Opinion: Double Trouble: Cascadia Conference ponders a regional response to expected population growth. Editorial: Hold That Ballot: Election 2000. Living Out: No on 9: It's the good fight, baby, we're doing it again. Letters: EW readers sound off. Double Trouble Cascadia Conference ponders a regional response to expected population growth. Last month, a number of officials from British Columbia, Washington state, and the state Capitol in Salem descended upon Eugene for the eighth annual Cascadia Conference. The conference's mission was to plan the future of the region stretching from Eugene north to Vancouver along the I-5 corridor, and the general consensus emerging from the conference was that Cascadians had better get out in front of the issues concerning the future growth of the region or they will get swallowed by the same destructive forces that have already nearly annihilated California. As the conference opened Sept. 26, J. Gary Lawrence, president of Seattle-based Sustainable Strategies and Solutions, laid out the issues concerning the accelerating growth this region has experienced over the past 30 years. (By the way, the region is expected to double its population within the next 30 years.) "We would like to adhere to the idea that we somehow have a right to not have a clue," said Lawrence. "It's the Einsteinian definition of insanity: doing the same thing while expecting a different result." Mike Harcourt, the former mayor of Vancouver, B.C., who went on to serve as premier of British Columbia, echoed the same sentiment. "We have six million people living in a 35,000 square kilometer area, and we're expecting that population to increase to 10-12 million in the next 30y years. In the entire region of Cascadia we'll have a population of 16-18 million people and 40 million visitors a year. We're going to have to look at solutions other than the auto-based development mold. We just can't build our way out of this unless we take a coherent regional approach." During the two-day conference at the Hilton, the assembled elected officials and urbanologists discussed the possible scenarios and solutions by which Cascadia could avoid a future of sprawl and gridlock, and most often rail was seen as the answer. Conferees mostly agreed that the best way to accommodate the expected growth in the region was through the coordinated planning and provision of rail infrastructure, but almost all agreed that selling the public on the need for this was going to prove difficult. As Washington state Sen. Georgia Gardner put it: "The whole thing is about money, and transportation has to use its own resources to pay its own way." Although selling the public on the need for providing the funding for rail infrastructure is tough, Gardner did point to the upside. "What the public needs to understand is that there was a 400 percent return on investment in Washington state in terms of the payback that rail actually provided. We've got a sales job to do with the public." While the visionaries of Cascadia touted the benefits of rail and other public transit like ferries and HOV lanes as the best ways of counteracting growth, one of the thorniest issues confronting residents of Cascadia is the problem of governance. It may well be prudent to think of the region in regional terms, but we are also talking about two separate nations, two states, and any number of municipalities and transit agencies. Bruce Agnew, this year's conference chair acknowledges that governance is a key hurdle. "Simply put, the people who live in certain identifiable territory, regardless of political boundaries, tend to contribute to one another's transportation woes. Working together can best provide the means to resolve these problems." At numerous workshops during the conference held at the Eugene Hilton, conferees discussed the emerging issues of concern to Cascadians. There were workshops on "The Greening of Eugene and Lane County," on "Community Redevelopment and the Train Station," on high-speed rail, and financing a 21st century transportation system for Arcadia. Conferees painted pictures of transit-oriented development models, of coherent, sustainable growth, of coordinated transit/land use policies, of streamlined governance structures. But what is the likelihood of this future ever coming to be? When I posed this question to Harcourt and Mike Burton, the executive officer for Portland Metro, they both agreed that this was, in essence, the $64,000 question. "It really comes down to a question of political will and how do we get the public behind this vision and sell it to them," Burton said. Harcourt said much the same thing: "That's what we really need to work on: We need to create something that's almost reducible down to a photo where we can show how the region will develop in one of two ways, auto-based sprawl or transit-oriented development." Residents of the region have just cause to be alarmed, for the statistics which project such rapid growth for this region have been remarkably accurate over the past 30 years. And while it may be politically more correct to rail against the very idea of growth, this certainly will not stop the flow. Jim Miller of the Whatcom County Council of Governments says that the best model that he's come across to illustrate the future of Cascadia is the metaphor of the lily-choked pond. "If you have a pond where lilies are growing, and they double every