letters
TO THE EDITOR
local concerns and challenges. Her 20 years
experience working with dislocated workers,
youth and underemployed workers gives her
the motivation and insight needed to create
change. She served 14 years on the LCC
board and 25 years as chief fi nancial offi cer
of the Lane County Central Labor Council.
Pat Riggs-Henson came out of
retirement to seek to serve as county
commissioner and will be accessible to
her constituents. She’s is in touch with
the unemployed, underemployed and the
working poor. Pat Riggs-Henson is the
right choice for Lane County.
Shirley Gauthier
Springfi eld
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF
Congressional candidate Art Robinson
and his supporters would have you believe
that his positions on certain topics have
been exaggerated by his opponent, from
abolishing public education to advocating
that nuclear waste in our homes and
drinking water is good for us. I invite
readers to judge for themselves by reading
and watching Robinson explain his fringe
positions in his own words, by visiting
www.whoisartrobinson.com. There, I think
you will agree, you will fi nd Robinson’s
positions as shocking as I have.
Jason A. Kilgore
Junction City
SCHNITZ FIT
“J-Schnitz”? What is that all about? It
drives me nuts every time I see it in print!
I’ve come to accept it on Suzi Steffen’s
Facebook posts because, hey, it’s the
internet, who cares, right?
But on the cover of the Weekly (9/23)?
And multiple times in the article on the
Vasi show? It’s just ... awful. It makes
Steffen sound like an older, uncool
person trying to be hip. It comes across
as affected, and in combination with the
lolspeak (“sekrit iPad keyz”?!) in the
sidebar, downright unprofessional.
I don’t know if she’s been told to use a
more “accessible,” “urban” or “youthful”
style, but it’s really bad. I can’t be the only
one who fi nds it completely grating on the
nerves (in fact, I know several employees
at the JSMA who hate it). May I suggest
using the full name of the museum, or if
there is a need shorten it, calling it the
Jordan Schnitzer, or the JSMA? (The latter
has the fewest characters of all, making it
best for Twittering.)
Katie Aaberg
Eugene
DOOR-TO-DOOR
Jobs and health care are top concerns
of Pat Riggs-Henson, candidate for county
commissioner and just about everyone I
talk to.
Rigg-Henson is going door-to-door
with her campaign to fi nd out what
Springfi eld citizens want to happen. She
is one of the top longtime leaders in the
community for job development. I think
her idea-in-progress to lower the age
limit and extend health benefi ts for those
who wish to retire early is brilliant. It
would open up a lot of higher paying jobs
to new employees and lower the cost of
health insurance.
Riggs-Henson’s 14 years on the LCC
Board have given her important insight on
how LCC job development benefi ts those
seeking skills necessary for Springfi eld’s
future.
Do vote for Pat Riggs-Henson for
county commissioner!
Ruth Duemler
Eugene
REAL SCRUTINY
Regarding Slant (supporting LTD and
EmX, 9/16): Scrutinize is a good word.
Some defi nitions are: to examine closely,
observe with great care, and look at details.
If EW really wants scrutiny of the West
11th EmX plans, why don’t you assign an
unbiased reporter to accurately compile the
facts. This might clarify the misinformation,
and omission of information campaign LTD
is waging now with EW’s assistance. This
could help educate your Slant writers as to
what is really going on.
Mass transit is absolutely in our future.
There actually is excellent mass transit
operating now on West 11th. It is underutilized
and has not nearly reached capacity.
Please stop making repeated ridiculous
generalizations in support of LTD’s fl awed
West 11th expansion plans. Your readers
aren’t stupid; please don’t treat us that
way. Examine the short- and long-term
benefi ts versus costs. Scrutinize where
the funds are coming from after the FTA
grant. The city has $10 million or more in
matching fund responsibilities.
The operational expenses will increase,
while the proposed bigger buses will
make less stops. Does EW really support
the mass private property condemnations
necessary to achieve this goal?
Why does LTD operate in the red each
year? Where does this unbudgeted money
come from?
Eugene’s population has doubled in
40 years. Please examine this issue with
the intensity and interest you put into the
cheerleaders’ cleavage-display differences.
Then maybe you will see why the EmX
West 11th expansion is not appropriate.
Robert Rubin
Waldport
How do Y OU
Envision
Eugene?
Where and how should Eugene grow?
Come see how your input is shaping a draft
plan, and help us make it better!
Open House/Map Room
October 28, 2010, 4-7 pm
Bascom-Tykeson Room
Downtown Eugene
Public Library
City of Eugene Planning &
Development Department
541-682-6021
MUSEUM
OF
NATURAL
AND
CULTURAL
H I S T O RY
YES ON 76
Ballot Measure 76 will continue vital
funding for parks, wildlife habitat and
cleaner water. I volunteer with three
local watershed councils — pulling out
blackberries, ivy and other invasive
plants alongside streams and rivers. I have
planted willows and other trees and native
grasses to improve water quality and
habitat for fi sh. I have gone back and seen
the improvement along these waterways.
Lottery funding makes possible the
coordination of volunteer efforts. It also
provides living wage jobs for restoration
projects and outdoor education activities.
With this funding, kids are growing
seedlings, planting trees, and learning to
be good stewards of the land.
In the past 12 years, these lottery
funds have restored more than 3,000
river miles, educated more than 5,000
school age children, provided more than
2,600 Oregonians with family wage jobs
and protected more than 40,000 acres of
natural areas. Vote yes and continue the
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Join Oregon archaeologists to celebrate their work and
learn about their latest finds and the implications for
understanding our collective past. All lectures begin at
5:30 p.m. at 175 Knight Law Center, 1515 Agate Street,
and are free and open to the public.
FRIDAY,
A O CTOBER 22 Island of the Blue Dolphins: An
Archaeological Time Capsule from California’s Channel Islands
Jon Erlandson, Archaeologist and Director, Museum of Natural and
Cultural History
FRIDAY,
A O CTOBER 29 Ancient Salmon and the Columbia River
Virginia Butler, Professor of Anthropology, Portland State University
natural-history.uoregon.edu · 541-346-1717 · facebook.com/uofomnch
EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity.
EUGENE WEEKLY OCTOBER 21, 2010 7