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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2004)
Dr. Noeleen Heyzer Harriet Merrick, Deana Dartt, Margaret Knox, and Lise Nelson. The panelists will discuss: the effects of violence that result from war, political conflict, terrorism and the war on terrorism; human rights, immigration, and work; the production of economic inse- curities in the context of globalization; local, national, and international efforts to promote human security. The conference is free and open to the public. For complete schedule, see http://csws.uoregon.edu/home/index.shtml HOUSING STANDARDS GET CONSIDERATION THE POLITICS OF SECURITY EXPLORED AT UO The Borders of Human Security: Geopolitics Comes Home is the theme of a May 20-21 Center for the Study of Women in Society conference that brings together emi- nent social scientists, lawyers, labor leaders, and community advocates to address topics of human and national security. Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), will open the conference on Thursday evening, May 20, by exploring the concept of human security — an alternative se- curity paradigm that has captured the attention of many in the international policy community. On Friday, May 21, the conference con- tinues with four panels that include distin- guished scholars and community advocates Dorothy Roberts, Cynthia Cockburn, Cindi Katz, Dalia Hashad, Rhonda Ramiro, Ramon Ramirez, Patricia Cortez, Sandra Morgen, Lynn Stephen, Joan Acker, Guadalupe Quinn, Carol Van Houten, Hope Marston, The Eugene Citizens for Housing Standards continues the fight to have the city prioritize issues of rental housing conditions in Eugene. In this week’s May 10 city council meeting, more than 50 students, renters and landlords attended to give testimony to the need for local housing standards. The council will consider all testimony and information gathered in the last five months in a May 24 work session on local housing standards. Maddy Melton, ASUO president and ECHS spokesperson, says, “Over 54,000 renters in Eugene are forced to rely upon state law and an inadequate court system for pro- tection and/or assistance of unsafe living con- ditions.” That state law comes in the form of the Oregon Landlord-Tenant Act and, as Melton describes it, “The system is time con- suming and cost-prohibitive for many low- income residents.” ECHS hopes to have the City Council adopt a rental housing program similar to a successful one in Corvallis. In effect for more than two years now, the Corvallis program works with tenants and landlords to explore all options for complaint resolution before • Last week’s endorsements blurbs and stories had photos for many of our candidate picks, but we didn’t have room for all the photos. One of the seven photos left out was Betty Taylor’s, and wouldn’t you know it, her endorse- ment ran right above a paid ad with a photo of her op- ponent. So, Betty, here’s lookin’ atcha! • We nominate Willamette Week for a Pulitzer prize for extraordinary guts and excellence in jour- nalism. That’s a prize unlikely to be given, but it should be. WW is the Portland alternative weekly that re- searched and broke the sordid story of Neil Goldschmidt’s sexual assault of a l4-year-girl when he was mayor of Portland and his buying of her continued silence 10 years ago. Betty Taylor Newspaper readers first saw the story in The Oregonian last Friday under the banner headline “Goldschmidt confesses ‘70s affair with girl, 14. Former governor quits career, citing his long- held ‘lie.’” But internet readers read the thoroughly documented details that apparently brought about his confession on WW’s website the day before. Incidentally, that headline was a clue to The Oregonian coverage of this story. “Affair?” That’s hardly the correct word — and readers responded with anger. Two months ago, WW started following a tip to this story. After it was nailed down with documentation, WW made repeated calls to Goldschmidt’s office last week. He did not respond, going instead to The Oregonian, where his treatment would most certainly be “softball,” as they say in the trade. The daily would get undeserved credit for breaking such a significant story, and, most importantly, Goldschmidt would control the spin. Amazingly, an Oregonian associate editor immediately questioned in his column whether this story should have been told, now or ever. By his own confession, Goldschmidt, educated as a lawyer, is guilty of the gravest abuse of power. He admitted a felony. Although the statute of limitations for prosecution has passed, it is rape if an adult has sex with someone under 16. His crime with a 14-year- 8 MAY 13, 2004 using the court system. The program is funded through an $8 fee charged to each rental unit in the community. ECHS staff member Brett Rowlett says, “We want this not to be a landlord versus ten- ant kind of thing. In fact, ECHS has suc- ceeded in finding local landlords who sup- port this program. It really is about making sure that everyone’s interests are protected.” The current list of ECHS coalition part- ners includes: Amazon Neighbors, the Associated Students of Lane Community College, the Associated Students of the University of Oregon, Centro Latino Americano, Community Alliance of Lane County, Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network, Jefferson Westside Neighborhood Association, Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group, Oregon Students of Color Coalition, Service Employee International Union-Local 501, and the West University Neighborhood Association Executive Board. Melton says of the diverse involvement in the coalition, “I think we may have enough momentum to make some changes.” — Bobbie Willis old was concealed for 20 years and then he paid $250,000 in an out-of-court settlement to further conceal it. Apparently because of this lie in his past, he long ago left electoral politics, gravitat- ing instead to the accumulation of immense power without accountability. The week before last, Neil Goldschmidt was the most powerful man in Oregon. In Eugene, we’re well aware of his power; new chairman of the State Board of Higher Education; lobbyist and more for Hyundai-Hynix in building their plant on wetlands; lobbyist for the wood products industry in setting up dubious land swaps with government agencies; the guy Democrats must go to if they want to run for statewide office or even try for a judgeship; grossly overpaid lobbyist for SAIF. In the days to come, as more details unfold, will it be apparent that Willamette Week’s investigative reporting has truly ended Neil Goldschmidt’s remarkable ca- reer? The Oregonian reported that Mayor Vera Katz of Portland predicts he will come back. Former Congressman Jim Weaver of Eugene told Associated Press that his po- litical power is gone. Again, that probably depends on the spine of the Oregon press in documenting all abuse of power. Lest we forget, every editor should post the column by Steve Duin from the May 9 Oregonian. This is how it ends: “Like any father, I can still picture him, on those carefully arranged afternoons, stepping into the room where she sits on the edge of the bed. “I imagine him taking off his coat and loosening his tie. And that’s about the time the scene goes dark, and I turn away before the sadness and the horror overwhelm me. “She was 14 when he lay down with her. She has never been the same.” • The scandalous and outrageous behavior of American troops in dealing with prison- ers of war continues to unravel and shake our government to its highest levels. Bush has already committed numerous impeachable offenses, and allowing this abuse to happen on his watch is just one more. His rhetoric about “evil” nations just fuels the sense of us vs. them. We are reminded of former Congressman Jim Weaver’s psychological theories about political hawks: They have little empathy for anyone different from themselves. They will do anything — suppression of rights, torture, even murder — to protect their clan or tribe from perceived threats. It’s obsolete thinking, but it persists as long as we allow it. Let’s get some doves in office and build peace in the world.
