|
News
Briefs: Hynix Tax Break | Citizen's
State | Militarized Zone | With Dignity
| Stinky Trash Juice | Money vs. Democracy
News:
Children & Land Mines -- Undercovered #11. More news from international
sources.
Happening
People: Lauren Regan.
HYNIX
TAX BREAK
Eugene's Hynix plant has asked the city for up to $5 million
more in tax breaks, this time without creating a single new job.
The City Council is scheduled to consider the request Jan. 30,
according to city development analyst Denny Braud. The break will exempt the computer
chip plant for three or five years of property taxes for $156 million in new equipment
installed at the plant. Braud estimates the exemption will save Hynix $3 million
to $4 million over three years plus an additional up to $1 million if the council
grants an extra two-year exemption.
In November, Hynix asked the city to waive the enterprise zone
tax break requirement that it create new jobs at the plant, according to Braud. Hynix
laid off 600 workers at its plant in July, halting production in the face of plummeting
chip prices and huge debts.
Hynix has said it plans to re-open the plant this month, but the
Korea-based corporation is still teetering near bankruptcy with continuing losses
and billions of dollars of debt. The Micron corporation is reportedly considering
buying some or all of Hynix.
|
Slant
-- We commented last week on the peculiar nature of PeaceHealth's
$34 million buy-out of land they helped Arlie & Co. acquire for about $16 million.
Much of the land cannot be used because of its proximity to the river, and the costs
of infrastructure will add to the millions. It's a risky deal all the way around,
particularly if PeaceHealth gets stuck with overpriced land it can't develop. We
appreciate grand visions and bold planning, but we can't help but fear the local
PeaceHealth board and administration are in over their heads on this project. Meanwhile
the costs of health care and medical insurance rise and rise and rise.
-- It appears Commissioner Anna Morrison had an ex-parte meeting
with Eugene Sand & Gravel President Mike Alltucker (R-G, Jan. 8) and now
she's thinking of flip-flopping on her vote against ES&G's gravel pit plans.
Looks tacky, Anna, and you might yet earn that zero rating from the Oregon League
of Conservation Voters. In her Jan. 2 State of the County address, Morrison praised
our "pioneering spirit," but did not once mention protecting our farmlands,
forests and rivers. Apparently, some of the slash-and-burn traditions of our pioneer
heritage are still with us.
-- Rumors have been circulating around UO about some print shop
workers flying off to Switzerland at state expense. And it turns out to be true.
Printing Services Director J.R. Gaddis says he shipped off his operations manager,
pressroom foreman and press operator to Europe this week to test a large sheet-fed
lithographic press. Apparently such color presses are not made in the U.S. and the
used press for sale in Switzerland is available at half the $700,000 that was anticipated.
Total cost, including shipping and set-up, is likely to run around $349,000, if the
deal goes through. Cost of sending three people to Switzerland (including cheese,
chocolate and yodeling lessons) was not available, but Gaddis figures it will be
small, "considering the extraordinary value to the university."
SLANT includes short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes compiled
by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com
|
If Micron or another company buys Hynix and/or the Eugene plant, it's
uncertain whether the factory will be eligible for new tax breaks. Eugene's enterprise
zone expired in 1997 and was not renewed. Hynix was grandfathered for 10 years and
has until 2007 to apply for new tax breaks for plant upgrades or expansions.
If the Hynix plant is bought by Micron completely, Micron may be
ineligible for new tax breaks for this and later phases of the facility, according
to Braud's reading of state law. But if the deal is structured differently, and Hynix
is a Micron subsidiary, the plant could retain its grandfathered status for tax breaks.
"It's not cut and dry," Braud says.
The council and County Commission must both approve the
tax break. Last summer, both elected bodies rejected a Hynix request for $15 million
in additional tax waivers.
Hynix has already received an estimated $45 million in property
tax breaks. Under the state tax system, about 48 percent of the lost revenues would
have gone to city services, 41 percent to public schools and 11 percent to the county
budget.
With the deepening recession, the city and county face deep budget
cuts and may be unwilling to give millions more to Hynix.
