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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2004)
TO THE EDITOR compensation” when condemning or taking private property. Oregon does not need Measure 37. It would be a disaster. Karen Reid Springfield RURAL DOCS GET HELP Supporters of Measure 35 claim it is needed to help rural doctors. But I just found out that the Oregon Legislature passed a law last year providing funds to pay up to 80 per- cent of their malpractice insurance. This is an Oregon solution developed by a Republican Legislature and signed by a Democratic gov- ernor. Why do we need to amend the Constitution and pass Amendment 35 if rural doctors are already getting help? Let’s give our Oregon solution a chance to work. Vote no on Constitutional Amendment 35. Kristin Barber Springfield THE RIGHT TO WEALTH Many people wonder about the sincerity of the Bush administration when they speak about promoting democracy abroad and how democracy in the Arab world is essential to our national security. I believe they are sin- cere down to the bottoms of their hearts. I also believe that when they speak of democ- racy, they are really speaking of capitalism and free trade. I believe that they truly think that our national security hinges on securing the rights of American corporations to do business abroad. Their heart-felt belief is that this corporate success all over the world will guarantee our way of life for decades to come. I believe that most Americans have lost sight of any separation between democ- racy and capitalism. And people have bought into the idea that to protect the American dream, one must defend the right of any American to amass as much wealth as is hu- manly possible. If this is what you believe to be the prom- ise of America, then the Bush message is your ticket to the future — your lottery ticket that, if you play just right, can make you the next Donald Trump. I am reminded of the story in Exodus, when Moses was late returning from the mountaintop. Those who were frightened that they had been deceived began to melt down their gold and make false idols to worship. Our way of life has become the worship of these false idols of oil and wealth. And a reli- gious zealot playing on our fears can do great harm. Carol Horne Eugene PARTISAN FACTION Faye Stewart’s recent curious boasting (letter to Eugene Chamber 8/13) of being “an active member of Eugene’s business commu- nity” along with his earlier saying he’ll sell the Lane County Fairgrounds and form a rad- ical partisan voting faction with Commissioner Anna Morrison concerns me greatly. His apparent lack of judgment and political independence are very disappoint- ing. Stewart’s acceptance of $1,700 of cam- paign cash from notorious Eugene developer John Musumeci who lusts after our fair- grounds is deeply distressing. When the Board of Commissioners chose former Mayor Don Hampton to fill Tom Lininger’s vacated East Lane seat, they (in- cluding Commissioner Morrison) rejected Stewart as a finalist due to his obvious lack of suitable qualifications. While Hampton’s political resume in- cludes the Lane Economic Committee, Chairman of LRAPA, Coast Fork/Middle Fork and McKenzie Watershed Councils and 16 years in local elective office, Stewart’s re- cent campaign reports read like a “who’s who” of Eugene developer interests — poised to trample upon our rural Lane County’s special character. As a retired dentist who had to come up the ranks in my profession with years of training, internship and hands-on experience, I am more comfortable with Hampton’s 30 years of experience in East Lane classrooms and 16 years of local and county office. Those thousands of hours and hundreds of is- sues give Hampton the winning edge in my book. Big campaign money, high priced po- litical consultants and saturation commer- cials can’t compete with Hampton’s record of experience and independence! Dr. Tom Creager Cottage Grove REJECT MEASURE 35 Did you know it is easier to check the background on a contractor remodeling your kitchen than it is to find out if your surgeon has a history of reckless or negligent behav- ior? If we want to improve patient safety we should crack down on reckless and negligent doctors. Measure 35 will not do anything to improve patient safety and it will hurt Oregonians. Before we amend the constitu- tion we should try something less drastic. Voters should reject Measure 35. Cathy Fitzsimmons Eugene THINK OF THE DAMAGE In 1993 I lived in Colorado and worked EW Staff EDITORIAL Editor Ted Taylor Associate Editor Melissa Bearns Executive/Arts Editor Lois Wadsworth Contributing Editor Anita Johnson Staff Writers Alan Pittman, Kera Abraham Calendar & Music Editor Ben Fogelson Contributing Writers Brett Campbell, Rachel Foster, Jerry Harris, Kate Rogers Gessert, James Johnston, Sharleen Nelson, Mary O’Brien, Sylvie Pederson, Vanessa Salvia, Sally Sheklow, Lance Sparks, Martha Ulman West Interns Alexandra Arch, E. Anderson Cael, Christine Mathias, Omie Drawhorn y ART DEPARTMENT Art Director/Production Manager Kevin Dougherty Graphic Artist/Webmaster James Bateman Graphic Artists Todd Cooper Contributing Photographers Kurt Jensen, Paul Neevel ADVERTISING National Sales Manager Mark Frisbee Display Marketing Consultant Jennifer D’Angelo, Rob Weiss Advertising Traffic Coordinator Geneva Miller Classified Manager Jeffrey Stout Classified Marketing Consultant Molly Templeton BUSINESS Director of Sales and Marketing Bill Shreve Circulation Manager Deena Miller Controller Paula Hoemann Distributors Bob Becker, Peter Dilcher, Kevin Greene, Tim Risch, Jackson Stephens, Carrie Wedmore, Pedalers Express Printing Signature Graphics HOW TO REACH US BY E-MAIL: (letters): editor@eugeneweekly.com (advertising): ads@eugeneweekly.com (classifieds): classy@eugeneweekly.com (personals): personals@eugeneweekly.com (calendar): cal@eugeneweekly.com (music/clubs/special shows): music@eugeneweekly.com (art/openings/galleries): visualarts@eugeneweekly.com (performance/theater): performance@eugeneweekly.com (literary arts/readings): books@eugeneweekly.com (movies/film screenings): movies@eugeneweekly.com (circulation): distribution@eugeneweekly.com Eugene Weekly • 1251 Lincoln Street • Eugene, OR 97401 • 541.484.0519 • fax 541-484-4044 OCTOBER 21, 2004 5