day, on what day will the pond be half-full? It's on the last day, and by then it will be too late to do anything about it," Miller says. "We have to act now and we'd all better get together on this or we're all going to be swallowed." Richard Trainor is a free-lance journalist who has recently returned to live in Eugene. Back to Top Hold That Ballot An ancient Chinese text on military strategy says, "Figure out what your enemy doesn't want you to do and do it, no matter how difficult or painful." The "enemy" in this case represents corporate greed, environmental destruction and social injustice. These forces do not want us united behind Al Gore for president. We can split our votes on the left and show solid support for Ralph Nader, but suffer disastrous defeat. With the welfare of the nation in mind, our most powerful strategy is to 1) assure Gore's election, and 2) continue to build momentum for Nader and the Green agenda until the Greens can mount a stronger challenge to our entrenched two-party system in 2004 or 2008 or however long it takes. Nader is by far the best qualified candidate in terms of political courage, integrity, experience, compassion and vision. Nader has already proven himself as our nation's most effective consumer advocate and warrior for government and corporate accountability. And unlike the other candidates, Nader tells us exactly where he stands on the issues that are vitally important to us. But we cannot ignore the advancing threat of a Bush/Cheney administration. Expect Bush to swing to the right if elected. Four or eight years of Bush would be a disaster that would set back the progressive agenda and the little environmental progress we have slowly made. Would Bush in the White House shock liberals to action or inaction? Conservatives would get a psychological boost with a new "mandate" from the people, and some Democrats in office certainly would move to the center to appease empowered conservative voters. A Gore/Lieberman administration promises significant improvements on Clinton's environmental record and assures us of at least a moderate agenda on judicial appointments, social issues and health care. Many of these issues are literally a matter of life and death. Eugene might be ready for Nader to lead the country, but the rest of the country is not -- not this time around. We join many Eugeneans in saying yes, campaign for Nader now and until he's elected, but don't punch the ballot for Nader until the final hours of Nov. 7, and use one of the handy ballot drop-off boxes around town. Watch the exit polls in the East and Midwest and vote for Gore if it still looks like a close race. A Bush/Cheney administration would be much worse than Nader losing a percent or two of the popular ballot in 2000. The Eugene City Council with newly seated Councilor Bonnie Bettman on board caused an uproar last week at the joint agency TransPlan hearing, leading some in the audience to speculate that the "train wreck" predicted by Mayor Jim Torrey has begun. What we see instead of a breakdown of local government process is a courageous stand by our elected city officials (along with County Commissioner Pete Sorenson) against an outdated metro transportation plan that ignores the future livability of the Eugene/Springfield area, doesn't meet state requirements for reducing vehicle miles traveled per person, and has no allocated funding to support it. The bulk of TransPlan was drafted years ago when the prevailing wisdom viewed sprawl as progress and neighborhoods as expendable. It's refreshing to see elected officials challenging old ideas for a change. It is rumored that the shockingly high bids on the new Eugene Public Library ($3.8 million over estimates) had to do in part with fancy interior finishes included in the Boston architects' plans, and miscalculations by the design team. The low bidder reportedly estimates some of the gorgeous cabinetry in the plans would cost more than $1,000 a linear foot to build. Ouch. Better head for Jerry's. The City Council is expected to take up the library issue Nov. 9 and we urge that common-sense, cheaper finish work be approved. The local architects on the job are a creative bunch and we figure they can make it happen without effecting the functionality of the building. We also hope individuals and businesses in the community will help make up the deficit by supporting the Eugene Public Library Foundation. Call Barbara Dellenback at 682-5338 to contribute. The library is a project we should all get behind. -- TJT Back to Top No on 9 It's the good fight, Baby, we're doing it again. Excitement rolled over me when the news flashed on my computer screen. I rolled my chair back from my desk and right over my bare toe. Oregon's latest anti-gay initiative had just made it onto the ballot and was assigned, supposedly at random, the same number as the measure defeated back in 1992: number 9. We may never know if that stroke of luck was a cosmic coincidence, divine intervention, or the sly maneuver of a mild-mannered state government clerk. I relished the thought of Oregon Citizens Alliance homophobes fuming over this early advantage for their opponents. My big toe throbbed in unison with my escalating pulse. "Honey, honey, it's nine, it's nine!" I hopped into the den where she had dozed off in front of "Jeopardy." "Already?" She blinked herself awake and squinted at the clock. "I must've ... what's wrong with