|
Editorial:
Looking Ahead -- Election results create opportunities.
Viewpoint:
Sieze the Power -- campaign finance reform is within reach.
Letters:
EW readers sound off.
Looking Ahead
Election results create opportunities.
This might not have been the best of
elections, but it certainly wasnŠt the worst of elections. Opportunities
abound among the worries.
The Eugene City Council next January
will include newcomers George Poling and Jennifer Solomon, reelected
David Kelly and Gary Papą, and the remaining Betty Taylor, Bonny Bettman,
Scott Meisner and Nancy Nathanson. Going off the council will be Gary
Rayor and Pat Farr. Has the balance really shifted to the right? LetŠs
look at a couple of indicators.
ő Solomon was or still is a member
of the rabidly pro-sprawl Gang of 9, but she was quiet about her Gang
activities during the election and didnŠt mention her Gang affiliation
in the Voters Pamphlet. Is she a Musumeci clone on environmental issues
or an independent thinker? We wonŠt know until sheŠs had a few votes
on the record. WeŠll be watching.
ő Poling, likewise, is considered a
staunch conservative, but we can only guess on how he will vote. Rayor
on the other hand had strong backing from progressives, but was often
a swing vote on issues of sprawl.
ő KellyŠs been under heavy attack from
our mayor, Chamber of Commerce, The Register-Guard and
development interests, yet he won easily with 71 percent of the vote.
This vote of confidence should be seen as encouraging for progressives
and indicates Kelly could do very well in a mayoral race.
So the council may not be changing
much in its political leanings. Our focus now should be on lobbying
and educating new councilors, and working to replace the tie-breaking
Torrey in 2004. LetŠs also stop calling conservative councilors †pro-business.˙
Kelly is a strong advocate for business and is probably doing more
to create jobs than any conservative councilor.
The Lane County Commission results
are encouraging indeed. Anna Morrison and Bill Dwyer will keep
their seats, but the conservative Cindy Weeldreyer is stepping down
to be replaced by moderate progressive Tom Lininger This conceivably
changes everything. Dwyer and Pete Sorenson have often been on the
losing end of 3-2 split votes, particularly on environmental and land-use
issues. This marks a major turnaround in county government and we
hope to see a new kind of leadership emerging.
City of Eugene money measures appear
to have all passed, shocking some folks who figured Eugeneans
were fed up with taxes. We always support our schools, but city services
and library funding measures are unpredictable. WeŠre left with two
major problems (or opportunities): WeŠll have fancy new schools but
not enough teachers, so we need to come back in November with a city
measure that pumps operating funds into local schools. Likewise, the
library measure is only for four years. LetŠs find a more permanent
way to fund library services, perhaps a new library services district.
On the state level, weŠre happy
to see broad support for Phil Barnhart in House District 11. Barnhart
is an all-around good lawmaker, but he was running in large part on
his stellar environmental voting record. Ten years ago this wouldnŠt
have garnered him many votes, but Oregonians today are paying more
attention to such issues. The support for Court of Appeals Judge David
Schuman is another vote for environmental sustainability. This is
the first judicial race to raise strong land-use issues and the involvement
of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.
Democrats had three good candidates
to choose from in the governorŠs race primary and Ted Kulongoski
should do well in November against Republican Kevin Mannix. The Republicans
made a big mistake in not supporting the more moderate Jack Roberts
or Ron Saxton.
The failure of Measure 13 puts a
lot of pressure on the next special session of the Legislature
to find a permanent solution to education funding in Oregon. Will
it happen? WeŠre not very optimistic. Republicans are unlikely to
do the right thing and support a tax increase, particularly in an
election year. We will have to do what we can locally. É TJT
Seize
the Power
campaign finance reform is within reach.
The evolution of the Oregon Campaign
Finance Reform initiative has been in
process for six years and began at a meeting in Portland. Out of that
meeting grew the idea that activists need to build a coalition to
remove big money from politics.
There has been a continuous slamming
down of other progressive initiatives that initially won major support,
but lost when giant corporations spent large amounts of money using
mainstream media to fight these efforts. Lloyd Marbet (who is largely
known for opposing the Trojan Nuclear Plant, which was shut down)
joined the effort and is a main sponsor of the Oregon initiative.
