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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 2011)
NEWS BRIEFS Jimmy Radosknasko of Planned Parenthood Southwestern Oregon said that a major part of Planned Parenthood’s mission is reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies through family planning, sex education, and access to birth control. This would reduce the demand for abortion. Hymer also admitted that the amendment would make it harder for a woman whose health was compromised by her pregnancy to get an abortion. He said that “when the mother’s life is endangered, abortion would still be allowed as a form of self-defense.” He went on to say that “it’s important to note though that self-defense requires the defender to use the least force necessary.” Radosnasko speculated the amendment, if passed, could even criminalize miscarriages as the grieving mother could face a criminal inquiry into the death of her fetus. The effort in Oregon to get this amendment on the ballot in 2012 is still in its infancy. Oregon anti-choice activist Kelly Le Claire has collected 1,500 signatures so far, according to the Oregon page at personhoodusa.com. Le Claire is making her third attempt at getting this amendment on the Oregon ballot. She failed in both 2007 and 2008. — Philip Shackleton GOALS: TAX WALL STREET, CHANGE THE CONSTITUION The goals of Occupy Wall Street are getting some backing from Oregon’s elected officials. Rep. Peter DeFazio has introduced a bill that would reinstate a tax on Wall Street, and Sen. Jeff Merkley is a cosponsor of a constitutional amendment that seeks to undo the ills of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision that lets corporations donate unlimited amounts of money to political campaigns. The Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act would place a small tax of 3 cents on $100 in value on most non-consumer financial trading including stocks, bonds and other debts, except for when they are initially issued. If a company were to receive a loan from a financial institution, that transaction would not be taxed. But, if the financial institution traded the debt, then the trade would be taxed. In an interview last week, DeFazio said his Wall Street tax is set low, so it would not affect most transactions, but it would put a curb on the high speed supercomputer trading and tamp down some of the volatility it has created. He said the computer trading is “just gambling, sophisticated high-stakes gambling.” DeFazio said he has heard that there are some days when more than 70 percent of the market trading is done by supercomputers The Wall Street tax would raise $352 billion between January 2013 through 2021, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. DeFazio said there is precedent for this tax. He said, “We had one from 1916 until 1966” and added, “Congress had more guts in those days.” The money, DeFazio said, was used to rebuild the economy through things like the Works Progress Administration, which employed millions of Americans in building bridges, roads, airports public buildings and parks. Merkley said that the constitutional amendment he is cosponsoring would address another concern that has preoccupied Wall Street Occupiers. The proposed amendment, announced on Nov. 1, would undo a 1976 Supreme Court ruling that said campaign spending was the same as free speech and undo the 2010 Citizens United vs. FEC ruling that removed all limits on campaign spending for special interests, corporations and labor unions. Merkley said the Citizens United case means that companies, including foreign companies, can give unlimited sums secretly in American campaigns. “That is the exact opposite of what our country is about,” he said. While President Lincoln spoke of a government by, for and of the people, Merkley said, “The vast sums unleashed by Citizens United and the secrecy involved makes a government that’s by and for the powerful.” He said the Citizens United case has had an enormous impact in two ways. First of all it has impact in direct terms of the money spent. Merkley said that if Exxon was to have spent 3 percent of its net profits on the 2008 presidential election, it would have outspent all other the parties engaged in the election. He said that one 15 minute boardroom discussion could have put more resources in CONTINUED P.10 slant • The Occupy movement continues to grow — even little Reedsport is getting into the action, and Mosier in the Columbia Gorge with a population of about 400 now has an Occupation. Occupy’s greatest gift is educating the public about economic injustice. Education enables change, and knowledge brings responsibility — the ability to respond. For many years we and others have