Melevin
‘Try to live within the means available to us’
By ANNE KERN
Of the Emerald
Doug Melevin, Democratic
candidate for Lane County
Commissioner Pos. No. One,
recommends that the county
“try to live within the means
available to us,” rather than in
crease or add taxes.
Melevin supports recycling
of garbage and favors the
county library proposal "with
making adjustments for costs’’
and actively opposes the pre
sent jail proposal and any new
major construction.
"I don’t think the people will
vote in any new taxes or
budget increases, and I want
to follow the wishes of the
people,” Melevin says. He
adds that if there's no money
to spend, the commission
can't spend it and the only al
ternative is to cut back.
Melevin, who narrowly lost
the district attorney's race four
Weinstein:
Opposes new taxes, wants
improved programs for needy
By GWENDA RICHARDS
Of the Emerald
Archie Weinstein, Democra
tic candidate for Lane County
Commission No. One, feels
that any board increase should
be the result of a general vote.
He would like to cut county
spending and prohibit new
taxes. He feels that the six per
cent increase limitation in the
county budget should be
enough.
He says that the 1990 Plan
is unfeasible because “you
Archie Weinstein
can't plan 20 years ahead.
They said it was flexible; it be
came inflexible.” He feels that
the plan should be axed and
replaced by a new one.
He does not approve of the
Lane Council of Governments
(L-COG), and would like to see
the size decreased to three
to-five members. He feels that
the county commissioners, in
conjunction with a lay group,
should be doing what L-COG
is doing now.
Concerning his fiscal
priorities for social services,
Weinstein would like to review
and improve programs for
senior citizens and the needy.
Through "close administra
tion," he suggests that 40 to 50
per cent of administrative
costs could be redirected to
these groups.
He does not advocate the
“metro district” for sewers,
water and fire protection,
claiming that there are too
many districts.
Weinstein believes that the
solid waste problem and any
county construction should be
budgeted based on competi
tive bids.
He wants the county to hold
back on any construction for a
three-to-four year period to
“tighten up belts." If any build
ing is done, he would like to
see competitive bidding in
itiated for any amount over
$5,000, and a vote on anything
over $500,000 required.
He does not feel that the
proposed county library is a
campaign issue.
Weinstein would like the
proposed jail plan to be re
vised to include competitive
bidding from different ar
chitects. He feels that the
proposed cost is too high. For
a temporary solution, he sug
gests directing $1 million to
remodel the present jail and to
establish a misdemeanor
court nearby. He believes that
this would stop the routing of
minor cases to jail.
Weinstein, a merchant, real
estate developer for 40 years,
and owner of Weinstein Enter
prises, has never held an
elected office. He studied law
at the University and ran un
successfully as an indepen
dent for County Commissioner
Position Number 2 in 1974.
years ago, says the garbage
disposal problem should be
worked into an educational
program to get the residential
consumers to sort their own
garbage and then the “expen
sive sorting machines will not
be necessary.” He looks for
the future to introduce stan
dard size glass jars that could
also be used for home can
ning.
“Knowledge is the only thing
that will save our country,”
says Melevin about the county
library proposal. "The benefits
over the long run would be
trememdous.” he says the
cost problems can be worked
out.
Melevin thinks the jail prop
osal will fail because of the
sizeable tax increase it calls
for. He favors a custody
oriented proposal over the
proposed treatment-oriented
one. He also advocates reg
ional jail facilities in conjunc
tions with state facilities and
would like to see less em
phasis placed on convictions
of victimless crimes in general,
such as lesser drug offenses.
The county should be in the
“repair business," Melevin in
sists. He opposes any county
involvement in major construc
tion except repair work.
Melevin says he hasn’t seen
any proposals that would
satisfy the complaints that
have led to proposing a larger
board. The major complaint is
non-representation of the out
lying areas by the commis
sioners controlled by the
Eugene-Springfield votes. He
says the county needs to look
at "re-organizing the entire
government" before advocat
ing any member increase.
On the 1990 Plan, Melevin
says more flexibility is needed
in the plan “so as times
change, you can change the
plan.”
Doug Melevin
Van Devender:
Planning is essential, more efficiency necessary;
recycling a step in the right direction
By GWEN DA RICHARDS
Of the Emerald
Agnes Van Devender,
Democratic candidate for
Lane County Committioner
Pos. No. One, says the board
should be increased to five
members and believes it
should be districted so outlying
areas are represented.
She does not think the
county should seek new ways
to fund its programs and states
that the county should live
within available sources.
Van Devender, who agrees
that planning is essential,
would like to see the Lane
Council of Governments re
duce its staff and increase effi
ciency.
She cites health services
and public safety as social
service priorities and is particu
larly impressed by various ex
isting programs for the elderly.
Because she feels that each
area has specific needs, Van
Devender does not feel that a
“metro district" for sewers,
water and fire protection
should be formed. Instead,
she feels that the present dis
trict system is good, and says
new districts should be formed
as they are needed.
She would like to see solid
waste recycled as fuel for heat
ing plants and hopes for
further experimentation along
this line. She is displeased
with the sanitary land fill, par
ticularly because of the rodent
population that has de
veloped, and feels that recycl
ing is a step in the right direc
tion.
Van Devender agrees that a
new county jail is needed, but
questions the proposed
Agnes Van Devender
$11.77 million cost. Concern
ing the mental health unit
proposal included in the jail
package, she would agree to it
if combined with existing Lane
County mental health ser
vices. “If it stands alone for
prison use, that’s more than
we need."
She opposes the county lib
rary proposal, stating that “I
don’t see how we can add ser
vices knowing the tax situation
in Lane County.’’
Van Devender, bom in Wis
consin in 1918, served on the
Junction City Dist. No. 69
school board for a four-year
term beginning in 1972. She
served on the same school
district’s budget committee in
1971, and was its representa
tive on the Lane Intermediary
Education District budget
committee in 1976. She is pre
sently working on the Lane
Transit District Budget com
mittee. She was past president
of the local Luthern Church
Women and worked with
Brownie Scouts, Cub Scouts
and the Parent-Teacher As
sociation. Married for 34 years
to George Van Devender, a
Georgie Pacific plywood plant
worker, she is a mother of
three and a grandmother of
four.