We already have, in our federal Constitution,
the anti-bribery statute, Title 18, Section 11, Subsection 201, of
the U.S. Criminal Code entitled †Bribery of Public Officials.˙ Language
in the code prohibits public officials from accepting †anything of
value˙ with the intent to †influence any official act.˙
In January 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court
upheld Missouri limits on campaign contributions for candidates that
are very similar to our proposal ($1,000 per statewide race, less
for other races). We can enforce our limits on contributions
to candidates. Our initiative also has a unique adjustment feature
that adjusts the Constitution limits to whatever level ultimately
deemed constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Also, the Oregon
Campaign Finance Reform Initiative amends the Oregon State Constitution,
making it more difficult for the federal government to try to overthrow
Oregon laws É such as Attorney General John Ashcroft trying to do
away with OregonŠs assisted suicide law.
This initiative is very critical at
this time since the federal campaign finance reform has been enacted
and the corporations will use any loophole available, and Oregon is
among the six states that allow unlimited corporate contributions.
Enron is only one of many corporate giant scandals. Oregon has no
limits on campaign contributions for any state or local race, but
23 states limit corporate contributions, usually $500-$2,000 in a
statewide contest.
The Oregon Campaign Finance Reform
Initiative would open doors for all areas: human rights; women, racial
minorities, workers, environmental preservation, consumer protections,
etc. The corporations could no longer dominate policies in Oregon
and outspend labor unions by 5-1. The corporations have already pushed
up the total spending on races for the Oregon Legislature from $3.4
million in 1996 to $16.4 million in 2000! In legislative races, candidates
who spent more money won 91 percent of the time. Only 41 percent of
the contributions were in amounts of $50 or less.
If this initiatives passes, we stand
a far greater chance for decent school funding and universal health
care. In Maine, universal health care passed four months after campaign
finance reform!
Campaign finance reform is a very
powerful, effective avenue of nonviolent activism. We agree with
and applaud all who have recently spoken up on behalf of nonviolence.
It is possible to form a government that represents the will of the
people! Campaign finance reform would pave the way not only for the
formerly mentioned, but also for instant runoff voting which is an
integral part of a representative system by giving voters and alternative
parties a powerful voice.
There is a common self-fulfilling prophecy
generating that we cannot change things. That is dead wrong! If enough
of us choose to do as little as an hour or two a week, we could move
mountains. If each person gathered two sheets of signatures totaling
30, in six weeks we could have the 50,000 needed to get this initiative
on the November ballot. To get involved you can contact Pam Driscoll
at 343-5628. The Pacific Green Party, Ralph Nader, Alliance for Democracy
and Granny D are some who endorse this initiative. We can seize the
power! LetŠs rock and roll, dance, and collect signatures.
Ceila (Starshine) Levine is an artist/composer
and an activist. This article was a collaboration with Corey Dubberly,
who is a member of the Pacific Green Party and an activist.
Back to Top
Man
v. Grass
Misty eyed, with heart bleeding, I read †Under Siege˙
(5/16) by Robert Emmons. I wondered if the man himself lives in a
packed apartment complex or on his own †American Dream˙ with a house,
garden, possible acreage, dogs, cats and other critters. Did he drive
a gas powered vehicle or peddle his way up 126 to the 242 turnoff
to view the alleged †unconscionable˙ devastation caused by the McDougals?
I cannot understand the people who
fight this type of development. What do the majority of people living
in this area want? Nodal development with hundreds of people packed
to the square foot? What about the American Dream of owning your own
house, planting a garden with vegetables, having a space for your
kids to play safely É away from people and traffic?
Drive around this area. Look at all
the vacant land that sports grass seed farms. Is that what the people
here want? Do we want to be known as the grass seed capital of the
world, the place where people arenŠt welcome to come and live, only
plants and endangered species? If you donŠt live in a grass hut, eat
berries and nuts from the forest floor while killing your own wild
game for food, please donŠt destroy my chance of making a living and
getting my family a home of our own É complete with garden and no
neighbors.
