slant
NEWS BRIEFS
incentivize the use of biofuels — it provided a wholesale
level subsidy on biofuels. Without this funding, the biofuel
industry, including the biofuel industry in Oregon, is
scrambling to maintain stable prices for its products.
Champions of alternative energy have been pushing fuels
derived from renewable organic resources as a sustainable
substitute for petroleum-based fuel for decades, but it has
been difficult for biofuels to become established in the fickle,
politically charged fuel market.
According to Ian Hill, the CEO and co-founder of biofuel
retail company SeQuential-Pacific that has three stations here
in Eugene, “the fluctuating policies and support of biofuels
creates a terrible business climate.” Hill points out that more
sustainable small-scale producers and distributors of biofuel
are unfortunately among the most affected by the policy
change.
So far SeQuential has not had to raise the prices of its fuel,
but depending on whether the federal government reinstates
the subsidy, prices for biofuel may hike as much as a dollar
per gallon. “Some legislators say that they want to bring back
the FET and some say no, and that makes it really hard,” Hill
says.
Companies like SeQuential are working to compete with
petroleum-based fuels even without the federal subsidy, but
the government also subsidizes the supply of petroleum
products, and that subsidy isn’t going away anytime soon, he
says. “In an ideal world this would be a level playing field,
and the domestically produced, renewable fuel would win
out,” Hill says, “for now, however, we are just hoping that we
can be given a consistent idea of what our funding will be so
that we can create a plan for a sustainable future.”
SeQuential has cards at its Eugene stations asking
customers to call on their senators and representatives to vote
in favor of SB 1277 the biodiesel tax credit extension bill.
— Caitlin McKimmy
COUNTY
COMPENSATION CONFLICT
As Lane County crosses its fingers in hope that Congress
will renew federal county funding before massive budget
cuts hit county services from the jail to animal control,
sparks flew at the Feb. 8 commissioner meeting over
proposals to make both real and “symbolic” budget cuts.
A proposal by Commissioner Jay Bozeivich was placed
on the agenda to cut $30,000 from the strapped county
budget by eliminating the county board’s deferred
compensation plan, which costs the county about $1,500
per commissioner; cutting the commissioners’ office
expenses to $1,000 a quarter; and by a cut in the board’s
general expense contingency budget.
Bozievich said in the meeting that his proposal is “not a
lot of money but I think it’s a very symbolic gesture.”
Commissioner Rob Handy countered with a proposal of
his own that he said would cut up to 15 percent from the
highest salaried employees at Lane County and would net
more than $1 million in savings.
Handy said it’s time “to move beyond symbolic
approaches to the budget.” He said there are 65 people
making more than $90,000 at Lane County and they “have
not shared the pain that the rest of folks at Lane County
have.”
The discussion of Handy’s proposal became heated at
times.
County Administrator Liane Richardson said the cuts
might affect doctors and attorneys and “conversations like
this with the people who we can’t replace are going to
cause them to go looking elsewhere.”
She said, “You are going to make it even worse for the
people who are going to be stuck running this,” and called
Handy’s proposal “really bad policy.”
Bozievich said, “You have to be selective in how you
run an organization.” And said he had “no interest in
directing staff to do that research.”
Other commisioners questioned the legality of Handy’s
proposal and whether some of the higher salaried employees
were represented by unions and had union contracts. But
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Commissioner Pete Sorenson said he saw the value in
looking into the proposal for nonunion contract employees,
including the commissioners themselves.
Sorenson said “people want more than symbolism. They
want a sense that elected leaders are doing things in the
public interest, the purpose isn’t simply to put out a press
release.”
“As difficult as it is to discuss cutting salaries, including
my own salary, I’d like to know what my options are,”
Sorenson said.
Handy tried several times to amend Bozievich’s plan in
order to direct Richardson to look into his plan. It failed
each time with Handy and Sorenson in favor and Bozievich,
Sid Leiken and Faye Stewart against, saying the agenda
team would take it under consideration due to an earlier
“head nod.”
The commissioners voted unanimously to implement
Bozievich’s cuts, but not to devote staff time to Handy’s
proposal and the possibility of saving the county $1
million.
“The public doesn’t want symbols,” Handy said. “They
want us to make meaningful decisions — and conservatives
have signaled that cuts from the highest salaried managers
and supervisors are off the table.”
— Camilla Mortensen
VALENTINE’S
FORESTLAND
RUCKUS
Nothing says love like a good protest. Conveniently
enough the most recent State Land Board (SLB) meeting took
place on Valentine’s Day and more than 60 protesters showed
up in Salem with cards and cakes to let the SLB know that the
Cascadia Forest Defenders and other conservationists want
state forests to be better mananged.
CFD, which says that since polite requests have been
ignored it will now encourage “rowdiness” to get its point
across, announced its plans for the rally Feb. 3 by dumping a
load of dead Christmas trees in the driveway of the governor’s
mansion and holding up a banner with a heart on it. The SLB
is made up of the governor, secretary of state and state
treasurer.
