Emotions ran high Wednesday at a voters’ forum sponsored by the League of Women’s voters.

About 50 South Enders had come to Langley to talk about the three major initiatives on the ballot in November: I-933, which covers government regulation of property; I-920, better known as the “death tax” initiative; and I-937, an initiative that would expand the use of electricity from renewable sources.

The debate about I-933, the “Property Fairness Initiative,” was especially heated.

Rufus Rose, president of the Island County Property Rights Alliance, spoke for I-933. Supporters of I-933 say governments should be required to be more thoughtful about the regulation of private property and property owners should be free to decide what they want to do with their property.

I-933 would also require taxpayers to compensate property owners if the use of their properties are limited by regulations.

Rose said the initiative has been widely misinterpreted.

“Loss of reasonable use — that’s what I-933 is all about,” he said.

Growth and development are a natural progression, he added.

“We must adjust and accept our responsibility to grow and develop,” Rose said.

Opponents fear that the initiative will hurt the environment and destroy small communities as local governments pay off property owners to prevent them from building on environmentally sensitive lands. Some say properties may lose value due to incompatible development nearby.

“I am concerned that the work all of us have done will be undone,” said Len Barson of the Nature Conservancy, who spoke against I-933.

“I am sure it is well intended, but poorly crafted,” he said.

Rose stirred controversy when he said all three Island County commissioners endorse I-933.

Several audience members gasped in disbelief. One man jumped to his feet and demanded that Rose explain.

Rose tried, but his time had run out and he could not finish reading a statement by Commissioner Mike Shelton.

After the presentation, the room was buzzing as the audience wanted to find out if all three commissioners really had endorsed the initiative.

The Record has since confirmed that all three commissioners do endorse the controversial initiative.

The impact the initiative would have on Puget Sound was also hotly debated.

Audience members claimed the efforts to keep Puget Sound from dying would be wiped out by I-933 because development would no longer be regulated.

The audience was also interested in the fiscal impact of the initiative, as well as the impact I-933 would have on the Growth Management Act.

Another hot item was the so-called “death tax.”

I-920 would abolish the inheritance or estate tax.

Currently, estate tax is used to fund the Education Legacy Trust, Fund which is used to reduce class size and fund higher education enrollments and financial aid.

Dennis Falk, spokesman for the supporters of I-922, claimed the estate tax is punishing citizens for working hard.

“Building wealth is not sinister, it’s admirable,” he said.

Jerry Wood, a mother and a retiree, said the initiative would do dramatic damage to the education system.

“We’ll lose in education. Where is it gonna come from?” Wood asked the audience.

Falk’s comments drew a strong negative reaction from some audience members when he said that Washingtonians would drive wealthy people from the state with the tax, and that only the rich create jobs.

He also sent waves through the audience with a comment that likened the treatment of citizens under the estate tax to Karl Marx’ Communist Manifesto.

The energy initiative or I-937 drew more questions than controversy. The audience wanted to know if Washington is ready to mandate 15 percent in renewable energy.

I-937 would require that 15 percent of the electricity from Washington’s largest utilities come from sources that do not pollute the air by the year 2020.  

Michaela Marx Wheatley can be reached at 221-5300 or mmarxwheatley@southwhidbeyrecord.com.