Washington has been through a ballot round on land use as recently as 2006, in the form of Initiative 933. That initiative, unlike Measure 37, was voted down. But land-use spats pop up all over, from development of property in rural King County to arguments over urban density and preservation of industrial land in Seattle. It would be a shock if the issue didn't figure in next year's gubernatorial rematch between Gov. Chris Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi. The other Oregon ballot issue, Measure 50, would boost cigarette taxes 84.5 cents a pack for health care programs. That increase, the official description notes, would make Oregon's
buy marlboro tax equal to Washington's. Cigarette taxes have long been a favored target for revenue-seeking governments; the smokers lobby, such as it is, doesn't get much voter sympathy, and Oregon's measure has an "it's for the children" feature designed to attract voters.