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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2003)
TO THE EDITOR WAITING TO POUNCE Why (and this is to our “public servants”) when we gather in peace, do you show up smirk- ing with your sticks and guns? You only have funds for your shiny boots and badges because we exist. Hey cops, do you piss in your water before you drink it? While I stood amongst the drum- ming on the steps of the federal building far be- hind the groups of people who don’t hate, there was a short, brown haired, female cop making punching gestures then looking up to her counter- part laughing. They laughed together. I strongly believe that their deepest, most ardent wish is for us to get out of hand so they can start hurting chil- dren and play with their wicked toys. News flash guys (cops): You are the minority, not the peaceful folk. That’s why you have guns and the protestors don’t. We have no insecurity of character because the truly peaceful are righteous. Righteousness is not a gift given by one powerful man to another. It’s the free, God-given gift to the truly just inhabitants of the earth. Stop fighting people who don’t want to fight. Tough guys walk alone with holiness as their sword. When the world ends for each of us the truth is all that will be. And justice. You’ll see. T. Medlock Tejada Eugene NO FRANKS I loved and laughed my ass off over the “Note to Jesus” letter by Jack Myreng, Jr. (3/27). Funny truth is the best kind. Jesus Sepulveda’s (3/27) let- ter of unity is excellent: Anyone who is less fascis- tic than Bush should be welcome in the cause of peace and real democracy. Tim Boyden’s (3/27) “Lexicon” letter provides excellent definitions of some Bushit propaganda (I don’t watch Bush’s propaganda mouth any more). Nor is there much sense in watching people on TV kill each other in stupid/brainwashed/obsolete wars. If we had an electoral system, a court system, a political sys- tem and a financial system free from corruption and dominion, the U.S. would be able to operate in a civilized fashion. If Bush and Putin are both recruitin’ I’ll say no thanks; I’d rather break your tanks. If Saddam and Sharon want me to be a clone I’ll say goodbye on the phone and break up its tone. And if corporate pigs invite me to their digs I’ll say no thanks and decline their franks. For deferrin’ to illegitimate power is the sin of the hour. And now you know it: I’m not a great poet. Just a silly old guy too stub- born to cry about Bush death from the sky and fas- cist propaganda moles killing even more souls. Bob Saxton Eugene DISCOURSE NEEDED As we watch the terrible scenes of war, many of us are working to provide humanitarian aid to the victims in Iraq and to support our soldiers and their families. As members of Beyond War 2003, we advocate for peaceful means of resolving in- ternational conflict. We oppose the principle of war and did not want to see the conflict in Iraq come to this terrible state. Nevertheless, we love our country and sup- port our men and women in uniform. Can we all agree that we want our troops home, safe and whole? Can we agree that, as people proud of our heritage of freedom of expression, we can work for the common welfare of all people, even in the face of differing opinions? We desperately need civil discourse. We ask everyone to look beyond superficial media im- ages and seek out the real face of this war. We ask ourselves, what is the U.S.’s proper role in the world as its only superpower? Peace, with justice and equality is the promise that America must make to the people of the world. Rosemary Janz and 11 members of Beyond War 2003 Eugene BREEDING HOSTILITY It’s already being decided what will happen in post-war Iraq, who will reconstruct it and who will lead it. It seems at least part of Bush’s govern- ment wants to have a longer occupation, during which a provisional government, in which the U.S. heads all 23 ministries, will be set up. The State Department, CIA, Prime Minister Tony Blair and the major humanitarian relief organiza- tions, and most of the rest of the countries in the world disagree, and many believe the Pentagon plan is a recipe for disaster. There are so many problems with this plan, I barely know where to begin: If this war is a “liber- ation of Iraq,” then why don’t we let the liberated people, for the first time in decades, run their own BY TONY CORCORAN The Golden Gobblers Awe shocks. S alem is not always gloom and doom; it can also be sad and pathetic with a tinge of irony. Now we’re moving toward the mid-term