EDITORIAL
Council shows
spirit of Eugene
At a time when conservatism is sweeping the nation,
when it is an insult to be called lilxtral, when laws against
pan handling are becoming commonplat e, the Eugene
City Council proved there is one bastion ot freedom and
security for the homeless. As Martha Stewart is fond
of saying, "this is a very good thing."
Hie Count il voted to spend $53,700 to aid homeless
individuals and families in staying safe during the win
ter months and in fending for themselves after winter
is over. Not only will the city provide a place for the
homeless to stay (the Centennial Car Camp near Autzen
Stadium), it will also provide services aimed at getting
these individuals and families off the streets and hack on
their feet.
The lack the council is taking is not just one of throw
ing money at the problem and hoping it will go away.
Council members seem to bo saving: we’re willing to say
we have this problem, it's a city-wide problem, and we
want to fix it. Additionally, this move doesn’t reinforce
the stigma that has. in the past, plagued the homeless.
More than anything this plan takes a broader look at
the problem of homelessness:
• Si5,000 will go toward opening the Centennial Car
Camp
• $15,000 will go toward resoarr hing how th«» city can
at commodate more emergency housing for the homeless
• S to.000 will he provided for counseling, job place
ment and helping homeless people pay the first and last
months’ rent required to get into other forms of hous
ing
•$10,000 will be put toward finding a permanent car
camp at some other location
•$3,700 will be used to restore damaged landst aping
at the current camp site
Dissenters on the council wore upset because they
believed the plan didn’t do enough for tin* homeless.
Councilman Kevin Hornbuckle was quoted in Thr f?r*g
ister-Guartl as saving. "This is liberalism in action it
does nothing while pretending to do something.” Horn
buckle was also concerned that by providing counseling
the Council would be further stigmatizing the homeless
The only problem here is that the city of Eugene is foot
ing almost the entire bill for this projet t. even though
I-ane County .is a whole and Springfield in particular will
also benefit. Lane County and Springfield w ill each con
tribute $5,000 for the completion of the project.
This is the third year in a row that the car camp will
he located at the Centennial site. Last summer a furot
erupted when supporters and homeless advocates want
ed to open a new car camp at the old bus barn across from
South Eugene High School. Residents in neighborhoods
feared the presence of the homeless would prompt chil
dren who pass it going to and from school to engage in
illegal or illicit activity, It was. once again, a case of "not
in my backyard.” This unwarranted attitude showed an
unattractive side of Eugene.
The Council's decision Monday night was made in the
true Eugene style of giving which has made the city home
to all of us.
Oregon Daily
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REPRIMAND VOU_
■ LETTERS
Brick shot
About Mark M< Tyre's article
on ' Lite Night vs 11h jerry (men
You're right, they bricked too
many tilings I didn't go until
almost s( run mage time bw ause
last year wasn't that good either
I don't know w hat tlsev did this
year, hut from last year's expo
nent e. 1 think the bottom line is
if a player's not absolutely com
fortable doing it. don't even trv
it
These guv s aren't recruited to
be lip svm hers, comedians or
< ross dressers Leave that to the
people in the mov ies that play at
the Bijou
You have to hand it to jerry
Allen for designating fans for the
green and white teams That was
a key move and hopefully will !«
done every year Sure the crowd
w as small compared to Florida's,
but Florida just went to the Final
Four
As far ns students and overall
enthusiasm, yeah, that is a sad
story, but the poor morale is a
combination of factors The fat t
that there was a football game
that afternoon probably prevent
ed a few people from going But
mainly, this is just the Univer
sity of Oregon
1 he ratio of skate at lion (lib
eral. hippy-type) people to aver
age people in Kugene is a lot
higher than say at Washington or
Washington State, or any other
FA( It) st bool. In light of this, to
the average University student,
yvhether or not Trent Kaznor is
bat k in tlie studio working on a
neyv album is more important
than whether the Ducks beat
Washington
Its |ust harder to pack a sports
arena here than it is at most oth
er institutions in the nation — no
matter how good tile teams are
With that in mind, the students
who missed lust weekend's game
missed a Heisman show not to
mention a big-league Oregon
upset
Garth Meyer
Visual design
Jimi’s integrity
The character factor of politi
cians has received considerable
attention. |imi Mathers. a Repub
lican candidate for the District JO
sonata seat, demonstrates true
charactar.
