Anti-war activist Peter Chabarek and
six others, wearing black mourning garb,
approached the podium. Chabarek handed
Wyden a bouquet of white roses and a
packet of photos of Iraq War casualties.
The other mourners, wearing dark veils,
began to weep as if at a funeral. “Senator,
you are aware that the reasons for going to
war have all proven to be false,” Chabarek
said. “Hence, our invasion of Iraq was an
act of aggression … and you, sir, are an ac-
cessory to mass murder.” He challenged
Wyden to sign a pledge to vote against any
future funding for the Iraq War.
“Don’t sign it!” yelled several City
Club members, booing.
“I have no intention of signing this,”
Wyden replied. City Club President Tom
Lininger pulled Chabarek away from the
microphone, but several other protesters
remained kneeling in front of the podium,
weeping softly while Wyden and City Club
members returned to the subject of taxes.
Chabarek stated that the action, part of
the Iraq Pledge National Campaign for
Nonviolent Resistance, “was intended to
dramatically imprint in Sen. Wyden’s heart
the human tragedy of the war, and the out-
rage we feel about his consistent votes in
favor of every appropriations bill to fund
the war, despite his claim to be a ‘progres-
sive’ Democrat.” — Kera Abraham
QUESTIONABLE
CITY SURVEY
Every year the city of Eugene spends
more than $10,000 on a survey of its citi-
zens, but every year the city neglects to ask
the burning questions city policy makers
are struggling with.
Should Eugene subsidize growth?
Should the city give tax breaks to Hynix?
Should the city look for alternatives to the
$170 million West Eugene Parkway
through rare wetlands? Should Eugene
spend $150 million for a new City Hall?
Are the police doing enough to reform
after recent sexual abuse scandals? Should
Eugene hire an independent city auditor to
prevent waste?
Should Eugene’s riverfront be devel-
oped or protected as a park? Do you sup-
port urban renewal diverting tax money
from schools and government services to
build parking garages and roads down-
town? Should Eugene be run by elected of-
ficials or an unelected city manager? Does
city government waste money?
It’s not like their isn’t room for such big
questions. The 2005 survey included 81
questions. While missing the big ques-
tions, the survey is full of trivial or mean-
ingless queries. For example, how is the
city doing on nuisance complaints? Only 2
percent of respondents have actually ap-
plied for city land use permits, but that
didn’t prevent the city from asking about
it’s land use permitting system. The re-
sult— 48 percent don’t know.
The city’s survey has been like this for
years. Elected officials could direct staff to
make the survey more meaningful but have
been passive, largely leaving the political
survey up to the city bureaucracy.
Despite the off-the-mark questions, the
survey does provide hints that the majority
of citizens value the environment over the
city’s current policies of subsidizing
sprawl and big business. Growth combined
with related traffic rated as the most impor-
tant problem facing Eugene. Economic de-
velopment didn’t make the top five list of
leading concerns.
Asked what they like most about
Eugene, the city’s small size and
scenery/terrain were top answers. Forty
percent said the city population is growing
too fast, up from 30 percent last year. Only
8 percent think the city is growing too
slowly. Fifty-four percent said it was very
important for the city to engage in sustain-
able practices, but only 5 percent said the
city was doing an excellent job at it. Twice
as many people (41 percent) think the city
is doing a below average job at managing
growth as think the city is above average.
— Alan Pittman
military actions; and an overview of alter-
natives.
For more information, call 485-1755.
SWOOSH
SUCKING
HOW TO GET
OUT OF IRAQ
The U.S. occupation of Iraq is a politi-
cal and economic quandary not only for the
U.S., but also for Iraq and the world. No
positive resolution is in sight, so what are
our options and alternatives?
Community Alliance of Lane County’s
(CALC) Progressive Responses is spon-
soring a forum titled, “Which Way Out?
Beyond Iraq: Getting To The Big Picture.”
The event begins at 7 pm Tuesday, Jan. 24,
at the United Methodist Church, 1376
Olive St. in Eugene. The discussion will be
moderated by Alan Siporin, and scheduled
speakers will include representatives from
the offices of Rep. Peter DeFazio and Sen.
Ron Wyden.
“Beyond the Iraq crisis, there are three
major global challenges facing us now and
in the near future,” according to a state-
ment from the organizers. “Declining pe-
troleum and natural gas, the pace of global
warming and the severe inequities that
exist between citizens of rich and poor na-
tions.”
Forum speakers will lead discussions
that will highlight alternative approaches
that rely on multilateral cooperation, cre-
ative citizen involvement and enlightened
leadership from elected officials to solve
these problems.
Discussion topics include why the Iraq
occupation is bad for Iraq, bad for the U.S.,
and bad for the world; the benefits of com-
plete withdrawal; broader U.S. foreign pol-
icy considerations; the effectiveness of
The UO has earned a national reputa-
tion, not for academic excellence, but for
sucking up to Nike tycoon Phil Knight.
ESPN.com investigative reporter Mike
Fish featured how Knight “lords his
money” over the UO as Exhibit A in a se-
ries last week on meddling by college
boosters.
UO officials have to “genuflect at his
Nikes,” ESPN reports, describing how UO
President Dave Frohnmayer “waxes glow-
ingly” about Knight, who has given an es-
timated $60 to $70 million to the athletic
program, with a major chunk of a $160
million basketball arena planned.
The article notes how the UO withdrew
from the Worker Rights Consortium, a
group critical of how Nike treats its sweat-
shop workers, five years ago and forced
out a track coach this year, each time after
Knight threatened to stop contributing.
“The Swoosh cast a wide shadow over the
university.”
ESPN describes Knight as the “godfa-
ther of Oregon Ducks athletics,” paying for
“glittery” facilities, and describes how uni-
versity officials “coddle and fawn over
their rich uncle at every turn.” Every year
the UO football coach and his assistants
travel to Knight’s home outside Portland
“spending a few hours talking football and
drawing up plays.”
Frohnmayer responded with a letter to
ESPN.com that he was “offended” by the
article and again spoke glowingly of
Knight as a “distinguished individual.”
The UO president denied that Knight had
any “undue influence” over the university.
But Frohnmayer asked, “Is it any wonder
that we would value his ideas and views?”
— Alan Pittman
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