your foot?" "It's the good fight, Baby, we're doing it again." I lunged into the back storage closet and promptly banged my shin into the tool box. I rummaged through eight years' accumulation and emerged with our old No on 9 lawn sign. It was in perfect shape, except for the missing stake which is out in the back yard propping up my delphiniums. "No on 9! No on 9!" I chanted, waving the corrugated plastic sign over my head. It was a good omen. We'd be energized, reaffirmed, vindicated. We'd smash the OCA with a resounding defeat of their evil little measure. We'd be done with the OCA's Lon Mabon once and for all. He'd melt like the wicked witch. The lifeblood of money from the Christian Coalition would dry up. His legislative attacks on our sexual orientation would stop forever. We'd put him out of a job. Maybe then we'd have the time to attempt even a fraction of the "immoral behaviors" on Lon's list. But for now, amorous urges throughout the state will be quelled by, "Not tonight, dear, I have a rally/a meeting/a canvass/a shift on the phone bank." "Sit down, let me put some ice on that." My beloved scowled at the bump rising on my leg. For months we've known this next OCA initiative was coming. They've been gathering signatures at shopping malls and grocery stores, and convincing the ignorant that gay people are using public schools to teach children how to accessorize. I had already zoomed past the denial, anger, bargaining and depression about having to face another campaign, and leaped joyfully into acceptance. We wouldn't have to memorize a new slogan. We could wear our old No on 9 buttons. And we could recycle my song! "Ballot Measure Number 9" had been a love potion that raised spirits and got out the vote to defeat the OCA in '92. It could do it again. This time around I'd record it and make a CD. People all over the state would be singing along before the OCA could say "pedophilia." I slipped into a reverie, imagined angelic harmonies admonishing us to beware 'cause your rights are on the line, and you'd better vote no on: ballot measure number nine. "Ow!" "Sorry." My sweetheart rearranged the bag of frozen peas on my swollen shin. The toaster oven beeped and she went to fix our baked potatoes. I hobbled to the book case and pulled out the gallon jar that holds all our collection of political buttons. Question Authority, Workers Control, Mobilize for Women's Lives, I'm Pro-Choice and I Vote, Lesbian Rights are Women's Rights, March to Fight the Right. These treasures are the modern-day petroglyphs of our eternal struggle for equality and justice. Celebrate Diversity, Lift the Ban, This is What a Lesbian Looks Like, Out Is In , There's A Whole Lot More Of Us Than You Think, We Are Everywhere. I spread the loot out on the floor like a kid examining her Halloween candy haul. A subtle pattern emerged. Stop the OCA, Oregon Said Stop the OCA, Pro-Choice/Stop the OCA, Stop the OCA Again, No on 51, No on 8, No on 20-08, No on 13, Victory Over Bigotry, No on 9, No on 9, No on 9. I sifted the clattering badges through my fingers like pirates' gold and jabbed my palm with the pin of a vintage What Do Gay People Want, Ask Me button. How about a Band-Aide? Of course, my little injuries caused by clumsy excitement are nothing compared to the damage caused by anti-gay campaigns. We are already seeing increased taunting, harassment, and general hostility. The recent history of anti-gay burnings, beatings and shootings threatens to repeat itself. More teens questioning their sexual identity will contemplate suicide. People will fear for their lives. After dinner my lover and I write big fat donation checks. I lick the envelope closed with a flourish. Ouch! My commitment to No on 9 is sealed with a paper cut. Sally Sheklow has been a part of the Eugene community since 1972 and is a member of the WYMPROV! comedy troupe. Her column, which began at EW, is currently running in newspapers in Palm Springs., Cincinatti, Duluth, Seattle, Chicago and Denver. Back to Top Small Price to Pay I am sick and tired of politicians caring more about the financial contributions of wealthy special interest groups than the wishes of the citizens. It is time for campaign finance reform. It is time to vote "yes" on Measure 6. Measure 6 will reduce the power of wealthy special interest groups and make politicians more accountable to the people. Candidates who reject private contributions and adhere to spending limits would receive public funding, so these candidates won't have to answer to big contributors once elected. The big money lobbyists are worried about Measure 6 and are sponsoring negative ads. The truth is that Measure 6 will not increase taxes and costs are legally capped at less than $5 a voter, which is a small price to pay for a real democracy. In fact, Measure 6 will actually save taxpayers money because it will stop special interests from buying special favors and tax breaks that cost us millions of dollars every year. Systems similar to Measure 6 are already working for the people of Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont. It's time Oregon decreased the power of big money special interest groups over politics. We need to vote "yes" on Measure 6. Kristin Anderson Eugene No Mandate for 11 The Oregonian recently ran an editorial in opposition to Ballot Measure 94, the measure that would repeal Measure 11. It seemed to me that The Oregonian mislead its