Eugene weekly., September 29, 2011, Page 6, Image 6

letters
CPI’s previous generation “Turtle”
electric meter interfered with my home’s
X-10 light controls, which forced me to
abandon them. Wi-fi computer networks
could be similarly disrupted.
Perhaps privacy is only a concern of
marijuana growers trying to hide from
police their plant lights’ abnormal usage
of electricity. There is still too much secret
about proprietary smart meters to know if
privacy is a bigger issue.
Thomas Kraemer
Corvallis
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TO THE EDITOR
I am so happy that Pete Sorenson
is once again on the campaign trail by
announcing that he is running for re-
election for south Eugene’s Lane County
commissioner.
Pete has been a driving force behind
progressive values that represent the
majority of citizens who live in Lane
County. He is not afraid to speak his mind
and stand up for the values that open-
minded people everywhere hold dear.
He is the voice of reason keeping our
community moving forward. Vote on May
15 and reelect a true leader.
Diane DeVillers
Eugene
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INSANE BIKERS?
For the courteous driver writing
(“Insane Bikers,” 9/15) about insane
bikers: Although being screamed at in
traffi c is dangerous and uncivilized, you
were provoking the incident by driving
incorrectly. There have been an increasing
number of “courteous drivers” stopping
at unexpected locations to give bikes the
right of way. However you are not doing
anybody a favor by impeding traffi c. No
skilled bicyclist is going to ride in front of
a car that is driving erratically or failing to
follow standard traffi c patterns.
Since you saw the cyclist approaching
in your rear view mirror and your signal
was on, then you were in front and
expected to turn fi rst. Bicyclists are
required by law to obey the same traffi c
rules as automobiles. It’s great that you are
“hyper-aware” of bikers, but it is possible
to drive cautiously while still following
standard traffi c procedures.
Patrick Roberts
Corvallis
6
SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
HIPPIE CHICK RESPONDS
I have a pertinent response to Kevin
O’Brien’s offense (9/15) that his politeness
as a driver was not well received: But for
the obscenity and the city, I could have
easily been Mr. O’Brien’s cycling hippie
chick.
While I applaud Mr. O’Brien for
signaling his intent to turn, too often cars
have cut me off when what could have
been a yield was simply a distracted driver
spending more time than normal at rest. Of
the 25 people who do this over the course
of a year, maybe one is actually yielding.
The safest action I can take is to stop and
wait for this car to move, which does piss
me off. Despite one’s good intentions,
inappropriate and unpredictable politeness
needlessly endangers those of us using the
road. (Such was the point recently made
in regard to cars that stop for crossing
pedestrians at unmarked intersections on
two-lane, one-direction roads.)
Safety for both cars and bikes relies on
communication of intent. I fully expect a
car signaling right in front of me to turn
right in front of me. Until car makers
include a signal that means “I want to
turn right but will wait for you to pass
safely,” I’ll continue to fully express
myself with all situationally appropriate
arm gestures, reserving my curses to
those cars that speed ahead and cut me
off, signal or not.
Ebba Peterson
Corvallis
ELECTIONS ESSAY
The point of Tom Hayden’s disjointed
9/11 essay (9/8) eluded me till I saw it as a
work of pre-election propaganda, intended
to rally liberal supporters of Obama
demoralized by the gulf separating Obama
the candidate from Obama the president.
As Hayden himself writes, “bridging
the differences between the Democratic
liberal establishment and the idealistic
progressive networks will remain an
ordeal through the 2012 elections.” This
was an early start in that particular Long
War.
Clearly the rhetoric of the campaign
and reality of the administration do not
square, leaving writers like Hayden
casting about for some way to reconcile
the irreconcilable. With its ambiguous
leader head of the national security state,
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