Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2018)
LET TERS SENECA GREENWASHING Regarding the 4/12 article in Eugene Weekly titled “Forestry Panel Addresses Controversy,” I have to say I completely understand why some of the board mem- bers of GreenLane would not want a repre- sentative of the Seneca timber companies on their board. Attempting to show face on a sustainable platform will not excuse the past years of detriment and obvious dis- regard for the damage done by the timber industry. While I think it very fair and optimis- tic of Robin Forster to “give everyone a voice,” I find myself agreeing more with Shawn Donille, that this is an attempt of “greenwashing.” For example, I think Seneca will make changes here and there (perhaps thinning one forest before clearcutting two), but only enough to maintain positive cover- age, claim “sustainability” and keep prof- its high, all the while trying to fool voters into believing we don’t need to make laws against clearcutting, while they continue to do what? Clearcut. In this case, we need to choose whom we give a voice to. It seems giving Seneca one could potentially lessen the credibility of GreenLane. Should they really allow themselves to be used as a mouthpiece for the timber industry? Michelle Slaven Eugene SYRIAN NIGHTMARE World War 3, anyone? Nuclear-armed Russia already has military personnel and warplanes lawful- ly in Syria. Yet the U.S., UK and France all threaten to attack Syria following the chemical weapons incident there over the weekend — without investigation and de- spite good reason to suspect the terrorists themselves caused the incident. How convenient for the terrorists: Just when President Trump said the U.S. might leave Syria soon, there’s another CW “at- tack” in a militant-held area. Do I say those photos are faked? Not at all. But evidence of past atrocities has been manipulated to frame the Syrian gov- ernment. Remember when ISIS “militants” burned alive a man held in a cage? Or the video of them parading the head of a 10-year-old boy they had just cut off with a long knife? I believe they’re fully capable of poisoning civilians themselves and fram- ing the government to influence U.S. policy. Could they do that? Last month, the Syrian army discovered a well-equipped chemical laboratory run by the terrorists in Eastern Ghouta. Not one Western reporter investigated. But journalist Sharmine Nar- wani produced a report, with photos. For more, see my “What’s Really Hap- pening in Syria: A Consumer Fraud Law- yer’s Mini-Primer” at syriasolidaritymove- ment.org. Robert Roth Eugene MULHOLLAND’S DRIVE Scientific evidence has proven man- made carbon emissions are responsible for global warming and climate change. We are fortunate in Eugene to have candidate 4 A pril 19, 2018 • eugeneweekly.com thanks Donald. Many of my experienced colleagues are quitting the road for good because of new regulations. This isn’t going to help. We get blamed for accidents, when in reality the huge majority are the result of errors by cars around trucks. So there is now a critical driver short- age. Mindless, unsuitable incompetents are replacing us. I have a second truck. It’s been empty for two years. Can’t find a qualified driver. I’m starting to feel like Charlie Brown. Is it any wonder “pride in your work” is seldom heard anymore? Well, I intend to do the best I can and work on. I will live within my means even though the city, the state and the nation can’t spell “budget,” let alone understand the word’s definition. I wonder what he’ll do next? Peter Tildesley Eugene KENT IS INCLUSIVE Zach Mulholland, who has done extensive work locally to mitigate these changes, running for the EWEB board. Mulholland worked to assist the city of Eugene to pass a Climate Recovery Ordi- nance in order to reach its future climate reduction goals. Currently, he is structur- ing with council a home energy score pol- icy, and he has been a pro environmental lobbyist in Salem supporting the Clean En- ergy Jobs Bill. If elected to the EWEB board, he would like to establish an electric vehicle and rooftop solar incentive plan, and motivate customers to use more carbon friendly electrical appliances. Mulholland is a member of the Sus- tainability Commission and is chairing a subcommittee to study the environmental impacts of the proposed EWEB Riverfront Redevelopment Project and the University of Oregon North Campus Plan. His com- mitment to the community and environ- mental preservation is foremost. We all need