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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2017)
YES ON SAFER STREETS REMEMBER TO RECYCLE As a frequent bicycle commuter and as a parent, I’ve been happy to see some of the safety improvements on the roads around town over the past few years: improving bike lanes and creating better crossings for pedestrians. I also drive when necessary, and I ap- preciate the repaving projects we’ve seen — keeping the streets in decent repair seems like a no-brainer. I know that a most of these projects have been funded by the street-repair bond measure that we Eugene voters have passed twice before. This bond is up for re- newal this Election Day. It’s probably not perfect, but it’s help- ing make our city a better and safer place to get around in. It’s also just good sense to maintain the streets we have. And it’s one of a very few sources of money for this work. Let’s keep this work going. Vote yes on Measure 20-275. Heather Brey Eugene Thanks to the article in the Register- Guard (Oct. 3) about China’s cracking down on our recyclables, we have the per- fect opportunity to make a difference. I’m guessing most people didn’t know or care where their items went once they left the curb. Out of sight, out of mind, many probably thought, and “I’m doing my part on saving the world.” Well, folks, you’re not (well, hopefully a good portion of you are), and now is your chance to change that. Simply look care- fully at what you’re putting into your bins, and if need be check the list from your re- cycling service provider as to what is to go in those bins. If what you put in is consid- ered acceptable, how clean is it? There are so many things on a bigger scale that we don’t have control over, but this is something so simple, so right at our fingertips and curbs, and yet it can have a huge impact on our environment and our lives. The bottom line, folks, is please take the time to think about what you’re putting at your curb and whether it’s clean. I know many families’ lives are very busy, and it’s easy to just toss it in the bin and think you’re doing your part. However, as you have hopefully read in the article, because of many people’s carelessness, laziness, etc., we are going back to the old days of just throwing things into the landfills. Kristen Kaminski Eugene ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFETT Wow, Will Kennedy! Not only are you likely jealous of Jimmy Buffett’s lifestyle, you are completely wrong about your re- view “Raffi for Grownups” (Oct. 12). Buffett, age 70, gave us two-plus hours of entertainment with a fantastic group of musicians backing him up. He opened the show (at Matthew Knight Arena) express- ing appreciation to the crowd, acknowl- edging that we were spending our time and money to be there, and he made sure we had a good time. The crowd was great, and not all of us are Parrotheads or Hawaiian- shirted ugly Americans who vacation in white-washed Sandals Resorts. As to your question about the quality of the music, you’ve probably never listened to his extensive discography. His musical talent combined with his rapport with the audience made it a special evening. He played tribute to artists he’s written for, including Van Morrison and the late Tom Petty. Some of his lyrics are beautiful and brilliant, maybe “watery” but not cheap or forgettable. What I appreciated most is that it was a non-political event, and for two hours we could forget the mess we are in. At the end of the show, he acknowledged that things are weird and scary, and sent us home feel- ing so much better than when we came in. Finally, Mr. Kennedy, have you ever been to a Raffi concert? You’ve picked on two great musicians, who try to show us all, no matter our age, financial status, color or gender, how to live our best lives! Carole Diller Eugene LONG LIVE RAFFI! Hey, Will Kennedy: Lighten up. I can’t tell if you are dissing Raffi or Jimmy Buffett (Oct. 12) with your shallow criticism of one of America’s most popu- lar and successful songwriters, musicians, performers, novelists and entrepreneurs. Also, your comments made it seem like you have a problem with Raffi’s mu- sic. His listeners love him, parents and children alike. Of his latest release, Box of Sunshine, a multi-decades collection of songs, his music is described thusly: “Raf- fi’s valuable messages of multiculturalism and environmentalism blend together into a wonderful, family-friendly world vi- sion.” His songs for children are smart, often silly, and sometimes poignant. Raffi’s mu- sic strikes a chord with his young listeners and makes them feel good. The same can be said of Jimmy Buf- fett and his music for his adult audienc- es. While many of his mainstream songs lapse into the silly, feel-good mode, he