LET TERS
DONE WITH HIDING
The fencing of places where homeless
people camp isn’t really about trash. If it
was, the city would be providing trashcans
and portable potties at locations all over
Eugene, along with a lot more managed
shelter. Instead it spends money on services
that people have to walk to, carrying all
of their possessions, and policing to keep
them from camping.
What the fences are really about is
trying to force the homeless to hide, to be
invisible, so their very existence doesn’t
offend the middle class and give the lie to
the American way of life. The talk about
trash is meant to justify this and demonize
the homeless — to portray them as trash.
As activists, we need to understand the
difference between protest and resistance.
Protest is useful in focusing public
attention on a problem, but it doesn’t
make those in power do anything. Protest
may, in fact, provide a useful social safety
valve for people to vent while allowing the
politicians and the middle-class folks who
elect them to continue business as usual.
Resistance, on the other hand, creates
a cost for business-as-usual that makes
it more difficult to continue doing it. It
inflicts pain and is much harder to ignore.
As a resistance response to the fencing, I
suggest that activists publicly designate the
fenced areas as dumps for homeless trash
and feces, and encourage the homeless to
use them to deposit their waste. Create a
real problem that the authorities cannot
ignore, a cost to business as usual. Tell the
community that we are done with hiding
and we don’t recognize their authority.
Lynn Porter
Eugene
EDITOR’S NOTE: Eugene Weekly does not condone
pooping as a form of protest.
HONEST AND RESPECTFUL
As a children’s advocate for many
years, I am 100-percent supporting Lucy
Vinis for mayor. She has a very impressive
track record in children and youth issues,
and she founded Youth Visions, a nonprofit
film festival for high school students. In
addition, Vinis has a background in
business, social services, agriculture and
environmental issues. She is incredibly
well-rounded, smart and committed to
Eugene.
I have seen her out in the community,
and she is a great listener to all points of
view. But she also will tell it to you straight,
and not just what you may want to hear.
In other words, Lucy is honest and very
respectful — which is very refreshing.
HOT AIR SOCIETY
TAKING THE LOW ROAD
The editor of EW’s March 17 front-
page attack on Mike Clark is indicative of
what is wrong with the U.S. and especially
Eugene politics today: the lack of civil
public discourse with others who may not
agree with your point of view. Clark was
apparently correct in his decision to not
meet with you, as the article makes it clear
your goal was to impinge his character, not
enlighten the public.
Clark has represented my ward for
10 years and I have always found him
thoughtful in his considerations of issues,
respectful in his word choice and dedicated
to public service. Clark is also one of
the rarest in public service. He is a self-
employed small businessman and does not
have the luxury of being retired or drawing
a salary and benefits from a public entity
like every other councilor and the mayor.
If one also considers EW’s prior attack
on Springfield’s nightlife and citizens
it is easy to conclude the editors have a
certain lack of respect for their fellow
man. As editor you are certainly allowed to
continue on the low road you have chosen,
but I would hope the majority of your
subscribers have better character, and I am
sure your mother taught you better.
Bob Macherione
Eugene
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our cover headline “Don’t Let a
Loser Win” did not indicate who the “loser” might be.
We left that judgment call to our readers after studying the
mayoral profiles.
SEMPLE IS SOLID
I am really excited to see that Emily
Semple will be running for Eugene
City Council in Ward 1. I have been
concerned about how Eugene will balance
development with anticipated growth. I am
very impressed with some of the positions
and ideas that she has put forward.
The issue of a potential expansion of the
urban growth boundary [UGB] has always
been controversial. Semple has made a
very good point that we need to be even
more cautious about possible expansions
of the UGB because climate change has
made the farmland surrounding our urban
areas even more valuable as resources.
BY TON Y CORCOR A N
Of Laws and
Lawlessness
PONDERING OREGON’S WOLVES & TERRORISTS
W
I also have been unhappy with Mike
Clark’s opposition to important city
services, including being the only city
councilor to oppose the improvements to
the library. Lucy Vinis is much more civic-
minded. She will make a great mayor.