to continue the campaign to cleaner energy sources for current and future generations. I urge you to vote for Zach Mullholland for EWEB at-large com- missioner May 15. Jim Neu Eugene CITY’S SMOKE AND MIRRORS Someone pointed out to me that they hadn’t seen anything from the supporters of the City Council’s so-called “auditor lite” initiative. I couldn’t help but agree. I have seen a lot from the supporters of Measure 20-283, the citizens’ initiative for an elected, independent auditor, but aside from a few garish yard signs intended to scare people from voting for any auditor, nothing from the other side. Why so mum? I know a lot of people think the City Council’s competing initia- tive is just a cynical attempt to split the vote and destroy the citizens’ auditor plan, thus preserving the status quo. The actions of the supporters of the city’s proposal are making me suspect that this is correct. The city’s proposal is just smoke and mirrors. Vote No on that, and vote Yes on Ballot measure 20-283. It’s a worthy pro- posal for an elected independent auditor that will provide effective checks and bal- ances that have long been sorely lacking. Ed Moye Eugene WILD FOR WILDE My father is a veteran. Although Or- egon State Representative candidate Marty Wilde is a couple decades younger, he and my dad have a lot in common. They both grew up on public assistance and turned that public generosity into a lifelong pas- sion for community service. In the coming months, you’re going to hear a lot about Wilde: prosecuting sexual assault cases in the military, advocating in Salem for education and health care, serv- ing on the police commission and as the executive director of Lane County Medi- cal Society. But that’s not why I’m voting for him. I’m voting for Wilde because of his qui- et service at Egan Warming Center, keep- ing watch overnight or cooking breakfast in the morning. I’m voting for him because he consis- tently uses his voice to empower folks who have less privilege than he does. I’m voting for him because I’ve seen first-hand the empathy, intelligence and experience he brings to everything he does. And I know that when he gets to Sa- lem, he’ll cast his vote for us. This May, House District 11 will be choosing Phil Barnhart’s replacement and I urge you to vote for Marty Wilde. And go to wildefororegon.com and volunteer your time or money. That’s what I’m doing. Sean Shivers Eugene MAKING AMERICA FUCKED AGAIN I had a meeting with my accountant on Saturday and she informed me that my tax- es will go up by $7,000 next year. It seems I’ve lost my trucker allowance and gained the new $6,000 general deduction. Gee, As a colleague of Nora Kent at Lane Community College, I know how much she cares about people. I have seen her go above and beyond the regular duties of instructor and help her students navigate finding a job, finding housing and finding health care. She knows how to make prog- ress within a bureaucracy. Kent is inclusive and respectful. She is a community builder in all the communi- ties she has lived in at Deadwood, Florence and west Eugene. Rural west Lane County folks need someone to represent our concerns, and Kent has acknowledged many of them — supporting local farms, access to health care, public transportation and promoting safe forestry practices. She cares about the people of rural Lane County. We need a change from the status quo, someone who doesn’t just represent the cor- porate desires but actually the regular folk. Vote for Nora Kent for West Lane County Commissioner. Tonia Blum Walton THE MINDY PROJECT Over the past several years EWEB has made many important decisions to improve service and manage costs. We re-negotiated our Carmen Smith Dam re- licensing plan, saving millions while still providing fish passage. We revised our emergency water source plan and are now working with 4J on an innovative neigh- borhood approach. We sold a hydroelectric dam in Idaho. We took advantage of low borrowing rates to refinance our debt. Our new general manager promises even more to come. These successes require a high level of trust and alignment between and amongst the EWEB board and management. We work through difficult, sometimes painful trade-offs. We compromise to balance our goals and values. We have great momen- tum right now. I ask you to help us sustain it by vot- ing for Mindy Schlossberg for the at-large EWEB seat. She’s smart and hard working. She’s committed to fiscal and environmen- tal responsibility. She focuses on the big
