The Chamber of Commerce’s grassroots mailing defeated the 1974 land-use bill

Evidence

The Chamber of Commerce also worked to stir up opposition at the grassroots. In a 1974 “action” letter sent to roughly 2,500 local and state affiliates, for example, the national organization stressed the economic threat to small property owners. “Suppose you own land in the country, near a major metropolitan area,” the mailing began. “You bought this land with your savings, many years ago, as an investment … maybe to put the kids through college, when the time comes… . Up to now, if the government wanted this land of yours for public purposes … it had to pay a fair price for it.” Then came the kicker: “What if the government declares it in the public interest to ‘preserve open space’ and says you may continue to own your land, but you may not build anything on it?” “Believe it or not,” the mailing concluded, “there are ‘experts’ in Washington advocating such policies.” The appeal succeeded. By all accounts, the offices of senators and representatives were soon flooded with letters and phone calls opposing the land-use bill. — Adam Rome, The Bulldozer in the Countryside, 973