Petition for Ore. initiative to ban studded tires faces uphill climb

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PORTLAND, Ore. - Time is running out for organizers hoping to get an initiative banning studded tires onto the November ballot.  Chief petitioner Jeff Bernards says the group has only collected 8,000 of the 87,213 signatures needed before the July 6 deadline."Every legislator and politician says our roads are so important to our economic well-being. Well, if they were so important, let's protect them and make them last," Bernards said. Bernards alleges that it is a challenge to collect signatures with only volunteers aiding him. He says paid petitioners would make all the difference, but he needs to come up with $200,000 to hire a professional firm that manages paid signature gatherers.  "Not having a special interest group, I have to go out and get two dollars from every Oregonian to get this thing through," Bernards said.Bernards says if drivers switch from studded to snow tires, the state’s roads would be in better shape and save taxpayers money for road maintenance. The Oregon Department of Transportation reports that studded tires cause at least $40 million in damage to roads annually. The agency reportedly spends at over $11 million a year in repairs. According to ODOT statistics, 84 percent of Oregonians do not use studded tires, a percentage that is even higher west of the Cascades. "We're going to take this issue to the legislators and make this a good government issue, talk about it, and put it on the table," Bernards said.

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