TO THE EDITOR
SPEND TO SAVE
It was at the very bottom of the R-G’s arti-
cle, so you might have missed it: DA Doug
Harcleroad saying, “If we had adequate jail
space in this county, she would not be dead.”
Paula Benitez was mercilessly, relent-
lessly stalked by her ex. She went through all
the proper steps. He went to jail, got out early
for space, almost immediately fixed on her,
and killed her and himself. What terror and
pain she and her family and friends have suf-
fered. What grief the survivors still will suffer.
Springfield businesses, schools, traffic
were disrupted. Police, who did a great job,
were deployed for several hours. All that cost
lots of money. This is going to keep happen-
ing while we don’t provide adequate funding
for our county’s needs.
Lane County Animal Regulation kills
thousands of healthy animals just because
they haven’t got enough space. The kennels
haven’t been expanded since the 1970s,
though the county sure has.
We have got to learn that you have to lay
out money to save money. And pain and terror
and grief.
Rita Castillo
Springfield
KALI’S ALREADY GONE
Repeatedly the Mother Kali’s board has
asked the community to prioritize financial
matters over all other values. Severe financial
problems arose because the board drove out a
staff (Tova, Lezlie, Carrie and Aurelia) that
had steadily boosted sales and cultivated in-
clusive community networks while challeng-
ing classism and ageism in board-staff dy-
namics and protesting misuse of power. Now,
after at least two livelihoods are destroyed and
the store’s modest financial momentum
squandered, we are asked as “good feminists”
to revive Mother Kali’s yet again, and to be-
lieve that some time in the future, the feminist
principles in that labor issue may be ad-
dressed. But my “feminist” bookstore is al-
ready gone.
The request in the March 4 letters that we
the community help the board find “afford-
able” resolutions to the 17-month-old dispute
was disingenuous. Last year I proposed that an
independent panel of impartial community
members review all documents, interview rele-
vant parties to clarify unanswered questions,
and recommend a resolution. When the board
finally responded, rejecting my proposal by
claiming confidentiality concerns, my sugges-
tions for allaying those concerns were ignored.
It was also surprising to learn that not sup-
porting Mother Kali’s means supporting Bush
and mega-corporations. Although I tremen-
dously miss my once-feminist bookstore,
Eugene has other independents that can order
feminist books from independent progressive
presses. Pressuring workers, the community,
or anyone who challenges those in charge,
while postponing accountability indefinitely,
won’t create social change. I know my bitter-
ness and frustration won’t either. Let’s move
on from Mother Kali’s.
Ellen Rifkin
Eugene
LET KALI’S GO
While I often spent money at Mother
Kali’s Books last year, I see less and less rea-
son to do so any more. Mother Kali’s may
have been unique in 1977, but today, every-
thing you can get there, you can get at any
other independent bookstore in Eugene, let
alone at the chain stores. Mother Kali’s could
be a good place, an asset to the community,
but that’s not just a matter of who they are; it’s
a matter of what they do. What they have been
doing at Mother Kali’s, however, has been
more than just disappointing.
The store has chewed up and spit out a
dozen women in the last two years; this is fos-
tering feminism? Is threatening lawsuits
against newly unemployed single mothers
progressive? With allies like these, what need
have progressives of enemies? And how, ex-
actly, does Bush benefit when we choose to
spend our money at stores where workers are
treated like human beings?
I’d like to express my appreciation for the
solidarity the Graduate Teaching Fellows’
Federation has shown toward my fellow
Wobblies at Mother Kali’s, and for the sup-
port other community activists have shown. I
encourage others to join me in not shopping
there until the store does right by its wronged
workers. To any students whose professors
have ordered books at Mother Kali’s, remem-
ber that you have the ability to order your own
textbooks, either online or at other commu-
nity bookstores, particularly the University
Bookstore, which is your student cooperative.
