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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2016)
LET TERS selling things instead of pan handling everywhere downtown and in the market. Many of them cannot afford to have a special booth at the market, where everything they make is judged by a committee, or buy a special canopy. This includes the little old lady who is just trying to make enough money selling her crafts so she can make enough money to go to Kansas to see her dying brother, or the disabled man who has a small table with crystals just trying to make enough for food for the week. When I walked by there this Saturday (April 9) a police officer was telling the artists that if they set up next week, they would be fined or possibly go to jail. How does the city expect people whose only income is selling their crafts to pay a $1,000 ticket if they can’t sell their goods to make the money to pay the ticket? After talking to some of the artists about what was going on, many of them said they set up at the plaza because other venues that might be affordable simply don’t get enough traffic or that the people who try to go to those venues cannot even make enough money to pay for the fee of setting up at them. Some of the artists in the courtyard have been there for more than 15 years and never been told they have to leave, and have never caused a problem, so why make them leave now? Elizabeth Denzer Lorane CHAMPION OF PUBLIC INTEREST EDITOR'S NOTE: EPD tells EW the $1,000 fine is for smoking weed in public. The South Willamette Special Area Zone is a high-density, pro-development Trojan Horse disguised in attractive “green” language to fool the unwary. The attempt to destroy affordable homes and walkable residential neighborhoods using the double-talk that increasing density will produce affordability is the old “we have to destroy it to save it” scam. Wake up, Eugene, the “powers that be” downtown have plans to bring this Trojan Horse to 15 other Eugene neighborhoods. Emily Semple is the only Ward 1 candidate for City Council speaking out in opposition to SW-SAZ and against MUPTE, the 10-year tax break for developers. Emily’s opponents brag about their wide support among the influential players downtown. One, Mr. Greenwashing, can slickly argue that "sustainable" means anything whatsoever. The other offers selling points appealing to a low-attention- span voter. Do not be fooled by candidates sailing under false green-environmental-public interest flags. Their only interest is feeding at the trough downtown, where powerful development interests reward their foot soldiers. Know Emily Semple by the endorsement of George Brown and Bonny Bettman McCornack, both longtime champions of the public interest in Ward 1. Ron Bevirt Eugene EATING SUSTAINABLY HERBICIDE DEBATE With the 47th annual observance of Earth Day just around the corner, this is a great time to explore more effective ways of slowing climate change and conserving Earth’s natural resources for future generations. A 2010 UN report charged animal agriculture with 19 percent of manmade greenhouse gases — more than all transport — and recommended a global shift to a vegan diet. A subsequent World Watch study placed that contribution closer to 50 percent. Meat and dairy production also dumps more water pollutants than all other human activities combined. It is the driving force in global deforestation and wildlife habitat destruction. Last fall, England’s prestigious Chatham House declared that reducing meat consumption is critical to achieving global climate goals. A report from Oxford University found that global adoption of a vegan diet would reduce greenhouse emissions by two-thirds. The 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has recommended reduced meat consumption and an environmentally sustainable diet. Just as we replace fossil fuels by wind, solar and other sustainable energy sources, we must replace animal foods with the more sustainable vegetables, fruits and grains. Being mindful of this can help us make better choices at the supermarket. Elijah Hennison Eugene A little fact checking by the author would have revealed the inaccuracy of John Sundquist’s quote that “Lane County is the only county that has a policy prohibiting the use of herbicide to control roadside vegetation in the state.” The wording of the current code 15.500 (2) states: “The county shall use non-herbicidal control methods, including prevention, as its preferred tools for roadside vegetation management. Permitted herbicides shall be used only as a last resort when other options have been proven ineffective.” Following passage of the current code, the BCC passed a moratorium on the use of herbicides and the county has not used herbicides, as noted in the article. Mr. Sundquist’s “harsher criticism” is so generic and vague that it is useless, and if he was willing to be more than an armchair critic he could have attended any of the public meetings of the task force but apparently didn’t. I am sure if the proposed changes move forward, Mr. Sundquist and others will have ample opportunity to provide constructive, meaningful comments. J. Blake Eugene 6 A pril 21, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com WIG HAS A PLAN I’m 25. Young people