Eugene weekly., July 17, 2003, Page 9, Image 9

• Florence residents are steaming over the
back-door method used by tribal leaders to
acquire land just east of town for “cultural
and historical purposes” (and specifically
ruling out gambling), when the site was
apparently planned all along for a casino.
Residents are also fretting about the possi-
ble impacts of a casino on their community
— the increase in gambling addiction,
divorce, bankruptcy, suicide, child abuse,
crime, traffic, and the loss of tax revenues
that other Oregon communities with casinos
have experienced to a greater or lesser
degree. The town has been losing major
legal battles and now Gov. Kulongoski has
decided to not appeal a federal court ruling
that favors the casino. No one knows for
sure how Florence will change with a big
casino on its outskirts, but hats off to the
dedicated residents who are continuing the
fight on multiple fronts. What’s next? A local
initiative is in the works that would deny city
services (sewer, water, public safety) to any
casino development in the area, and a
Florence contingency is planning a lobbying
trip to Washington, D.C.
• The good news from Bob Noble’s report to
the City Club July 11 was that the numbers
from this region could support direct flights
from Eugene to both Salt Lake and San
Jose. Folks are trying to put that together,
according to Noble, who is manager of the
Eugene airport. Bad news is that we lost 30
percent of our air business after 9/11 and
traffic is still down 20 percent. More bad
news — our security costs have gone from
about $100,000 a year to $1 million since
9/11.
• Why is Enron still getting tax breaks from
the state Legislature? Enron paid only the
minimum income tax of $10 last year. But
Rep. Mark Haas tells us that what many
people don’t know is that Enron received a
tax break of $1.1 million last year because of
the Pollution Control Tax Credit. Pollution
control sounds good on the surface, but
Enron, like other big polluters, got its tax
break for simply complying with environ-
mental regulations. Now Enron has applied
for $18 million in similar tax credits next
year for work associated with the decom-
missioning of the Trojan nuclear plant.
These obsolete rules were due to be phased
out, but some conservatives in the House
just this past week pushed through (without
debate) a measure (HB2652) that would
relax environmental standards and extend
this expensive tax break to 2014. Meanwhile,
the Legislature is at an impasse on funding
education and basic social services. One log-
ical way to help craft a budget that meets
basic needs is to eliminate loopholes and
tax breaks that unfairly favor big business
and industry.
• So CIA chief George Tenet is “accepting”
blame for false claims in Bush’s speech justi-
fying a pre-emptive attack on Iraq. It doesn’t
take much cynicism to imagine the bickering
and scheming going on in the West Wing in
an attempt at damage control: “Denial did-
n’t work, so let’s try finger-pointing and sac-
rificial lambs, and if that doesn’t work, let’s
create a distraction ...” Democrats need to
get off their butts and pounce on this monu-
mental WMD deception with all the fervor
and outrage Republicans spewed over
Clinton’s petty open zipper policy.
Monroe Mayor Floyd Billings and the
rest of the council are currently uncertain of
how to deal with two identical bids. They are
expecting to get legal advice, as well as ex-
amine any geologic consequences in the
event of logging, and call another council
meeting to decide the ownership of Kyle
Spring as soon as possible. — Celene Carillo
Save 20 to 50% on a wide selection of living room,
dining room, bedroom, and office furniture.
Sofa in various fabrics, 83" x 36" x 35" h. was $899
Complementing chair was $599
Sale $699
Sale $479
All steel barstool,
champagne and
onyx finish with
upholstered
seat cushion.
Barstool, 30" or
Counter stool, 26"
was $329
Sale $169 rta
WOMYN FOREST
DEFENDERS OCCUPY
STRAW DEVIL SALE
Oregon eco-feminists this week an-
nounced the beginning of an “all-womyn’s
action, occupation and tree-sit in defense of
public land sold off to private industry.”
The tree-sit at the Willamette Forest tim-
ber sale has two purposes, according to a
message from the Eco-Feminist Front. “In
addition to defending the last 2 percent of na-
tive old-growth forest that still stands in
Oregon, the womyn’s action is dedicated to
building a community that is intolerant of all
forms of oppression. We work to build a
space of mutual learning and growth — a
space where we can conquer not only the
demons of capitalism, patriarchy and indif-
ference that surround us but also the demons
of oppression, self-loathing and fear that re-
side within us.”
For more information on the action, call
684-8977, e-mail forestdefenders@tao.ca or
visit www.forestdefenders.org or www.cas-
cadiasummer.org
CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS
Last week’s movie review “Dig These
Films” listed The Archaeology Channel’s
website incorrectly. The correct address for
schedule and information is www.archaeolo-
gychannel.org
Computer station in teak, cherry, or maple.
Desk, 48" x 26" x 29" h.
Hutch, 48" x 12" x 29" h.
Combination was $398 Sale $320 rta
TV unit, teak, 36" x 20" x 17" h.
was 349 Sale $269 rta
Sale begins Friday, July 18th.
“rta” items sold ready to assemble.
EUGENE • 856 Willamette Street • 541-342-5000
We validate parking at Overpark, Parcade, and U.S. Bank
Other Oregon locations: BEAVERTON, MEDFORD, PORTLAND
Open Mon.-Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-6 •
www.scan-design.com
JULY 17, 2003 9