COUNCIL SEEKS DILUTED
NEW CODE OF ETHICS
The Eugene City Council plans to adopt a
new code of ethics for public officials Sept. 8
with some questionable ethics.
• The proposed code restricts city execu-
tives from engaging in graft and corruption
but apparently does not apply to the powerful
city attorney. Critics have questioned
whether the city attorney firm has conflicts of
interest in working for both the city and for
businesses with interests adverse to the city.
• The City Council may vote to remove an
elected official from his or her position if they
find they intentionally engaged in graft, but
they have no power to remove corrupt city ex-
ecutives. The proposed code gives the city
manager sole authority over such matters.
• The new code is much weaker than the
old Eugene City Charter. The old charter for-
bids councilors with money interests in city
contracts from serving on the council and for-
bids councilors from voting on matters where
they had a money interest. The new city rules
are modeled on weak state ethics rules. The
new city code would apply only to “actual”
conflicts of interest where councilors know-
ingly and directly profit from their votes. A
charter vote last year allowed the City
Council to make up its own ethics rules.
— AP
MLK MARCH THURSDAY
Forty years ago on Aug. 28, more than
250,000 people joined the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom and
Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a
Dream” speech. In commemoration, a march
is planned in Eugene Thursday, Aug. 28
The march’s theme is, “Fulfill the Dream!
Work for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation.”
Marchers will gather at 5 pm at the Autzen
Stadium east parking lot. At 5:30 pm, com-
munity elders and human rights activists will
lead the march along Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard, celebrating the renaming of the
street.
The march will proceed to Cuthbert
Amphitheater for a 6:30 pm program with
speeches, singing and a reading of Dr. King’s
words. For more information, call 682-5177.
SEXUAL ASSAULT BILL
PASSES IN SALEM
Advocates who work to assure that vic-
tims of sexual assault have access to emer-
gency health care including emergency con-
traception celebrated a major victory Aug. 25
as the Senate voted to pass SB 752.
“This is a major victory for the women of
Oregon,” says Kitty Piercy, public affairs di-
rector of Planned Parenthood. “This bill will
provide help for women who have experi-
enced sexual assault and do not have insur-
ance coverage.”
Piercy says the bill was stuck in the
Senate facing opposition from Sen. Minnis
because of the emergency contraception cov-
erage, which is a standard of care in Oregon
for assault victims.
EARLY DEADLINES
EW’s offices will be closed Labor Day, Sept.
1, and will re-open Tuesday, Sept. 2. Please note
an EARLY ADVERTISING DEADLINE of
5 pm Thursday, Aug. 28 for our Sept. 4 issue.
For more information, call 484-0519.
Save 20 to 50% on a wide selection of living room,
dining room, bedroom, and office furniture.
TROUBLE AT MOTHER’S
Amidst its own inner conflicts, the future
of Mother Kali’s Bookstore is in jeopardy.
But this time, the issue is money.
Board members called a public meeting
Aug. 20 to alert the community to Mother
Kali’s precipitous financial situation, and to
get an idea of how important the store’s per-
petuation is to Eugene.
After detailing the store’s budget chal-
lenges, Joyce Thomas, the board’s treasurer,
told the two dozen women in attendance that
the store’s future can play out in one of three
ways: Mother Kali’s could be closed immedi-
ately and plans could be made to break the
store’s lease and liquidate its materials; or
staff can try and make it through the heavy
fall booksale period, which could cover the
losses incurred over the summer and keep it
in the black until November or December; or
“Mother Kali’s just keeps on,” said Thomas,
although the marketplace and the community
make that seem unlikely.
“It seems the only chance at paying off
our debts is to have the fall book sale,” said
Thomas.
The onslaught of web-based book sales
and chain stores has already claimed several
independent bookstores in Eugene, and
Mother Kali’s has also suffered. “It’s a social-
ist institution, and it’s at odds with the culture
it’s in ... I don’t know if it can go forward un-
less someone’s got a lot of money and a lot of
time,” said Teri Ciacchi, Mother Kali’s acting
manager.
“In the ’70s, Mother Kali’s was more than
a bookstore. It was a gathering place ... we do
have other needs besides the books,” said one
woman in the audience.
A decision about the store’s future has yet
to be made, but Thomas urges that Mother
Kali’s could use more board members, par-
ticularly with financial and legal back-
grounds. “Support your local bookstore by
buying books, if you want it to be around,”
she said after the meeting. — Celene Carillo
Queen-size bed, metal frame, gray finish. Can be special
ordered in other colors. was $399 Sale $299
Contemporary leather
sofa in spice, cream,
camel, or black.
89" x 39" x 35" h.
was starting at $1199
Sale from $999
Comfortable leather
sofa in tomato, spice,
cream, or blue.
84" x 39" x 37" h.
was starting at $1399
Entertainment unit
with swivel top, in
cherry or teak.
was $469
Sale from $1199
Sale $369
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
AUGUST 28, 2003 9