also writes songs that cut across cultural lines and blend poignant messages of hope and harmony. The fact that Buffett has been success- ful in marketing his products does not make him an evil capitalist. He gives his audience what they want. He gives them their own little boxes of sunshine. What’s wrong with that? I’d like to know. Pat Albright Eugene ENTITLEMENT OR FREE SPEECH? The EW Slant column of Oct. 12 edito- rialized about a student group taking over the UO president’s ceremonial “state of the campus” address. It was to be a piece of ceremonial PR announcing a big donation and maybe not all that important or sub- stantive. But EW endorsed cutting off the admin- istrator’s speech because the students were apparently virtuous members of minority groups. Wait a minute, EW! Do you really want to have the university, which is at heart based on the free exchange of information and ideas, to be overtaken with a “Who- ever Can Yell Loudest Gets To Speak” eth- ic? Might that backfire in the future? Protest against UO President Michael Schill and the administration’s policies are fine — show up with leaflets and post- ers, make a stir before and after the event, ask tough questions in the questions-and- answers portion of the event. But keep- ing someone from speaking is plainly and clearly just bullying. Odd that a newspaper so easily forgets the First Amendment and the principle of free speech. And as I read the 22 “demands,” there’s something screwy here. Demand 11 is “freeze tuition, develop a plan to decrease tuition over the next five years.” But almost all of the other demands actually call for in- creased expenditures on a pretty large scale. Where’s the money going to come from? The state has been cutting back its contribution for years, so the only way to meet the “demands” is to cut back else- where. Without the protesters giving a plan for cuts, this looks like a pure fantasy: “If you really loved me, you give it to me.” Chuck Kleinhans Eugene ABOLISHING SEXISM I’m glad the University of Oregon is looking into ways to prevent sexual vio- lence, but find it disturbing that Title IX is being used to focus on how college women can report being raped. Title IX states: “No person in the Unit- ed States shall, on the basis of sex, be ex- cluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimina- tion under any education program or activ- ity receiving federal assistance.” I would ask UO why they think this amendment was created. It seems to me that the intent is not to deal with rape but to prevent it from happening — to abolish sexism in a place where it can be eliminat- ed, ignored or promoted: education. I wonder if UO has examined its pro- grams and monetary output for males vs. females to make sure Title IX is being fol- lowed — hopefully not because they think they may lose funding, but because it is the right thing to do. I hear male sports bring in a lot of mon- ey. This has reached obscene proportions, from the coaches’ salaries to the throwaway thousand-dollar uniforms and all the other perks lavished on these males. The values of brutality and superiority are encouraged, while once more women are sacrificed. Sexism is alive and well right here, right now, and all too often ignored in our rape culture. Jean Denis Eugene PAMPHLET APOLOGY An apology. In the voters pamphlet, I opposed the bond measure “Bonds to Fix Streets and Fund Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects.” I did so on the grounds that the 9-1 spending on paving streets to alterna- tive transportation infrastructure was not enough.” It isn’t. But I went on to say, “This isn’t the right bond for Eugene.” And for that I apologize. Aquila Tax-Free Trust of Oregon, a New York group who manage Oregon Municipal Bonds, identifies the Oregon municipal bond investor as, “Oregon tax- payers who can benefit from income that is exempt from federal and state income taxes.” The logic is: Lacking tax money for basic services, the city taxes us to buy a bond that will provide tax free income to the richest Oregonians? Outcomes aside, any bond measure im- poverishes the community. The $3.8 tril- lion dollar bond market uses local govern- ments to funnel money upward to the very people who then, (Citizens United v. FEC) control our government from the top down. That is oligarchy, not democracy. I want separated bicycle lanes but I can- not support any bond measure. The other day, at the City Club of Eugene, I asked myself, “Who am I? Why am I here?” That was a difficult question. I realized after- ward maybe we should all ask ourselves the same question. “Who are we? Why are we here?” Try not to leap to an answer. Sit with it. Then look at this bond measure again. Otis Haschemeyer bike-party.org Eugene eugeneweekly.com • October 26, 2017 5