been lamenting that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, but now, thanks to the Occupiers, this abstract concept has become visible and more real. Economic disparity is right in front of us in the faces of the people and the signs they carry. Kudos to those in our community who are organizing teach-ins and carrying the message to family, friends, neighbors and whoever will listen. on YouTube at http://wkly.ws/14q Where was the projector? Zupan tells us no one could figure it out, including a cop walking by. Folks are getting mighty creative in this blossoming movement. • A “Wall Street Ticker Tape” series of anti- corporate messages was projected against the wall of Wells Fargo Bank all evening during the First Friday Art Walk Nov. 4. Video of the messages, such as “Too Much Money in Corporate Hands” and “Make Wall Street Pay,” have been posted by Eugene activist David Zupan • The flap over St. Vincent De Paul asking a veteran to get written permission to hang his U.S. flag in a common area in his federally subsidized housing made headlines across the country from Fox News to the Washington Post. The mainstream media made it sound like an evil landlord was cracking down on a defenseless 8 NOVEMBER 10, 2011 EUGENE WEEKLY • Love Saturday Market but haven’t been for a while? This Saturday, Nov. 12, rain or shine, is the last market of the season. The indoor Holiday Market starts the weekend of Nov. 19 with a mix of Saturday Market folks and some other vendors. Buying local gifts and other goods keeps money circulating in our community. Plus, Saturday Market and Holiday Market are great places for people watching, food, live music and reunions with old friends. Single folks might even find love hiding among the tie-dye and stoneware. biz beat We hear Dawn Baby is recovering from a bad accident and is back part-time at Dawn Baby Salon, 1355 Willamette, with daughter Amelia. Dawn says on the salon’s Facebook page that she’s had “a great fi rst week back beautifying the masses.” Dawn is also known locally for her time on the air as a DJ at KWVA radio. We wrote in this column Oct. 27 that Splinters Fine Woodworking Group has moved to 191 E. Broadway next to Zenon, but we’ve since heard that Tim Boyden and Seth San Felippo are running the gallery and it is called Out On a Limb. Hours are 11 am to 6 pm Wednesday through Sunday, or by appointment. Call 342- 5937. Blair Boulevard Small Business Neighborhood Renovation grants of $3,000 went this year to Angelica Salgado of MiTierra Taqueria; Shane Tracey of Nib: A Modern Eatery; and Kaila Knighten of Marco’s Salon & Wig Gallery. UO student architects and Wells Fargo employees are involved in the improvements to the small businesses. Dates for the annual Eugene Marathon and Expo have been set for April 27-29. This growing event attracted 8,500 runners last year from 49 states and eight countries. See www.eugenemarathon.com or www.bazusports.com LCC will get $1.7 million from a three-year Department of Labor grant for job training for unemployed and underemployed workers and those eligible for Trade Act Adjustment benefi ts. The grant will support the training of 350 students for jobs in aviation, computer information technology, health professions and advanced technology careers, starting next spring. A little factoid from Travel Lane County: Visitors to the Eugene, Cascades and Coast region generated $150.9 million in food and beverage- related expenditures in 2010, making it the leading category of visitor spending. We haven’t heard how much of that was for beer. Send suggestions for Biz Beat items to editor@ eugeneweekly.com and please put “Biz Beat” in the subject line. veteran, but a closer look at the facts shows St. Vinnie’s was simply asking the resident to follow the rules. In the end, the vet got permission to display his flag on holidays and all ended well. But lost in the furor over the flag has been all the good work that St. Vincent De Paul does for vets and low-income families. We’d hate to see that good work hurt by all this. Want to support a vet? Donate to St. Vinnie’s, www.svdp.us • We admit to being clueless about the significance of 11/11/11, but hey, any reason to celebrate oneness is welcome. We understand some Eugene folks went to Machu Picchu on 10/10/10 and will be going again 11/11/11 and 12/12/12, but maybe not 13/13/13. For those less obsessed, a gathering is planned atop Skinner Butte from 10:30 to 11:11 Friday morning, followed by a comm unity event with Sufi dancing from 7:11 to 11:11 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 40th and Donald. See StarGateEugene.com for deets. SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chasing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
