The Pikes Peak region is a vibrant, eclectic mix of business, educational excellence, outdoor activity and beauty. Most importantly within this region is our overwhelming sense of liberty. It is in our Western souls. We know what it means to blend our rugged individualism and values with the concerns and well being of the community.

I recently joined the regional leadership trip to Portland, Ore., and found it to be a worthwhile experience. It threw up the shades and shed light on the insidiousness of overwhelming government regulation and the decimation of private property rights. It strengthened my love and passion for individual liberty, the great Western spirit of entrepreneurism and opportunity, wide open spaces and the sanctity of property rights.

Indeed, Portland is a beautiful and “livable” city with a complex trail system and lively urban environment. However, there is a darker side that you have likely never read on one of their tourism brochures.

The State of Oregon drew what they call an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) around the Portland area back in the 1970s. This UGB dictated that only land within that area could be developed to urban densities and that all land outside of it had to remain as it was at that moment in time for the next 50 years. If you owned land outside the UGB and want to develop it in any way, you’re out of luck. The state dropped the gavel and your property rights were lost.

Along with an artificial and arbitrary limitation of land on which to develop and a crushing regulatory scheme, the City of Portland has spent hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to build an elaborate transit system which is hemorrhaging money. According to officials who met with us, the light rail and streetcar systems’ fares are covering only 14-15 percent of the cost of operations. The rest is being subsidized with an ever diminishing supply of tax dollars — severely impacting their ability to adequately fund their educational system and traditional automobile infrastructure.

They tout an absence of a sales tax within the region, but hesitate until asked, to share that they have the highest corporate income tax in the nation, an extraordinarily high payroll tax, declining (below the national average) median income, extraordinarily high priced and very limited single-family housing, high homeless population, high drug crime rate and higher than average unemployment rate.

When asked about how they are dealing with these serious and looming economic challenges, one official stated, “We’re in a real hard place and I don’t know what would turn it around. A sales tax would really help.” I wanted to stand up and shout, “How about stopping the spending?” This official continued by saying, “Money will follow good ideas. We never know where the money is going to come from but our elected officials have been willing to take the risk.” Sure. They take that risk with the people’s money. Easy to do.

Now contrast his statement with this one from Ronald Reagan: “To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.”

I am grateful for the collaboration and partnership of all of the people who went on this trip. Some went looking for ways to bring special projects back to the Springs, like rail and other transit. Others, like myself, went looking for technical expertise on drainage and stormwater, which are critical concerns in our region.

We are blessed in more ways than we all know to live in this amazing place. Let us embrace our successes. Let us advance in ways that enhance who we are and do not attempt to change who we are. Let us grow and prosper, but let us not bring the faults of others to our home just because of a good marketing campaign. Let us protect the free-market, capitalism and freedom.

And, let us reflect on these words from Reagan: “The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits. If we let Washington tell us when to sow and when to reap, the Nation shall soon want for bread.”

Amy Lathen is El Paso County Commissioner, District 2.

William Thomas Beltz Photo by