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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2004)
TO THE EDITOR DOESN’T ADD UP EWEB is being mismanaged. Three lone board members without factual data or public input are railroading through the sale of all the EWEB riverfront property to Triad. A decision of this magnitude cannot be made without public involvement and hard data. What is happening is that EWEB ratepayers, who paid $25 million 15 years ago for an administrative building to last 50 years (but would now cost $50 million to build), will throw in the building and all the riverfront land to Triad for a mere $24 million! Triad’s offer doesn’t come close to covering the cost of relocation. There is neither proven need nor cost-savings data available for a move. It doesn’t add up for ratepayers. The board intends to spend $1 million for feasibility studies regarding this offer. If the board truly has cost-saving and effi- ciency in mind, then the first priority is sponsoring energy conservation. The biggest expense for the utility is purchas- ing energy; if we raise rates 1 percent, the utility raises $1 million, but if we save 1 percent, the savings is $5 million! Let’s put our money where it counts. Write to the Board of Commissioners at P.O. Box 10148, Eugene 97440 or call EWEB at 484-2411. Simply let them know that you will not subsidize a new building or increased rates. There is no financial gain to sell at this time. Giving away our public asset is irre- sponsible. Marcy Cauthorn Eugene across the river into Springfield. The Glenwood URD passed with 72 percent of the vote! Paul Roth Glenwood UNFOUNDED PARANOID Jerry Harris has some good ideas, but he was off-base in his recent column about the Eugene Public Library (11/18). Eugene Weekly prides itself on being biased on be- half of progressive views, but being factual is just as important, especially when checking the facts shows what a great li- brary we have. One simple phone call revealed that the library does not generally collect card- holder information beyond name and ad- dress, and so therefore cannot share check- out lists with Homeland Security or any- one else. There a few minor exceptions to this rule; primarily in the area of keeping track of damaged materials or past-due late fees. As long as patrons return their checked out materials on time and in good condition, no one is the wiser. Public librarians, actually a rather cheerful and charmingly non-dogmatic group of people, are extremely sensitive to the rights of all people to access informa- tion. Nationally, most public libraries no longer compile cardholder check-out in- formation. Can’t honor a subpoena if they don’t have the information, can they? A tidy solution, and easy for Mr. Harris and his editors to ascertain. Go ahead and be outrageous, but get a clue. Curb your para- noia and check your facts. Laurie McClain Mary Wagner & Joan Kleban Eugene MIXED MESSAGE Thanks for your feature touting the Glenwood Option (11/11). As your article correctly states, the two options, Glenwood and Riverbend, have now moved much closer together, largely due to the recent passage of the Glenwood Urban Renewal District (URD), which you also correctly point out, will help with infra- structure improvements and property ac- quisition. It is interesting and ironic to note, how- ever, that the editors of Eugene Weekly in- explicably recommended that the people of Springfield reject the creation of the Glenwood URD in its election issue (10/14). Those who support compact core- area urban growth and decry development in pristine areas on the urban fringe can be thankful EW’s influence does not extend BACK TO THE DARK Bush-Republican agenda for their last term: Suspend the Age of Reason! Cancel the Renaissance! Turn off the Enlightenment! Return to the Dark Ages! Never mind that their “political capital” is counterfeit and they have no mandate. Wendy Ray Eugene WORK AT HOME I read with interest Julie Claybaugh’s letter (11/18) in the Weekly. I certainly agree with many of Ms. Claybaugh’s points, but I take issue with her fingers, which are pointed at the Midwest and the Bible Belt as the source of the blame for the election of President Bush. She ends her letter declaring, “Thank God we live in 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 Editor Kent Goodman 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, Kate Storm, Martha Ulman West Interns Alexandra Arch, Sarah Brickner, E. Anderson Cael, Christine Mathias 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, Roc Dosland, Kevin Greene, Tim Risch, 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 DECEMBER 16, 2004 5
