slant
YOU HAVE THE
RIGHT TO TAPE
The 2009 arrest of Josh Schlossberg as he protested
Umpqua Bank was carried out with excessive force, a
federal jury ruled Monday. An earlier ruling confirmed
that EPD Sgt. Bill Solesbee violated Schlossberg’s civil
rights by viewing the contents of Schlossberg’s video
camera without a warrant after the arrest. Schlossberg was
never formally charged in the incident.
Schlossberg says he is pleased with the recognition of
the police actions as a violation of his civil rights and
likens his 2009 protest to the work that the Occupy
movement has done in bringing attention to problems and
corruption in the financial system. “If there was true
justice in this world, I would be able to sue clear-cutting,
toxic herbicide-spraying, native forest-logging, biomass
power-profiteering, one-percenter Umpqua Bank
Chairman of the Board Allyn Ford, CEO of Roseburg
Forest Products — not just the tool (Solesbee) Ford and
Umpqua Bank used against me in violence,” Schlossberg
told EW.
Oregon law and the U.S. Constitution don’t prohibit the
videotaping of police officers, but Oregon law does require
that they be made aware of the videotaping. Schlossberg’s
recording includes Solesbee asking if he was recording,
Schlossberg saying “Yes, and I did say that to you twice,” and
Solesbee saying “No, you asked me if you could. You didn’t
inform me you were.” Solesbee demands the camera as
evidence just before the end of the clip.
Unlike the federal jury, an internal affairs investigation of
Solesbee’s actions did not find that Solesbee violated
Schlossberg’s rights. Instead the EPD investigation said that
Schlossberg violated the police officer’s rights by recording
him unlawfully. The police auditor found the case
inconclusive, according to Schlossberg’s attorney, Lauren
Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center.
The federal jury unanimously awarded Schlossberg
$5,583 for medical expenses and non-economic damages.
Melinda McLaughlin, EPD’s public information director,
told EW “at the time of the incident, under the laws that
existed at the time and the search and seizure standards that
existed at the time, the officers’ decision to arrest and search
Schlossberg was within policy and complied with the law.”
Asked whether the results of the internal review would be
different today, it’s unclear if EPD would still take and
examine a camera without a search warrant during a protest:
“Legal minds differ on whether searching a camera incident
to arrest is allowed in today’s search and seizure environment,”
McLaughlin replied on behalf of Police Chief Pete Kerns.
— Shannon Finnell
SORENSON STANDS
ON HIS RECORD
Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson says, “I get up every morning and
say ‘I’m glad I’m a Lane County Commissioner and I get to help people,’” and
that’s one of the many reasons he is seeking re-election.
Sorenson says he has no interest in trading barbs with his opponents or getting
“involved in what Clinton called the politics of personal destruction” in the race for
the south Eugene commission seat he currently holds. He says he is running “because
I have a lot of accomplishments but I still have a number of things I’d like to do.”
Sorenson faces opposition for the first time in more than a decade.
Environmental advocate Andy Stahl and Sponsors, Inc., board member
and retired painting contractor Kieran Walsh have entered the race, both
citing the timber-funded open meetings lawsuit against Sorenson and
other commissioners as motivation.
Sorenson says the positions he has taken on issues from logging to
sprawl to the Strong Schools initiative over the years have reflected
the views of the people in his district but have “infuriated really
powerful interests.”
“I have a role to be an advocate for strong, progressive politics,”
he says. Sorenson cites among his list of accomplishments major
expansions of both Lane County Veterans Services and public health
services. “Before I became commissioner, Lane County had no role
in primary health care,” he says.
He says he has also been involved in other issues that matter to
his district, such as saving the Lane County ice-skating arena,
which was drastically affected by the downturn in the economy. He
cites improvements to Lane County Animal Services and his work
to make aggravated animal abuse in Oregon a felony when he was
in the Oregon Legislature, because studies show animal abuse is
often linked to child abuse and other violence against humans.
