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.