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About Willamette week. (Portland, Or.) 1974-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2015)
INBOX KITZHABER AND ETHICS Cylvia Hayes is a narcissist in the extreme, as is John Kitzhaber [“What He Left Behind,” WW, Feb. 18, 2015]. To think that Kitzhaber called her his “most trusted adviser” is scary beyond belief. They are both completely beyond any- thing that resembles ethics and integrity. They are both for sale. I am sick to death of these shameless profi- teers acting like they have the people’s interest at heart—when it’s all about money and power and taking everything they can. Throw the book at both of them. They are disgusting. And thanks to Nigel Jaquiss. He has exposed both of them for exactly what they are. —“oregongrown” Kitzhaber is every bit the equal as a con artist as Hayes. He managed to trick almost half the voting public to re-elect him. I don’t feel sorry for him. His mistake was having a partner who exposed his corruption. —“Andrew Rapp” HAYES’ FINANCIAL TIES Through the documents provided by Whitney Bates’ son, it is clear that Cylvia Hayes lied about the loans, lied about the mortgage, and lied about the ownership of the house [“Relying On an Old Man’s Money,” WW, Feb. 18, 2015]. She is a practiced deceiver. WW has provided a useful service by demon- strating a pattern to her behavior, which gives credence to all the information now coming out Our snowpack is dangerously low. Can you explain why the city isn’t asking us to conserve water? Would it not be wise to start conserving now, instead of waiting for a crisis? —Better Safe Than Sorry The notion that humanity can avoid future retribution by denying itself current pleasure is considerably older than modern ecological awareness. It used to be called “sin.” Eschew fornication, the ancients warned, or be cast into the Lake of Fire! (Depending on one’s partners, one might even experience a localized preview of that fi ery torment right here on earth.) Later, our worries took on a medical aspect: Avoid ye Outback Steakhouse and ye Olive Gar- den, lest thine own heart rise up and attack thee! These days, our paranoia is environmental— climate, drought, extinction. What can we sac- rifi ce to appease the gods? How about our cars? Ha-ha, just kidding—gluten, get up on that altar! This gratification-deferring impulse often 4 Willamette Week FEBRUARY 25, 2015 wweek.com of Salem. The sad, hardscrabble story Hayes tells about herself is not about the fortitude and character of a woman earning her place profes- sionally, but one of using other people (usually men) to achieve her success. —“Portland Resident” That $7,000 check John Kitzhaber wrote to Tom Bates would be an interesting piece of evidence. It ties Kitzhaber’s and Hayes’ personal fi nances into one neat little package. And it takes away from the idea that Hayes was her own person and made all her own fi nan- cial decisions. —“John Retzlaff” CORRECTIONS A story last week addressing the challenges facing new Gov. Kate Brown (“Carbon Copy?”) attributed two statements to the wrong person. They were from John Horvick, political director of polling firm DHM Research, not from DHM pollster Tim Hibbitts. A recent story (“Governor in Waiting,” WW, Feb. 11, 2015) identified Maura Roche as the former Salem lobbyist for the National Abortion Rights Action League. In fact, she lobbied for Planned Parenthood. WW regrets the errors. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include the author’s street address and phone number for verifi cation. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Fax: (503) 243-1115. Email: mzusman@wweek.com. does prod us in the right direction, but since it’s not rational, it doesn’t always do a good job of matching the sacrifi ce to the threat. This is how you get folks who walk around with a vague sense that declaring oneself aller- gic to soy will save the rainforest, or that riding a fi xed-gear bike reduces famine, or that using Tom’s of Maine products will ward off stray asteroids. My point, Safe, is that your suspicion that the historically low snowpack is our fault—as a spe- cies, at least—is well-founded. But your impulse toward a mitigating sacrifi ce is misplaced. Portland’s water supply (mostly) doesn’t come from melting snowpack. Bull Run is a low- elevation watershed, and is primarily filled by spring and fall rains. Other parts of Oregon might be right to start worrying now, but as long as it rains enough between now and June, you and I can relax and watch some Netflix. Just, y’know, don’t bogart that gluten, brah. QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com