LET TERS
PLEASE IGNORE MY PRIVATE
$2 BILLION FOUNDATION
On Aug. 21 The New York Times
reported the Clinton Foundation has raised
about $2 billion since 1997.
Apparently “truth” bends in the
direction of money, a shiny pot of
gold that just happens to have the Clinton
Foundation address at rainbow’s end.
Most Americans are not convinced this
“amazing coincidence” isn’t a conflict of
interest.
Foundations and influence peddling
will be Hillary Clinton's Achilles heel way
beyond any of the Benghazi intrigue.
Nearly all foundations and think tanks
are basically tax loopholes and shell
corporations.
Same-minded family and friends
snuggle on “the big dole” — the public
illusion is philanthropy.
How much exactly is Chelsea Clinton
paid by the “Clinton” Foundation? Oh.
Never mind! She must earn every penny.
How often are the Hoover or Cato
institutes actually correct in their foreign
policy ideology? Maybe the G.W. Bush
Foundation should study that minor
foreign policy issue.
America has been marched off to war
and precious ground water “fracked” —
all based on “ biased opinion” — peddled
as gospel truth.
Foundations with ambiguous mission
statements sound good… but what actually
happens behind those golden doors
shouldn’t be a tax write-off and money
playground for the 2 percent club.
It’s their world — we apparently just
live in it.
Glenn Jones
Eugene
ODE TO EAGLE PARK
Sometime in the late 1990s I began
printing stickers with the moniker “Ain’t
No Time to Hate” for Eagle Park Slim.
Looking through my records last week, I
found that I had reprinted them 16 times.
That’s about 15,000 stickers that Slim
distributed, along with several hundred
“Peace Through Music” bumper stickers.
Slim was a serious purveyor of peace,
love and understanding.
Herb Everett
Eugene
FOOD WASTE IN SCHOOLS
As kids are heading back to school, I
hope you will print this letter written by
my mother before her recent passing:
“As a substitute teacher in Eugene-
Springfield for more than 20 years, I
have worked at many different schools
from K-12 and have seen a problem that
urgently needs to be addressed!
"It’s lovely that many schools teach
kids to recycle and reduce waste. But it’s
shocking and saddening to see that kids are
wasting food. Lots of food. Sometimes I
am on cafeteria duty during lunchtime so
I observe how much kids are eating and
what is being thrown away. For example,
an apple with one bite, half a hamburger,
an untouched kiwi, milk with only a few
sips taken. Sometimes kids don’t like their
food. Sometimes the portion is too big.
Sometimes the kids are in a hurry to get
4
to recess. Sometimes they eat the junk and
toss the healthy stuff. Whatever the reason
for dumping and wasting food, please —
teachers, principals, parents, PTA — help
your school to figure out a simple remedy!
Wasting food is shameful and sends a
hypocritical message to kids who are being
taught to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.’”
Tara Delgado
Springfield
EDITOR'S NOTE: This letter was written by Truleen M.
Delgado and submitted on her behalf by her daughter.
MURAL QUESTION
I want to thank all of you who are
responsible for the new Beau Stanton
mural on the side of the McDonald Theatre
in downtown Eugene. It is a massive and
beautiful work of art. Beau Stanton is a
top-notch artist, and Eugene is privileged
to have such an incredible piece of his art.
But …
With all of the incredibly talented
artists in Eugene, the surrounding area and
in the state of Oregon, why did they bring
an artist all the way from New York City?
I am happy Beau Stanton will be eating
well, but I would have preferred to see that
kind of investment made in our local artists
community.
Sam Dantone
Florence
CHEMTRAIL MEETUP
I am writing in response to the letter
submitted and printed in the Aug. 25 issue
of EW.
I too have viewed, sometimes on a daily
basis, a regular and routine lying of lines in
our skies. I live out near Spencer Butte and
sometimes it is atrocious. The sky at times
is a “white out” within an hour.
I have been following this (with many
others in Eugene now) for more than
15 years. I have written the FAA, EPA,
Obama and our congressmen and senators.
I have gotten a “brush off” response and
sometimes no answer at all.
I attended a conference in Redding,
California, last year and more than 1,000
people from around the U.S. showed
up about this phenomena. Nicolas S.
Andersen is not the only person in Eugene
that is now beginning to look up!
I am holding a forum 6 to 10 pm
Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Eugene Garden
Club for anyone interested in knowing
more about what might be going on over
our heads. I will have a documentary
filmmaker from Southern Oregon present
for a PowerPoint presentation and answer
people’s questions.
Susan Klein
Eugene
MORE CHEMTRAILS
In regard to last week’s letter
about chemtrails, I am glad to finally
see something about this subject in a
newspaper.