Patrick R. Wade
Treasurer, IWW Lane County
COUP D’ MANNIX
I’d like to offer my congratulations to our
new shadow Governor, Kevin Mannix. How
proud he must be that he’s managed (with out-
of-state financing from a Tom DeLay group)
to successfully overturn the compromise
budget from the longest session in Oregon
legislative history.
He surely must be pleased as punch that he
and his gang of Republican thugs and talk
show demagogues have successfully man-
aged to take a group of Oregon legislators —
who put their home lives, personal fortunes
and sacred honor at risk by actually engaging
in representative democracy and compromise
over nine long months — and let them know
that their efforts were entirely wasted.
Heartened, no doubt, by the successful
coup d’etat in California, I can only imagine
how pleased our new shadow governor must
be at his own successful coup right here in
Oregon. What an achievement this is for Mr.
Mannix: No longer will losing an election be
an impediment to holding elective office!
I look forward to watching him as he ap-
points his shadow cabinet and proceeds with
his already-delineated shadow legislative
agenda. But I have to wonder if he’s thought
this entirely through. Having already ensured
that no Oregon legislator in a generation will
have the gumption to actually propose any
meaningful budgetary legislation, I am curi-
ous as to why he is now calling for a special
session. It rather seems as if, having gelded
the stallion, Mr. Mannix is now attempting to
stand it at stud. Something is missing from the
equation, certainly.
Hart Williams
Eugene
BY JIM FLYNN
Equal Justice?
Why did Lara get less than five years?
O
n Feb. 26 former Eugene Police officer Juan Francisco Lara was sen-
tenced to less than five years for crimes relating to sexual abuse of
women and other acts of misconduct while on duty. Eleven victims spoke at
the hearing about how Lara’s actions have irrevocably changed their lives for the worse.
Many of the victims reported that they were so afraid of Lara that they had to move
away from Eugene.
Lara never took responsibility for his crimes, and instead attempted the age-old de-
fense that the women wanted it. The hearing revealed Lara’s own boastful admissions
that he was “just thinking with his dick,” and that his job was all about “getting a piece
of ass.” The plea deal was arranged in a shady after-hours proceeding where this rapist
was even allowed to weasel out of being convicted as a sex offender!
The bust of Lara (and of Roger Magaña, currently in jail awaiting trial) is just the tip
of the iceberg. The EPD is filled with cops who abuse their power as police officers every
day and severely violate the public’s trust.
I wonder if the new chief intends to really clean house or just make public scape-
goats of these two cops. Will any officers be suspended or fired as a result of the investi-
gation into the sex crimes? One thing is clear: They need to clean up their act before
coming to the community for more tax money!
4 MARCH 18, 2004
L
et’s clearly show this travesty of justice for what it really is.
Perhaps you recall the case of Jeffrey Luers. On June 16,
2000, this 22-year-old man set three SUVs on fire in the
Romania car lot to make a political statement. The punishment for
this minor property crime: 22.5 years in prison! There were no back-
room deals in this case; as a matter of fact, there were no plea offers
made to him at all. The only victim in this case was a car dealership that
collected a hefty insurance check.
What did the women who were raped and victimized by Lara get? Nothing.
They did not receive a dime in victim compensation (although the DA asked for it, the
judge denied it) and were harshly cross-examined by Lara’s defense attorney, Dan
Koenig. They were humiliated by the slap on the wrist that Lara received in this plea bar-
gain proceeding, and now must attempt to get on with their lives.
It is appalling and outrageous that a young man has been sentenced to 22.5 years
for a minor arson, and an officer sworn to uphold the law and protect the community
has been sentenced to 54 months by the exact same court of law for sexually abusing
while in uniform at least 10 women in this community without even having to register as
a sex offender — a title he has more than earned by his own deviant, dishonest and evil
actions. This situation makes a mockery of the courts, the criminal justice system and
equal protection of the law — the foundation of the U.S. Constitution.
Jim Flynn is an 11-year Eugene resident and police critic who was repeatedly pepper-sprayed by EPD officers at the
June 1, 1997, protest of downtown tree removal to build the Broadway/Charnelton project.