If the new Hynix tax breaks are approved, Braud says, the city
and county will likely include a provision that some or all of the money be refunded
if Hynix again lays off employees. But Hynix hasn't yet told the city how many workers
it will employ if and when it resumes production at its chip plant. -- AP
CITIZENS'
STATE
In response to Mayor Torrey's annual State of the City
Address this week, a group of concerned Eugeneans are planning a Citizens' State
of the City Address at noon Friday, Jan. 11 at Harris Hall in the County Building,
8th and Oak.
The public is encouraged to attend. Organizers say a PowerPoint
presentation and address will focus on important issues facing Eugene, and the theme
will be "Opportunity."
Topics and issues to be covered will include land use, common sense
economic development, preserving and restoring Eugene's natural endowment, empowering
and including youth in civic affairs, and safeguarding and improving a democratic-accountable
civic process in Eugene.
Groups involved include Friends of Eugene and Citizens for Public
Accountability. For more information, call 686-6761.
MILITARIZED
ZONE
George W. Bush visited Portland Jan. 5 calling for "economic
stimulus" through tax cuts for the rich and job creation for the poor in the
state with the highest unemployment rate in the country.
Nearly 1,000 protesters ventured into what had become a militarized
zone to oppose Bush's economic policies, the "stolen election," and the
war against "terrorism." Protesters marched toward his downtown speaking
engagement, shutting down Martin Luther King Blvd., and reportedly causing Bush to
cancel his appearance.
Next, protesters raced the motorcade to Parkrose High School where
Bush spoke to thousands of supporters, local politicians and business owners. A military
helicopter hovered over the crowd outside. Hundreds of riot police lined the streets
on foot, horseback, and ATV while others monitored the protest from unmarked, undercover
vehicles.
"For me it was a very clear expression of patriotism as a
religious zealot experience where the god is money and power," says Amy Pincus
Merwin, a local reporter who was inside Parkrose for the presentation. "I've
been calling it Pleasantville in Berlin. It's almost as if they dropped an American
'50s melodrama into WWII Germany," she says.."It was very paternalistic,
transparent, and certainly had overtones of fascistic control."
A caravan of activists from Eugene headed north to participate
in the protest, a handful of them never made it. Three miles north of Salem on I-5,
a silver/gray sedan came from behind, used no turn signals, and maneuvered sharply
toward the activist's vehicle. According to the accident report, the driver veered
immediately to avoid collision and sent the car into a spin. A line of bushes slowed
their car and it came to a rest with no one injured. The silver/gray car disappeared.
A black Suburban was parked on the other side of the highway for
approximately 15 minutes while those in the car dealt with the situation. The engine
was running and no hazard lights were flashing. Three activists attempted to approach
the vehicle while another videotaped the incident. Before the activists could get
close enough to see inside, the Suburban sped away.
For more details on the protest and video stills of the crash,
visit www.portland.indymedia.org -- Lisa Igoe
WITH
DIGNITY
Eugene will soon be visited by some of Oregon's strongest
activists, the residents of Dignity Village in Portland. In the past year they have
organized a semi-permanent tent city, maintained a healthy collective environment,
and created a home for the people of Portland who might otherwise inhabit doorways
and sidewalks. Eventually, the group wants to establish a permanent location that
can "centralize people for easier communication, referral, and access to services,"
according to the Dignity Village website at www.outofthedoorways.org
In the last few weeks, Gov. Kitzhaber has been touring the state
raising awareness about an $830 million budget shortfall that will lead to severe
cuts in social services. Proposals include $172.3 million from the Department of
Human Services (primarily impacting the poor, elderly and disabled), $38 million
from community colleges (which would reduce financial aid for up to 85,000 students),
and $304 million from K-12 education. A special session of the Legislature is planned
for Feb. 8 where lawmakers will decide the fate of many who currently balance on
the verge of homelessness.
On Tuesday, Jan. 15, members of Dignity Village will speak at the
Growers Market about life in their new community. They will share their experiences,
thoughts and strategies and be available to offer guidance for future organizing
in Eugene. The event begins at 5:30 pm with a potluck and a presentation begins at
7. -- Lisa Igoe
STINKY
TRASH JUICE
The county dump has been stinking up some parts of Glenwood
and East Eugene.
Every day the county sends about 20 tanker truckloads of goop that
percolates through the Short Mountain landfill to Glenwood for release into the metropolitan
sewer system.