Greg Harris
Springfield
Media Access I
I am
disappointed that your reporter, Mr. Alan Pittman, has reported the
Police CommissionŠs actions on media policy (5/16) in a selective
and distorted fashion. Many members of the commission, including me,
repeatedly stated that the new policy expands the media rights of
any person who agrees to wear the appropriate ID, while not diminishing
the rights of those who choose not to wear the ID compared to what
they have now. He never mentioned these facts in his article, and
continued to portray our actions as new restrictions on the media.
He misquoted me individually in stating
that I said †the policy would likely restrict access by only a small
fragment of the media.˙ I never said that the new policy will restrict
access for any media.
He neglected to mention that the ACLU
endorsed the new policy. Moreover, he did not mention that the full
commission had the Media Committee convene a special extra meeting
just to study the belated suggestions made by Mr. Pittman and his
editor. We even adopted some of their suggestions. These acts of responsiveness
on the part of the Commission towards Mr. Pittman and his publication
did not receive any notice in his article. What can one say?
Mr. Pittman has the full right to his
opinions, and he is free to disagree with the new policy. However,
when he writes an article that is supposed to be a †news˙ article,
but instead is full of omissions and misrepresentations, it is a sorry
day for our community and the media that he represents.
Munir Katul
Eugene
Media
Access II
Whatever happened
to truth, accuracy and objectivity in reporting? ItŠs completely missing
from Alan PittmanŠs story about the proposed new Eugene police policy
controlling news media access to demonstration scenes (5/16).
Pittman claims that the new policy
proposed by the Police Commission doesnŠt open the door to increased
access by media, but rather gives the police more power to limit media
access.
Wrong. The existing police policy doesnŠt
require police to allow media access to incident scenes that the police
have closed to the public. The proposed new policy does precisely
that.
That was the purpose of revising the
policy in the first place. Eugene police in recent years had blocked
public access to some large-scale demonstrations. Media representatives
were considered part of the public and thus kept away from the action.
The new policy states explicitly that
police should make every effort to provide access to journalists to
incident scenes, except where public safety or police operations would
be compromised. To gain that access, media representatives must wear
identification tags.
Those tags are issued by news organizations
É not by police or the city. They are available to both mainstream
media (e.g., newspapers and television stations) and to alternative
media.
And yes, the policy does say that media
representatives at a demonstration may not also participate in the
demonstration. WhatŠs so strange about that? Journalists are supposed
to be observers É not participants.
The new policy is the result of four
months of serious deliberation by a subcommittee of the Police Commission.
The committee accepted input from media representatives who attended
those sessions, and incorporated many of those suggestions into the
policy.
Those representatives included directors
of the Greater Oregon chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists,
which endorsed the policy as adopted. It was, according to the societyŠs
spokesman, a reasonable policy that conformed to similar policies
in cities and counties across the nation.
The representatives also included EW
employees, who objected to much of the language in the policy. Those
objections, mostly semantic quibbles, were listed at length in PittmanŠs
article. The approval by the SPJ, or their arguments, was not
even mentioned in his story. But thatŠs what a free press is all about,
isnŠt it É the freedom to print whatever you want, objective or biased?
Arnold Ismach
Eugene
EDITORŠS NOTE: We confess to be
highly biased in favor of freedom of the press, and itŠs a sad day
when even journalists canŠt see the gaping loopholes in these proposed
policies. The police have been unable to police themselves, and they
have the credibility problem, not journalists.
Start with a Dream
I
had a dream. I dreamed I wrote a letter to the editor of EW
about the need for help in getting enough signatures to get the Campaign
Finance Reform Initiative on the ballot. I wrote about citizen activism,
people uniting to take back our government and make it be a voice
of the people, not corporate big money. I wrote that in order for
us to save our virgin forests in Oregon, prevent sprawl and keep the
quality of life here in Oregon we must reform the system that
is so corrupted by money given to politicians.