readers. In the editorial it was stated that Measure 11 was approved by 66 percent of the Oregon voters in 1994. I would ask, when was the last time 66 percent of the Oregon voters even voted in an election, let alone 66 percent of them agreeing on anything? If The Oregonian researched its facts, it would find that Measure 11 was approved by a minority of the total registered voters in 1994. It would also find that Measure 11 was misrepresented to those voters as a "three strikes law." Further research would reveal Measure 11, as used in our legal system, is much different than the measure that was voted on. In the same editorial it was argued that this same legal system was far too busy putting people in jail to reconsider the sentences of those who have been unjustly incarcerated. Why wasn't the fact addressed that Measure 11 is unconstitutional? Measure 11 removes discretionary power from the judge and gives unwarranted power to the prosecutor, destroying one of the checks and balances in our judicial system guaranteed to us in the Constitution. This makes Measure 11 not representative of a republican form of government and, therefore, unconstitutional. Essentially, the power given to the prosecutor assumes guilt until the defendant can prove innocent. Oregon voters should be informed that recent crime rate drops in the state are comparable to other states that have not adopted expensive "get tough on crime laws," such as Measure 11. Donna Jackson Albany Scare Tactics on 91 I have lived in Eugene for awhile now and have decided that it is time that this city and Lane County learn the truth about the possibility of Ballot Measure 91 passing. Three times Oregonians have voted to make federal taxes fully deductible on state tax returns and each time the Legislature has overruled the voters and set cap limits on federal tax deduction. Charging income tax on income tax is double taxation and is so out of the spectrum of fairness that even the IRS does not follow this procedure. First of all, this is hardly a measure for the wealthy; in fact, taxpayers making $20,000 and more a year would see substantial savings (about 20 percent). It is high time that a measure aimed squarely at the middle class that helps them save a little bit of their hard earned money be put to the voters that cut their taxes instead of asking for more tax money! I am fully aware of the strong opposition to this measure, yet let me assure the voters that all the "doomsday" predictions are just scare tactics with zero validity. We must realize that in 1959 the Legislature tried to eliminate the deduction but the voters overturned the decision. In 1980 the limit was increased to $7,000. Why then did the Legislature change the limit to $3,000 without voters' approval? Other states do in fact have a cap on deductibility, but few are as low as Oregon. Let's pass something that helps a single mother of two that works two jobs so that she can properly raise her kids, instead of adding another burden to her load! John Hardee Eugene Rules of Accuracy With the election just around the corner, it appears the persistence of "Green" Party candidate Ralph Nader will be decisive in helping to elect the very "ungreen" George W. Bush. In Serbia, a country with little background in democratic process, more than a dozen political parties managed to agree on one candidate to defeat their primary opponent. Why can't Green Party supporters think as strategically? I don't get it. They say if we "vote our conscience," we should vote for Nader. Yet isn't it Nader who continues to insist, despite all the evidence of the dangers of a Bush presidency, that there is "no difference" between Gore and Bush? If an auto company made such a demonstrably untrue statement concerning automobile safety, Nader would have criticized them relentlessly, yet such rules for accuracy don't seem to count when it comes to his own campaign. I don't get it. They say that voting for Nader is a "long term strategy," and will build the Green Party, creating a better future. But wouldn't a successful Green Party just continue splitting the vote that would otherwise go to Democratic party candidates, so the Republicans can win not just this election but many future ones? Also, why be so sure the Green Party buildup will be more successful than that of Perot's reform party? I don't get it. Rather than have a Bush victory on my conscience, I will vote for Al Gore. I urge others to do the same. Ron Unger Eugene Good of the Country If Bush wins, I'll at least partly blame Eugene Weekly and the two well-meaning guys on the corner of 30th and Hilyard this morning (10/23). I'm sure those guys felt good -- Alan Pittman probably feels good: They're speaking their conscience. Well, I like Nader too, but I'm willing to admit that my conscience is not as important as the good of the country. Are you? This is serious, folks. Please wake up. Jeff Harrison Eugene An Idiot & A Weasel I am confused. Environmentalists tell me I should vote for the guy who gutted the Endangered Species Act, reopened Northwest old growth to logging, and allows the WTO to overturn U.S. environmental laws. Those who feel character is important want me to vote for an unrepentant coke snorter. Feminists want me to vote for a guy who forced millions of women and children into poverty by helping repeal welfare. Veterans' groups want me to vote for a guy who used family connections