Glenwood residents began to complain of the smell from landfill
leachate flowing through their neighborhood sewers. Springfield sent environmental
technician Bill Hamann to investigate. "It was pretty strong," Hamann says
of the rotten egg smell.
Hamann measured the concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in
a Glenwood sewer manhole downstream from the leachate dumping site. The H2S concentration
rose from 0 parts per million (ppm) to over 50 ppm after a leachate truck dumped
its load. Further downstream near Augusta Street in east Eugene, the H2S concentration
was still over 40 ppm. "We also noticed a very strong and offensive odor emitting
from this manhole," Hamann wrote in a memo.
Hydrogen Sulfide gas is toxic at concentrations of over 10 ppm
for more than eight continuous hours of exposure, according to federal standards.
Exposure to levels greater than 100 ppm can be immediately hazardous to life. At
high concentrations the gas can also corrode sewer pipes and explode.
Hamann says the county has now solved the problem by treating the
leachate with chorine to destroy the bacteria that create the gas.
Lane County wouldn't have to truck the leachate at all if it was
on schedule with an on-site leachate treatment plant at the landfill. The $3 million
reverse osmosis filtration system is more than a year and a half behind schedule,
according to county landfill manager Ken Kohl.
Kohl says the county has extracted concessions from the contractor
to compensate for the delay and he expects the new treatment facility to be up and
running by the end of the month. -- AP
MONEY
VS. DEMOCRACY
An initiative for effective campaign finance reform in
Oregon was launched in December and appears to be gaining momentum.
"Can you imagine a state Legislature that isn't run by the
developers and timber industry?" asks Eugene land use activist Eben Fodor in
a message to Oregon progressives. "Campaign finance reform is working well in
other states and it worked in Oregon before being struck down by the courts. This
initiative represents an improvement on Oregon's past campaign limits."
The "Money is not Democracy" initiative is being sponsored
by Jim Weaver, Lloyd Marbet, Harry Lonsdale and Dan Meek, and is endorsed by Common
Cause and the Pacific Green Party. It includes the follow provisions:
An individual may contribute not more than $1,000 regarding all
candidates contesting for any particular statewide public office; $300 regarding
all candidates for the Senate; $200 regarding all candidates for the House, $100
regarding all candidates contesting for any other public office, and $10,000 per
year, in the aggregate, for all candidates in all contests for public office in Oregon.
Qualified corporations may contribute zero dollars regarding all
candidates.
The initiative contains "smart wording" intended to allow
adjustments of the above limits should a court find the amounts too low. For more
detailed information, see the Money Is Not Democracy web site at: www.voters.net/mind/ or
e-mail cnsrvncy@teleport.com
"The problem is simple," says Fodor. "We will never
achieve good government, responsible land use policies and needed environmental protections
as long as 'big money' calls the shots. All the grassroots action you can muster
won't prevail when your candidate is outspent five to one by the pro-growth, anti-regulation
business candidate."
Back to Top
Children
& Land Mines
Undercovered #11. More
news from international sources.
By Kate
Gessert
-- Books, pens, and paper arrived by truck and donkey at 307 schools
in Hazarajat region for Oxfam's "Winter Schools" program. Many children
work spring through fall but can come to school in winter. "'Food keeps people
alive... education gives the country a future,'" said the program director (Oxfam).
-- At Rogani refugee camp, aid workers have built soccer fields
and volleyball courts and teach land-mine awareness classes for children (Save the
Children). Kabul's two orphanages are struggling to cope with a flood of infants
and children. Residents in one orphanage have jumped from 60 to 450 in two months.
Children's mothers are often alive but too poor to feed them. Eight-year-old Fawad
said, "She was very sad but I'm happy to be here. There are lots of children
to play with and there is more food" (Guardian).
-- Seven-year-old Ali Mo-hammed threw a rock against an unexploded
bomb and it blew off his hands, ripped a hole in his sister's stomach, and tore his
brother's leg apart. "This was an act of God," wept the children's father.
"I cannot blame anyone" (Guardian).
-- Mine clearers are working fast to clear the heavily mined Shomali
plain north of Kabul, as refugees return to their farms. "I don't know anything
about mines," said a young farmer, Zabid, as smoke rose from controlled explosions
across a field. "These men can play around if they like... I have a house to
build." Zabid, home after three years in Pakistan, is working in the rubble
of his house, preparing for the arrival of his parents and sisters (Guardian).
