TO THE EDITOR
GROWING PAINS
Do you think communities should legally
have the right to curb growth if it was the will of
the voters? Currently, Oregon cities are required
by law to accommodate anticipated growth.
Every five years, cities have to assess their
growth and availability of land inside the UGB,
and make room for 20 years’ worth of antici-
pated future growth. This law is the bread and
butter for construction companies, real estate
agents and others. If communities were able to
stop growth, it would be a financial disaster for
them.
But not everyone benefits from growth. It
often hurts small businesses. It ends up costing
existing residents more in taxes for additional
services: schools, police and fire protection,
roads, sewer lines, water treatment, etc. There’s
the loss of quality of life to communities from
increased traffic, noise, and pollution, and a loss
of natural land and open space, as well as an in-
crease in resource consumption. Aren’t we al-
ready consuming too much? Is it worth it?
Patrick Bronson
Eugene
SMUT SPARING
I have mixed feelings about the recent letters
to the editor about sexually exploitive advertis-
ing in EW. Personally, I hate to see them, but at
the same time I have never quite sorted out my
feelings about journalistic freedom. However,
those letters got me thinking. I am sure that if
you were deluged with potential advertisers and
had to pick your favorites, you would much
rather run ads for local businesses! The econ-
omy has been tough for small businesses. Our
business, the other contractors we work with,
and the people we patronize, are all talking
about ways to be creative in the current econ-
omy. It is tempting to save money by cutting our
advertising budgets, but I think that it is more
valuable to support our local business, and EW,
by advertising with you. I have been around
long enough to remember my shock when the
Willamette Valley Observer went under. Then
What’s Happening started as a simple events
schedule, but rapidly grew to be the insightful
lifeline it is today. What would we do without
you? I don’t want to take you for granted. So Joe
and I want to remind other local businesses to
support EW, and just maybe you won’t even
need to run those smutty ads.
Cathy Boucher
Eugene
NAKED LUNCH
I love the CHOW! restaurant guide. I always
look forward to each season’s listings, articles
and wonderful tidbits. However, I do have an
opinion about the cover of the Spring edition. I
am not a prude — far from it — but it’s very un-
appetizing to me to see naked bodies on the
front cover. I appreciate the artistic nature of the
picture; however, I’d rather see flowers, or a
restaurant, or people (dressed) having fun.
Chery Hunt
Eugene
FUELING WISDOM
Drilling in the pristine wilderness of the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is not wise en-
ergy policy. The fact is we can save consumers
billions of dollars while reducing our depend-
ence on foreign oil, creating jobs and securing
our energy future. It just takes a little of
America’s technological know-how to develop
newer, cleaner sources of energy, and by mak-
ing our cars, homes and appliances more energy
efficient.
BY TOM LININGER
Vice Squad
Where’s the virtue in vice revenue?
L
ast month the Lane County Board of Commissioners passed a reso-
lution acknowledging “Problem Gambling Awareness Week.” We spoke
solemnly about the social harms caused by gambling. We learned about
the high rate of suicide attempts by gamblers.
Where did we hold this ceremony? In the same room where county commis-
sioners meet to divide up nearly $1 million in proceeds that we receive each year
from state-sanctioned gambling.
The commissioners all voiced their concern for the 7,000 gambling addicts in
Lane County, but let’s be honest — it seems a little disingenuous when the
farmer pets the pig who will be breakfast tomorrow. Our superego counsels
mercy, but our id wants bacon.
Meanwhile, some legislators in Salem have proposed expanding state-spon-
sored gambling. The introduction of video slot machines might generate another
$80 million for state government. Oregon now offers more types of gambling
than any other state except for Nevada. Any time our state is chasing Nevada
for a record, we should be worried. (By the way, when will we catch up to
Mississippi and Arkansas in funding our schools with conventional taxes?)