Last year, at the beginning of the school
year, when I was taking my daughter
to school, I saw tic-tac-toe in the sky:
chemtrails. For many days in a row they
were spraying. I called Peter DeFazio’s
office several times trying to get some
September 8, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com
answers. What I got from them was a letter
on official congressional letterhead signed
by Peter DeFazio, with the following
astounding response: There is no scientific
evidence that chemtrails exist.
If you see a suspicious airplane and
“contrail” in the sky, take a picture of the
plane, including the identification number
on the airplane and what make of plane it
is, what direction and location the plane is
flying, as well as the camera make and lens
that you use to photograph.
Whoever wrote that letter must have
been a comedian. Keep your eyes on the
skies, folks!
Mike Walrath
Deadwood
MONEY AND POWER
In response to Mike Miller’s letter
titled “Love to Law Enforcement” in the
EW, circulated July 21: It’s not funny
how you divide our community into two
categories. I am also a law-abiding citizen,
with a different view of the men and
women that have quietly removed the “To
Serve and Protect” from their expensive
vehicles.
At the end of June, I had my vehicle
unlawfully impounded for not carrying
proof of insurance. Did you know that
impounding a vehicle for no insurance is
against federal code, Oregon state statute
and the Eugene Municipal Code? Only
under strict exceptions is it allowed. After
your transportation is taken, you have
five calendar days to request a hearing to
contest the validity of the tow.
At the bottom of the fine print that
explains this, you are then threatened with
court costs in the event of your being ruled
against. I won mine. Then I won the trial to
have my citations dismissed. No probable
cause or the lesser, reasonable suspicion
to stop my vehicle. Law-abiding citizen,
single mother victimized by officers that
either don’t have a knowledge of our
basic laws or have a complete systematic
disregard for justice.
Actually, my vehicle was impounded
after I denied a search of my vehicle with
their drug dog. (Keep in mind that I have no
criminal record and this is our tax dollars
hard at work.) I am aware of my right to
privacy, guaranteed to me under the U.S.
Constitution’s 4th Amendment, and I value
and protect my right and responsibility to
invoke it.
Even if I had a criminal record and was
on parole or probation, I am guaranteed my
right to privacy protected by the Oregon
Constitution, Article 1 Section 9. Know
your rights or you don’t have any!
I believe our law enforcement has
divided this community into two categories:
their “income” and their “inmates.” Not
that it matters which side we are on —
it’s all money and power to them, and we
allow it. Especially, when we have people
already reducing other citizens’ rights and
life to naught for their legal system.
The only time I’ve had my car stolen
is by the Eugene Police Department,
with assistance of the implied threat of
intimidation with a badge that should
deserve a little respect.
Melissa N. Hite
Eugene
UNWISE CANDIDATE
Hillary’s
obvious
FBI-proven
dishonesty with its hints of corruption
could harm artists and other liberals as
much as conservatives. This is because
you cannot trust her word, and so you
cannot know what she may try next —
perhaps censorship, or other oppressive
measures.
Certainly taxation has not been helpful
to small-scale entrepreneurs, nor has
government spending particularly helped
the poor, since we have more problems
than ever. Her history of poor judgment
over the years as a public servant is not
very encouraging.
Of all the wonderful, intelligent, ethical
women available to head our government,
Democrats have chosen their candidate
most unwisely.
J. Robert Burger
Eugene
FAN THE FLAMES OF
DEMOCRACY
Tuesday’s (Aug. 30) 5-0 vote from
the Lane County commissioners to
revoke a proposed ordinance that would
have allowed them veto power over
ballot initiatives is due, in large part,
to Lane County residents’ outrage and
pressure. Through letters to the editor,
calls to commissioners, attendance at the
commissioners’ meetings and donations
to the cause (democracy isn’t free), we are
witnessing democracy in action!
Our work is far from over. The
commissioners are slated to revisit their
proposed ordinance within six months.
And we know the opposition will not go
“gently into that good night.”
Attorney Stan Long has promised to
sue the county if the commissioners do
not cave to the will of corporate special
interests. We must continue in defense
of the people’s constitutionally protected
right to the initiative process.
So, let’s fan the flames of direct
democracy and celebrate the power of
the people. You can do this by gathering
signatures at freedomfromaerialherbicides.
org and by donating money. Let’s pledge
our vigilance to protecting the people’s
rights!
Let’s continue our march toward a
healthy democracy. And thanks to all of
you for your hard work and tenacity.
Michelle Holman
Community Rights Lane County
Deadwood
COME TO CLIMATE RECOVERY
LAWSUIT
As parents and grandparents we have
an amazing opportunity to be involved
in history! At 10 am Tuesday, Sept. 13,
21 brave youth plaintiffs will appear in a
landmark constitutional climate recovery
lawsuit against the federal government
here in Eugene.
The youth’s case is based on
constitutional and public trust principles
and seeks a nationwide, science-based
Climate Recovery Plan on behalf of all
present and future generations.
What you can do is show up, attend
the hearing and bring your children and