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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2017)
LET TERS IMMIGRANT LOVE Love seeing the last issue about immi- grants (EW, 4/6). It’s always important to hear the stories of the newbies. It connects us to our past. As the spouse of a recent immigrant I understand the struggles of newcomers. It is not always easy to fit into our American culture. Dan Russell Eugene GOOD COPS Thank You Eugene Police Department. I appreciate that you placed no-parking signs along the route of the Women’s March in Eugene. This made the area easy for everyone to move through and kept cars out of the picture. I’ve been in other cities that do not make these carless corridors for the march- ers and the flow is hampered. I appreciate your planning for this event. Rouanna Garden Springfield HELPING MORNING GLORY’S JERRY COLLVER I’m writing about sudden and dire circum- stances that have recently dealt a blow to one of our most loveable community members. Jerry and Sandy Collver have owned and operated Morning Glory Farm for the past 27 years. The farm is where they’ve raised high quality fruits, vegetables and three remarkable children. Growing and nurturing plants while conserving the soil and water and scenery is their prac- tice. Their customers are important to them, so the Collvers follow nature’s pathway to harvest only the tastiest, organic foods. They’ve loved living in the beautiful place where they work, and working around friends and neighbors where they live. Earlier this year, Jerry was diagnosed with cancer in his lower esophagus, and lo- cal doctors held out little hope for him. The couple searched until they located a clinic in Phoenix that offered a promising course of in-patient treatments. The Collvers im- mediately packed up their car and drove to Arizona, not knowing where they’d stay or what insurance would cover. HOT AIR SOCIETY It’s been a few weeks now, and Jerry is feeling optimistic about his care, but increasingly concerned about finances. Insurance is paying a share of the medical costs, but the expense of living in another state has drained their savings. Friends set up a GoFundMe account for Jerry Collver of Walton so he can afford to complete his therapy. People have said they want a way to try to repay him for his many kindnesses and generosity. If anyone isn’t comfortable putting personal info online, donations can be mailed to: Jerry Collver, 19540 Hwy 126, Walton OR, 97490. Ethel Bassett Walton RELOCALIZE FOOD PRODUCTION The Portland City Council just passed a resolution stating that city will be 100-per- cent powered by renewable energy de- cades from now. No mention that this will happen anyway due to depletion of finite fossil fuels or that this would disrupt the economy of supposedly “green” Portland. Before then, there will be intense need to mitigate social impacts of gasoline ra- tioning as the Alaska Pipeline reaches low- flow shutdown and fracking for unconven- tional oil and gas shifts from boom to bust. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was pre- viously Oregon state treasurer and there- fore on the State Lands Board. I asked him, then, at an event in Eugene, if he would promise not to give our Elliott State Forest to timber barons. He declined. Meanwhile, the Legislature is consid- ering a requirement to consider climate impacts for fossil fuel projects, but they ignore state permits for corporate clearcuts and the planned $18 billion in new and ex- panded highways. So far, our society’s main response to peak everything is homeland insecurity and wars to control Middle East oil fields and pipeline routes. Most of the food we eat in Ore-is-gone is transported by fossil fueled trucks from other states (and even some from other countries). Solar power is great (I’ve used it since BY TON Y CORCOR A N Greg Walden Has Abandoned Me! HE NEVER CALLS … HE NEVER WRITES! BROTHER: WHERE ART THOU? D ear reader, I think I got off on the wrong foot with the congressman from eastern Oregon. May need your help. As you remember, I was inspired by my congressman, Peter DeFazio, to take action and resist the Republican/Trumpistanis! I reasonably assumed that the most important Repub- lican in Oregon today is Congressman Walden from the 5th congressional district. I found his website, on which he assured me that email was “the quickest and easiest way to get in touch” with him. Being the shy wallflower that I am, I emailed him in late March and asked him to let me interview him for this column. And for good measure, I also emailed his press guy, Andrew Malcolm — a man so important he has two first names. Anyway, being the shameless ex-political whore that I am, I tried to charm Andrew. I pulled out every slimy name-dropping drool in the book. Here’s the actual March 25 email, sent the day af- ter Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan announced he was pulling the Ryancare/AntiObamacare bill be- cause they didn’t have the votes to move it. Now we all know that Greg was Ryan’s lead man on devel- oping this failed plan. And, as you’d guess, I wasn’t necessarily unhappy with that failed outcome! But I tried not to gloat: Hello, Mr. Malcolm, I served with Greg in the Oregon Legislature back during the Pleistocene era (1995). As a Senate majority leader he treated me well; especially being that I was a lowly freshman minority whip in the House at the time. 6 A pril 20, 2017 • eugeneweekly.com Anyway, I’m a retired geezer now, and I write an occasional column for the Eugene Weekly. I would appreciate the opportunity to interview Greg either by phone or in person. (I assume after yesterday, he’ll have a lot of free time on his hands… just kidding). I realize I’m not a constituent, but we spend a lot of time in Bend because my brother-in-law owns East Bend Liquors. Anyway, you have my email. My phone number is XXX-XXXX. In addition to the Republican health in- surance Trump debacle, I’m curious what Greg sees with Trump’s tax reform and its impact on Oregon companies like Nike, Intel, etc. Thanks for your help. If you need a character ref- erence, my longtime buddy Pete DeFazio will verify I am indeed a character. I understand, of course, your office may not think much of the characters Peter hangs around with. Tony Corcoran Despite my meticulous manners, I have not re- ceived any response as of Palm Sunday, arguably the most hopeful Sunday of the year for many of you. And Passover begins the next day, for Christ’s sake! So maybe, dear reader, you can send an email or call and ask to leave a message for Greg. Don’t be deterred if you’re not a “constituent” of Greg’s because you don’t live in his congressional dis- trict. We Oregonians are all Greg’s constituents. Just as when he served in the Oregon Legislature, he took a congressional oath of office to represent all Orego- nians, not just the ones in his predominantly Repub- lican district. Like I said last week: There’s a reason why Or- egon has elected only one Republican member of the U.S. Congress since Jeff Merkley defeated incumbent Senator Gordon Smith in 2008. I believe Greg has a lot of questions to answer. Is it true that 400,000 Oregonians would have lost health care coverage by 2020 under the plan you created for Speaker Ryan’s consideration? Why? Is it true that two-thirds of all Medicaid spending goes for services for seniors and disabled citizens? If so, why create such a plan? Is it true that, per capita, Oregon is the worst hit among all the Medicaid expansion states! Why would you do that? Finally, Greg, seriously man, are you guys think- ing of trying another repeal plan? Really? So help me out: Please get in touch with Greg. I just happen to have his contact info: You can email him by going to his website, walden. house.gov. Otherwise, here are his district contacts: Medford Phone: 541-776-4646, Bend Phone: 541- 389-4408, La Grande Phone: 541-624-2400. The Washington, D.C. office phone is 202-225-6730. For all press inquiries, contact Andrew Malcolm phone 202-225-6730. On April 13, Rep. Walden held his first town hall in Bend since 2013. It didn’t go well. But it’s a start. However, I remain undaunted. I will contact Greg and the mysterious man with two first names again. Stay tune. Former state Sen. Tony Corcoran of Cottage Grove is a retired state em- ployee.
