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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2014)
brothers. Obviously, the opportunity to stifl e opposition to corporate control has attracted big money from corporate barons. The choice is clear. A “yes” vote is in the interests of corporations which already have far too much infl uence on elections. Vote “no” on M90 to insure that third parties and grassroots organizations continue to have the right to represent their views in the general election. Pat Driscoll Eugene I have been on the Rate Committee at EPUD for the past two years, and I have witnessed fi rst hand the disrespectful, rude behavior Patti exhibits to other board members. I could not believe my eyes that she would be so blatantly rude in a public meeting. Hopefully Patti’s antics and terrible behavior are in the past and she will not be reelected. She has embarrassed the EPUD board far too long. I urge you to do the right thing and place your vote on Nov. 4 for Lee Kelley and send Patti packing. Mary McNamara aka Grandmakookie Lorane RENTING SIDEWALKS OK PATTI IS A FIGHTER Patti Chappel is running for reelection to the EPUD Board of Directors. Patti is a passionate person who stands strong for what she believes is best for EPUD and her ratepayers. She goes above and beyond the duties of a director to stay informed of issues that may impact her ratepayers. She is active in her community and listens to the opinions of those she represents. It will be a sad day if Patti is not reelected, because she is such a knowledgeable fi ghter for public power. She fought hard to make sure every person who receives EPUD power has the right to vote in EPUD elections. Please use your vote to reelect Patti Chappel and keep EPUD’s passionate, informed warrior at the helm. Penny Jordan Springfi eld COMMON SENSE CHOICE Supporting Measure 92, the mandatory labeling of GMOs initiative, just makes common sense. The GMO biotech industry was able to escape any meaningful regulation of GMOs in the U.S. by claiming GMOs were substantially no different from non-genetically engineered crops. The USDA sided with the biotech industry. But how did Monsanto patent its GM corn? A patent cannot be granted unless something is uniquely different. It’s clear that Monsanto believes its seeds are different, and they are. Their GMO corn has a deadly insecticide grown right into every kernel. The insecticide kills insects that try to eat the crop by fatally damaging their digestive systems. A scientifi c study published last year was led by researcher Dr. Judy Carman from the Institute of Health and Environmental Research in Kensington Park, Australia, and published in the Journal of Organic Systems, a peer-reviewed science journal. The study concluded that “eating genetically modifi ed corn (GM corn) and consuming trace levels of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide was linked with rats developing shockingly large tumors, widespread organ damage and premature death.” That same insecticide stays inside the corn and turns up in animal feed or corn products we eat. High fructose corn syrup is an ingredient in numerous products. The Illinois Farm Bureau reported that in 2009, the average American consumed about 35.7 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup. GMOs are not safe and Measure 92 is just common sense. Christopher Michaels Eugene THANK YOU, PHIL I’ve lived in Springfi eld and rural west Eugene my whole life. My dad, time and time again, sought to bring his entrepreneurial ideas to life. Those ideas often died, which thrust our family into confusion and poverty. We survived only because of the assistance offered by our church and, yes, from the leg-up government programs that leaders like Rep. Phil Barnhart fi ght to protect. The Oregon Health Plan saved my mom’s life. Head Start and Willamalane instilled in me a belief in myself and a love for our wildlands. These opportunities were provided by all of you who seek a decent society. You’re the village whose collective grit supported the programs that gave me what every American wants — a decent shot. A fair shake. Phil Barnhart is from a school of politics that says we ought to give hardworking Oregonians like my mom and dad a hand- up and ensure that kids like me aren’t left behind. This should be our legacy. The Barnharts of generations past believed this, and I am a direct benefi ciary of their work. The assault on Phil’s public and private character frustrates me as an Oregonian who values honesty and decency in politics, and disgusts me as an ethical person who seeks to bolster opportunity in Oregon. Don’t let distortions and untruths distract you from recognizing who Phil