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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1994)
EDITORIAL Permanent place, temporary home On May 31 the Centennial Car Camp, adfaoen! to Autzen Stadium, is scheduled to pack up, but the homeloss peo ple who take refuge there will probably have no place logo. Many shelters around Eugene, including Centennial, tend to close up when the seasons change. Warm weath er seems to be an excuse to send homeless people back into the stroets. Somehow it's expected that the warm weather magically creates homes for the homeless. How ever. it can’t be city streots or places like public parks — that’s against the law. The homeless people need a place to rely on for more than a winter. In an attempt to get back on their feet, they need a place they can count on to exist on a permanent basis providing shelter for a limited period of time for those temporarily without it. The camp should be avail able for a given period of time per tenant when occupancy is full. But the camp should exist in a permanent sense. It shouldn't be a place to call home forever but rather an opportunity to provide shelter for those temporarily without shelter. It should bo a place that provides a base where people can gather and use it as a tool to branch out and find Jobs providing the possibility to get off the streets The Eugene school district bus barn could, potential ly, be the place. The bus bam is picking up shop and mov mg uiwn waving wuimi mum mgs anu pitmiY ui space for tents and vehicles. The move is expected to take place sometime this Christmas break and the site could maintain the permanence that the homeless people need. Still in its initial stages, this now homeless camp is real ly little more than an idea. Spurred on by the New Shel ter Work Group, supporters have a lot of heart and per severance aimed at taking some of the homeless off the street. But it's going to take a lot. Approval from the city is, of course, imperative, but the Eugene school district and many of the council mem bers have seemed optimistic about the plan. However, as usual, one of the biggest obstacles is money. The annual operating costs range from SlOO.OOO to 5150,000 a year tor o facility such as this one. This mon ey would have to come from the dty and the money would have to come on a long-term regular basis. Operating on a shoe string budget from season to season needs to be exchanged for a permanent budget where continual improvements can be made at the site. Neighborhoods surrounding the existing facility need to work with the idea of making the homeless facility blend in ^athor than becoming an eyesore. The bus barn maintains the capacity to provide a respectable place for not only the homeless, but for the site itself. Much of the work done to make the area presentable could be done by the homeless in trade for use of the facilities. The responsibility to provide for the homeless needs to be taken on by everyone in Eugene. The bus barn pro vides a working potential for a permanent place to house the homeless. Providing a temporary home for the home less could, in the long-run. help everyone by taking the homeless off the streets and giving them the opportuni ty to got back on their feet. Oregon Daily Emerald *>0 CuGt'U T ha (^apon p*y f "arakJ » puCAahad (Jasfy SAxvtay through f nday during tha achoo* yaar and Tuatday and Thursday during ih# tummar t)y tha Orogon Da-ty Emaraid PufcAshing Co . Inc . at tha Urvvar»rty o’ Oregon £ Oregon The f mtrav operates mdependerrtty o< in# lirwarv!, ruth oihcea at Son# 300 ot the tit Manorial Union and « * member ol in# Associated Press The EmwaAJ >s private property 7h# untawtul removal or use oi papen rs prosecutable &***» Managing Editor Editorial Editor Oraphtca Editor Freelance Editor EdHor-ln-CItM: Jr*# Berg CaSey Anderson Sport# Editor Dend Thorn Editorial Editor Ja« Pa*i«y Photo Editor Alan# Baum Supplements Editor Ntghl Editor DavvJ Thorn Slav# Umi J#« PcSchardt Atchaai Slvd# Kaly Soto Aaaoclat* Editors: toward Kmplanalaei. Sludanf cio«mm*nt Actvitie*. Habeoca Marnlt. Community. > teamen# tSmea, higher EducationAOmnairaDon Maw* Staff: ton BaBmaaki Wiaon Chan. Dave Chartionnaau. Amy Colombo. Jan Davit Mag Dedolph, Amy Davenport, Tatha Eichan»#h*r. Mali# Fields Martin Fiahar Sarah Handeraon. Ym tang laong. Manut Maiand. Tnala Moal. Ekaabefh ReenaifSrna. RofcOe Reeves. Kata Saboum. L« Sarouia Soon Srmonaon. SMphana Saaon. Susanna Slaltan* AAcnala Thompaon. Amy Van Tuyt. Denial Waal Oanaral Man agar Judy Radi Advertising CMractor Mart WaTar Production Man agar: Ucheke Rosa Adirartlalng: Brian Davit, Suin' Dulta. Mieole Henmar*. Taras# itaOaiia Jan Marion. Jar am y Mason Mchael MJieile. knar Watari Ciaasiftad (tacky Merchant, Atanagar Victor Maya. San Tje Tack Dtatrtbutkon: John tong. Faranc