to dodge Vietnam and was AWOL for over a year. Labor unions want me to vote for a guy who helped pass NAFTA and GATT and is now pushing for permanent normal trade relations with China. Conservatives who feel that the U.S. has yielded too much of its sovereignty to the United Nations want me to vote for a guy who is happy yielding U.S. sovereignty to a secret WTO tribunal in Geneva. After watching the debates it is clear: one guy is an idiot and the other is a weasel. Or is it the other way around? Neither has earned my vote. Ralph Nader has. Doug Hintz Eugene Ban Land Mines I support Measure 97 and I urge you to do the same. The following experience is why. Natasha, my German Shepherd pup, was missing for two rainy and cold days in November 1979 before I found her huddling under a tarp near the house. She was near death. Somehow she managed to crawl home, her front paw crushed in the jaws of a steel leg hold trap, dragging a log attached to the trap behind her. The trap severed the muscles, tendons and nerves in Natasha's leg. The bone was damaged badly and much blood had been lost. Veterinarians did not hold much hope for Natasha's survival. But survive she did, although she never regained the use of her right paw. It is important that we remove these land mines from our state to protect our pets and our wildlife, so please join me and vote yes on Measure 97. Barbara Kelley Eugene Edwards Stands Out In the five-candidate race for state treasurer, one candidate stands out as an individual who is qualified to handle the complex duties of the treasurer's office, and who also reflects the pro-education values of our community. That candidate is Democrat Randall Edwards. For four years, Randall served as a manager and senior advisor to state Treasurer Jim Hill. He also has a strong educational and professional background in economics and financial issues. As a teacher, I'm impressed with Randall's legislative record of working on behalf of our public schools. When the Republican leadership of the Oregon House tried to ram an inadequate school budget through the Legislature, Edwards led the fight to increase school funding. Randall believes the treasurer, as the state's banker and financial leader, has a role to play in improving school funding. He has provided detailed proposals of ways in which the treasurer can improve school financing, including the creation of a capital fund to help upgrade and repair older school buildings. That's the type of leadership we need from our statewide officials. Ken Anderson Eugene The KVAL Alternative I applaud KVAL for its production of "Straight Talk," a free public forum for state legislative candidates to reveal their positions to Lane County voters. Oregon voters have long bemoaned the corrupt nature of campaign financing. When candidates can only reach the public through privately owned mass media, however, the price of electoral races skyrockets -- and so too does the need for private campaign contributions. Television advertisements, in particular, have come to represent one of the costliest aspects of successful campaigning in the U.S.; as such they contribute to the increasingly expensive nature of electoral races, effectively positioning candidates to pander to moneyed interests. By providing free air time to competing candidates, KVAL is providing a real alternative to this all-too-corrupt system, not to mention a true service to the public (who, after all, owns the airwaves). KVAL stands as a model for broadcasting in the public interest. National networks (and consumers!) take note. Kristin Strommer Eugene Beyond the Rhetoric Yesterday I heard the most accurate description of George Bush running for president. Someone described him as corporations running for president using Bush the man. That's what it's all about this year. I am amazed how even on my news -- NPR -- when his discussions about the presidential election are aired and quotes from the men are used, Bush is always quoted first and more extensively than Gore. I guess Bush's money could possibly win this election for him. Remember, Bush's campaign doesn't have to limit how much money they can spend because he's not taking any government matching grants. That alone should decide this election. Republicans are so filthy rich they don't even need government grant money. People don't get so rich without walking on lots of people's backs. Democratic candidate Gore, on the other hand, needs the grant money for his campaign and so is limited with how much money he can spend. So, of course all we are going to hear is Bush this and Bush that for the next few weeks. I realize Gore isn't perfect, but I did see that everything good that this administration tried to get passed through the Republican-controlled House and Senate was blocked. That's why we have not had better progress on many issues. The Republicans have controlled the House and Senate and so have been able to vote everything down. We all heard what happened to efforts for gun control, HMO reform/Patients' Bill of Rights, campaign finance reform, etc. These are all things that the American people really want and yet a highly visible, silver-tongued devil could walk away with the prize. And what a prize! A more conservative court, America more for corporations, basically back to slavery for the poor even more than it is now. I urge everyone to think carefully before casting your ballot and look