• As we predicted, the Eugene City Council this week
revived the Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption program,
aka “tax breaks for the rich,” but at least it has some
redeeming qualities. The council was under threat from
Brian Obie and other developers that they would abandon
their downtown housing plans without the tax breaks,
but we’re not convinced they wouldn’t build anyway.
Think about it. If you were a developer, wouldn’t you try to
leverage every advantage possible to maximize your
return on investment? Nothing wrong with that, other
than that tax breaks deprive public schools and other
services.
• Prof. Guy McPherson’s scary predictions of near-
term human extinction are examined in our cover story
this week. Some skeptics wonder if he’s just sounding
alarm bells to draw attention and to sell his books. He
was paid a few hundred bucks to speak at the Unitarian
Universalist Church June 24 and donations were asked
at the door. It appears he’s not getting rich, but likely
funding his tour as he goes along. And he’s not getting a
lot of attention; his dire warnings are mostly ignored in
the media.
McPherson’s radical predictions might be taken more
seriously in a year or two as the evidence mounts. A
story in Esquire this week quotes climatologist Jason
Box saying, “I think most scientists must be burying
overt recognition of the awful truths of climate change in
a protective layer of denial (not the same kind of denial
coming from conservatives, of course). I’m still amazed
how few climatologists have taken an advocacy message
to the streets, demonstrating for some policy action.”
Regardless of how dystopian our future might or
might not be, McPherson offers sound advice: Practice
compassion and tolerance, live a life in pursuit of
excellence and fight on for the survival of all species.
Hard to dispute that.
• Post-mortems on the Oregon legislative session
are a striking example of the fierce political split in this
state and country. Democratic Rep. Jennifer Williamson,
who succeeds our Val Hoyle as Oregon House majority
leader, has sent out a summary outlining how “we began
to deliver on the promise that … we would rebuild the
economic ladder for everyone.” That includes paid sick
leave, a retirement savings program, big investments in
education, big expansion of voting rights and more.
Meanwhile, The Oregonian’s editorial page, now one of
the loudest voices of the right in this state, is not so sure
about sick leave and retirement savings and considers it
a “bright spot that the session ended without legislation
to boost the minimum wage.” Hopefully, the Democratic
majority in Salem will grow even wider with the next
elections.
Think about it. If you were a
developer, wouldn’t you try to
leverage every advantage
possible to maximize your
return on investment? Nothing
wrong with that, other than
that tax breaks deprive public
schools and other services.
• New designs for City Hall were revealed this week,
and the project will go out to bids next fall. We speculated
in Slant on Oct. 30, 2014, that cost projections used to
justify replacing City Hall could be underestimated. If the
new four-story, 30,000-square-foot City Hall is really
going to be as energy efficient and “green” as promised,
the cost projection of $17.5 million for the teardown and
rebuild could turn out to be substantially inadequate. We
hope we are wrong, but don’t be surprised if either the
final cost is higher or compromises will need to be made,
concessions that will diminish the final size, appearance
or function of the building.
Will the new City Hall be net-zero, able to generate
enough solar energy to meet its own needs and even
feed excess electricity back into the grid? The “leading
design strategy” is to hook up to a non-network power
source, according to EWEB spokesman Joe Harwood.
Right now, EWEB’s downtown system can’t handle
network in-feeding and “it may take a few years
depending upon advancements in technology,” he tells
us. We don’t know the cost of bringing in a separate
power source, but Harwood says the feeder line is near
City Hall.
• Biomass power generation has always been touted
by industry and members of Congress on both sides of
the aisle as carbon neutral. Our own EWEB counts the
local Seneca incinerator plant as one of its “renewable”
energy sources. But the White House this week finally
got around to studying the science and determining that
burning trees to make electricity is a rotten idea in terms
of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Lane Regional Air
Pollution Agency (LRAPA) ignored health warnings from
doctors and allowed the polluting Seneca atrocity to be
built, and we’re likely stuck with it. But hopefully this new
White House position, backed by the Environmental
Protection Agency, will dampen enthusiasm for future
biomass incinerators.
• Watch Joe Biden. If Hillary Clinton stumbles badly,
and that could happen, Biden seems to be keeping his
options open to another run for the presidency. Is he too
old or too prone to gaffs? Would Jeb Bush, Scott Walker
or Marco Rubio handily beat him? We do love the
progressive message of Bernie Sanders, but we are
watching Joe. November 2016 is a long way away.
SL ANT INCLUDES SHORT OPINION PIECES, OBSERVATIONS AND RUMOR-CHASING NOTES COMPILED BY THE EW STAFF.
HE ARD ANY GOOD RUMORS L ATELY? CONTAC T TED TAYLOR AT 484-0519, EDITOR@EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
Eugene St.
This FREE community event opens up the streets of
Downtown Eugene to walking, biking and rolling in a
car-free environment. The route connects activity centers
with live music, free fitness classes, and much more in
Monroe Park, Kesey Square AND Park Blocks!
Volunteers needed! Sign up here: www.eugene-or.gov/essvolunteer
For more information, email:
sundaystreets@ci.eugene.or.us
Downtown
Sunday July 26
Noon - 4 PM
Enjoy C
ar-free
Broadw
ay Ave
.
from O
ak St. t
o
Monro
e
Eugene Sunday Streets is brought to you by:
Bike Friday • Pacific Source •
Oregon Dept. of Transportation •
Northwest Community Credit Union
eugeneweekly.com • July 16, 2015
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