the water go “elsewhere,” please explain
how their plans respect the surrounding
community of people who are currently
above fl ood level, but may not be above
the water diverted around the new houses?
How is building on pyramids of fi ll dirt
respectful of those whose homes will be
lower than those pyramid houses, and
whose homes will be in the path of the
water diverted around the pyramids?
This is not respect. It is starting a
“race to the top.” Oh, that phrase has been
appropriated — appropriated to describe
exactly the same kind of behavior. The
same kind of behavior is sponsored by
our paternalistic federal government that
knows what is best for our children’s
schools. And this fl ood-plain example
proves that the monsters who dreamed up
that schools program know that’s what it
is. You win by drowning your neighbor.
It’s a zero-sum game, like sports.
Will our Eugene city government
sponsor this climb-on-your-neighbor’s-
back-and-drown-him behavior, or will they
do the right thing and stop this race to the
top along the Willamette River in Eugene?
As they will soon discover along River
Road, what you do to your neighbor also
can be done to you.
Ann Tattersall
Eugene
THE PROMISED LAND
I am a pioneer on the Cover Oregon trail.
I started the journey to the promised land
months ago, with a folksy jingle stuck in
my head. Yes, I want to live long in Oregon.
I immediately hit a road block as the gold-
plated Oracle of failure refused to let me
through its portal. So I took the other pass
through Paperwork Canyon. After fi ghting
through the blizzard of paper, I urgently
waited at the trailhead for a reply. This trail
would soon be closed to me, as winter set in.
I called out for help, a high-school girl took
my call and was confused as I was.
After much delay and time on hold I
was fi nally able to get confi rmation for my
passage into the promised land. Ironically,
my Escher-esque journey turned out to be
a Mobius-strip path, as I returned back to
my same old coverage, from the same old
company. Déjà vu! But now instead of
paying $350 a month for a useless $5,000
high-deductible “bronze” plan, I will now
be paying $50 a month.
Cue the jingle. “To care for each one,
every daughter and son, long live Oregon.”
Maybe. Maybe not.
Michael T. Hinojosa
Drain
GET SMART ABOUT METERS
Last fall, there was considerable buzz
after each of two showings of the powerful
new fi lm Take Back Your Power. People
who participated were, for the most part,
strongly affected and incredulous that this
technology is as invasive as it appears to be!
Some of the issues discussed in the
fi lm may have direct bearing for EWEB
customers. We will be “asked” to pay the
hugely expensive costs for the smart-meters
program, which is currently in the planning
stages, and then asked to opt in to having
these electric and water meters installed on
our homes and businesses — with little to
no substantive public discussion of any of
the related issues so far, by EWEB. Bear in
mind that once you opt in, you may not be
able to claim court damages for negligence
or harm in the future.
The EWEB service area is the only
place in the country that I know of
where concerned citizens have rallied to
avoid automatically having these meters
installed. We have an opportunity here,
people, because important issues need to
be understood about this technology before
we make these permanent choices.
If you care to be an informed citizen,
then come to the next free showing of Take
Back Your Power at 6:30 pm Wednesday,
Jan. 29, at Tsunami Books, 2585 S.
Willamette St. There will be further
discussion afterwards.
It you cannot make this showing, please
go to TakeBackYourPower.net and watch
it for a nominal fee.
Robin Bee
Eugene
Office visits starting at $99
Same Day Appointments
Justin Montoya, MD
1410 Oak St, Ste 102 in the Keiper Spine building
kjg7hhn7ihmf5R51118*,)"&." '#&3'##(8)'
The Survival Center,
Multiculteral Center
and Native American
Student Union Present:
Undoing Border
Imperialism
BOOK LAUNCH
w/ the Author
Monday, January 27th
7pm McKenzie 240C
University of Oregon
Kalapuya Territory
LOWELL VINDICATION
Recently recalled Lowell Councilwom-
an Pam Bryant fi led a complaint in Lane
County Circuit Court on Jan. 7 against
“Recall For Lowell’s Future Committee”
[members] Kenneth Hern and Nancy Gar-
ratt. It cites ORS 260.532, “False Publica-
tion Relating to Recall Election,” as the al-
legation against the defendants. She did so
in an effort to clear her name of the defen-
dants’ prior written and verbal statements
against her.
I look forward to reading the facts of
this case as they come out under oath and
become public, and are adjudicated in a
court of law, as well as any subsequent
vindication of Mrs. Bryant. It was
important for her to take this fi rst step in an
effort to clear her name, and to protect our
American way of honest elections, keeping
it sacred for all citizens.
It’s my personal opinion that no abuse
of our election process, by the condoning
or permitting of false statements or
publications against an elected offi cial,
should be allowed to take place, go
unchallenged or unpunished. Let the truth
be heard by all, and may it ring out loud
and clear across this state!
Gary Lynn Reese
Lowell
Undoing Border Imperialism
is an exciting new book
that situates immigrant
rights movements within
a transnational analysis of
capitalism, labor exploitation,
settler colonialism, state
building, and racialized empire.
EUGENE FAMILIES:
School’s open!
See what our schools offer.
It’s school choice time. In Eugene School District 4J,
every school offers an excellent education.
You can enroll in your neighborhood school at any time. To
request enrollment in a different school for 2014–15, apply online
at www.4j.lane.edu/choice by February 28 at 5 p.m. Requests will
be accepted in an order determined by lottery.
School Showcase
Saturday, Jan. 25,
9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 27–
Friday, Jan. 31
Monday, Feb. 24–
Friday, Feb. 28
4J Education Center,
200 N. Monroe St.
9–10 a.m. School choice
information presentation
10 a.m.–12 p.m. Talk to
representatives from every
4J school.
Apply by
Feb. 28
at 5 p.m.
Schools Open
for Visits
Each school offers activities
and times when parents
can visit. Please see
www.4j.lane.edu/choice or
phone ahead for details.
School Choice
Information
Meetings
Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m.
(part of the School Showcase)
Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
4J Education Center,
200 N. Monroe St.
Learn about the school
choice process.
Eugene School District 4J
www.4j.lane.edu/choice • 541-790-7570
eugeneweekly.com • January 23, 2014
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