of the session: The easy stuff is getting adopted, and the hard stuff is coming up quickly. The budget, schools, PERS, services for our frail and needy; all these serious discussions were slowed down by the additional bloodletting we did at the beginning because of Kevin Mannix and his merry band of secret planners deep-sixing Measure 28. The co-chairs of Ways and Means are going to release a “strawman” budget next week that some have described as Oregon’s version of “shock and awe.” School cuts, human service cuts and public safety cuts so deep that it makes you wonder if the state can even continue to provide basic public safety. We’ve just about finished with the meet-and-greet-grip-and-grins that characterize the first part of the session; those social hours with lobbyists who bring in their clients from around the state to meet us — businesses, doctors, lawyers, CPAs, unions, dental hygienists, nudists and cockfighters — all the usual special interests. The CPAs, for exam- ple, are a very lively group, relatively speaking — much more fun than, say, a party full of actuaries and pension lawyers. By the way, an actuary is not a place where they bury dead actors; it’s a statistician who gazes into a 30-year crystal ball. An actuary is a CPA who found CPA work too exciting. Can you tell I’m a little stressed out about PERS? Mark Nelson, a lobbyist and pollster, tries to keep us all from going crazy by hosting the Oregon Legislature’s version of the Oscars — The Golden Gobblers — the turkey bills of the session. I was one of the judges, probably because I won third place — a frozen rock Cornish game hen — for one of my 1995 bills. The other judges were: Bill Perry, a lobbyist for the restaurant industry; Chuck Bennett, former state representative and lobbyist now for the school administrators; and, of course, the queen of everything, Rayna de Tortuga — who, by the way, is from Jefferson County, not Crook County. We gave honorable mention awards to the following: Rep. Cliff Zauner for HB3132: allows for hunting and killing trumpeter swans. Rep. Derrick Kitts for HB3162: establishes High Tech Hall of Fame within the State Capitol — better hurry, the last one’s about ready to leave the state. 4 APRIL 17, 2003 Rep. Betsy Close for HB2538: creates crime of human cloning — rumors that it was aimed at me were not verified. Sen. Charles Starr for SB666 (who was the devious bastard that gave this bill that number?): creates an offense of distracted driving with a $150 fine — probably aimed at drivers listening to Lars Larson. Sen. Bev Clarno for SJR31: recognizes official tartan of state — taupe rep- resents high desert, azure represents streams and creeks, black represents obsidian buttes, you get the drift. Sen. Gary George for SB533: establishes Tax Me More Fund. I’ll say no more. I thought he deserved first prize. Former Rep. Al King for pre-session filed HB2294: provides that a person commits criminal trespass in second degree if person flies model aircraft below specified altitude in airspace above privately owned property — and I thought PERS reform was daunting. Another Rep. Betsy Close for HB2416: at the request of the Oregon Cattlemen, de- fines science for purposes of statute. “Science means the systematic enterprise of gath- ering knowledge about the universe and organizing and condensing that knowledge into testable laws and theories.” Ah, I feel so much better now! As Rayna said, this wins the Carl Sagan Award. And the winners: • Third Place: Senators Starr (Charles and Bruce, father and son) for SJR33: amends Oregon Constitution to prohibit person younger than 21 from viewing nudity or sexual activity…we call it the “mooning” bill, or the don’t-walk-in-on-your-parents bill, or the if- you-get-married-before-you’re-21-you’re-going-to-be-very-bored bill. • Second place: Rep. Greg Smith for HB3010: relating to steel erections — Greg is stretching his diplomatic immunity way too far! • First place: My own Rep. Jeff Kruse for HB2608: creates a Task Force on Embryo Adoptions. We think Jeff has mistakenly assumed that he can claim his, well, his off- spring, as dependents for a tax deduction. Think about it. So, the next time some ignorant fool tells you that he doesn’t think the Oregon Legislature is paying attention to the real, everyday issues of our state, you tell him he’s got another think coming! Stay tuned. Sen. Tony Corcoran of Cottage Grove represents portions of Lane and Douglas counties in Senate District 4, which includes the UO area. He can be reached at sen.tonycorcoran@state.or.us
