Comprehensive land-use planning such as we have in Oregon prevents the kind of problem that your recent story “Death, and taxes” addresses (HCN, 8/18/08). Agricultural and timber land is just that, and where it is located does not affect its property tax value. Having farmland adjacent to urban areas does not have to result in families losing the farm to pay the taxes.
Property-rights folks attempted to turn Oregon into Colorado with Measure 37, but voters awakened in time, and Measure 49 rolls back the more onerous consequences of the original measure.
Richard van Pelt
Salem, Oregon
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Keep ’em down on the farm.
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