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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2016)
LET TERS RANKED CHOICE CLARIFICATION It has been brought to my attention that in my guest viewpoint in the Oct. 20 issue of Eugene Weekly, I chose a poor example to illustrate one of the potential pitfalls of ranked-choice voting (RCV), because the scenario I suggested would not likely hap- pen. I was attempting to convey that the redistribution of ballots in the RCV count- ing process can have unintended results, which Anthony Gottlieb expressed well in The New Yorker (July 26, 2010): “[Ranked-choice voting] elections can be- have in topsy-turvy ways: they are what math- ematicians call ‘non-monotonic,’ which means that something can go up when it should go down, or vice versa. Whether a candidate who gets through the first round of counting will ultimately be elected may depend on which of his rivals he has to face in subsequent rounds, and some votes for a weaker challenger may do a candidate more good than a vote for that candidate himself. In short, a candidate may lose if certain voters back him, and would have won if they hadn’t.” Proponents of RCV say such scenarios are too rare to worry about, while critics of RCV say we cannot ignore the fact that these scenarios can happen, and may hap- pen more than we know in RCV elections. Robin Quirke Eugene CORPS PAY UP According to Donald Trump, not pay- ing taxes is a good business practice. It seems like the large corporations doing business in Oregon agree. In Oregon, they are paying the lowest taxes in the country, and are doing all they can to continue and protect their shareholders. Wells Fargo, Comcast, Monsanto, etc. are pouring millions (close to $20 million at the last count) to defeat Measure 97. Com- cast owes the state of Oregon $120 million in back taxes but found close to half a million to donate to the effort to defeat 97. Wells Fargo has been fined $180 million by the feds for cheating its customers but is contributing hundreds of thousands to defeat 97. The people of Oregon have been pay- ing their fair share in taxes for years. Now is the time to have the shareholders of these corporations pay. We are not chumps, but hard-working Oregonians. Their workers are using education and other services in the state, yet they are not paying to support the services being used. Let’s make them pay their fair share. Vote yes on 97. Linda Smart Eugene ODD ARGUMENT The “Voting Problems” viewpoint by Robin Quirke was an oddly timed argu- ment. Ranked-choice voting is on the ballot in Benton County. Arguing that the Benton RCV initiative is an opportunity to explore different voting systems is like arguing that a race between a challenger and an en- trenched incumbent is an opportunity to ex- plore the various potential challengers who are not running but could hypothetically be better than the challenger who actually is. It distracts people from the choice at hand. There is a reason RCV has political trac- tion and other voting systems do not, and that is that people who have looked into the different systems and are willing to invest time in getting a new system adopted have decided that RCV is the best alternative. Let’s not make an imagined “best” the enemy of the clearly better. Alane F. Zundel Pacific Green Party candidate Eugene WEAVER FOR EPUD I’m voting for Jim Weaver for Emerald People's Utility District (EPUD). Weaver is experienced, involved and in- formed. As a former congressman, Weaver helped write the original public power act and supported the formation of EPUD as a public utility. His opponent still lives at home with his parents and has probably never paid an electric bill. Weaver will work to keep electric rates stable and our utility strong. Vote to elect Jim Weaver for EPUD. Laurie Smart Marcola 3 Y L I M E E L P M SE The c D John Abbe Michael Adams David Adkins Lorelei Allan Beatrice Allgood Ani Allison Chad Anderson Sam Anthony Lisa Arkin Joe Baiamonte Andrew Baretich Ray Barklow Sue Barnhart Richard Bartlett Cynthia Beal Fauna Rae Beck Earl Benedict Jessica Bennett Bonny Bettmann McCornack Alida Bevirt Janet Bevirt Ron Bevirt Cindy Biles Robin Bloomgarden Cynthia Black Paul Bodin Sarah Boehm Art Bollmann K’la Boothman Kay Brandt Kristen Brandt George Brown C ou nc i 3 EUGENE WEEKLY 3 LANE COUNTY FOR BERNIE SANDERS (Now Our Revolution Lane County) 3 LANE COUNTY PACIFIC GREEN PARTY 3 AFSCME (Local 1724 & Council 50) l Hedin Brugh Margaret Buerk Belle Burch Curtis Bylund Randy Cain Robert Canaga Patsy Cantu Michael Carrigan Bob Cassidy Jason Caughey Martin Champion Nicholas W. Chase Jerry Choate Christina Phillips Clark Jamie Clarkson Dennis Clay Kristin Collier William Collinge Paul Conte Justine Cooper Nathan Copeland James