beyond the rhetoric that is being all pervasive. Moon Rainbow Deadwood Debate Smoking It has been surprising that so few letters have been written to EW concerning the Eugene City Council's proposed ordinance to ban smoking in all-adult establishments, specifically in bars and bingo halls. In an issue that cuts across the political spectrum, perhaps the reason for lack of comment is ambivalence: concerns for employee health vs. civil liberties. Big tobacco vs. American Spirits. Cigarettes are evil vs. smoking is a personal choice. Crusading non-smokers vs. rude smokers, etc. Liberals and conservatives seem to be divided and come down on both sides of the issue. Even smokers and non-smokers are somewhat divided. The City Council may vote on the ordinance at their Nov. 13 meeting. What do EW readers think? A lively debate in letters-to-the-editor could be both entertaining and enlightening. Steven Estey Eugene Milking Survivors So, the milk industry has chosen the "Survivors" as poster children for their "milk mustache" ads. What these folks need to know is that consumption of milk is not very conducive to long-term survival. Milk is designed for baby bovines and is definitely "unnatural" for human beings. In fact, 95 percent of Asian Americans, 70 percent of African Americans and Native Americans, more than 50 percent of Mexican Americans, and 15 to 20 percent of Caucasian Americans are unable even to digest the milk sugar lactose. Dairy consumption raises the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In addition to saturated fat and cholesterol common to all animal foods, dairy products contain pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. A 12-year study of 78,000 nurses found that those regularly consuming dairy products suffered more bone fractures than those who rarely or never did. I plan to promote my and my family's survival by partaking of the rich variety of soy, nut, and rice milk products available. Edward Wilson Eugene The Commie Path Government has always been changing from its beginnings. So why not keep the ball rolling and put an end to partisan deadlocks? No news is good news but it's getting old. Change was the catalyst that made America what it is today. Changing a government is very hard when everything is going so well. To keep everything happy, a revolution will have to be replaced by slow change. There are many different paths that the government can take; I propose the commie path. I'm not saying we should work for nothing, but instead give everyone an equal slice of the government so that everyone can have a voice. The problem with this idea is that there has never been a big enough stadium in the U.S. to hold hundreds of millions of people. The development of the Internet can now fix the stadium problem. Here's how it might be put into action in a small city like Eugene: Imagine a city where everyone has ID number and the city has a website that the people can access. On it are different issues such as how to lower crime in the city. People who have ideas can talk to other people who have ideas. They can also find information related to the problem that they are trying to solve. Then the people who are not as involved with the issue can vote for which solution is best. A certain percentage of the population will have to vote for the plan to be funded. Other issues can be dealt with in the same way. The board can still do the boring stuff like city planning but all of the important stuff to make the city better will be put in the hands of the people that live there. Peter Kaegi Eugene Non-Partisan Answers Seldom does an effective, honest and thoughtful government official put his or her hat in the ring to run for office and campaign. Jeff Miller is all of the above, except he did not go out and canvass and throw his campaign into the mode of all promises just to get elected. No, Jeff Miller is running for state representative in our district, because the people asked him again to commit his time and knowledge to help the ordinary everyday citizen in this large district. Jeff was mayor of the city of Eugene during a time of uncertain economic factors that called for a steady hand at the helm. He provided this and much more. Jeff can provide patience and non-partisan answers to difficult situations that will evolve during the new legislative term in Salem. I have spoken on the telephone with Jeff, and though I still have an issue that I differ in opinion with him on, he took the time to explain to me in terms I understood on why he was taking the position he was. He felt that the time was not right at this juncture to rush into anything unless it was good legislation for all Oregonians. We simply cannot afford to miss the benefits and help a Jeff Miller can give us in Salem. To find a deeply religious, moral and conscientious individual that is for human rights for all our neighbors regardless of their beliefs, religious preference or sexual orientation and will fight for their voice in Salem is a gift we should take advantage of. Jeremy Scott Eugene LETTERS POLICY: We welcome letters on all topics and will print as many as space allows. Please limit length to 250 words, keep submissions to once a month, and include your address and phone number. E-mail to editor@eugeneweekly.com, fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251 Lincoln, Eugene 97401. 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