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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2011)
letters TO THE EDITOR by electricity, bludgeoning, gassing and then cutting of their blood vessels at the neck. Thank you. Bob Berman Cheshire REVOLUTIONS When General Thomas Gage sent 700 elite redcoat soldiers off to Concord, Mass., April 19, 1775, to seize and destroy illegally stockpiled gunpowder and weaponry, he was utilizing force to attempt to quash provincial disobedience. At stake was the issue of who should govern, who should have the power to determine how the people of the province were to exist. Massachusetts was an English colony, a possession, a capital asset. The land and its people were profi t-making resources. The king and parliament were willing to wage war to preserve their power to dictate. Occasionally, oppressed people, unconscionably exploited, attempt to take away that power. Dictators fall, revolutions occur, corrupt political parties are voted out of offi ce, corporate behemoths are broken up or vigorously regulated. Our century’s Lexington and Concord time has come. We, the people, must wrest the power to govern away from our greedy capitalists and their bought politicians, who profess to own us. Like King George III, our rulers are determined to maximize their power to exploit. We must be vigilant; we must be vociferous; we must support courageous demonstrations like Occupy Wall Street. We must neither permit ourselves to be deluded by dishonest characterizations and deliberate falsehoods nor be fearful nor be divided in purpose by social, racial, ethnic or religious wedge issues. We must win back the constitutional levers of governance designed for us by our forbearers and then utilize them to generate the blessings that a free, empathetic nation bestows. Harold Titus Florence DEAR SUPER COMMITTEE I am a disabled citizen in Lane County. I voluntarily serve on the advisory board of the Community Health Council (CHC). We advise two federally funded community CHCs, Charnelton in Eugene and Riverstone CHC in Springfi eld. CHCs are vital resources for our uninsured and underinsured. CHCs provide high quality health care, dental care for school children, prenatal care and care for patients with chronic medical and behavioral health conditions. The Pledge to America states, “Joblessness is the single most important challenge facing America today.” So why are House Republicans cutting jobs at health centers, which are in low income, underserved communities? Because of the $1.3 billion cut to the Health Centers Program for FY 2011, 127 health centers will close nationally. These 127 CHCs employed 7,434 individuals. These CHCs provided the MOST cost-effi cient health care to over 3 million patients, who now are forced to either go without care or seek it at costly emergency rooms. For Oregon 78 or more professional positions were lost. More than 62,000 citizens receive less or no services and lost revenue is over $2.9 million. Yes, the budget needs to be balanced. But, in my opinion, to do so at the cost of cutting affordable medical care for the poor and eliminating necessary jobs and revenue in the communities at the same time is both misguided and immoral. You representatives of the people of the U.S. must support these essential programs so they can continue to grow. David Parker Eugene Wall to Wall City Cycling Gear Ibex Merino wool clothing layers, bright lights, fenders, reflectives, weather- «ÀvÊ>ViÌÃ]Ê«>ÌÃ]Ê}ÛiÃÊ>`Ê«>VÃ]Ê iiÌÊVÛiÀÃ]ʼÜÌiÀÊvÀi`Þ½ÊLið Now Closed Tuesdays! arrivingbybike on facebook ÓÇäxÊ7>iÌÌiÊ-ÌÊUÊx{£°{n{°x{£ä ]7]/ ]Ê££qÇ]Ê->ÌÊ£äqÈ]Ê-ÕÊ£Óqx MARXIST LEFT Clearly, millions of low-IQ Americans have been hoodwinked by the Marxist left into believing that “the evil rich” pay a smaller percentage of federal income tax than a secretary. According to IRS statistics for 2008 (most recent), the top 1 percent of taxpayers had an average tax rate of 23.3 percent. The top 10 percent of taxpayers had an average tax rate of 18.7 percent. The bottom 50 percent of taxpayers had an average tax rate of 2.6 percent. The top 1 percent paid 38 percent of all federal income tax revenues, and the top 10 percent paid 70 percent (http://1.usa. gov/o9Y7vG). To anyone with an average IQ, it’s obvious that “the evil rich” are already carrying the water for the bottom 50 percent, meaning our country has a spending problem instead of a revenue problem. And since class-envying liberals hate “the rich” so much, maybe they should just run them out of the country for the high crime of being wealthy. But then who would pay 70 percent of all income-tax revenues? Don Richey Eugene The Paris Classic Comfort Follow your feet to Footwise for comfortable fall footwear W NOW IS THE IS TIME FOR NEW SHOES THE TIME FOR NEW SHOES Downtown Eugene &#SPBEXBZt 'BDFCPPLDPNGPPUXJTFFVHFOF .PO4BU4VO Downtown Corvallis 48.BEJTPOt 'BDFCPPLDPNGPPUXJTFDPSWBMMJT .PO4BU4VO CONCERNED PARENTS “Class War From Above” by Gordon Lafer (EW 9/29) was both signifi cant and engaging. As concerned parents it is upsetting to witness the intense level of hostility and aggression directed toward teachers who educate the children of our McKenzie River community. The Sept. 21 McKenzie School District school board meeting was fi lled with antagonisms that are not benefi cial to our children’s educational opportunities. The school board has refused to meet the teachers’ proposals. These proposals are reasonable and less than is deserved. Of importance is the FACT that the McKenzie School District can afford to meet the proposed one-year contract. This will, among other things, bring back: one half- time elementary, one high school business elective, one high school math class and one middle school technology class. There can be no question that a return of these services is benefi cial to our students. It is egregious that the school board has already spent thousands of our district funds to pay a lawyer’s fees rather than spend $3,700 to meet the proposed one- year contract. We feel this has violated the community’s good faith. Comments from the board about the labor of certain district employees being more “valuable” than others and anti-union WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM a pint is just right! Dari Mart proudly introduces Lochmead ice cream in a convenient snack-sized pint. Count on Dari Mart for the freshest milk and ice cream. All natural Lochmead ice cream, now in pints! EUGENE WEEKLY OCTOBER 13, 2011 5