Cossairt Christa Dalton Joni Dawning Sharon Dederick Sue Denker Arwen DeSpain Lee DeVeau Ashley Dicharry Diane Diethelm Jerry Diethelm Lisa Marie DiVincent We’re fortunate to have two progressive candidates running for Eugene City Coun- cil, Ward 1: Joshua Skov and Emily Semple. Because Semple doesn’t have govern- ment experience, Councilor George Brown and former Councilor Bonny Bettman are coaching her. Brown and Bettman McCor- nack do their homework addressing impor- tant issues with intelligence and passion. Along with neighborhood activist Paul Conte and other Semple supporters, how- ever, they have a long history of confronta- tional politics. They write divisive opinion pieces that polarize neighbors and treat city staff with contempt. Such cynicism is both disrespectful and ineffective in creat- ing the change they seek. While they’ve raised some valid concerns, they’ve lost my support because I expect civic leaders to treat people with respect. Semple might have a different disposi- tion than her allies, but hasn’t yet proven herself through public service. As a local leader of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and a member of Eugene’s Active Transportation Commit- tee, I’ve witnessed how Skov responds to complex community issues. He’s detailed, analytical and asks tough questions with ci- vility. Skov works well with others and has demonstrated his commitment to neighbor- hood livability, reducing our city’s carbon footprint and fiscal accountability. As a re- sult Joshua Skov has earned my support. Allen Hancock Eugene EMILY is ENDORSED BY: s hoic e i t • City emocra COACHING FOR COUNCIL www.EmilySemple.org Chris Donahue Lonnie Douglas Norman Dube Ruth Duemler John Duran Joyce Eaton Will Eaton Jain Elliot Katelyn Ellison Stephanie Bashein Emerson Audrey Erickson Danika Esden- Tempska Piotr Esden- Tempska James Everett Karl Eysenbach Dwight Faulhaber Megan Faulkenstein Scott Fife Jim Flynn Eben Fodor Nancy Forrest Shanalea Shakti Forrest Emily Fox Christine Frazer Jennifer Frenzer- Knowlton Wayne Gaddy Michael Gannon Henry Garcia Marigold Gastropodia Geneva Gill Kathy Ging Morgan Glenn Amber Gonzalez Alfredo Gormonzano Cliff Gray John Groves David Gusset Jeremy Gutierrez Lisa Haber Jessica Haeckel Vic Hariton Jennifer Harper Bruce & Debra Harrow David Hazen Jen Helfer Dana Mowles Hibler Matt Hoffman Anand Holtham- Keathley Benjamin Hunt Christina Bellini Ipri Margie James Dale Jestice Tracy Jocelyn Joey Johnson Jane Katra Caroline Keen David Kelly Bob Kennedy Kitte Knight Nicholas Knight Peter Knox Vicki Koch Cynthia Kokis Scott Landfield Stephanie Larson Erica Lerch Jerome Lester Mariah Leung Graham Lewis Billy Lindros Julie Lindros Wayne Lottinville Stephen J. Lovell Roman Lunsford Marshall MacElveen Kathryn Madden Gwendolyn Maeve Jem Magika Sabra Marcroft Shantia Marie Hope Marston Wayne Martin Kevin Matthews John McCahill Beverly McDonald Ralph McDonald Mike McFadden Jennifer McRaven Diane McWhorter Nicole Medema Brian Michaels Christopher Michaels Deb Michaels David Monk Elena Montenegro Karen Moore Scott Moore Wendy Moore Stari Skye Morales Ed Moye Eli Munroe Cindy Muntwyler Kristen Murphy Jon Nakagawa Jennifer Neal Vickie Nelson Ken Neubeck Carla Newberry Joseph Newton Paul Nicholson Jerril Nilson Deborah Noble Stacy Null Marcie A. Olson Angelique Orman Andrea Papandreou Isaac Paris Lindsey Parker Alice Parman Brita Pastor Rose Perius Scotty Perry David Ivan Piccioni Ron Pike Lynn Porter Otto Poticha Tim Prendergast Louise Prévost Olivia Rasmussen Lauren Regan Donna Riddle Kelly Ritter Roger Rix Denny Roberts Mark Robinowitz Donna LaRosa Rose Ian Rosenthal Robert Roth Connor Salisbury Jon Sawyer Norma Sax Margo Schaefer Leonard Schneider Judith Schoap Katherine Varda Schwab Diane Sciacca Henry Schmald Willow Schneider Michele Sharpy Dr. Helen Shepard Jim Showker Robert Siegmund David Geitgey Sierralupe Sue Sierralupe Samuel Simpson- Steiner Carol Skarstad Danielle Rose Smith Linda Sombart Pete Sorenson Jean Stacey Eileen Sterns David Strahan Gordon Sturrock Christine Sundt Richard Sundt Rebecca Surman Mark Swick Betty Taylor Ted Taylor John Thielking Carmelita Thomson Jana Thrift Marc Time Aida Torresola Tom Tracy Sam Tran Cynthia Turley Alley Valkyrie Mark Van Beever Gregory Walker Nancy Wallace Shari Walton Dorothy Wearne Brian Weaver Doug Weaver Jim Weaver Crys Webb Vickie Webb Jasun Plaedo Wellman Nancy Willard Terra Williams Pam Woodell Jan Wostmann Matthew Yook Michael Zennaché Zondie Zinke Jan Zoll David Zupan eugeneweekly.com • October 27, 2016 Paid for by Emily Semple for City Council, P.O. Box 584, Eugene, OR, 97401. The biggest lie of all is that the left champions progressive taxation. Measure 97 will hit the poor and elderly dispropor- tionately. Bruce Mackey Eugene 7
