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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2017)
The Shedd Institute www.theshedd.org - 541.434.7000 She dd T heat rical city should carefully search for, interview and hire a capable, well-respected national or regional CPA firm to act as Eugene’s in- ternal auditor. An internal auditor for Eugene is a good idea. The right choice would deliver major benefits providing increased transparency and accountability. A respected, non-po- litical, truly independent accounting firm can deliver the trust that must accompany the transparency and accountability that no politician or connected appointee can. Michael DeLuise Eugene DAMN WHITE PEOPLE When Jerry Ritter talks about the prob- lems of population explosion (a planet- wide problem) and then conflates it with immigration issues (Letters, June 29), I have so many reactions; I hardly know where to begin. One of the first things that comes up is, when we start talking about immigration problems, how far back in history should we go? If we go back 400 or 500 years, we could suggest that one of the solutions might be for all the white people to go back “where they are from.” As for Latino/as, they would get to stay, because at least they would still be on the same continent as their continent of origin. To imply that stronger immigration con- trol would help “America” (and by this I assume Mr. Ritter means the United States) address climate change issues strikes me as so simplistic as to be inaccurate. We have one planet: Habitat destruction, deforesta- tion and shrinking water supply are world- wide issues that are byproducts of the in- dustrial revolution, not immigration. Further, the desire for money and pow- er that has fueled the rapacious greed with which our planet has been treated is in- extricably connected with racism. One of the privileges of white people is that they can choose to be insulated by the fact that the environment is in serious trouble (for instance, 100 percent of the toxic waste s ‘17 dumps are in communities where brown or black people live); the intersectionality of racism and environmentalism is not hard to discern if you scratch the surface. The only real hope does not lie in firmer border control; the only real hope we have is to realize we are all in this together. We need to apply serious and concerted ef- forts to heal the divisions that racism has instituted and to find creative and energetic ways to collaborate toward treating the earth respectfully and loving one another. When we come to the table respectfully addressing the issues that face all of us, we can discuss population explosion as well. Kaseja Wilder Eugene HARD TO SWALLOW Re: Rick Levin’s Ashland/Medford rant (“Taming of the Shrewd,” June 19): You call this journalism? Bitter bile is hard to chew, impossible to swallow. It has no sub- stance. Why would anyone want to read Levin’s highly opinionated and poorly researched assumptions that attempt to sweep two entire towns with the same broad strokes commonly used by narrow minds and big- ots. He sounds like an angry, mean tour- ist on a disappointing weekend pass, still upset about being forced to eat at Denny’s. Loosen up, man, you don’t have to live there, so why be such a bully? EW, why publish much ado about nothing? A former reader, Nancy Green Springfield July 21-30 - The Shedd MORE MONSTER TRUCKS, PLEASE Mr. Levin’s recent article contains some thought-provoking observations about the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (“Taming of the Shrewd,” June 29), as well as the state’s progressive sanctuary cities. Some are even valid. However, his self-indulgent commentary remains remarkably free of ideas on how to remedy the situation. Oregon Festival of American Music 2017 The Sweetest Melody Giants of the Classic Songbook August 2-12 - The Shedd eugeneweekly.com • July 20, 2017 5
