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
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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.