The SLB governs about 1.6 million acres of state land and
resource assets, including agricultural, rangeland and
forestland, including the Clatsop, Tillamook and Elliott state
forests. Income from these lands goes to the Common School
Fund.
The protest, as well as public comments, centered on the
SLB’s recent decision to dramatically increase clearcutting on
unlogged coastal rainforests and to sell portions of public land
into private ownership. According to CFD member Grace
Warner, Gov. Kitzhaber responded to the concerns over the
sale of the public lands by saying the lands lacked conservation
value.
The protest, which took place both outside the meeting
and inside during the public comments, included singing
about breaking up with the governor to the tune of “Killing
Me Softly,” the singing of “Happy Birthday” to Oregon and
the presentation of a cake, and at least two protesters stripping
for the governor. Warner says security stepped in between the
disrobers and the politicians, preventing the SLB from getting
much of a view.
Warner “mic checked” the governor during her public
comment slot, saying “there are no schools on a dead planet.”
— Camilla Mortensen
LIGHTEN UP
Without motor boats, Waldo Lake is serene.
With motor boats, it is Fern Ridge Reservoir,
but without the convenience of the Shell
station and the Dixie Cafe.
BY R A FA E L A L DAV E
• We’re sad to hear of the passing of Svitlana
Kravchenko, the much-lauded director of the UO’s
masters program in environmental and natural
resources law. She died Feb. 10 in Eugene at the too-
young age of 62. She was known worldwide for her
strong advocacy for reforming public policy on
environmental matters. She traveled and lectured in
dozens of countries and authored 12 books and
hundreds of academic articles. Despite the
overwhelming challenges to the environment, she
once said, “We face a world that contains great beauty
and is populated by humans capable of great acts of
generosity.” Our condolences go out to her family,
friends and colleagues.
• Should Eugene taxpayers subsidize private
developers? We’ve been doing it for a long time and
while the cost to taxpayers runs into millions of dollars
each year, the benefits to our city are dubious. The
latest proposal, using the city’s Multiple Unit Property
Tax Exemption (MUPTE) for a higher-end student
housing complex at the site of the old Eugene Clinic,
would give downtown one more welcome boost. But
MUPTE was not needed for other successful private
student housing projects in Eugene, and this project
will end up competing for renters with hundreds of
other private landlords who do not have the economic
advantage of 10 years of zero property taxes. It’s time
to level the playing field and repeal MUPTE in Eugene
ordinances.
• Our public records request regarding the total cost
of fighting the excessive-force and right-to-videotape
case that ecosystem advocate Josh Schlossberg won
against the city has been delayed until “litigation is
completely over,” the city tells us. ORS 192.501(1)
states that “Litigation has not been concluded until
there is a final judgment and all appeal rights have
been exhausted.” We hope that this is only related to
the ongoing negotiation of attorneys’ fees, and not a
sign that the city plans to spend even more taxpayer
money appealing an open-and-shut excessive force
case. We’ll be curious to see if the total cost reflects
the hundreds of hours that city staffers spent holding
meetings about the case and observing the
proceedings.
• Makes us proud that our Congressman Peter
DeFazio voted against the Federal Aviation
Administration bill with its anti-union provision and
other serious problems. Makes us wonder why Sen.
Ron Wyden voted for it, while Sen. Jeff Merkley and
the rest of the Oregon Democratic delegation voted
against it. The loyalty oath provision alone should have
brought out a loud “Nay”: “It is the patriotic duty of
the people of the United States to support the
members of the Armed Forces who are defending the
Nation’s interests around the world at great personal
sacrifice.” This irrelevant language serves no purpose
other than cynically identifying opponents of the bill
as not supporting our men and women in uniform.
• Eugene was jumping last weekend with an infusion
of folks from all over Lane County, flashing signs that
the recession continues to recede. Country music sold
out Matt Court Friday night, at the same time that
Cozmic Pizza packed in an SRO crowd to hear
outrageously bad date tales, some told by two EW
story-tellers, Camilla Mortensen and Dante Zuñiga-
West, to benefit Planned Parenthood. Marché
restaurant served one of its biggest all-time crowds
Saturday night, brought out by the new Inn at the Fifth
and the splendid show at the Hult Center by the
Eugene Ballet Company. KLCC’s Microbrew Fest is
always a big draw at the Fairgrounds, as is the Eugene
Record Convention at the Hilton. We’ve probably
missed some other recession-busters drawing big
crowds lately. Let us know.
• On Valentine’s Day Lane County Hearings Official Gary
Darnielle ruled that Greg Demers and the McDougal
Bros.’ Lost Creek Rock Products can go ahead and mine
Parvin Butte. This means that unless the developers
have a heart and leave the butte alone, the mine with
all its dust, noise and environmental devastation can
operate in the middle of a community, with no input
from the neighbors, and tear up the earth near a
salmon stream. Even the hearings official didn’t sound
thrilled about his own ruling and was critical of the
flawed code and would like to see it rewritten. We hope
Lane County appeals this controversial decision and
also changes its code so communities can protect
themselves and the environment from devastating and
unnecessary destruction.
SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chas-
ing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately?
EUGENE WEEKLY FEBRUARY 16, 2012 7