TO THE EDITOR
DEAN IS NO BETTER
Your Slant column about Gov. Howard
Dean (4/24) is mistaken. Dean merely has
tactical disagreements with Bush’s war —
there’s not a fundamental disagreement on
the reality of empire.
Dean (as governor) presided over the
entry of Wal-Mart into Vermont, arranged for
the feds to “streamline” the proposed
Burlington Outer Beltway (to exempt it from
most environmental review despite major en-
vironmental damage) and has a record that
epitomizes why so many have lost any faith
in the Democratic Party. Several articles
about
him
are
archived
at
www.oilempire.us/2004.html (a guide to the
next presidential selection).
There are two anti-war candidates: the
Rev. Al Sharpton and Congressional Rep.
Dennis Kucinich. Of these two, only
Kucinich has experience with the organiza-
tional nuts-and-bolts of elective office, and I
plan to change my party registration next year
to be able to vote for him in the primary.
Kucinich’s campaign can be contacted at
www.kucinich.us
However, if the country continues to
adopt computerized ballot counting ma-
chines made by Republicans, there will not
actually be an election next year, only a
media spectacle called an “election” that
lacks integrity or honesty. If trends continue,
Oregon will be the only state next year that
actually has ballots — since our “vote by
mail” system will prevent adoption of this
fraudulent technology.
Mark Robinowitz
Eugene
SURPLUS SCHOOLS
Bailey Hill. Dunn. Laurel Hill. Santa
Clara.
Washington.
Westmoreland.
Whiteaker. Willakenzie. These eight schools
are now or will soon be listed as “surplus” by
School District 4J (Register-Guard, 4/30). 4J
is consolidating fewer students into larger
schools and intends to bus many students
who can now walk to school.
These eight properties offer an astonish-
ing amount of irreplaceable green space in
the middle of our neighborhoods, along with
diverse publicly owned buildings. Much of
this may disappear. For example, at a com-
munity meeting on April 28 a 4J real estate
consultant recommended simply selling off
Westmoreland School’s nine acres to housing
development, to ease 4J’s funding
crunch.
What about community values including
playgrounds, sports fields, community gar-
dens, ecovillages, small businesses, non-
profit offices and meeting spaces? What
about the City of Eugene’s commitment to
“nodal development” so that we can walk to
services and shops (not to mention schools)?
There is hope. 4J board policy states:
“Surplus property is managed to maximize
the financial return to the district while taking
potential community benefit into considera-
tion...Short-term lease preferences may be
given to other public agencies or non-profits
which further district’s educational goals...
Long-term lease or sale preferences may be
given to other public agencies.”
Therefore, citizens and elected officials
ought to clearly express our community’s in-
tent that democracy and not dollars will
wisely steward these public resources and
green spaces. Others who are concerned are
welcome to e-mail me at oaks@mindfree-
dom.org to network.
David Oaks
Eugene
STUPIT IS AS STUPIT DOES
Cain’t imagine why that nasty Saddam
bugger didn’t use up his weapons of mass
distruction. That’s what I’d do if somebody
was coming after me with the army of God’s
chosen. I’d use up ever’ one a them weapons
till they had to pry my fingers off the last jar
of biologicals.
George must be right. Saddam packed
them weapons up in the back of a pickup and
high-tailed it for Syria. We better jump on
them quick as can be, because now they got
Saddam’s chemicals they’re a threat to west-
ern civilizashun.
We better give anuther tax break to the
rich folks too, because their probly even more
scairt of the boogiemens than the rest of us,
what with all their riches and such. Hell, I’ll
go broke if I have to, pertectin’ their wealth.
Where’d we be without rich folks
anyway?
George has been talkin’ to God and most
God-talkers is crazy, but not George. It’s
handy havin’ God on our side. Now we know
it’s OK to step on that stupit Constitution
thing we got. I’m gonna catch me a terorrist
or two and turn ‘em right over to Ashcroft.
Maybe get a medal or somethin’.
Be wary y’all. Saddam and Osama are
still on the loose and we gotta give up our
freedoms to pertect our freedoms. It’s the
only way to catch them boogiemens.
Time to git over to Wal-Mart ‘n pick up an-
other flag fer my car. See y’all at the next war.
Charlie Magee
Eugene
The Big Man
is Bach
Glorious
masterworks
for
chorus and orchestra: Handel’s Jephtha
6/27
Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos
6/29
Beethoven Piano Concertos 7/1,
7/3
Brahms Requiem 7/6
Ballet 7/11
Bach and
Bach and Mozart 7/13.
Intimate evenings
of chamber music: Flutist
Lorna McGhee 6/30
Operatic
vocalist Jimmy Taylor 7/2
Levin/Chuang duo piano
recital 7/5
Tao of the Well
Tempered Bach 7/9
and more.
Insights & discoveries
Lecture-demonstration concerts at 5 pm
throughout the Festival.
Great
Things
Happen
buy sell trade
TM
fashion that pays
to be me.
541/682-5000
oregonbachfestival.com
Listen to Great Moments in Music daily at 11 am and
5 pm on KWAX 91.1FM, sponsored by Oregon Imaging.
Bach
Hult Center/UO School of Music, Eugene
O R E G O N B A C H F E S T I VA L
J U N E 2 7 - J U LY 1 3
131 E. 5th Ave (between Oak & Pearl)
BUFFALOEXCHANGE . COM
JUNE 5, 2003 7