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
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