Oregon Watchdog: House kills more jobs, bill stops new destination resorts

OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICANS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2009
CONTACT: Nick Smith, 503-986-1351

HOUSE KILLS MORE OREGON JOBS, PASSES BILL TO STOP NEW DESTINATION RESORTS

SALEM— House Republicans today said HB 2227 eliminates local control over siting of new destination resorts, giving a state agency the ability to stop new resorts and the new family-wage jobs they would create in rural Oregon. Republicans said the bill, passed by the House today on a partisan vote, undermines Oregon’s land use system and will prolong the state’s economic recession.

“Why are we passing this bill now, when Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation?” Rep. Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver) asked. “By discouraging future resort development, HB 2227 harms future economic development, future job creation and future tax revenues for our struggling rural communities.”

Rep. Sal Esquivel (R-Medford) said HB 2227 sends the wrong message to businesses looking to locate or expand in Oregon. Because the legislation makes it virtually impossible for new destination resorts to be approved, businesses will look elsewhere for developing new resorts and hiring people to build and staff the resorts.

“New destination resorts in our state under this legislation will be virtually impossible to establish,” said Rep. Esquivel, a member of the House Land Use Committee. “Any destination resort that has not completed an application through their county planning commission will not make the grade when this legislation passes. We ask ourselves everyday what is going on at the Capitol this session– business development or business ‘un-development?’”

House Land Use Committee member Rep. Matt Wingard (R-Wilsonville) said HB 2227 represents another broken promise to rural Oregon. Without the ability to manage natural resources or attract tourism, rural Oregon’s economy will continue to suffer from the decisions made by out-of-touch Willamette Valley politicians.

“When the state began the process of shutting down hundreds of mills throughout Oregon under pressure from environmental groups, the message that was delivered to rural Oregonians at the time was ‘don’t worry, you’ll have tourism,’” Rep. Wingard said. “Passage of this bill shows there is really no interest in helping rural communities to attract tourism. It turns out, Oregon’s environmental community lied. I feel very badly for the people of rural Oregon whose economic situation is not going to improve anytime soon thanks to passage of this bill.”
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