poo Trail, the route Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce took on their flight to Canada and stood on the very place where he surrendered. It’s really a sad place. People who had lived in the area for a very long time were simply brushed aside by those who had another vision of the land. Their cries for justice were ignored simply because they were few. The same thing happened in Oregon. Urban Oregon thought they would like to save it for their use, an occasional drive-through while looking at the open space. Never mind that 52 percent of Oregon is federal or state and can never be touched. It was the private land they wanted and they got it cheap, by zoning. No reason to pay for it. If we don’t own it we can zone it was a much better deal.
So a rural culture died for the vision of an elite just like the Nez Perce were brushed aside while crying for justice. The new Nez Perce will go the same way. At least Joseph took a few scalps before he left. I would hope for the same for Oregon. It will be hard to combat the machine that is pushing 49 and they will probably prevail, but I hope that the people will come back with an initiative that kills state-wide land use planning outright and return authority to the counties where it properly belongs.
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