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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1978)
Letters Letters Letters The Haight-Ashbury culture of the late ‘60s spread north to Eugene, developing a partnership with the established order here that helped lead to positive qual ities such as bike paths, recycling, herbicide controls ... that are now admired everywhere. Yet, there was much fear and opposition along the way. It is hard to believe now, but even the Saturday Mar ket was originally seen as a threat. Now there are those who be lieve that approval of Eugene’s Human Rights ordinance (a “no” on measure 51) is yet another threat to Eugene. The ordinance would extend some human rights to gays, but the fears go beyond this minimal legal protection. In the May “Oregon Times" VOICE'S Maureen Gieber says, “if youths decide homosexuality is a natural way to show love, then... then what?” It is probably the central question of the opposition. I un derstand her fear of yet more change in a rapidly changing world, but I believe that any changes implied in measure 51 would be as positive as those changes we now support which had roots in Haight-Ashbury a de cade ago. Interestingly, San Francisco is once again the lesson for us, for it is the most gay of cities. I have just returned from nearly two years on leave there immersed in its gay culture. I believe that approval of Eugene’s Human Rights ordi nance actually does little to pro mote the more openly-gay Eugene which the opposition fears; but even if this happened, I believe that San Francisco teaches us that the changes would be posi tive for everyone and can co-exist comfortably with straighter life styles. San Francisco’s gay lawyers, psychiatrists, realtors, police, teachers, carpenters, restaurants, stores, apartments, roller skating, community centers . .. are not merely tolerated. They are sup ported for their values to the city. People notice, as I did, that a high percentage of their favorite res taurants are gay-operated Straights go to gay discos and many other gay establishments simply because they are the best. Gay incomes and spending are welcomed by the business com munity. Gays have a reputation as hard workers in community public service. Gay homeowners in San Francisco are credited with being the major force in the restoration of inner-city housing. There has been no citizen’s campaign to re peal San Francisco’s recent equi valent to Eugene’s Human Rights ordinance. Defeat of measure 51 would not create a gay San Francisco here as some fear, but I believe that San Francisco is a lesson to those who fear a more openly gay Eugene. The lesson is that Eugene would be merely continu ing on its present direction of creating a more humane and sup portive place for everyone. That direction has made Eugene the way we like it now. Trust this direc tion for the future. Vote “no" on measure 51. Michael Shellenbarger Associate Prof., architecture Listen to Emily It grieves me that my friend Bob Straub must face the challenge in the Democratic Primary of a gubernatorial candidate so for midable as Emily Ashworth of Coos Bay. If Emily Ashworth were not so bright, the challenge could be ig nored. If she were not so capable, honest, and knowledgeable about the issues of the day, one could brush it over lightly. Senator Morse recognized these qualities in Emily Ashworth when he called upon her to be his aide in his last successful primary campaign. Emily Ashworth, businesswo man and teacher, could indeed run the office of governor with effi ciency and considerable energy. Already, she has proposed some sound suggestions with regard to energy (alternate sources like solar, thermal, and bio-mass). She has been warning us against the proliferation of nuclear plants, and against the suicidal pattern of storing more spent nuclear fuel in Oregon. Emily is not a one-issue candi date. She deals with a wide range of other problems on which she feels that Governor Straub has been too indecisive and inactive (field-burning, herbicide spraying, much-needed reform of regula tory commissions, ever-mounting utility rates in the state, etc.). I hope that Bob Straub will listen to Emily Ashworth. Dorothy Leeper 2760 Agate Str., Eugene Food for thought We must admire the level of political and historical conscious ness of our fellow Arab students, and the impact they have made at large, American universities on our awareness of the plight of the homeless Palestinians. However, if one stops to consider the number of visiting Arab students and their means, one cannot help but wonder if some of the money spent by their governments in the last decade to support their North American education and lifestyle could not, after all, have been bet ter spent on food, housing and medical care for the displaced Palestinians, (rather than on propaganda). Thomas Sorger Doctoral student, Biology