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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2014)
LET TERS STABILITY FIRST Donating $400,000 to help unhoused people in the Eugene area is a very positive step in a humane direction, but so much more needs to happen. For example, Utah has moved 2,000 people off the streets and reduced chronic homelessness by 78 percent in the last eight years by simply providing people with apartments. Many other cities throughout the U.S. use the “housing fi rst” approach for at least some of their chronically homeless. A National Coalition for the Homeless publication puts it this way: “Substance abuse is both a cause and a result of homelessness, often arising after people lose their housing.” Housing fi rst gives the chronically homeless a stable place to work on their substance abuse and mental health problems. I strongly urge the mayor and city councilors, plus all the organizations affected and involved with unhoused people, to come together to seriously consider the “housing fi rst” approach and decide what practices to embrace for the community. Planet Glassberg Fort Collins, Colo. CHEMICAL VIOLATIONS If agents acting in their own self-interest spread a toxic substance, designed to kill, over a community with no regard for the health of the community’s inhabitants, what would you call it? A terrorist attack? An act of war? In Oregon, apparently, it is called timber business as usual. When aerial pesticide applicator Pacifi c Air Research’s helicopter sprayed an Anarchist Cookbook-style mix of chemicals designed to kill biological matter over the community of Cedar Valley in October, it was just the latest in a series of state-sanctioned and timber industry-implemented attacks on the health and security of men, women and children in Oregon. As in the aerial sprayings at Triangle Lake where 2,4- D and atrazine were found in residents’ urine, and a number of other less publicized but equally horrifi c incidents of chemical trespass, Oregon’s timber industry continues to manage their tree farms at the expense of public health and our government allows and even encourages them to do so. We need to stop the aerial spraying of pesticides in Oregon immediately. Contact Gov. John Kitzhaber, (503) 373-1027, and demand that he honor the public good and his Hippocratic Oath and issue an executive order banning aerial spraying. Tell your state senators and representatives to pass a law banning aerial pesticide application for good. It is unconscionable that in 2014 we continue to allow our children, families and the environment to be violated. While Oregon couldn’t fi gure out how to create a functional health care exchange, here is a simple health care policy we can implement immediately: Stop poisoning our citizens! Marshall Gause Cottage Grove BOZIEVICH’S RECORD In my opinion, there are two types of human behaviors not conducive to good public service: political ideology and/or dishonesty. Politicians from both political spectra appear to be progressively succumbing to these bad behaviors. One candidate for West Lane County commissioner has distinguished himself as both a political ideologue and dishonest. His primary objective is to use his political offi ce to protect special interests. One example of his political ideology was the unnecessary gerrymandering of county districts resulting in a grossly unfair advantage for his cronies and their partisan views and fi nancial profi ts. Regrettably, this behavior is being played out nationally, and this commissioner is just another partisan cog attempting to subvert our democratic system. Additional to being a politically driven ideologue, this commissioner has a sordid track record of disingenuously attempting to steal credit for other people’s hard work and accomplishments. Recently a campaign fl ier listed a variety of his purported accomplishments — taking credit for bringing jobs, reducing regulations, advocating for forest reform, etc. In reality, all of his accomplishment claims were either already in the works, were due to circumstances completely out of his control or were achieved by the hundreds of dedicated public employees and other reputable leaders. The worst example of his dishonest behavior has been evidenced by his misconduct and denials regarding the Liane Richardson compensation scandal and cover-up. I know some may perceive this letter as hypocritical, but I believe what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Bill Fleenor Former West Lane County Commissioner PURE TEA PARTY At a recent county commissioner candidate forum sponsored by the UO College Republicans, Jay Bozievich displayed his true colors — Tea Party — the very same party that shut down the government last year at enormous cost to us taxpayers. When asked to respond to the question of a carbon tax as a way of addressing climate change, Bozievich fi rst asked for a show of hands of how many people had taken an economics class. He then announced that we must all know then that any tax represses the economy. He further added that climate change has always been occurring otherwise we would still be in the Ice Age. This is pure Tea Party. Bozievich’s “repressing the economy” comment raises the question of how we, the people, the government, raise money to build our roads, schools, infrastructure and safety net. Is Bozievich, co-founder of the Tea Party’s Americans for Prosperity Chapter here in Lane County, in the political arena so that he can whittle it down — the small government and anti- tax position being sugar-coated as the Asian American Voices: A Collins Literary Forum Gish Jen Maxine Hong Kingston Bill Cheng Chang-Rae Lee April 21 - 8:00pm Public Reading Knight Browsing Room May 5 - 8:00pm Public Reading Columbia 150 May 12 - 8:00pm Public Reading Knight Browsing Room May 15 - 8:00pm Public Reading Columbia 150 Free and open to public. Sponsored by the Department of English and the Collins Fund. www.uoregon.edu/~engl. The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 4 May 1, 2014 • eugeneweekly.com