Barnhart truly is: a strong leader who understands that we endure because of our commitment to one another. Rep. Barnhart, thank you! Steve Coatsworth Eugene PEOPLE VS. PARTIES I do not care whether Andy Petersen is a Democrat, a Republican or anything in between. Like a growing number of Oregonians, I don’t vote party line; I don’t even belong to a party anymore. Oregonians want good leaders, not party players. We want someone who has a proven record, not in the Legislature but in his home, his neighborhood and in serving the community where he lives. Andy and I have known each other for more than 20 years. Our kids went to school together, and when we moved to rural Oregon Andy and his family accepted us as part of the community right away. I’ve watched Andy in action: the way he served my elderly neighbors year after year; I watched the time he put in at Camp Creek Elementary where our children attended school. My children learned from the Petersen family. Every year, thousands of Springfi eld students visited their ranch, learning a balanced approach to farming trees. I vote for people, not parties. I vote for experience, not in the legislature but in life, in history and in serving. Andy Petersen best represents all of those things for me. Join me in voting for Andy Petersen, a man of integrity, with experience, who knows how to get things done and, more importantly, knows how to serve. Isn’t that what Oregon needs? Isn’t it time for a change? Rick Dancer Springfi eld RESTRICTING OUR VOTE Elections in California and Washington have conclusively shown that under the “top-two” system, third parties are effectively eliminated from the general election — the one that counts. Why would anyone want to restrict our vote to only two choices and stifl e the voices of opposition to corporate control? Clearly not the citizen members of the Oregon Initiative Commission who overwhelming recommended a “no” vote on Measure 90, stating that it will limit the voice of minority voters, minor parties and grassroots campaigns. A look at public records on who is funding M90 shows former top-level Enron energy trader John Arnold pouring $1.5 million into the campaign. M90 has also received money from the Koch Dear Ms. Valkyrie [Viewpoint 10/23]. Really!? You have a problem with this? I don’t, and you wanna know why? Because I’m sick of going downtown and having to deal with and just seeing how many street people take over with their rude behavior, dogs, trash and theft. There is a difference between the homeless and street people. You think it’s unfair and feel sorry for those who can’t behave themselves, go somewhere else and not bother people? Well, some people are trying to run a business and create an inviting space for patronizing (paying) customers. If this bothers you so much, well, let them go hang out in front of your house, maybe camp in your backyard, recite poems on your front step. That should solve your worries about their rights. Let the homeless come to right where you live. Lyn Mor Eugene DON’T INSULT US Is Councilor Alan Zelenka [Viewpoint, 10/16] unaware of this tenet of fi scal stewardship: trust, but verify? Turner Construction is an objective analyst, the only one to date; Rowell Brokaw was appointed by the city manager to build a new structure, not to weigh a remodel. Asking it (or its hires) to compare options is unfair to it — and to taxpayers. Is it responsible or logical for the councilor to ignore the 50-year cost (currently, over $1 million/year) of renting space from downtown landlords? Whose interests does he represent? Is it “accessible” to eliminate 125 protected parking spots (a $4 million value), forcing citizens (and the differently-abled) to confront Eugene’s eight months of rain as they cross the envisioned wind-swept, empty block to the City Chamber — or chase around to scattered city offi ces? How “sustainable” is it to demolish 80,000 square feet and “replace” it with 25,000 square feet — is that “more intensively” using the land? All objective evidence contradicts. See wkly.ws/1tz. Zelenka’s energy comparison of the old City Hall to a new one is invalid and misleading: A remodeled City Hall could approximate a new-build and its far greater roof area could hold enough solar panels to make it more effi cient. An IEU of 30 is laudable, but it’s a pipe dream until we’re shown recent builds of similar cost/effi ciency. You can let decay and then destroy a beautiful representation of our heritage and of our forefathers’ legacy, but please don’t further insult us by claiming we approved it or that you’re being fi scally prudent and green. Jayme Vasconcellos Eugene EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • OCTOBER 30, 2014 5
