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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 2016)
years. And it should be coupled with an annual increase for the cost of living adjustment (COLA) as the Social Security recipients now receive. We really need this for our city employees. They should not have to be getting by on food stamps. Bob Cassidy Eugene SPENDY MICROBREW Can anyone explain to me how the cost of beer in the supermarket is inversely priced in relation to the distance it has traveled? How can local brews sell for $10-$12 a six-pack when you only pay $6-$7 for a six-pack from the East Coast, Europe or Mexico? Maybe I need to drink more in order to understand this kind of math. Now I know that new microbreweries can always use a financial boost, but it seems the worst offenders, mathematically speaking, are actually those established and with good distribution networks. Well, sorry peeps, but I’m buying from Outer Mongolia until the price drops. Peter Tildesley Eugene GREEK TRAGEDY As I see it, we are all sitting in a darkened Greek amphitheater. It’s about 300 B.C. and we are watching a Greek tragedy. It’s somewhere in the second act. The hero is the Republican Party, an upstanding guy, well respected in his community and of a long and noble lineage. However, for, well, more than a few years, he has provided a safe political home for bigots of many different stripes, anti-government terrorists (Ted Cruz, et al.) and various other extremists. Other characters in the play are the Bush family, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Paul Ryan. They are all friends of RP, have obliged him in his misdeeds and have profited enormously from their connection with him. But now the day has come. The antagonist is DT, an egomaniac and a demagogue who, like all demagogues, has an aura of inevitability about him. He is completely out of control and as such is a perfect instrument of Fate. The denouement, luckily for us, takes place off-stage. My guess is it will be Mitt Romney who delivers the speech giving us the gory details. Towards the end of his speech he will be moved to tears. After all, this was the party that brought an end to slavery, that fought Big Business, that stood up for the environment. It was the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and Romney’s own father, George Romney, one of the last great liberal Republicans. And we, the audience, will all be moved, some to tears. The Greeks called this catharsis and, though it is hard to believe, we will be the better for having watched this tragic tale. John Kiely Eugene TRUMP MAFIA America has been promised a “no holds barred” presidential election — apparently nothing is “off the table.” Aside from what Senator Ted Cruz mentioned, there hasn’t been a single peep in the media about Trump’s alleged mafia connection. Isn’t this newsworthy? Serious documentation of “Teflon” Donald’s mob ties already exists, so why have the Democrats not revealed that history? Don’t all “serious” candidates (Republican and Democrat) need to be fully vetted by the FBI by now? Glenn Jones Eugene WELFARE FOR THE RICH We learn that a small group of local insider investors made huge profits in last year’s sale of Trillium Community Health Plan. Their profit was huge because they inflated Trillium’s value for potential buyers by hanging on to government Medicare money instead of spending it on health care for low-income people in Lane and Douglas counties. With the glaring ethical issues involved, it is no wonder these investors fought to keep their names out of the newspaper. Should we be surprised to learn that one of them is small government conservative Jim Torrey? He waddled up to this government trough for $2.5 million while many low income residents were struggling to find basic health care. Wayne Ferrell Eugene The Shedd Institute www.theshedd.org - 541.434.7000 The MTTA Revue - Summer 2016 Get Happy! The Music Of Harold Arlen Friday July 8 - Half Past Four & Half Past Eight Shedd Theatricals 2016 Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden & Adolph Green’s 1944 musical masterpiece On The Town July 29 -Aug 7 Oregon Festival of American Music 2016 Save up to 30% off bicycles thru July 3rd! Mobilize Your Summer. Super bike deals & rebates. 50% off bike accessory packages! Town, road touring, & adventure models. Large selection family, cargo & electric assist bikes. g.i.jive Good Cheer From Home, 1939-45 Facebook.com/arriving.by.bike, www.abb.bike 2705 Willamette St • 541.484.5410 July 29 - August 13 Mon.–Fri. 11–7, Sat. 10–6, Sun. 12–5 The Shedd Institute Willamette bike lanes – Celebrate with us! eugeneweekly.com • June 30, 2016 7
