That's how serious Oregonians are about fighting sprawl.

To fight sprawl in metropolitan Atlanta, the state has effectively given Gov. Roy Barnes powers that none of his 49 counterparts in America possess.

"We're not trying to subvert the American dream - we're trying to get back to it," said Larry Bohlen, co-chairman of the Sierra Club's national campaign to fight sprawl.

Portland had been fighting urban sprawl for decades, and having better luck with it than many another metropolitan area.

Many deals have led to controversy in communities trying to fight sprawl and preserve open space.

Residents also approve of the town's efforts to fight sprawl.

When they are not arguing over who was the better congressman, the two candidates talk mostly about cutting taxes, fighting sprawl and saving Social Security.

Gov. Roy E. Barnes of Georgia, who has won high ratings by championing school reform and fighting sprawl, maintains that Southern Democrats have learned how to win again.

Supporters of the proposal say it will help fight suburban sprawl and speed the process of urban revitalization by giving state officials the means to encourage development in blighted cities and other areas.

Without a regional governance, he said, it is hard to fight suburban sprawl.