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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2016)
LET TERS VOTE ON CITY HALL We now have a proposed new city hall planned for the next 100 years. It looks like a breadbox surrounded by windows — and is earthquake proof. The estimated price is about $25 million. We need to think “outside the box.” We need an advisory vote on the November ballot to authorize spending $10 million to purchase the current EWEB building. This vote would indirectly approve the selling of the EWEB building by the commissioners for $10 million. We EWEB customers own that building. It’s all been paid for by us. EWEB will be putting it up for sale or rent in the future. We need to keep that property as public property, with a view across the river over our central park. EWEB could reduce some of its bonded debt with that $10 million, or it might use the money to help pay for a second water source. It might even consider expanding its fiber optics operation downtown — presently much desired by the Eugene City Council. Using this building as a city hall would greatly increase the value of the surrounding property currently being planned for sale. The 100-year view from this new city HOT AIR SOCIETY hall is magnificent — right here in River City. Gone is the proposed view over the parking lots at the present site. That, to me, is good 100-year planning. Bob Cassidy Eugene LEGAL EVICTION "No-cause" eviction is legal. I am homeless as a result. Days before Christmas my landlord told me to move out, knowing I had no place to go. Pleas from myself and family were to no avail. Christmas cards arrived, but not all for me. I went to court in hope of reprieve. No lawyer would hear my plea, at any cost. My rent was paid in full. My landlord gained many of my prized possessions. Is this legal? Yes. “No cause” eviction has resulted in hardship beyond measure. I know. I have witnessed the judge say, “There is nothing I can do.” I am homeless and feel helpless. Please endeavor to alter this absurd law. My partner and I have been struggling to find affordable housing for over three weeks now. We have discovered many of our temporary neighbors are in similar circumstances. We are all wondering where we will go when all of the motels demand APRIL 26 DEADLINE LOOMS ne man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain’t nothin’ can beat teamwork. — Edward Abbey I confess I may have too much time on my hands as a geezer/retiree. These days, instead of plowing through unemployment cases as I did in my last 12 years with the state appeals board, I’ve gone back to enjoying some of my favorite desert rat ecologists. In addition to Abbey, I’ve also been enjoying Wallace Stegner’s nonfiction and science writer David Quammen. Stegner’s Beyond the Hundredth Meridian really explains the 19th-century roots of the Malheur takeover insanity. Anyway, idle hands (and minds) being the devil’s workshop, I’ve had plenty of time to develop a strategery to help adjust Oregon’s diabolical political primary scene. Have you ever fantasized about going over to the other side — the dark political side — to create chaos? Come on, admit it. If you’re a student or a geezer, you’re either concerned about your finances or your planet ... or both. Now, I’m not suggesting we chain ourselves to a tree, take over UO President Michael Schill’s office or occupy a Wells Fargo branch. There are other collective means, subtle but effective, to sabotage the political system. But even Edward Abbey would admit you have to pay attention to the rules if you want to be a member of a monkey-wrench conspiracy. Let’s all change parties! Just think of the fun we’ll have! Seriously: 20,000 Oregonians have already switched parties this year, three times as many as in 2008. Let’s say you’re a Democrat like me, god forbid. As an old labor goon, I’m not excited about Hillary Clinton. She and Bill always had a problem with unions and trade policy going back 20 years. If she’s our candidate, Republicans will make the 4 A pril 21, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com PROFESSIONAL FORESTER I retain a lawyer when I need legal advice. I ask a financial advisor when I want financial advice. When I need an expert to explain options for my forest, I bring in a professional forester. A quick check of the Society of American Foresters website (safnet.org/ certifiedforest/index.cfm) reveals a list of 28 consulting foresters in Oregon, several in the Eugene area. These are professionals who understand the complexities of forest ownership, management, financial value, emotional appeal and attachment that many people have for their property. A professional forester can help define goals and develop a plan to achieve them, explain regulatory and legal requirement, assess the values of the forest — environmental, societal, economic, personal, emotional — and manage and administer a harvest contract and market the wood appropriately. The benefits are usually many in the end to accept up front a modest cost for expert advice, whether it be legal, financial or forestry. Your April 7 story, “Timber Theft,” illustrates three good examples where a forester may have added value. Kevin S. McElwee Springfield SAFE ROADSIDES AND WATERS In response to “Spraying Roadsides with Herbicides” from your April 7 issue, I want to express my concern about the possible return of said practices. I was a member of Lane County’s Health Advisory Committee when we initiated the “Last Resort Policy.” As a whole, the committee recommended this policy and hoped it would last into perpetuity. It strikes me that if the Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) conflicted with the Last Resort policy (LRP), then the VMP should be revised to match the LRP, not the way it’s being decided now. A comment is indicated as rejoinder to the “crews have rolled ankles, have BY TON Y CORCOR A N Hayduke Votes! Register Now! Party on! O our departure in order to make room for the folks who need a place to enjoy their stay during the Olympic trials. My advice to the law enforcement folks is this: Take down the fences, install sanitation. H.J. Iak Eugene perceived loss of American jobs a central issue. If I remain a Democrat, I’ll probably vote for Bernie Sanders just to send Hillary the message that her Walmart/Wall Street ties and Bernie’s message on income inequality both resonate with me. That said, wouldn’t it just be a friggin’ hoot to become a Republican temporarily? Think of the benefits if you register as a Republican: You get to vote for any one of three evil men — Trump, Cruz or Kasich — and ensure a Democrat victory in November. If by the luck of fortune you are elected as a Republican delegate — be still my beating heart! — you get to go to Cleveland, Ohio for the national convention — woohoo … and you must be armed! (OK, I’m not certain it’s mandatory.) Sign me up! You gotta love Oregon voting rules. We’re the only state in the nation to host three party primaries! In addition to the Democratic and Republican parties, the Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) gained major-party status last year. Each party decides whether it will hold an open or closed primary. Since the Republicans and Democrats have chosen to hold “closed” primaries, this means that a voter must be registered with that party by April 26 to participate in its primary election. Although the IPO will not have a candidate in the presidential primary, it has chosen to hold an “open” primary. This means any IPO members or members of other minor parties or non-affiliated voters can request IPO ballots and will be able to write in a candidate and vote in any other contested primaries that may be on the IPO ballot. Although the IPO does not have a presidential candidate, it does have a contested gubernatorial race. So have some fun this election cycle. And remember, party affiliation is like a drunken temporary tattoo: It’s not permanently disfiguring. If you feel icky being a Republican or a Democrat — which you should, by the way — it’s simple to change back into the Libertarian Pacific Green Non-affiliated Party member you once were in time for the November general election. You can register to vote or change your party registration at oregonvotes.gov. The bottom line is that, with Republican and Democratic delegate votes still up for grabs for this summer’s national conventions, Oregon’s primary results will be more meaningful than they have been for a long time. The usual logic is that races in both parties will have been long decided by our May 17 primary. Not so much this year. “Be as I am — a reluctant enthusiast … a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic … I promise you this; you will outlive the bastards.” Thank you, Mr. Abbey. Tony Corcoran of Cottage Grove is a former state senator and a recently retired state employee.
