US election of Nov 8, 2011

[Lamplighter]

So, the news media is filled with election results.
Some are national, some state, and some very local
Here's a nutty situation in my local area that tackles a common civic problem.

It is sort of like (#1125) BigV mentioned in Washington.

OREGON CITY -- Clackamas County voters decided Tuesday to
give themselves a countywide say every time an urban renewal district
is proposed for an unincorporated area of the county.

There were two (contradictory) measures on the ballot....Both measures passed !

The leading measure requires countywide voter approval to create an urban renewal district.
The other would require voters only within the district to approve it's creation or amendment.
The former received 51,483 voter, the latter received 47,029.
County officials previously said that if both measures passed,
they would implement the one that received the most votes.

Critics of urban renewal have long complained that urban renewal programs
subsidize private development at the expense of schools, police and fire services.
They said a countywide vote is the only fair method because
all county residents end up paying for these urban renewal projects.

This happens because the $ for renewal programs come off the top of county tax revenues,
and so $ for schools, etc is effectively frozen for years until the project is paid off

The coalition of business, labor and community leaders now
will have to find a way to pay for their infrastructure projects.

Duh... that's what they should have done in the first place !