Eugene weekly., April 22, 2004, Page 10, Image 10

SPRING
Simple
as
1, 2, 3.
BY ALAN PITTMAN
SALE
Save $300-$500
on all models!
Sewing, Vacuum, Spa & Stove
484-6006
1963 W. 6TH AVE. • EUGENE
14 TH A NNUAL
Multicultural
Storytelling Festival
featuring nationally known storytellers . . .
MICHAEL PARENT (Tales from a French-Canadian)
GLADYS COGGSWELL (Tales from an African American)
MEGUMI (Tales from Japanese Folklore)
ul
erf ce!!!
d
on rien d older)
W
A Expe ges 10 an
a
ily ended for
m
Fa (recomm
Tickets: $8.00 per person OR
$20.00 for a family of four
(cash or check only).
Available at The Actors Cabaret
& at the door.
**Also: CDs, tapes, shirts and books for sale**
Robert Rubinstein • Producer/Director
SaTuRdAy Evening, ApRiL
ThE
V ERy L iTtLe
24 th @ 7 :3 0 pm
T hEaTrE
2350 Hilyard St. • 344-7751/344-8176
Sponsored by: Lane Arts Council, Springfield Education Association / Oregon Education Association,
City of Eugene, Oregon Community Credit Union, Very Little Theatre, Selco Credit Union& National Storytelling Network
10 APRIL 22, 2004
Nancy
Nathanson
Buying a Mayor
Developer cash backs Nathanson.
M
ayoral candidate Nancy Nathanson
has the cash backing of develop-
ment interests who stand to rake in
money on urban sprawl and freeway projects
if she’s elected.
Development interests — including real
estate speculators, builders, construction
companies and local timber barons — con-
tributed $10,350 to Nathanson’s campaign as
of April 1. Nathanson, who has a solidly con-
servative and anti-environmental voting
record as a city councilor, is backed by the
Chamber of Commerce, but opposed by local
environmental and good government groups.
Nathanson’s single biggest contributor is
the Giustina timber family and their various
companies who gave a total of $2,600, ac-
cording to required contribution reports. The
Giustinas have speculated on large tracks of
land on the edges of Eugene and could stand
to make millions from urban sprawl.
The local Wildish clan, owners of sand
and gravel and construction companies as
well as land holdings, are Nathanson’s next
biggest backer with $2,000 in total contribu-
tions. Wildish does millions of dollars in
local highway construction work and stands
to make millions more on projects like the
$130 million West Eugene Parkway.
Nathanson backs the controversial, sprawl-
inducing freeway project through wetlands.
Delta Sand and Gravel, which also hopes
to make big money from the parkway, gave
another $1,000 to Nathanson. Hamilton
Construction Company, another road build-
ing company, gave Nathanson $1,000 more.
Greg Demers has speculated on hundreds
of acres of land west of Eugene and in Veneta
that could soar in value with the construction
of the West Eugene Parkway. Demers gave
Nathanson $1,000.
The Gonyea family, land speculators who
sold Hynix land for its factory, gave
Nathanson $750.
Many of Nathanson’s biggest funders are
also big contributors to George Bush and
right-wing politics. The Giustinas recently
gave $50,000 to the Republican National
Committee’s efforts to re-elect George Bush
and his friends. The Wildish clan recently
gave $2,000 to Republicans nationally,
$5,000 for the pro-parkway campaign two
years ago and $2,000 to the Gang of 9’s at-
tack adds against City Council progressives.
Demers recently gave $25,000 to national
Republicans,
$10,000
to
Oregon
Republicans, $10,000 for the West Eugene
Parkway and $2,500 to the Gang of 9.
The Gonyeas gave Bush $8,000 last year,
the national Republican Party $25,000 and
the Oregon Republican Party $10,000. Delta
Sand and Gravel gave $5,000 to the parkway
and $1,000 to the Gang of 9. Hamilton con-
tributed $2,000 to the parkway.
Even some of Nathanson’s smaller con-
tributors are pro-Bush activists. Jack
Courtemanche gave Nathanson $100.
Courtemanche is a former assistant to
President Ronald Reagan and was Nancy
Reagan’s chief of staff. When Dick Cheney
came to Eugene in 2000 for a campaign stop,
Courtemanche picked him up at the airport in
a motor home for a rally at Country Coach
where Courtemanche was CEO, the
Associated Press reported.
Nathanson has consistently voted against
environmental and other regulations opposed
by business and has won the strong backing
of the local conservative business community
in her bid for mayor. Business interests, in-
cluding developers, gave Nathanson a total of
$18,750 by April 1. The Eugene Chamber
gave Nathanson $1,500, Nike board member
and attorney John Jaqua gave $1,000 and
Industrial Source, a welding supply com-
pany, gave another $1,000. The Woolley fam-
ily, which owns much of downtown Eugene,
gave $500, Redhead Real Estate $500, and
Pepsi Bottling another $500.
Almost a quarter of Nathanson’s funding,
including donations from the Gonyeas,
Hamilton Construction and Demers, came
from companies and individuals outside of
Eugene.
Nathanson’s opponent Kitty Piercy re-
ported a total of $38,446 in contributions
from local progressives, environmentalists
and unions. Big donors include organic food-
maker Mel Bankoff, LCC faculty member
Mark Williams and James Gang Publishing
who each gave $1,000. The Eugene firefight-
ers union gave $3,000.
The firefighters could benefit directly
from a friendly mayor, but most of Piercy’s
other contributors appear to have little to gain
other than good government, environment
and quality of life.
Piercy’s donations reflect her broad pop-
ulist support. Piercy reported receiving 293
donations of $50 and under for a total of
$11,251. Nathanson reported only $800 in
such small contributions.
Piercy has reported raising more money
than Nathanson — $38,446 to Nathanson’s
$24,360. But few expect that early lead to last
and more spending reports are due May 6. In
the last hotly contested mayor’s race,
Republican Jim Torrey outspent his progres-
sive opponent Jim Weaver five to one, paying
$76,000 for the mayor’s seat.
ew