editorial
Street-widening plan
a temporary solution
Proponents of the plan to widen Sixth and Seventh
Avenues in Eugene have argued consistently that once car
ried out, the plan would increase traffic flows and provide
the city with a good business image. The plan, however,
would also destroy 18 of Eugene’s 44 historic trees. Because
of this, the street-widening idea has run into some stiff
opposition.
Those who stand against the proposal argue that traffic
projections do not warrant widening the streets, and that the
mature big-leaf maples that would be cut down in the pro
cess would be a great loss to the scenic beauty of Eugene.
The issue, however, seems to boil down to two key points
raised in both arguments: business and scenic beauty.
Obviously, wider roads mean more cars, more cars
mean more people, more people means better business.
Therefore, local businesses tend to see the issue in more of
an economic light, failing to really understand how some
people can be hung-up on, as one pro-widening advocate
said, “trees that are mostly old and dying anyway.” But all
across this country, there is example after example of cities
and towns which have opted for urban growth at the ex
pense of the environment, literally paving the way towards
creating miniature concrete jungles. Eugene, however, is
different. Few small cities in America have been as cons
cientious about scenic, pollution-free development as this
city. It would be unfortunate for Eugene to change now and
begin to undo what many have worked so hard to protect.
While new trees could always be planted, the loss of 26
historic trees is permanent.
On Wednesday, the City Council modified its street
widening proposal to try and meet the diverse community
interests surrounding the issue. Still, improving the traffic
flow by making wider roads is, in many ways, a temporary
solution to a long-term problem. Promoting wider streets to
handle more traffic might be needed, but it is unfortunate
that throughout this controversy, city officials have given
little attention to alternative possibilities like better public
transportation. Such a plan would serve to encourage less
reliance on cars for local travel, and decrease the need for
ever-expanding roadways and parking lots. While there are
no quick or easy solutions to the problems of planning
Eugene’s urban growth, we feel that the issue of a better,
more efficient public transportation system has been given a
backseat, at a time when it should be made a priority.
Act now before spray
plans become finalized
Plans to spray Lane County for gypsy moths may soon
be finalized and if confirmed, the spraying is likely to start
in early spring. There is a lot local residents should be wor
ried about if the spraying is approved. Of greatest concern is
the planned use of two pesticides, Orthene and Dimilin.
Both have been linked to environmental side effects that in
clude possible danger to humans. The plans for spraying
cover most of Lane County as well as residential sections of
Eugene. Those who wish to express their concern about the
spray program should do so as soon as possible by writing
(c/o State Capitol, Salem, Or. 97310) or calling
(1-800-982-1211) any of the following state legislators: Sen.
Ed Fadeley; Sen. Bill Frye; Sen. Margie Hendriksen; Sen.
Steve Starkovich; Sen. John Brenneman; Rep. Mary Bur
rows: Rep. Peg John; Rep. Larry Campbell: Rep. Ron
Eachus; Rep Cedric Hayden; Rep. Larry Hill; Rep. Carl
Hosticka; Rep. Max Rijken.
Oregon doily
emerald
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letters
What next?
To the self-proclaimed
“patriotic liberal” who was
horrified at a recent demonstra
tion against the FBI agents on
campus, the characters you call
ed “anarchist hypocrites” were
members of the Revolutionary
Communist Youth Brigade.
Other people more familiar with
their organization might call
them the Really Confused
Young Bourgeoisie. Others may
even call them “police in
filtrators.” Their actions are
outrageous, inciteful, and just
plain insane. They try to turn
open discussions and political
demonstrations into a scream of
slogans and a parade of antics.
Be it trampling a tom flag in a
crowded lobby or burning a
yellow rag in a packed
auditorium, the RCYB is an ac
complished artist at distracting
issues and undermining
demonstrations.
On Feb. 26, agents from the
CIA will slip onto campus to
recruit selected students into
their organization. The
internationally-condemned ac
tions of the CIA in such places
as Nicaragua and Afghanistan
have provoked world-wide
debate and demonstrations: yet,
here in the U.S., the people who
pay for the “services” of the
CIA know very little of its ac
tions. I suppose there will be
some people who will want to
discuss, debate, and
demonstrate the presence of
CIA agents on campus.
What is the RCYB going to do
next? Will its travelling circus
make “duck soup” out of
another University rally with
their rendition of the Marx
brothers’ routine? You can bet
that whatever they’re going to
do, it’ll have the secret bless
ings of the FBI and CIA and is
sure to horrify a lot more
“patriotic liberals.”
Tim Ingalsbee
A Radical Patriot
Police killing
Six members of the New York
Police Emergency Squad broke
down an elderly black woman's
door on Oct. 29, 1984. Did they
do it to help her? No. she was
four months behind in her
$96.85 rent. She was emotional
ly disturbed.
The six policemen tried to
hold her back with a restraining
bar. but she picked up a knife
and slashed at them. What did
they do? Did they go get help,
like a mental health worker, a
relative, or even use something
like a stun gun? No, one of them
shot her with a shotgun not
once, but twice. Yes, this is the
same America the “love-it-or
leave-it” crowd talk about. I'm
sure if Eleanor Bumpers could
leave she would, but it’s too late
now, because she’s dead.
Dan Suire
Eugene
Cozy cocoon
In response to the article en
titled “Let’s Forget It” (ODE,
Feb. 5):
God forbid that you might be
jarred out of your cozy little co
coon of sheltered unreality by a
story about Ethiopia. Don’t
forget that we college students
are a lucky chosen few in the
world and are almost totally in
sulated from a world where sur
vival is a very real uncertainty
each day for uncounted
millions.
You apparently do not like to
keep up on today’s news if an
article on a famine stricken
country "annoys” you. Believe
it or not, stories about war,
famine, and disaster are news
whether you and I like it or not.
These stories are printed so that
a fortunate few like you and me
might see that some of our
fellow human beings need a
helping hand and do something
about it. It’s not their fault that
they weren’t born in the richest
nation on earth. It isn’t our fault
either, you’re right. However,
that hardly gives us the right to
turn our backs on them.
I don't understand how one
person can be so incredibly
callous. I suppose the media
could just supply us with “hap
py news” as you suggest, but
then would they really be doing
their job the way it was meant to
be done?
Your casual reference to un
fortunate starving people as
“resemblances of human be
ings” should effectively put
every person on this campus in
to rage. You imply that because
these people are starving to
death through no fault of their
own, they are something less
than human.
B.J. Thomsen
Pre-Journalism
Good seminar
This is in response to the
Emerald’s Feb. 5 front page
news story on the Self Health
seminar’s “hidden” registra
tion fee. I realize someone
distressed about a hidden fee for
a seminar makes interesting
news, but I think it’s unfair to
the sponsors and participants of
the seminar to have such an arti
cle on the front page rather than
on the editorial page.
1 attended the seminar, and
was well informed that there
would be a $7.50 fee to pur
chase a packet. 1 thought the
seminar was worth three times
that much. I felt it was very well
done, and the four sessions 1 at
tended were done with
reasonable professionalism.
They were very enjoyable, in
teresting, and very helpful for
coping more successfully with
college life. I was very pleased
with the seminar. 1 talked with
many people who attended it
with me, and they were very
pleased as well.
I don’t wish to rant and rave
about whether or not the article
was in poor taste. I do wish to
state, however, that there was
no article Monday on how well
the seminar went; and on Tue.
Feb. 5, a very negative, one
sided article was printed. If the
article needed to be printed
before anything positive was
said about the seminar, it
should appear on the editorial
page rather than the front page.