• LCC board member Jay Bozievich rallied fellow anti-tax Republicans to join him at
a board meeting this week to try unsuccessfully to stop the board from endorsing
the Legislature’s three-year state tax package — a modest hike that will help save
the college from massive program cutbacks. Bozievich says it’s “not appropriate”
for the board to take a stand on the tax hike. What’s truly not appropriate is for a
college board member to fight a short-term fix that would greatly benefit the mis-
sion of the college. The LCC board has had numerous Republican members over the
years, but they’ve all had the good sense to support both the short- and long-term
needs of the institution, without letting their ideology cloud their good judgement.
• The EW editorial staff had the good fortune to lunch at the Steelhead with Jim
Hightower last week and we asked him about his greatest concern. “Democracy,” he
said, “keeping it!” Without a trace of his hallmark humor, he said the guys at the top
in this country don’t understand or care about preserving democracy. They come
out of a corporate culture deeply antagonistic to it. What to do? That was the rol-
licking theme of the scrawny Texas populist’s speech Thursday night to a SRO crowd
at LCC. Some of his one-liners: “Where are we going and what am I doing in this
hand-basket?” “Wobblycrats — my party has jellied on us in Washington., D.C.”
“Status quo is Latin for the mess we’re in.” “Never have so few done so much for so
few.” “We don’t want compassion from conservatives.” Favorite button, worn by a
Vermonter, “Wearing a button is not enough!”
• No Ducks Illustrated insert this week in EW. The Ducks get a break this weekend.
DI will be back Oct. 23.
• Some California Democrats are apparently so angry with the GOP-inspired recall
process that landed Arnold Schwartzenegger in the gov’s office that they are start-
ing their own campaign to recall Arnie. Bad idea, just makes the Dems look spiteful.
We doubt even skeptical Californians want to dump the actor before he’s had a
chance to prove or destroy himself, ala Jesse Ventura.
• Campaigns for Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean are well under way in Eugene,
and now we hear Wesley Clark has a local organization forming. New polls show
Clark now out in front, but who will get the Dem’s nod? Grassroots organizing will
be a big factor. The local Clark contact is Leslie Weinstein, 343-7250.
historically.” How about Go-Duck
Elementary or Tie-Dye High?
— Alan Pittman
SCHOOL EQUITY
School district 4J Superintendent George
Russell has proposed that the district address
the inequities created by the district’s self-
segregated school choice system by diverting
some money from wealthier schools toward
lower income schools. Russell’s proposed
goals for the next two years include diverting
more funding to schools serving poorer stu-
dents and increasing funding for full-day or
extended-day kindergartens at low-income
elementary schools. — AP
PETE’S FUNKY DART
ON THE AUCTION BLOCK
Commentator Russel Sadler will be the
keynote speaker when Lane County
Democrats hold their annual gala auction
dubbed “Save our State” beginning at 6 pm
Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Downtown Athletic
Club. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio has donated
his 1963 Dodge Dart to be auctioned at the
yearly fund-raiser (he now drives a 1964
Dodge Dart).
“People in my district may not recognize
me but they sure recognize ‘the Dart,’” says
DeFazio. Other politicians have used buses,
planes and luxury cars in their stumping for
office and speaking tours, but DeFazio has
puttered around the Fourth District for years
in his second-hand, beat-up heap.
Donations have poured in from all over
Lane County to benefit the organization’s ef-
forts to elect progressive candidates, says
event organizer Deanna Kilger.
Tickets are $40 at the door.
FOOTBALL VS. YOGA
School District 4J has applied for a
$343,000 federal grant to help local schools
move toward fitness for all kids, not just
those on the football team. The “Project
Rising Expectations” grant “will produce
long-term systematic change in the Eugene
School District physical education program
by moving the program away from tradi-
tional team sports activities toward a greater
emphasis on healthy lifetime physical activ-
ity, such as dance, in-line skating, golf, rock
climbing, yoga, personal defense, aerobics
and personal fitness.” — AP
SLEEPING BEAUTY
• It’s easy to smirk at reports of Rush Limbaugh’s drug addiction, particularly since
he’s been so brutally strident and insulting of people with addictions. Lock ’em all
up, he says, and after Jerry Garcia died, he called him “just another dead doper.”
But we’re all walking, talking contradictions. Gays-bashers struggle with suppressed
homosexual tendencies. Peaceniks love war movies. Animal rights activists squash
icky spiders. Cops break the law, criminals do righteous deeds and vegetarians
sneak bacon burgers. Is it good that Limbaugh’s credibility rug got yanked?
Certainly. But the reasons why he had such a big audience are still there. Lots of
folks like their morality straight up, simple and tidy, and they are easily exploited.
And Rush isn’t among the dead dopers yet; he’s just in rehab.
Toni Pimble, Artistic Director
A WAKEN
TO A
WORLD
WHERE A
KISS
CURES
ALL !
P ERFORMANCE S PONSORED B Y :
S LEEPING B EAUTY
N OVEMBER 1-2, 2003
H ULT C ENTER : (541) 682-5000
M EDIA S PONSORS :
www.eugeneballet.org
G RANT S UPPORT :
OCTOBER 16, 2003 9