letters
TO THE EDITOR
NOT WORTH DISCUSSING?
please consider doing so. Both are valuable
community assets, and neither can survive
without ongoing public support. To
learn more, please go to KRVM.org and
SaveCivicStadium.org
Lonnie McCulloch
Eugene
I watched the Feb. 8 proceedings of the
Lane County Commissioners, stunned, as
three of our elected offi cials (Jay Bozievich,
Sid Leiken, and Faye Stewart) thwarted
the efforts of Commissioner Rob Handy
to have the board even consider possible
salary reductions for county employees
earning more than $90,000 a year.
Aren’t these dire economic times for the
county? Why should any area of the budget
be immune from discussion?
Robert Young
Eugene
PETE’S CHARACTER
VACANT PROMISE
When I see our city government
proposing to grant huge property
concessions to a private corporation,
justifying their move on the grounds that
it will create jobs or promote general
development, I cringe. Have we not had
enough experience locally with this sort
of funding to realize that getting such
concessions, milking the business for
maximum profi tability during the period
when they are in force, and then pulling
out, leaving unemployment and empty
buildings in the wake, has become a
standard corporate strategy?
There are many reasons for being
skeptical that granting massive tax
concessions to an out-of-state investment
consortium to build luxury student
housing in downtown Eugene will provide
any net benefi t to our community. Others
have pointed out that, aside from short-
term construction jobs, there will not
be any increase in local consumption,
because the money these people are
spending downtown would have been
spent elsewhere in the area anyway.
Actually, the expected result is decreased
local spending, because these are luxury
units with very high rents. Without
an increase in personal income, other
purchasing must necessarily decline, and
this development is projected to siphon a
larger proportion of revenue out of area
than most businesses.
Such a development does generate ad-
ditional costs to the city, and these must
somehow be borne by the remainder of the
population, either through increased prop-
erty taxes or through decreases in other
services. The city already has a property tax
structure that is burdensome to individuals
and existing businesses, and this is primar-
ily because four out of fi ve of our largest
employers are either government entities or
nonprofi ts, and the share of maintaining the
infrastructure that would fall to a for-profi t
manufacturing entity falls directly on the
employees of the UO, PeaceHealth, and the
4J school district.
Martha Sherwood
Eugene
SUPPORT HISTORIC VENUE
Eugene has two unique assets that help
make it the special place it is, and both
are owned by Eugene School District 4J.
Unfortunately, the district is leaving both
dependent upon public fundraising for
their survival.
KRVM radio has launched its spring
fundraiser. Having lived in rural Oregon
communities from Jacksonville to John
Day, I assure you that there is nothing like
KRVM-FM on the airwaves anywhere.
The variety of music, the lack of obnoxious
commercials and the volunteer DJs make
KRVM so unique that it can be diffi cult for
those who have never heard it to believe
that such a radio station exists when it is
described to them.
The Eugene School District also owns
historic Civic Stadium, which currently
sits empty and unused, and offered for sale,
lease or trade. There is an organization
that is working to change that. Save Civic
Stadium was organized to prevent 4J from
demolishing our historic Civic Stadium,
and they continue to seek to secure a new
future for this wonderful, historic public
venue.
If you traditionally support KRVM
radio, please also consider supporting
Save Civic Stadium. If you have never
supported KRVM or Save Civic Stadium,
SOUTH EUGENE
BEST
TH AI
FOOD
I’m writing in support of Commissioner
Pete Sorenson’s re-election campaign.
He’s been there in many ways for
the environment, education and for a
sustainable economy. Last year, I saw
him in action when he was hosting a town
hall event, along with Commissioner Rob
Handy, in favor of ending the distribution
of single-use plastic bags.
He brought together the recycling
industry, the grocery stores (even the big
ones) and environmental advocates for
an informative program. Meanwhile,
his ratings by the Oregon League of
Conservation Voters have consistently
been at 100 percent over the last decade!
But what really convinced me of
Pete’s character — and his ability to stand
up for what’s right — was watching a
politically motivated lawsuit against him
and Commissioner Rob Handy unfold last
year. The lawsuit was a blatant conservative
smear campaign that highlighted Sorenson’s
long history of standing up against powerful
interests and standing with the people. The
lawsuit was funded by the timber industry,
launched by a core of conservative Eugene
residents and targeted the most progressive
members of the Lane County Commission.
When it comes to elected offi cials, you
don’t get much better than Pete. Please join
me in voting for Pete Sorenson on May 15.
Nathan Howard
Eugene
KEPT ME LAUGHING
Rick Levin must have left his funny
bone at home when he went to see LCC’s
latest play Exploding Love (reviewed 2/2).
I’m a dedicated theater fan who attends
nearly every play that opens in Eugene
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FEBRUARY 16, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
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