In my dream, after the letter was published,
people started calling me and getting copies of the petition. Thousands
of people decided to turn off their TVs, computers, video games and
they went out in the streets, talked to neighbors, friends, co-workers
and relatives about how to make our country work for all of us.
In my dream this was only the beginning.
A shift in consciousness began. People realized we were all one and
that was what mattered, not limitless consumption and obtaining objects.
The dream we dream alone is only a dream. The dream we dream together
becomes reality. Call 343-5628 and help change reality.
Pam Driscoll
Eugene
The Real Man
As John
ZerzanŠs life partner for nearly 20 years, I strenuously object to
the unwarranted and ignorant attacks on him that have appeared in
the Letters columns of both the EW and The Register-Guard
in the past couple of years. He is not Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler or some
kind of Pied Piper leading youth astray. He is a careful researcher
and an original thinker, an intellectual who canŠt use academic freedom
or a pulpit for a shield because he has no institutional affiliation.
He has never advocated violence against
living beings. His critique responds to the dire environmental, social
and psychological conditions that now prevail in most parts of the
world. He does not peddle a party line, but expresses his opinions,
welcomes questions and encourages people of all ages to think for
themselves.
Alice Parman
Eugene
Appoint Judges?
Your
article on the Court of Appeals election issues (†Courting Advocacy,˙
5/9) ends by questioning whether judges should be elected at all.
Your reporter advances the reasons why appointment of judges is preferable.
But she gives only one side.
But research has shown when judges
are appointed, they more often come from the big law firms and the
ranks of present and former DAs. This doesnŠt bother the American
Bar Association, which is also heavily made up of large law firm folks,
but most such judges gain their legal perspective by representing
large corporations or as prosecutors.
Appointment of judges reduces the chance
for selection of judges from lawyers who have represented the little
guy, or labor unions, or environmental groups, or had offices in the
ghetto or barrio, etc.
I might still favor the appointment
of judges, but the issue is more complex and nuanced than your reporter
allows.
Martin Henner
Eugene
SSSSSSSUCK!
There is
a giant sucking sound in Oregon. That sound is everybodyŠs retirement
funds getting sucked down the drain. Everybody but Oregon public employees.
It seems they had a slick labor lawyer create a contract that guaranteed
a minimum return of at least 8 percent on their investments, no matter
what the actual return was. Due to the Enron meltdown, a stagnant
economy and the war against terrorism, their fund actually lost nearly
$8 billion. By law, we the taxpayers must make up that red ink to
the tune of $400 each, per year, for the next 40 years. Last year
some PERS retirees made 10 percent more than their yearly pay on their
retirement program! Public employees deserve a decent retirement program,
but not balanced on the weary backs of non government workers.
Michael T. Hinojosa
Drain
Caravan for Mossad?
Being
an independent political scientist and writer, I appreciate every
opportunity to familiarize myself with diverse viewpoints on world
affairs. Even in cases when I already have my own strong opinion,
such as regarding Israeli terror against Palestinians. Therefore,
I was curious about a lecture at UO organized by some pro-Israeli
Caravan For Democracy, in which there were †prominent international
speakers˙ advertised.
But when I arrived at the EMU May 9,
I was shocked to see that each person who wanted to attend the lecture
was required to fill in a mandatory questionnaire and also show picture
ID, just to get in. There are no words strong enough to describe how
indignant I was. To say that itŠs a violation of personŠs privacy
is almost as to say nothing.
When I expressed my protest to one
of the organizers she reacted very arrogantly. She explained that
they were collecting information †for security reasons.˙ ItŠs very
strange, indeed, because during my eight years in Eugene I attended
at least a couple of hundred various lectures on and off campus, and
never was I required to answer any intrusive questions or show ID.
Not even when Bill and Hillary Clinton were visiting Eugene or when
Al Gore spoke at McArthur Court.
How is one supposed to be guaranteed
that among the organizers there arenŠt some Israeli †art students˙
spying on Americans? Just like those from the largest spy ring in
U.S. history. Maybe the personal information they were collecting
goes to some ADL or JDL or, well, maybe even to Mossad.
To my mind, since that lecture was
not a private meeting but a UO public event, they had absolutely no
right to force people into compromising personal privacy.
