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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2007)
TO THE EDITOR your vote for Dr. Roger Hall for Zone 6. Kathleen Shelley Vida UNFAIR TAX The Lane County Income Tax Measure is an unfair tax. Many seniors will have to pay this tax on their IRA and company pen- sions, but county, state and federal retirees will not have to pay it. State and county re- tirees who make $2,000 to $8,000 per month will not have to pay a dime for this income tax since they have been exempted. But retirees who make less than $2,000 per month with IRAs will have to pay the tax. This is an outrage! I was also shocked that the Lane County government used taxpayer money to put a huge insert in the April 30 The Register-Guard for this tax and the decep- tive so-called cap of 2 percent. There is no cap if you read the fine print. It actually says that the county can pass any income tax without the vote of the people if it is less than 2 percent. We must find another way to raise revenue for Lane County. This income tax is regressive and unfair. And Hynix, along with some other large corpo- rations, gets huge income tax breaks with this tax. I am voting no on both of these tax measures because they will hurt small businesses and lower and middle income seniors and families and because they are unjust. Carol Roberts Eugene HORNE FOR ESD As a mother of a child in the Eugene 4J School District, I will feel more secure about my son’s academic future with Carol Horne occupying a seat on the Lane ESD board. I believe Horne will make an exemplary addi- tion to the Lane ESD board. As a writer and research assistant for the Oregon Center for Applied Science, Horne has helped to create award-winning educational, interactive com- puter programs for children and has worked with Lane ESD in getting those programs added to schools’ curricula. She is a progressive who is committed to diversity, has always allowed for the inclu- sion of minority viewpoints and has spent her life dedicated to social justice, fairness and equity. Having first-hand experience with the special education needs of her brother, Horne is passionate about and dedicated to ensuring a quality education for all children. Horne has spent years devoting her time, energy and commitment to various projects in Eugene, including producing the Women in Theatre Festival, which was dedicated to showcasing performances centering around topics relating to women, identity and other fairness and justice issues. Horne will bring much-needed gender balance to the Lane ESD board while adding her passionate understanding that all children deserve to have access to a quality education. Please join me in marking your ballots for Carol Horne for Lane ESD board. She de- serves your support. Aria Seligmann Eugene Winner of the 2005 - 2007 Award for Best Wine Selection SNAGS ROCK For millions of years, wildfire has been a natural, beneficial and essential element of our western forests. Certain tree species, like the knobcone pine, depend on fire to burst seedcones. Wildfire fertilizes forests by returning vital nutrients to the soil through burnt and decomposing organic matter. Wildfire creates standing dead snags, crucial habitat for species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians as well as a home for insects, a primary food source for these creatures. Snags provide shade for a new generation of seedlings sprouting up in profusion fol- lowing a burn. When these snags fall, they continue to provide habitat and food, prevent erosion by stabilizing forest soils and retain moisture. As these snags decay, they enrich the soil and provide a bed for new tree growth, hence the term “nurse log.” Unfortunately, the barbaric logging in- dustry, politicians in their pocket and lackey government agencies (BLM and Forest Service), have defied the laws of nature by decreeing that wildfire is a threat to our forests — instead of a vital and rejuvenative Open Seven Days a Week • Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Wines by the Glass/Bottle/Case • Catering Free Friday Wine Tastings 5-7 p.m. 200 W. Broadway 541.685.0790 oregonwineandmore.com MAY 10, 2007 5
