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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2012)
letters TO THE EDITOR garden, trees, community gardens, calming hum of the river, etc. However, I rarely feel safe in this environment simply because a vast majority of the bicyclists fail to indicate their presence as they pass from behind. Many fl y past as if they have visions of crossing the Tour de France fi nish line. If a pedestrian happens to shift his movement for any reason, they are in danger of being rammed by an unannounced speeding bicyclist. Some have passed by so close, that I have felt that distinct burst of wind displaced by the rapidly traveling rider — I am instantly pissed off, as I am not interested in the real potential for a completely avoidable injury. Those who travel with their bikes on the street can surely understand the dangers they face each time they compete with the multitude of cars. Where bicycles and pedestrians share a common, side-by- side path, you are “the cars”! Slow down, announce your presence and keep your distance, please! Jay Greenspan Corvallis HYPOCRITICAL PETE Taking Care of Your Four-Legged Family for Over 30 Years Full Service Clinic: • Well Pet Care • Orthopedic Surgery • Cancer Management • Behavior Consultations • Dental Care Cameron Jones, DVM Barbara Maki, DVM Cary Heyward, DVM Appointments Available 8am-6pm Weekdays 9am-4pm Saturday info@amazonparkvet.com • 541-485-0161 • 725 E. 25th Ave. Eugene During the candidates’ debate at the City Club of Eugene on March 23 I listened to my County Commissioner Pete Sorenson as he hypocritically supported open government and transparency. This is the politician who was a leader in the cabal known as “the book club.” One of the group’s aims was to clandestinely slide into the county supplemental budget an appropriation of public funds so that commissioners could hire political cronies as assistants. The votes to pass this budget without public discussion were secretly lined up by those who ultimately hired assistants. That sounds nothing like open and transparent government. The commissioners were warned by the county attorney that the book club was dangerously close to violating the Oregon open meeting statute. With the hubris of seniority, these county offi cials strode forward to the precipice and found themselves the object of a lawsuit. To date the entire process has cost the taxpayers of Lane County about half a million dollars. Whether one agrees with the reasoning of the judge or not, the facts have not been seriously questioned. There were just too many witnesses in the back room. The facts themselves indicate that Sorenson has only recently become so concerned with open government and transparency. Like those who continued to support Nixon after the facts were revealed, there are many who ignore these facts and continue to support Sorenson. They do so because of what he has done for his constituents in the past. I cannot help but wonder what he has done to his constituents in the back room. Michael Miller Eugene TRUSTY PETE It seems like everyone these days distrusts all politicians, especially those politicians who have a different view of how things should be done. There seems to be little that we all can agree on. To gain my support, a politician’s commitment to his or her electorate and their ideals is foremost. Luckily in the case of Commissioner Pete Sorenson, we have a candidate who does both. We live in Pete’s district, and we’ve seen him go door to door to support every 4J school measure to help our children and grandchildren have a more complete school experience. He’s supported local labor at every opportunity and voted against attempts to outsource jobs from people in this area. He’s fought to keep our district livable and insisted on environmental protections. If we’ve had a question about a local decision or issue, Pete’s been more than willing to speak with us. He works really hard to represent our district. That’s why he needs to be reelected to continue serving our district with the same dedication and compassion that he’s always demonstrated. Hal Huestis Eugene At the Eugene Water & Electric Board, we’re empowering citizens with resources to save money and energy in their homes and businesses. For example, Jennie Cupp encouraged her landlord to replace her windows with ENERGY STAR qualifi ed windows, saving money on her electric bill, keeping her family warm, and increasing her landlord’s property value. To fi nd out about EWEB’s energy-saving programs for your own home, visit eweb.org/saveenergy or call 541-685-7000. Maybe yours will be the next powerful tale we tell. 6 APRIL 5, 2012 EUGENE WEEKLY WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