Valdas Anelauskas
Eugene
Inspiring Journalism
The
two excellent articles by Kate Rogers Gessert on Eugene family members
witnessing for Palestinian rights in Bethlehem (EW, 4/11 &
4/18) were an inspiration. Your readers are grateful to Gessert and
EW for this contribution to the usually limited flow of credible
information reaching the United States from the Middle East.
When Americans have a better understanding
of the human fears and aspirations of people on both sides in the
conflict, we will be better prepared to help Israelis and Palestinians,
Jews, Christians and Muslims achieve a peace with justice in the Holy
Land.
Bill Tracy
Eugene
The Whole Story
Gordon
KaswellŠs Viewpoint (4/11) brought up many issues worth considering
about HIV and AIDS. I would like to add that in spite of government
and AIDS industry claims that AIDS cases in this country have dropped
as a result of the new combination drug therapies, CDC data shows
otherwise. AIDS cases in 1992 peaked at just over 10,000; in 1993
an expanded AIDS definition including non-illness conditions swelled
AIDS cases to over 35,000, but cases have continuously dropped since
that time. Protease inhibitors were first approved for use in 1996,
a full three years after statistical declines were charted. CDC data
would indicate that AIDS cases were already dropping off well before
the introduction of protease inhibitors and cocktail therapy.
It is not unethical, as letter writer
Thomas Kraemer (4/25) states, to print Mr. KaswellŠs piece. What is
unethica, rather, is the suppression of information that gives people
the whole story about HIV and AIDS.
HIV positive and drug free,
Kathleen Tyson
Eugene
Defy with Dignity
A
basic premise of nonviolence theory is the idea that real power comes
from recognizing the truth, exposing others to the truth and honoring
the truth even when our opponents are the ones bringing that truth
to the conflict. This is applicable to the recent conflict shaping
up between folk who ought to be compatriots in the battle for social
change: the direct violent action proponents and the advocates of
nonviolent direct action.
The need for disruption, which seems
to be at the core of the argument of the anti-nonviolence folk, may
well be an important truth that they bring to the debate. The anarchist-inclined
believe that their methods are inherently more effective at disruption
of business as usual. I believe they are wrong. Witness the lock-downs,
the blockades and disruption of traffic in the Seattle protests of
1999. These actions by courageous, nonviolent protestors were extremely
effective and did not depend on (nor were they augmented by) the property
destruction that was concurrently committed.
Progressive social change advocates
of all stripes wish to break free of the hierarchical structures that
harbor oppression and give advantage to the few at the top at the
expense of the many at the bottom of the pyramid scheme. Exploitation
of the labor and suffering of others is an inevitability of traditional
power structures. We can break free by refusing to emulate their behavior,
doing our best to be the difference we seek in the world. The movement
makes progress by making the justness of our cause obvious for all
to see and the injustice of the oppressor indefensible. When activists
are disciplined, dignified and courageous, and when they adhere to
truth, not to hate, they attract new adherents to the cause. Defy
illegitimate authority? Yes. Disrupt corrupt power-holder practices?
Yes. But it is the truth that sets us free and is the source of the
power for social change.
Mark Siemens
Eugene
Never a Solution
In the
dialogue about whether or not violence is an acceptable means for
bringing about social justice, I say, If you think violence works,
believe what you want. The same information is available for anyone
to investigate and understand. The truth doesnŠt need to be proven.
It will be revealed.
Gandhi was asked by those who wanted
to use violence to force the British to let go of India why he wasnŠt
more radical. He replied by saying, what is radical about using violence.
The use of non-violence does not show weakness or lack of commitment
to the struggle. Nor does is mean acceptance of the situation. It
shows maturity and understanding. ItŠs a powerful force using careful
planning and training.
Violence is never a solution to problems.
It escalates situations and divides people. By using violence, a group
becomes labeled as hostile and their concerns become discredited.
†One sides freedom fighter is another sides rebel [terrorist].˙
Non-violence may seem to be an ineffective
means to solving the worlds problems (like the occupation of Palestine)
but anyone who is lead to believe that non-violence doesnŠt work should
ask himself whether the use of violence is working.
