Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 2015)
LET TERS A DOUBLE LOSS On June 29, Eugene lost its Civic Stadium due to a thoughtless act. A terrible loss. On June 29, Eugene’s downtown core lost 10 beautiful trees due to a thoughtful act. A terrible loss. The plan for the new Hilton residential hotel at 11th and Olive was approved without concern for those beautiful bits of nature — mature, full-grown trees and homes for birds. Downtown has no green space, only concrete-covered “parks.” Please give that some thought. Jane Smith Eugene means not only are these companies not paying income tax, they are receiving money from the government. The good news is we have a candidate who understands this threat. That candidate is Bernie Sanders. Sanders has been outspoken about the need for a political revolution in this country in order to take on the billionaire class that currently controls our political system. Sanders promised to try to work to overturn Citizens United vs. FEC. Despite his fi nancial disadvantages, Sanders has continued to rise in the polls by taking on the big money interests. Kyle Stephens Eugene WHERE THERE’S SMOKE … WON’T BE BRIBED I live in a wooden house off Willamette Street in south Eugene. HELP. It’s getting very serious. Peter Tildesley Eugene Vote for your family, vote for yourself: The un-Pac Man makes his play for the presidency. Bernie Sanders is the only candidate that will not accept bribes from the corporate coffers or who is infl uenced by the rich man’s gold. His funds come from the common people he is destined to serve. “What can I do?” you query. Register to vote for the Democratic primary and again in the general election. Bring our government back to the fold of the ordinary citizens. There are a lot more of us than them. How can we lose? This message has not been approved by anyone. Vince Loving Eugene THREAT TO DEMOCRACY On July 28, former President Jimmy Carter spoke about his concern about the amount of money in politics. Carter said, “It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or being elected president.” The bad news is Jimmy Carter is correct. We can’t have a functioning democracy if billions of dollars are being spent to bribe political offi cials into passing legislation that only benefi ts the wealthy. Companies like General Electric, Boeing and Verizon, whose profi ts are in the billions, all had negative effective income taxes. This VIEWPOINT DISPLACED FROM GLENWOOD When I was 4 or 5 years old, one of life’s defi ning moments happened to me. I had done something unkind when my mom sat me down and said, “How would you feel if someone did that to you?” I remember thinking deeply and decided that I was to be comparable to current space rent payments and all moving costs paid for. We will also be granted at least a year to secure something affordable. Let’s not add to Lane County’s already overwhelming homeless population! Lorie Waggoner Eugene SPEED CUSHIONS Here’s an unnecessary and unusual way that the city of Eugene is spending tax dollars — it is installing 10 “speed cushions” on Riverview Street. Most of you will probably wonder where this highly traffi cked speedway is and may have to do a map web search to fi nd it. I’ll help you. It’s east of the university campus on the east side of Hendricks Hill. Why the city must install speed-slowing devices on a section of country road 2 miles long that only serves the immediate neighbors is beyond me. I live in the neighborhood and witness people daily stopping in the middle of the road to allow our abundant turkeys to cross. These are not the mean streets of Springfi eld where people are mowed down regularly. I welcome you to our neighborhood. Drive scenic Riverview and see if you don’t wonder why the city wastes resources. Andy Small Eugene ARTISTIC LOSS Many lament recently losing the old city hall (tear down), Civic Stadium (fi re) and Southtowne Lanes (fi re), yet those losses were more sentimental than aesthetic. We might soon suffer a more artistic loss. The former downtown Eugene Public BY PAUL ZEPEDA C A STRO Rising Against Corruption COURAGEOUS HONDURANS TAKE TO THE STREETS L ocated in the heart of Central America, Honduras has in recent years experienced some of the highest levels of corruption in Latin America. Hondurans are characteristically warm and peaceful. But evidence of the Honduran Social Security Institute’s embezzlement of more than $300 million that was used in part to fund the campaign of President Juan Orlando Hernández has united the country against corruption and impunity. Every Friday since May, thousands of Hondurans have taken to the streets with torches symbolizing the hope of the country, demanding an end to corruption and for Hernández to invite the United Nations to create an International Commission Against Impunity in Honduras (CICIH) similar to an anticorruption committee established in Guatemala that led to the prosecution of the vice president and several ministers and deputies. The government of Honduras’ refusal to request CICIH is seen as evidence of the corruption of the current administration. Based on the commission’s success 4 certain I would not like it. The question my mother asked greatly infl uences how I treat people. Please take a moment and imagine someone having the power to take your home away. Imagine the threat to your lifestyle because of limited resources and support. Each day you have more questions than answers because the people who have the power to answer your questions are not straightforward with you. How would that make you feel? In the past fi ve years, I have made many improvements to my mobile home and yard. I was very excited recently to fi nd a good deal on fl ooring. When a letter came announcing the town meeting, my excitement turned to depression. How can I be excited when there is clearly a threat of loss? Please understand that I have put my heart and soul into my home, and it is more than just a structure that can be replaced. You say that you will offer “developer incentives,” but what about “move-out” incentives? Here is a suggestion, which I feel has potential to be a “win-win” option: an assistance program specifi cally designed for the displaced people of Glenwood. My suggestion: The city of Springfi eld collaborates with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a program for displaced mobile home owners affected by the Glenwood Refi nement Project. These displaced homeowners may purchase a subsidized piece of property (with or without a home on it). The purchase price (for current mobile homes and for the right to develop Glenwood land) will cover the down payment and closing costs for the homes. Future monthly payments are guaranteed A UGUST 13, 2015 • EUGENEWEEKLY.COM in Guatemala, protesters use the phrase “What is the fear?” to emphasize if there is nothing for the government to hide, there should be no fear to submit to CICIH investigation. Hondurans have protested against the president in demonstrations across the country and internationally in Miami, Washington, D.C., Madrid, Mexico City, Costa Rica and Berlin, among others. This is a historic moment for a small country that is demanding a change in destiny by purging the corrupt. Led by a group of young Hondurans calling themselves Los Indignados (or The Outraged), the protesters have organized massive peaceful demonstrations to the U.S. Embassy, urging the U.S. to suspend funding to Honduras until there is assurance the funds are properly used. Protesters demand the installation of the CICIH, the dismissal of the deputy attorney general and an investigation into Hernández and the ruling political party of Honduras. Several members of Los Indignados staged a hunger strike outside the presidential palace in protest, willing to give their lives to the cause. The members of Los Indignados have risen without representation of any political party. They are young Hondurans who, regardless of age, political affi liation, religion or gender, together ask to purify the government of the corrupt system that has hijacked the country. United under the slogan “They picked on the wrong generation,” the protesters carry torches as a symbol of the light of Honduras that the country cannot afford to turn off, putting a spotlight on the highest levels of government and hoping their cries for transparency become a reality. ■ Paul Zepeda Castro is an attorney volunteering with the Instituto de Derecho Ambiental de Honduras (IDAM- HO). He is currently in Eugene as the 2015 Laurie Prosser and Xiaoli Jiang ELAW Fellow. He will be collabo- rating with Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide on projects in Honduras, including protecting communities and the Mesoamerican Reef from illegal development projects. This essay was written in Spanish and translated into English.
