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VIEWPOINT BY RICH A RD HUNT My Date with Kate OR HOW I INFLU- ENCED THE COURSE OF OREGON HISTORY W (8/11), I watched a man walking his dog along 12th Street between Pearl and High streets walk right into oncoming traffic on both streets and then have the audacity to hurl vociferous obscenities at the drivers and cyclists who had to brake suddenly or swerve to avoid hitting him or his dog. At one point, he stood in the lane of traffic and slammed his hand on the hood of a car re- peatedly while yelling at the driver. Sir, I don’t know you or what your prob- lem is, but you don’t deserve that beautiful animal whose life you put in danger. While you have the right to cross at any legal in- tersection, there is an understanding that you are acting safely and sanely when you start to cross a street. You should walk de- fensively and not take unnecessary risks. Furthermore, having the right of way does not give you the right to verbally abuse or physically intimidate your fellow street-users. Your obligation is to cross the street expeditiously and be on your way. Attempting to impose your will on others does nothing but make you appear to be a lunatic. Eddie Alfaro Eugene KREMLIN TRUMP Are you concerned about Donald Trump’s Kremlin connections? His recent treasonous remarks urging Russian Intelli- gence to hack and release U.S. government emails are just the tip of the iceberg. He has denied having any financial relations in Russia. This directly contra- dicts Donald Trump, Jr., who’s quoted as saying several years ago: “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets … We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.” It’s “pour- ing in” from “oligarchs” with close ties to the Kremlin. Financial experts say Trump needs this foreign money because most U.S. banks have blackballed him due to his serial defaults. Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Ma- naport, and a top adviser, Carter Page, have been employed in Kremlin-affiliated orga- nizations. His foreign policy adviser, Ret. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, is a frequent guest on Russian propaganda TV. Putin-wannabe Trump has espoused an isolationist foreign policy, which would directly encourage the expansionist plans of Russia (and China). He has specifically threatened to weaken ties with U.S. allies. All of this should, at the very least, become a major focus of media investiga- tion. Follow the money. Trump should be hounded by all concerned citizens to reveal all his sources of income. Trump should be grilled about this during the debates. In fact, Congress should be investigating Kremlin manipulation of this election. Let’s make it happen. Jere C. Rosemeyer Eugene MORE FOR STEIN “Disaffected Sanders supporters — shut up and do the right thing. Hillary is … vastly superior to the alternative.” Does Spud Smith find this language persuasive? He wrote two long paragraphs of Trump- mongering without a positive word about Clinton except that she’s better than Trump — an opinion, not a fact. Clinton’s record of foreign affairs fail- ures, national security negligence, policy vacillations and donor IOUs alarms me as much as the prospect of President Trump. Both nominees pander shamelessly and lie repeatedly. If Clinton can’t beat Trump despite every advantage of name, power, money and media, she’s a weak candidate. And if those who now harangue Sanders voters to support her wanted to stop Trump, they’d have heeded polls that consistently showed Sanders winning handily against the R bo- geyman. After 40-plus years as a Democrat, I’ve left the party. Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party) hen the Oregon legislative session of 2015 opened, Eugene Weekly embarked upon the bold experiment of establishing a delivery route in Salem. Each Thursday I traveled there, my first stop was the Capitol, where crowds in costumes and uniforms campaigned colorfully for their causes. The Salem experience was thoroughly enjoyable. As the final month began, I wondered how I could top the fun, and decided to meet Kate Brown. To that end, I climbed the stairs to the governor’s office, portraits of past gover- nors solemnly following me with their eyes. With some trepidation, I passed through the open door. At a desk on one end of the spacious waiting room, a friendly young woman greeted me. I asked if there was a chance of meeting Governor Brown. Other young workers soon gathered to talk about “their” Kate Brown in hushed tones of respectful awe. Yes, she does pop out to meet her fans, I was told. If I came early in the morning, it might be possible to meet her. Each week, I showed up a little earlier with no luck. On the last Thursday, a state senator beat me to the governor by only minutes. There she was on the other side of the door listening to some boring senator drone on when I just knew she would have much more fun talking with me. The young woman handed me a photo, “I told the governor how much you want- ed to meet her. She said she’s sorry, but there hasn’t been time, so she signed this photo and asked me to give it to you.” Well, at least I tried and I got to sit in the governor’s office watching the people come and go. All in all, an entertaining show. The final day of our grand experiment arrived. I journeyed to Salem to gather EW’s racks and red distribution boxes and bring them home. After a long, hot day, I came to the last box I needed to collect. As I wheeled it down the sidewalk on a dolly, something remarkable happened. Three women turned the corner walking toward me. I moved the box to one side to let them pass, the tall one nodding a thank you as they entered a deli. Wait a minute! The woman in the middle looked a lot like … Kate Brown. But was she? Or was she just a woman with a string of pearls? I could not be sure. It happened so fast. I loaded the box into my truck, squeezed in the dolly and slammed the tailgate. It was time to go. My Salem experience was over. But maybe, just maybe I had one more chance to meet the governor … or a woman with a string of pearls. I returned to the deli. Inside, a cool air-conditioned oasis, a moment suspended in time. The woman with the pearls sat at a table, her tall friend standing nearby. As I oh-so-casually approached (heart pounding), our eyes met. Still unsure of her identity, I said, “You should be in a Kate Brown look-a-like contest.” The woman smiled, “I would probably win.” “Then, you are?” She assured me that indeed, she was. All the profound, witty and wise things I had imagined saying to the governor flew out of my head, and from the vacuum, which was now my mind, blurted the words, “You’re doing a great job, and I look forward to voting for you.” She shook my hand and rather thoughtfully said, “Thank you.” Not long after, Gov. Brown announced her intention to run in the next election. When I recall that thoughtful look in her eyes, I have no doubt I was the final grain of sand tipping the scales in her decision to remain our talented and gracious gov- ernor. You’re welcome, Posterity Richard Hunt is Eugene Weekly’s circulation assistant and purveyor of treats to the office dogs. eugeneweekly.com • A ugust 25, 2016 5