Let us reject violence in all its forms
and work to create a culture of peace and non-violence and work towards
lasting solutions to the worldŠs problems (see www.2000cultureofpeace.com).
Martin Luther King: †Nonviolence ...
is a weapon unique in human history, which cuts without wounding and
ennobles the person using it. It is a sword that heals ... †
Gordan Lawrence
Eugene
Stand
for Workers
A great many
people in the community are fed up with the treatment highly skilled
workers É writers, reporters, journalists, and others É are getting
from Tony BakerŠs Register-Guard. His intransigent refusal
to deal with respect and fairness with the people who have made his
money for him is despicable.
My wife and I and our whole family
are not reading any of the ads in the R-G until the people
who create it, the workers, are treated with decency.
If Mr. Baker continues to refuse to
come to fair and equitable terms with his workers, we will cancel
our subscription. The award winning Springfield News and
EW between them give as adequate- and in some areas better-coverage
than does the R-G.
We back up our moral position with
action. For instance, we stopped trading at Bi-Mart when they refused
to deal with their warehousemen. When the workers get a contract they
are happy with and union if they want it, we will go back.
Milt Cunningham
Kathleen Cunningham
Springfield
Whose
Interests?
Bombing Iraq to
hell and back once again appears a forgone conclusion, but letŠs take
a moment to consider how we got here: On 25 July, 1990, in a taped
conference with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie, Saddam Hussein
inquired as to the position of the U.S. with regard to IraqŠs †claim
on Kuwait˙ and troop buildup on the Kuwaiti border. Ambassador Glaspie
replied, †We have no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts, such as
your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary (of State James) Baker has directed
me to emphasize the instruction, first given to Iraq in the 1960s,
that the Kuwait issue is not associated with America˙ (Saddam smiles).
Eight days later, Iraq invades and
occupies (or reclaims) Kuwait, giving Bush Sr. an excuse to mobilize
the †new world order,˙ ostensibly to †stop aggression˙ and return
Kuwait to its monarch the Emir, only coincidentally neutralizing Iraqi
nuclear, biological and chemical capabilities. Up to then, Iraq attempted
to straddle the mutually exclusive positions of U.S. ally and Israeli
enemy, but as Colin Powell said on the Today Show Oct. 10, 2001, †We
will always support Israel, its security.˙ Noble, but at what expense?
And is it loyaly, or something else? Hebrew Israeli radio station,
Kol Yisrael, on Oct. 3 reported that during an argument in an Israeli
cabinet meeting, Shimon Peres warned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that
unless he would heed American requests for a ceasefire with the Palestinians,
he could cause America to turn against Israel. In a fit of anger,
Sharon responded to Peres:
†Every time we do something you tell
me America will do this and will do that ... I want to tell you something
very clear: DonŠt worry about American pressure on Israel. We control
America, and the Americans know it.˙
Pete Raiteri
Eugene
Your
Library
Eugene area students
came to the site of EugeneŠs growing new library April 30th to celebrate
reading in a public setting. UO athletes Rasuli Webster and Kourtney
Shreve joined school kids from Jefferson and Spencer Butte Middle
Schools, Adams, Family School, Magnet Arts, and Santa Clara Elementary
Schools, SMART tutors and community members in reading throughout
the day.
EugeneŠs new library will serve everyone,
and it was exciting to see students of all ages ready to come downtown
and watch the building under construction. When the doors open in
the winter of 2002-2003 everyone will be able to use the services
in an exciting new space.
Thanks to all of the young people who
came to the LTD plaza on April 30th to show support for the library.
Barbara Dellenback
Executive Director
Eugene Public Library Foundation
LETTERS POLICY: We welcome
letters on all topics and will print as many as space allows. Please
limit length to 250 words, and submissions to once a month. E-mail
to editor@eugeneweekly.com,
fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251 Lincoln, Eugene 97401.
Back to Top
Table
of Contents
| News | Views | Arts & Entertainment
Classifieds | Personals
| EW
Archive
|