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6
JANUARY 5, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
TO THE EDITOR
tactics ought to be expanded to include
others who are part of the problem.
There are people living among us who
make obscene amounts of money while
others are homeless or living in poverty. Chip
Kelly is a name that comes to mind as one of
the obscenely rich (about $300,000 a month).
Protesting in front of the homes and at the
workplaces of the wealthiest among us is an
idea whose time has come. Make their names
public, along with how much they earn. See
where the public outcry would fall then.
Nobody should be homeless and
starving while the few among us are
getting obscenely richer and richer.
Allan Grossman
Springfi eld
‘ALTERNATIVE’ FACTS
As expected, Nancy Willard (letters,
12/8) has begun her yearly rant about “4Js
two-tiered system of inequitable schools.”
Willard expresses her displeasure with our
school district policies regarding choice.
As a veteran teacher in my 30th year in
4J, the last 17 at Corridor Elementary, I do
know a little bit about that school. I take
issue with her comments about Corridor.
Willard tends to lump all alternative
schools together when discussing
inequality. I will not disparage any
particular
school,
alternative
or
neighborhood, because I know that all
schools work very hard to educate the
students we serve. However, I would like
to clear up some misconceptions about
Corridor that I believe her letter presents.
It is not the information or statistics that
she quotes that I am concerned with.
I am certain she has access to district
information. It is the facts and trends that
she omits that I take issue with.
Corridor has a continually changing
demographic. While we do not have as
high a percentage of “disadvantaged racial
minorities” as some other schools, we do
have a signifi cant number of economically
disadvantaged families. In fact, Corridor this
year qualifi ed for Title 1 federal assistance
because our school ended last year with
more than 40 percent of our families
qualifying for free or reduced lunch. In
addition, Corridor hosts a Comprehensive
Learning Center for special needs children.
Willard further states that “all of the
alternative schools have far fewer students
than the board has determined is the
minimum size for an elementary school.”
This is a grossly misleading statement.
Corridor has been stymied for most of its
existence by a district-imposed cap on total
enrollment. Corridor has very little room to
grow. We share the Silver Lea building with
another alternative school, Yujin Gakuen, as
the only example of co-located alternative
schools. Our facilities are stressed to the
maximum by two demonstrably different
programs vying for space and time. Still,
we work collaboratively to limit problems.
As an elementary building Silver Lea is
the largest in the district with 539 students.
One can only hope that number exceeds the
district minimum.
In the future, Willard would do well to
research “the facts” a little more deeply before
lumping all alternative schools together.
Thomas B. Hayward
Eugene
DOMESTIC REFUGEES
The homeless people in our midst are
a painful, visible symptom of unbridled
capitalism — in effect, capitalism run amok.
I propose that we be honest with
ourselves and call homeless people what in
truth they are: our domestic refugees.
Like the Japanese people who were
washed from their homes by the March
11, 2011 tsunami, our domestic refugees
have been squeezed out of a competitive
economic system where equal opportunity,
honesty, fairness and humane-ness have
eroded away.
As a society, we help victims of natural
disasters or of tyrannical regimes in other
lands. What will we do with our own
unfortunate ones? And with the disaster
that is this broken economic system?
Julie Rogers
Eugene
COVER FOR CUTS
I received a letter recently from the
Oregon Health Authority saying my
Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) benefi ts
will be reduced. This is nothing personal;
I’m sure all OHP recipients got the letter.
Apparently the state’s “transformation”
of OHP is really a cover for cuts. I won’t
be voting for any incumbents in 2012.
Democrats are as worthless as Republicans.
The purpose of government is to provide
services. If it doesn’t provide them, there
is no reason for us to support it.
Lynn Porter
Eugene
SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE
It appears that Eugene’s government,
whether it be law enforcement or city
councilors, are above the law of this land,
our state Constitution as well as the U.S.
Constitution. These employees paid from
our tax dollars are lawless and don’t even
abide by their own laws and rules.
As for the homeless, I believe that the
leaders would wish that they would just go
away, but in this economy today we know
that isn’t going to happen. And the justice
system here in Eugene turns a remarkable
number of citizens into a homeless life, with
unjust convictions and systemic injustice,
which is rife in our society and economy.
This is not what Jesus would want. He
tells us what we must do for those poorest
of the poor: house them, give them food,
drink and clothing. Don’t let them get
sick or jailed without offering your help
(Matthew 25). Our wealthy government
used to guarantee this. What have we
become? And let’s not forget, leaders of
Eugene and afar: One day we are all going
to meet our maker and have to give an
account for our actions. Peace be with you.
Maria Jenkins
Eugene
LETTERS POLICY: We welcome letters on all topics and
will print as many as space allows, with priority given to
timely local issues. Please limit length to 200 words, keep
submissions to once a month, and include your address
and phone number for our files. Email to letters@
eugeneweekly.com fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251
Lincoln, Eugene 97401.
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