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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 2016)
LET TERS GRIN AND PRETEND It is amazing how a couple of years can completely change a person’s opinion. I voted for Mayor Kitty Piercy twice before I realized that she is just another expensive, backroom, crony-serving politician. Under her leadership, votes have been changed (parkland funds to overpaying for Civic Stadium and ignoring a past vote about urban renewal termination date) and repeatedly labeled unnecessary and denied (City Hall and urban renewal). No public notice was given that Kesey Square was being sold by our city manager/ manipulator to one of his acquaintances. I thought he was to supposed to follow City Council’s directions. Who gave him those instructions? Wouldn’t a public sale generate more money for the city than with a secret deal? Define corruption for me again. Then the mayor starts up about the travelers. Just another ordinary political action to help the sale. Use the homeless when it makes you look good. Use the homeless when you can manipulate the public. I have read two glowing letters lately with regards to Mayor Piercy’s leadership. For me, the Piercy/Ruiz leadership is best described as arrogant, manipulative, secretive and heavy handed, with very little need for open and honest government. Remember, Piercy and five of her minions on the City Council wanted to suppress Ruiz’s latest amateur and adolescent actions regarding the construction of City Hall. Seven out of 10 city (five of eight councilors) leaders wanted to keep public information from the public. At least we have three open and honest councilors. Much thanks to Councilor Brown for exposing the truth. Mayor Piercy was upset about the councilor’s honesty. Mayor, continue to grin and pretend that you are not what you are. Wingert Thomas Eugene SENECA AD I find it peculiar that Seneca Jones would pay more than $1,000 to advertise in the paper, not even to sell anything but just to talk about how great they are. Let’s clear a few things up. Planting monocrop tree farms in no way remedies clear cutting, or cutting down old growth and native forests. It does not matter if you plant more than you cut. When you cut down a forest and destroy an ecosystem, you cannot just replant it. Monocrop tree farms are causing extreme damage to the environment. The fertilizers used are polluting waterways, massive amounts of topsoil are eroded, the weak immune systems of the plantations host pest and disease infestations and the dry drought conditions that prevail in this monoculture system are responsible for hosting fires that burn very hot and move fast. Regardless if your “tree farms clean the air of the annual CO2 emissions from 86, 169 vehicles,” your pollution from your horrid logging practices, mill and dirty biomass plant alone releases an estimated 17,900 pounds of air toxins into West Eugene neighborhoods annually — this in addition to the 73,000 pounds already released annually from the mill itself. Seneca Biomass failed its first EPA air pollution test and yet sued the state for extra money to offset the expenses of building the plant. There are three schools within 3 miles of the Seneca Biomass facility and asthma rates in the area are almost twice the levels of the rest of Eugene. Seneca Jones has been called out many times for its repeated greenwashing and false claims. For more information, check out Cascadia Forest Defenders. In the wise words of leading youth activists from the Earth Guardians, “Put down the axe for the future generations, restore our ancient forests, that’s reforestation.” Olivia Louise Eugene TRAIN SOUNDS I live in the vicinity of Lawrence and Lincoln near Skinner Butte and decry the notion of spending close to $7 million to muffle the sound of the trains. Trains are our history. Trains are romantic. The sound of trains has inspired countless fine songs because trains invoke such rich imagery. Between the sound of 105 and the sound of the trains, please — muffle the highway, not the trains! And do not close the much-used Lawrence Street crossing! I’m actually stunned this proposal is even being considered. I was sitting outside at Cornucopia last week when a train blasted by, and nobody was even fazed. Take that $7 million and buy every kid in town a ticket to the movies and popcorn, or better yet, use it to resurface Lawrence Street between 5th and the park. Don’t throw it away on trying to muffle the sound of our history. Jennifer Sunseri Eugene eugeneweekly.com • July 7, 2016 9