usually avoid politics because it’s rigged or we feel powerless. Chris Wig’s focus on tenant rights got me excited. No-cause evictions hit young people every day, and Wig is the only candidate taking that seriously. Poor people under the barrel of a 30- day eviction notice don’t have time to find a new place or extra cash for a huge rent increase. Wig says tenant issues often cause homelessness, forcing families to couch-surf or go completely homeless. Wig is the only candidate with a plan to help us — I checked. It’s the model Portland just passed: a 90-day notice requirement for no-cause evictions and any rent hike over 5 percent. Giving tenants 90 days offers us enough time to put our humpty-dumpty lives back together again. It takes time to adjust, to uproot and replant. We were no-cause evicted last fall. It was hell just to pack, save and find a reasonably-priced rental near bus lines in only 30 days. I can’t imagine families managing that — many don’t. Chris Wig listens to us and is presenting our stories to the City Council right now, which is why I’m voting for him to be our City Councilor in Ward 1. Ben Torres Eugene IS OREGON ABOARD? President Obama mercifully commuted the sentences of 61 drug offenders who would not be in prison under today’s federal drug laws (R-G March 31, p. A3) — 248 commutations is more than the previous six presidents, yet a small drop from the bucket considering 250,000 souls held under rigid mandatory sentences in federal prisons. This symbolic gesture scarcely addresses our “big government on autopilot,” considering an embarrassing world record 2 million plus U.S. Gulag Archipelago and its exorbitant ($30,000 plus per year per inmate!) costs. Mr. Holvek and Prozanski supported Oregon’s 2013-14 legislation making mandatory sentences flexible, which might stop our overcrowded prisons from growing. Yet Oregon continues imprisoning more per capita than any other country! Many Republicans, Libertarians and liberal Democrats are in agreement that bills like the bipartisan Sentencing Reform Act (S. 2123, Title I & House 3713) and the Corrections Reform & Recidivism Reduction Act (S. 2123 Title II, HR. 759) should all reach the floor of Congress for a vote. Obama promises to sign this legislation. Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio had not joined Ron Wyden or their bipartisan colleagues in signing on to cosponsor these bills when I reached them on March 15. Some Republicans in our dysfunctional Congress, particularly majority leaders McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan, might not even read these bills, let alone bring them out of committee for votes! One hopes our Oregon delegation agrees with the small steps this legislation takes in the right direction. Thanks, Mr. Wyden! Are you aboard, Jeff and Peter? Ethen Perkins Eugene VOLUNTEERS FOR AMERICA When the rich get richer while the poor get poorer, and when big business threatens a state with economic sanctions because it doesn’t agree with its laws, it is a sure sign that our government has failed. The Constitution is based on deism, as opposed to feudal monarchies. The only candidate who stands for these ideals, freedom from the oppression of the new monarchs and their manipulation of the economy is: May I have the envelope please? Bernie Sanders! Volunteers for Bernie meet 12:30 pm Saturdays at 2809 Friendly Street. Vince Loving Eugene WIG SHOWS SOLIDARITY My labor union, SEIU 503, has endorsed Chris Wig for Eugene City Council, Ward 1. Chris Wig returned our detailed questionnaire. We liked his written answers. A group of local SEIU members of our political action committee then sat down with Wig to discuss policy issues of concern to SEIU. Following that meeting, we knew Wig will be a strong advocate for working families and labor union members when he is elected to City Council. During spring and summer last year, SEIU-classified workers at the UO were grateful when Wig supported our contract negotiations by repeatedly showing up at actions and events. Wig even contacted state legislators, asking them to take action to help UO classified workers! Chris Wig has the experience, knowledge and energy to strengthen community coalitions of citizens that will show up and speak out at City Council meetings, especially on issues such as affordable housing, paid sick leave and raising the minimum wage. When reviewing your ballot prior to the May 17 election, SEIU 503 urges residents in Ward 1 to vote for Chris Wig. He clearly demonstrates solidarity with improving the lives of working families. James Jacobson Eugene HONOR TO JOURNALISM I’ve observed journalism in Eugene for four decades. Whatever its occasional faults, it has had individuals who have reminded us of how valuable good journalism can be for a community. High on the list is retired columnist Don Bishoff of The Register-Guard. But no one has symbolized the greatest merit of the profession better than Ted Taylor, now retiring after 17 years as editor of Eugene Weekly. We can have confidence his successor, Camilla Mortensen, will maintain his high level. Yet when a future history of journalism in Eugene is written, no one will be more significant than Ted. We owe him gratitude for his creativity and courage. George Beres Eugene
