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