-- Probably the most heavily mined country in the world, Afghanistan
has 300,000 to 10 million land mines and unexploded bombs. Many mines were laid to
defend supply routes, alongside villages in the narrow fertile valleys to which refugees
are now returning. Danger is especially high when people return to areas they have
become unfamiliar with, and begin to farm, collect firewood and graze animals. In
1998, when many refugees came back to Afghanistan, mines killed 300 people a month.
Now it is 70 per month and increasing.
-- Since October, U.S. bombing has added an estimated 25,000 unexploded
cluster bomblets, volatile and randomly distributed over 128 bombing sites, as well
as other unexploded bombs (IRINnews). Meal packets, air-dropped gifts from the American
people, remained yellow -- the same color as unexploded bomblets (AP) despite a Nov.
1 U.S. promise to change food wrappings to blue. Self-destruct fuses have already
been developed that would reduce the percentage of unexploded cluster bomblets from
5 to 30 percent down to .2 percent, but the Air Force does not use them or plan to
because each back-up fuse costs $8 (Senator Leahy of Vermont, AP quote).
-- It costs 70 cents a square meter to clear mines, with 5,000
Afghans currently at work in body armor, carrying metal detectors and trowels. Afghan
reconstruction and farm rehabilitation depends on this work (MAPA: Mine Action Programme
for Afghanistan). According to Paul Heslop of the Halo Trust, "De-miners are
the ultimate landscape gardeners" (Guardian). Cambodian leaders told
the U.N. they would send expert mine-clearers to help in Afghanistan (Tehran Times).
Doctors from India have fitted 3,000 "Jaipur feet" on Afghan amputees.
These prosthetic legs have special feet of flexible rubber, well-suited to climbing
the hills of South Asia and to squatting or sitting cross-legged on the ground (BBC).
-- Jan. 3: U.N. officials protested the Dec. 30 U.S. bombing of
Niazi Qalaye. They said a reliable source had reported 52 deaths. Other local sources
counted 107 to 120 dead. The Pentagon still insisted Niazi Qalaye had been an al-Qaeda
hideout. BBC weapons expert David Holly examined the bombed site and said two buildings
were ammunition dumps and three were houses, all direct hits. "Civilians had
died in those houses -- to me that looked like poor intelligence." Haji Ahmadzia
of the local tribal council said, "They should stop bombing, this is innocent
killing ... This is a big cruelty to our people and it will cause deep hatred ...'"
(BBC). Many of those killed were children (Guardian). The Pentagon said bombing
of "pockets of resistance" would continue (BBC) and Defense Secretary Rumsfield
remarked, "There's never been a conflict where there have not been civilian
deaths" (Washington Post).
-- On Jan. 3 U.S. planes bombed a suspected al-Qaeda training camp
in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan Islamic press reported that 32 civilians were killed
in nearby villages. Tribal elders traveled to Khost to plead for a ceasefire. "'Bombing
is very intense and very heavy,'" they said. "'Many people have died'"
(Times of India).
Back to Top
 
Lauren Regan
Because of penchants for outdoor pursuits and environmental
law, upstate New Yorker Lauren Regan transferred from Suffolk Law School in Boston
to the UO in the mid-'90s. "Here, there is a focus on public lands issues,"
she notes. After four years with the public-interest law firm Bahr and Stotter, Regan
opened her own office last July, balancing her activism -- "I represent seven
different environmental groups" -- with criminal defense to pay the bills. Her
most prominent case has been a successful challenge to the Recreation Fee Demonstration
Program pushed through Congress by the corporate recreation lobby. "Fee demo
is a test project to see if the public is willing to 'pay to play,'" Regan says.
"Each agency was limited to 100 fee sites, but the Forest Service has 1,500
locations in the Northwest." Following the court decision, Congress struck out
the 100-site limitation -- this year it will vote on making the program permanent.
"It seems like a Don Quixote-esque battle sometimes," says Regan, who is
nonetheless preparing to launch the Direct Action Resource Center, a clearing house
to help activists find legal representation.
-- Photo by Paul Neevel
Happenin' People Archives
Nominate A Happenin' Person
Table
of Contents
| News | Views | Arts & Entertainment
Classifieds | Personals
| EW
Archive
|