For Bartels On May 23, your ballots will in clude two EWEB races: the Wards 4 & 5 seat (John Bartels vs. Thomas Teutsch), and the at large seat (Jack Craig vs. Cal Schmidt). I’m writing to urge you to vote for John Bartels. As many of you know, I held the Wards 2 & 3 EWEB seat for four years, ad vocating energy conservation and solar energy applications, while opposing further development of nuclear power. Although progress in these di rections at EWEB continues, it is due primarily to the efforts of only one of the present board mem bers, Camilla Pratt (Wards 2 &3). I know how lonely her role is, and how tired one becomes after sev eral years of board meetings where the infrequent support from the other four is, at best, cautious. John Bartels is an outspoken advocate of ideas I believe in. As a free-lance writer on energy is sues, he brought the public s at tention to the role that the Pacific Intertie plays in making our North west an “energy farm’’ for Los Angeles. With the shrinking of our surplus hydropower, we would expect that the Intertie’s useful ness would diminish. Vet, John Bartels uncovered plans for a second Intertie, to take our sur plus power to Arizona. Is this sur plus to be generated by nuclear or coal plants? Why here? John’s election will certainly en liven EWEB meetings; he is both outspoken and articulate. His pre sence will result in open discus sion and resolution of issues; his vote will more nearly balance the board. (Last year, four-fifths of the board opposed nuclear safeguards; three-fifths of Eugene supported it.) With both John Bar tels and Camilla Pratt on the board, EWEB will move faster and more positively toward energy conservation and utilization of local, small-scale energy sources such as solar power. Please consider John Bartels on May 23. John Reynolds Peofessor of Architecture University of Oregon Ken Bylund Let’s not be diverted from the real issues in the Assessor’s campaign — who is to pay for the property tax? With millions in tax dollars at stake, unfair assess ment formulas can be costly to the average taxpayer. Unless the wealthy property owners pay their full share, the homeowners, rent ers, and small farmers will bear an unjust burden. As your elected assessor, I have: 1. Ended discounts of 40 to 60% for owners of large subdivisions. 2. Collected over 20 million dol lars in back taxes. Most delin quent taxes were owed by businesses, and I put each one on a payment schedule. 3. Put commercial and indus trial accounts on the same au tomatic increase program homeowners have faced for years. I have ended special favors for bankers, speculators, and rich in vestors — and they don’t like it. My opponents, who are getting campaign contributions from these special interests, are mak ing wild charges and personal at tacks. News coverage of my con flicts with the Commissioners and their appointed Board of Equaliza tion have made them seem like petty squabbles. But, in fact, I’ve been defending the interests of the average taxpayer against those of the rich and powerful. And, I have been winning! You the voters have a clear choice among three candidates, two of whom are tied to special interests and have failed to put forward their plans for fair and un iform taxation, and an advocate assessor who is working for you. I’d appreciate your support through a vote for me on May 23. Ken Bylund Lane County Assessor 382 Knoop Lane, Eugene A matter of rights I would like to urge all University persons to vote no on ballot measure 51. Many people would have us believe that this is a mat ter of maintaining some standard of decency and morality when in deed it is a matter of insuring the rights of an oppressed and so cially isolated group of people. There is a certain religious bigotry afoot which declares that it has the obligation to promote a certain standard of morality at the ex pense of the dvil rights of other people. This bigotry carefully ig nores the biblical mandates for justice, mercy and good faith while rushing off to find rocks for the stoning of homosexual persons. This bigotry selectively reads scripture as a ban on all forms of homosexuality when in reality the scripture decries only a lusty, abusive, use-oriented sexuality Then sanctimoniously, the bigotry parades around announcing its love for the homosexual while tel ling us that it hates only the homosexuality. What homosexual persons are asking for is the guarantee that their rights — rights which are being openly violated — will be protected, that they will be permit ted to live in peace. Hopefully the learning community will support the enforcement of the dty ordi nance protecting the rights of homosexual persons by voting NO on ballot measure 51. Douglas K. Huneke Campus Minister A UP VCW, M toetoe. \ mu u& HAPp0O07 WAV'. x IOOTH/06 HAFf£U07 wz&xm. WTHIV6 HA'S HAPP6W07 fiJP MOOTHS IWuS. Mmffl pwt ft/* i^eme.nn