Joy Marshall
Eugene
olf update: Gov. Kate Brown signed HB 4040 into law on March
15. Opponents of the original de-listing (and this bill) believed
the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) previously
broke the law when it removed state endangered species
protections from gray wolves; so they sued. They contend de-
listing was premature and not supported by independent scientific review: bad science,
bad bill. That case against de-listing is currently before the Oregon Court of Appeals
(COA). But special interests, the cattlemen and the farm bureau successfully lobbied
the Oregon Legislature last month to moot the case currently before the COA. I spoke
with Amoroq Weiss, a biologist and attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity
and Sean Stevens, executive director of Oregon Wild, two of the parties appealing the
de-listing. Both verified the governor’s role in writing the final bill, despite her staff’s
testimony in mid-February that she was “neutral.” Both agreed that while the case
technically remains open before the COA, the friends of wolves might have just been
handed a setback. Stay tuned.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge update: A month ago a stranger introduced
herself to me in a local grocery store; she wanted to tell me her story. She had retired
to Eugene after a long career as a Head Start teacher on the Burns Paiute reservation in
Harney County. She expressed her deep concern regarding the welfare and protection
of the Paiute tribal records, artifacts and historic sites cataloged and maintained at
the refuge by various federal agencies. So it was heartbreaking last week to read The
Oregonian’s headline tragically confirming her concern: “Occupier who feds say dug
trench for feces, disturbed sacred artifacts faces charges.”
After the armed occupation ended Feb. 12, while assessing damage done by the
militants, the FBI discovered two large trenches dug by heavy equipment containing
“significant amounts” of human feces. FBI investigators also found an “improvised
road on or adjacent to grounds containing sensitive artifacts.” So, in addition to the
armed conspiracy counts faced by most of the other occupiers, Jake Ryan and Sean
Anderson are charged with “depredation of government property” based on this
desecration. Turns out the Burns Paiute tribal leaders had good reason to express their
repeated concerns during the occupation that artifacts, petroglyphs or historical items
sacred to the tribe would be stolen, disrespected or destroyed. Tribal leaders have also
repeatedly asked federal authorities to prosecute any related crimes.
From my perspective, the FBI discovery reveals all you need to know about the
underlying moral character of these know-nothing occupiers, these so-called militants
who hide behind the “Sagebrush Rebellion” movement or the “posse comitatus”
movement or the “wise use” movement. For the most part these are brutal, arrogant,
greedy, misinformed, macho white men. (The Oregonian estimated only 23 percent of
the occupation visitors were women.) That’s why it was so laughable that the Bundy
brothers’ ultimate demand was that the federal government returns the refuge to its
“rightful” owners — the current citizens of Harney County! No mention of the first
people, the aboriginal people, the Paiutes. Hell, these misnamed “Indians” only beat
the Mormons to this area by 10,000 years or so! I’m not sure about the fundamentalist
LDS, but the Paiutes have Jesus H. Christ Himself beat by a couple of millennia, not
centuries, in Harney County! So I agree, sorta: Give it all back to the original “locals.”
So far, 27 people have been indicted in connection with the armed occupation at
the refuge. According to The Oregonian only four are Oregonians; most of the rest of
Y’all Qaida live in Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Utah. Seven have felony convictions,
from car theft to murder, and 30 percent of the visitors during the occupation had a
past bankruptcy, lien or judgment. And 17 percent of the visitors/occupiers were part
of the standoff with federal rangers at Cliven Bundy’s ranch in April of 2014. And
they were all friggin’ armed. GMAFB.
It’s now clear the FBI has “thrown the book” at these occupiers. The current
federal estimate of the costs of the occupation is $6 million, not to mention additional
costs to the state of Oregon. The trials and appeals will take years. I understand the
presumption of innocence. But let’s assume that after a fair and impartial trial and
appeal these knuckleheads are found guilty. I hope the sentencing judge takes into
account the mitigation of this desecration of the Burns Paiute tribal heritage when
putting these terrorists away.
Tony Corcoran of Cottage Grove is a former state senator and a recently retired state employee.
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March 31, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com