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