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.