As you can tell, I’m no fan of state-sponsored gambling, but the subject that
irks me most is our love-hate relationship with the tobacco industry. In the late
541.484.0519 • (fax) 541.484.4044
EDITORIAL
Editor Ted Taylor Executive/Arts Editor Lois Wadsworth
Associate Editor Aria Seligmann Contributing Editor Anita
4 APRIL 10, 2003
Increasing average fuel efficiency for new
cars and light trucks to 39 miles per gallon over
the next decade would save 51 billion barrels of
oil over the next 50 years — more than 15 times
the likely yield from the Arctic Refuge. This
would save American consumers billions at the
gas pump, while making our air healthier for our
children to breathe. The amazing thing is that
we can do this today, whereas even the oil in-
dustry admits it would take 10 long years before
a drop of oil could be taken from the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge.
1990s, most states sued the tobacco companies for damages caused by ciga-
rettes. This suit culminated in a nationwide settlement providing each
state with a revenue stream that will continue indefinitely. Oregon gets
about $75 million a year from this settlement.
The catch is that our share of the settlement will grow or shrink
depending on the earnings of the tobacco industry. In proportion to our
success in discouraging kids from smoking, the tobacco industry will lose
money, and the future payments to states will decrease. This settlement
was a pretty shrewd move by the tobacco executives. They’re daring the gov-
ernment to bite the hand that feeds it.
So far, the government isn’t biting too hard. Last week Washington’s Attorney
General Christine Gregoire held a press conference urging a judge in Illinois to
take it easy on the tobacco industry. The judge was trying to require that Phillip
Morris (now known as Altria) pay a $12 billion bond in order to appeal a defeat in
a recent lawsuit. Gregoire argued that by requiring such a large bond, the Illinois
judge “could deal a significant, unnecessary financial blow to the states” who
have relied on Phillip Morris as their cash cow.
The Wall Street Journal observed that state governments “are poised to res-
cue the country’s biggest cigarette maker in one of its darkest hours.” Friends
helping friends — kinda makes you misty-eyed, doesn’t it? You almost forget that
a few years ago, the states were arguing that the tobacco industry heartlessly
caused thousands of deaths.
Our dependence on vice to fund our government has become an embarrass-
ment. The next time the Board of County Commissioners elects a vice chair, we
should assign that commissioner the duty befitting his title — monitoring the
county’s income derived from vice.
Tom Lininger is the county commissioner for the East Lane District, and is the former Chair of the Tobacco
Settlement Advisory Task Force.
Johnson Staff Writers Alan Pittman, Bobbie Willis
Calendar Editor Ben Fogelson Editorial Assistant Marina
Taylo, Contributing Writers Brett Campbell, Rachel Foster, Kate
Rogers Gessert, Jerry Harris, James Johnston, Sharleen Nelson,
Mary O’Brien, Vanessa Salvia, Sally Sheklow, Lance Sparks,
Martha Ulman West Interns Brian Boone, Mariko Fukuyama,
John Husby Joohn Husby
ADVERTISING
ART DEPARTMENT
BUSINESS
Art Director/Production Manager Kevin Dougherty
Graphic Artist/Webmaster James Bateman
Graphic Artists Katie Beckman, Todd Cooper Contributing
Photographers Kurt Jensen, Paul Neevel, Linda Smogor
Congress can do so much more to encourage
what is already happening in America’s auto in-
dustry. Ford is planning to sell a hybrid model of
its Escape SUV. Toyota and General Motors re-
cently announced they are installing highly effi-
cient hybrid engines in their SUVs as well. We
need to get these powerful, safe, money-savers
on the market sooner rather than later. And let’s
keep the drills and oil spills out of the wildlife-
rich wilderness of the Arctic Refuge.
Kate Waterbury
Eugene
National Sales Manager Catherine McCormick
Senior Marketing Consultant Bill Shreve
Display Marketing Consultants Mark Frisbee, Rob Weiss
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Dominguez, Jim Harris, Sue Hunnel, Terri Molitor, Will Thornton,
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