RaAocp. Graham Simpson Bualnaaa: hsthy Carbon#. Supervrsor Judy Connofy Production Daa McCobb P'odlichon Coordinator Shaama Apart Grag Desmond Tara GauPney. Brad Joaa. Janruiar rtcuand. Man Thangyiyt, Oaylon Yaa Newsroom... MS-SStt Display Advartlaing.MS-1712 Bualnaaa Offtca MS-SS12 Claaalftsd Advarttmtng_ MS-AMI OPINION I mean it: Nixon’s still no hero Robbif Rf.kyls My. my. my. Thanks to everyone who wrote the amusing letters about mv Nixon column I'm touched. It's tx*en a while since 1 was able to upset so many people, just like Nixon did 20 years ago. However, with all of the kind words expressed by everyone, there are some things to clear up The letter to the editor that ran May 3 was by far my favorite In case you hod the good fortune to miss it. the writer referred to me as a "loud mouth punk with a pen," (that's the first time I've been t ailed o "punk") and said that I really shouldn't lx* bitter about Nixon because when the Nixon presi dency fell, according to the writer. I was so young that my thumb would have been in my mouth Not really. 1 was bom in Octo ber 1075. during the Kurd administration. I consider myself lucky that I missed out on the Watergate fiasco. I didn't live through Hitler's rule either, but I feel confident saying that he wasn't the greatest guy around. The writer even questioned whether I was using my real name or not when I write columns. Actually. I don't. The name is Doe John Doe. Get real And referring to my column as being "objective" was amusing Actually, when an opinion is introduced into a story, it is sub jective Opinion columns nor mally contain opinions, and therefore I confess to being sub jective. Cane me. Another letter writer, this one on May 4, implied that I needed to have more respect for Nixon because, after all, he was the president. OK, 1 can respect the presidency as some abstract post in American government. How - ever. tile person that is elected president doesn't automatically get my respect and admiration just because of his or her job title That person has to earn my respect 1 would worry if every one had a blind love and respect for anyone that is elected just because of their job title. As a person. Nixon may have been a very nice man. The type of guy that you could invite over for a barbecue sometime. But some of the things that he did in office weren't loo nice! As for those people that wrote in complaining that I compro mised something because 1 attacked Nixon after he died, lis ten. Let's be real. He is dead. Typically, when someone dies, his or her life is reviewed as a way of remembering notable accomplishments or, in some cases, failures. Nixon had both Lots of people feel that it isn't right to say bad things about dead people. 1 disagree It would bo quite disingenu ous to review Nixon's life in the flowery way that everyone else hus been doing recently. If somebody thinks that it is some how not tactful to bring out the other side of Nixon, tough. What difference does it make if the man is alive? All I can think of is the super-sensitive reaction of "Oh. but if he was alive, he could respond to your com plaints." Bull. He doesn't exact ly read the Emerald. Thanks to all those that wrote (and are probably still writing) letters. I found the opinions therein interesting. Nixon did do some stuff domestically, as well as interna tionally. I don’t mean to imply that the man spent all of his time in office twiddling his thumbs and recording personal conversations. 1 just don't see his accomplishments as being on par with John Kennedy's or Franklin Roosevelt’s. Instead, maybe he was a bit closer to George Bush. He did some stuff domestically, but will be remembered for his work abroad (See! I wrote a semi-nice paragraph about Nixon without saying Watergate. Oops!) Nixon was not an ogre. Me was not a god. either, despite what some people around the country are saying. Ho was a normal human being who did both good and had things. Everyone else is telling about his good side, and I will balance the urgument by referring to his bad side. Nixon has gone to his grave with a mixed record: he did both good and bad So has every oth er president in the history of this country. I see nothing wrong with taUuiig about the bad part for a change. After all, Nixon did it. not me. He should be ashamed of it. not me. 1 know that some people think that my treatment of Nixon has been downright criminal, und to that I have only one thing to say: I am not a crook. Hobbit- Reeves is a columnist for thtt Emerald. LETTERS POLICY The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing comments on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must lie limited to no more than 250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must be verifiod when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style.
