letters
THAT NIMBY STINK
There is a nasty class war going on in
Eugene and most of the rest of the coun-
try, although locally no one wants to talk
about it outside of Facebook pages de-
voted to the homeless and renters, who
are half of Eugene residents. It’s our lo-
cal elephant in the room.
On one side we have the rich business
people and middle-class homeowners,
on the other side working-class renters
and the homeless. Homeowners, and
the neighborhood associations they
dominate, have a long history of keep-
ing us out of “their” neighborhoods,
including all kinds of rentals and home-
less shelters. For working-class people,
they’re the enemy.
So after reading the July 25 opinion
piece “Long Day’s Journey From Dark-
ness to Light” — what a bizarre title —
by Jacqueline McClure and Julie Hulme,
I have no sympathy for the position of
Greenway Guardians and neighborhood
associations against Homes For Good’s
plan to sell land they say is legally un-
suitable for public subsidized housing
and use the proceeds to further their
work. It all smells like NIMBY to me.
For once I’m glad that a local govern-
ment agency doesn’t have to answer to
their opponents or go through any kind
of public process before they take ac-
tion. That’s how the NIMBYs stop any-
thing from happening.
We are in a housing crisis. I would like
to cram large apartment buildings into
every neighborhood in Eugene. It’s time
to move.
Lynn Porter
Homeless Action
Eugene
MOVED TO TEARS
hear ye,
hear ye !!
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A U G U S T
1 ,
2 0 1 9
I am so glad at least one noteworthy
organization is treating homeless indi-
viduals like the people they are.
Elisha Young’s story on Teague and
Leo in your Pets issue (EW, 7/25) moved
me to tears. I often look for her stories
and reviews because something about
her voice speaks to me.
But this article was her best. She man-
aged to tell an artful story full of emotion
that got a very important point across.
With all of the recent regulations and
licensing restrictions, I’m proud to see
some one campaigning for our vulner-
able community members.
Kudos to Elisha, and kudos to the
Weekly.
Vance Avery
Eugene
GET THE HINT, JIM
Jim Torrey doesn’t seem to under-
stand that elections have consequences.
The recently rejected candidate for re-
election to the Eugene School District
4J School Board has put his name in
for appointment to a vacant seat (Slant,
7/25). Martina Shabram defeated him
just two months ago by a solid margin of
53 percent to 46 percent of the vote.
The Oregon Working Families Party
supported Shabram, Gordon Lafer and
Deanna Chappell Belcher because we
wanted change and new progressive
voices on our school board. Let’s hope
that his former colleagues don’t vote to
put Torrey back on the board.
If they do, it will be a nasty slap at the
16,280 people who voted against him.
Stefan Ostrach
Eugene
NO HOAX, FOLKS
I want to thank Linda Perrine for
her Viewpoint piece (EW, 7/18) and her
activism with 350.org. I applaud her ef-
forts. Having said that, I wish to share
some things not commonly understood
about addressing climate change.
Even though this issue has been wide-
ly known for 30 years, the human family
is burning more fossil fuels than ever be-
fore. This is because fossil fuels provide
an extremely useful, compact energy
density that solar and wind do not.
Try pushing your car the distance
you can drive on one gallon of gasoline.
Amazing! There are countless things we
do with fossil fuels that are far less easily
achieved with solar and wind generated
electricity.
It is for this reason that the personal
responsibility Perrine alludes to is not
enough. Some may voluntarily drive
less, etc., but most will not.
For this reason, we need leaders who
will actually lead and force the dramatic
and sweeping changes in our world that
meaningfully addressing climate change
calls for. People will complain bitterly,
but they need to be told: “Here’s what
we’re doing, and this pallet of document
boxes is the scientific research support-
ing our decision. So, please stop shout-
ing and start reading.”
Robert Bolman
Eugene
GUARDING GREENWAYS
I would like to commend Jacqueline
McClure and Julie Hulme for their July
25 Guest Viewpoint regarding the pro-
posed Lombard Apartments project in
the Willamette River Greenway. In addi-
tion to the many important points they
make, I would like to add that this parcel
of land is critical to protect because of
these community values:
Its unique location adjacent to the
Willamette River and the Ruth Bascom
Riverbank Path; the beauty of its 28 ma-
ture trees and its wetland vegetation;
the scenic qualities of its open space and
vegetation that are seen by the thou-
sands of people who walk or bike the
riverbank path every year; and the fact
that protecting this land, or at least the
eastern half of the site, is consistent with
adopted goals and policies of the state of
Oregon, the city of Eugene and the River
Road Community Organization.
Allowing this land to be sold to an
out-of-state developer for market rate
housing would be a continuation of
business-as-usual decisions that are de-
stroying our planet.
It’s time to make a wiser choice.
Steve Goldman
Eugene
SHAPING GROWTH
Thank you for the Greenway Guard-
ian Viewpoint regarding Homes For
Good’s sale of 3.59 acres to Evergreen
Housing. HFG’s mission is to develop
low-income housing in Lane County; it
has held this site located between the
river and River Road for 20-plus years.
River Road neighbors are not knee-
jerk anti-development. We simply want
to have a voice in shaping necessary
growth. River Road Community Orga-
nization has promoted St. Vincent de
Paul’s low-income apartment project
on River Road just south of Howard Av-
enue, and has welcomed infill ADUs and
“rolling homes” on commercial sites.
We say yes to inclusion, to community,
to development designed with respect.
High density, high rise, (overpriced) mar-
ket rate apartments that guarantee on-
going turnover? Please, no.
That’s been the fallout from Ever-
green’s previous development, Ecco
Apartments, half a mile north on River
Road. It’s a treeless expanse of out-of-
scale blocks looming over the surround-
ing neighborhood, creating parking
strife, traffic gridlock and a stream of
disgruntled short-term residents.
The Greenway site offers access to
bike path, bus service and the tree-lined
river. Wouldn’t this be a great place for
affordable cottages or row houses? Is
there some reason that low income, el-
derly or disabled people can’t be housed
on prime land?
Lynne Lockhart
Eugene
QUITE A STRETCH
I find no difference between “white
supremacy” and “male supremacy,” as
far as they are both unfair and discrimi-
natory. So will the Eugene City Council
now vote to condemn those patriarchal
organizations that consign females to
secondary roles — organizations such
as the Catholic Church?
If not, then the city council is indeed
saying it is perfectly okay to discrimi-
nate against women.
It is the right and privilege for any in-
dividual in Eugene to hold the view that
their group deserves “supremacy,” for
it is their human right to have private
thoughts and perspectives.
The city cannot hold such beliefs, as
condemning individuals for their beliefs
is unconstitutional.
Hugh Massengill
Eugene
A NEW PEACE
Great to hear about the Nobel Peace
Park in Eugene; it’s worthy of celebra-
tion (“Celebrate Peace,” 7/11). It is said,
“Peace begins when hunger ends.” We
call all to take action to bring this about.
We have what we need to end hunger
and poverty; the only thing lacking is the
E U G E N E W E E K LY . C O M