Sorenson says he is proud of the work he has done to promote
sustainable small businesses in Lane County. Before the current
board majority reversed it, the county was giving money to local,
environmentally friendly businesses including electric carmaker
Arcimoto. He says the more conservative board now has gone back
to the “big fish idea.” Rather than giving money to support growing
smaller businesses, the county saves the money to lure in big fish,
such as Hynix, the semiconductor manufacturer that has since left
town. “When I was the board chair we got more people employed
more quickly,” he says.
Sorenson says even the votes he has lost to the conservative majority
are important, such as to keep the Lane County Human Rights Commission,
because they represent the dominant point of view of his district and causes
that south Eugene cares about.
— Camilla Mortensen
6 JANUARY 26, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
• It would be an important change in Eugene if a
chief of police would support the courts of law
when they find against one of his officers as a
federal jury did Jan. 23 against Sgt. Bill
Solesbee. The jury decided Solesbee used
excessive force against Josh Schlossberg. Chief
Pete Kerns could have issued a neutral statement
or resorted to “no comment” instead of saying
Solesbee’s actions were justified. Maybe the police
association or the radical conservatives in this
community demand support of the police, no
matter what they do, but that’s hardly the way to
build a climate of trust for all those Eugene cops
who do good work.
• Maybe all those thousands of words from
speculating sports writers haven’t nailed the
REAL reasons Chip Kelly was at first leaving for
the NFL, then staying to coach the Ducks another
year. January in Oregon makes the Florida sun
very inviting; a lot of Eugeneans escape to Mexico
this time of year. A quick glance at NFL coach
salaries show most of them don’t make more than
the cool $3 million that Kelly is pulling in this year.
Or maybe Kelly’s staying because he wants to
occupy his new house reportedly under
construction in the Delta Oaks area. Rumors have
big numbers around it: 9,000 square feet, $2
million price tag, not gated, athletic facilities. We
hope it has a jump-gym where Chip can train for
the BCS championship game next year.
• If a Tree Falls, the documentary film about the
ecologically motivated arsons across the Pacific
Northwest, is up for an Oscar nod. The film
features the work of Eugene videographers Tim
Lewis, Albie Nash and Randy Shadowalker and
features Civil Liberties Defense Center attorney
Lauren Regan and longtime enviro-activist Jim
Flynn, among others. The film’s garnered praise
from law enforcement and activists alike.
• Waldo Lake is one of our favorite canoe and
hiking getaways, despite mosquito swarms
reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. But
while skeeters are both natural and irritating,
motorboats are only irritating. An advisory
committee of the Oregon Marine Board is currently
reviewing OMB’s 2009 decision to ban gas motors
on Waldo, presumably because of technical
complaints about the decision-making process and
who has legal jurisdiction over boats and
floatplanes on the lake. But the people have
spoken here, along with our elected officials. What
sense is there in endangering one of the most
pristine lakes in the world? One proposal before
the committee is to allow four-stroke engines,
which are cleaner, but can still pollute through
leaking gas lines, dripping oil and underwater
exhaust. Motor boats can sink, motors can fall off,
and people can be careless handling gas and oil on
docks. Let’s keep Waldo as clean as possible, and
leave the whining to the mosquitoes.
• Kudos to Dave Fidanque and his staff at the
American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon for
bringing Dan Savage from Seattle to be the
keynote speaker for the 2012 Liberty Dinner at the
Portland Hilton on Saturday, March 10. If you read
“Savage Love” in the back of our paper every
week, you know his persistent call for tolerance,
openness and honesty. He’s become a national
leader in supporting gay teens in their tough
journey. Plus — he’s a brilliant and hilarious
speaker.
• The Oregon Conservation Network, a coalition
of 50 environmental organizations in the state,
unveiled its “Priorities for a Healthy Oregon” Jan.
19 in Salem. The group, associated with the Oregon
League of Conservation Voters, called for
preserving Oregon’s Renewable Energy Standard, a
program that responds to climate change by
driving a shift to clean, renewable energy sources.
Another priority is expanding Oregon’s marine
reserves established in 2009. OCN also calls for
restoring the budget of the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality. Find out more at
olcveducationfund.org
SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chas-
ing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately?
Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com
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