In recent years |imi has
stumped throughout the state for
campaign finance reform. Site
saw how tin* will and needs of
< itizens were often out-gunned
hv monied special interests She
worked for legislation aimed at
neutralizing those who would
buy politicians.
Additionally, Jimi's early sup
port of equal rights lor all citizens
reveals her i.harnt ter In the odi
ous anti-gay debate whipped up
by the ()regon Citizens Allinm «,
limi spoke out early in opposi
tion to the (X.A's discriminato
ry measures, despite the fat I that
her own party is controlled in
Lane County b\ the OCA limi
refused to Im* intimidated by this
and i hose to work with Women
m Action, a chapter of local
Republican women who voted
unanimously to oppose the
OCA's discriminators Measure
13.
She is also a proa Iioii e Repub
lican supporting a woman's right
to make her own reproductive
choices.
1 urge voters in District 20 to
take note of Jimi Mathers' char
acter qualities of courage and
fairness Send her to Salem fj-t's
benefit by her unwavering sup
port of justice for Oregon's citi
zens
Carol Berg
Eugene
Crooked pillars
Rootling Donovan Didder's lot
tor to the minor (ODE Oct .M)
was annoying. From beginning
to end. his letter drips with con
descending sort asm and insults
toward jamas I-eong Dichtersaid
Luang's article "was pathetic,
poorly written and wav off line."
and asked "how does such poor
journalism ever make it to pub
lication As if this isn't enough,
he believes that it is a "misfor
tune to read Luang's article
Kxctise me, Mr Didder, don't
\ou think you are lining too judg
mental' If la-ong's article sought
to argue that greeks are elitist.
Didder *> condesi ending attitude
proves it all.
As for Didder's statistics, they
lack credibility and are quite
vague hither he is trying to
whitewash something or he has
never taken a i lass in statistic s
1 am not here to criticize or
comment on the greek system.
Hut since the response from the
IK.-elect shows nothing but out
right arrogantn, 1 don't think it
reflects wnll on the greek system
in general. It reminds me of an
old Chinese saying: If the upper
pillar is not straight, the lower
one is probably crooked too
Puay Wah Phuan
Chemistry
Call for help
Last week I returned to im
office fit the Weslev Foundation
Campus Ministry and found an
anonymous note written on my
memo board, it read
"Please rear.fi out to gay. les
fiiun and bisexual youth in this
state We need your support,
prayer and active encouragement
now more than ever before I am
from Southern Oregon and our
church is very close-minded or
apathetic. Silence-teen suicide."
The note shook me up. 1 real
ize that the words written express
pain, fears and com emi of many
people, not just the individual
who wrote them I am aware of
the disproportionate rate of sui
cide among gay. lesbian and
bisexual teenagers. 1 am also con
scious that many (.hurt hes are
not open-minded or sympathet
ic to the needs of these people
All of these things cut me to the
heart.
However, there are groups of
faithful people who are real hing
out to gay, lesbian and bisexual
young adults We are all saving
"Have pride in who you are
Don't despair. God loves you.
You are welcome here,"
1 urge the author of the note to
seek out one of these groups and
find a loving church home These
Interfaith and Christian groups
have a variety of names: The Reli
gious Response Network. Metro
politan Community Church.
Affirmation, and Open and
Affirming Congregations In the
United Methodist Church, it s
called Reconciling Campus Min
istry, and it means that we are
seeking to be open and welcom
ing to all people, regardless of
their sexual orientations
On Wednesday. Oct. 2f>. there
w ill be a gathering of campus
ministers who w ill speak on why
we oppose Measure 13. The
meeting will take place in the
FMU at 12 p.m. To my anony
mous friend: Please come.
Janet Cromwell
Campus Pastor,
Wesley Foundation