|
Insider
Baseball : The Worst Way: Gloves come off in
Salem. propaganda.
Natural
Resistance : For Whats Right:
Taking a stand is a positive thing.
Viewpoint:
Non-Sensical Syllogisms: Are the latest anti-drug commercials
bad for kids?
Letters:
EW readers sound off.
The
Worst Way
Gloves
come off in Salem.
SALEM: Sunday, June 30 - Special Session III - Day
19 Salem Senator Peter Courtney is a veteran
of 13 special sessions; he described this one as the most bizarre
yet -- 90 legislators were held hostage for 19 days by nine Republican
senators who were blinded by their ideology and an internal fight
over leadership that ended in anarchy -- while the rest of us watched.
The session mercifully ended at 5 oclock this morning.
In last weeks column I described the right-wing coup
that took place among the Senate Republicans. As I predicted, Colonel
Clink (Steve Harper) and eight of his warlords produced a øno-new-taxesÓ
package -- it included $149 million in cuts to K-12, the UO, community
colleges, and programs for the working poor, seniors and the disabled
-- alongside two new tax breaks for the wealthy.
It was appalling.
They also proposed sending out the clone of Ballot
Measure 13, the $220 million theft of the education endowment fund
that you defeated in May. Remember, this endowment fund currently
pays for opportunity grants now for thousands of financially eligible
Oregon college students who would have been left out in the cold if
this measure had passed. They put in their Arthur Anderson-like accounting
scheme to delay payments to K-12 and community colleges into the next
biennium and they stole money from every available piggy bank, leaving
us with a massive hole in the next biennium.
Im happy to report the proposal failed by a 15 to
15 vote, with Republicans Lenn Hannon and Vern Duncan voting with
the Democrats (with the exception of Mae Yih -- no surprise) to defeat
the measure. So, after five days of being held hostage to these morons,
we resumed the business of responsibly balancing the $860 million
hole.
We blew it.
The right-wingers who lost threw a hissy fit and refused
to vote for anything in the compromise package. So it took 13 Democrats
and five so-called ømoderateÓ Republicans -- I never thought Id see
the day when Id call Gene Derfler a moderate (its all relative)
-- to create a final budget.
To accommodate the Republicans, we had to vote for
$50 million in cuts and $611 million in one-time money. The clone
of BM13 was reduced to $150 million and placed on the ballot for September,
along with the cigarette tax. And we did more bonding than agent 007
-- we put the state in debt for the next six years!
Even poor Susan Castillo, our next State Superintendent
of Education, spoke in favor of the BM13 clone. øI hope all of us
will work really hard to pass this measure, because our kids really
need the education dollars,Ó she said. My response during that debate
was, øLets rephrase it: We need money for schools in the worst way,
and this is the worst way.Ó I mean, when are we going to vote for
real, stable school funding if we keep giving in to these band-aid
gimmicks? Im a NO. I refused to vote for the package for two days
just to get more money on the table.
I was outraged that my Democratic leaders would agree
to cuts in Employment Related Day Care -- affordable childcare is
the single largest obstacle in getting poor mothers back to work --
without even letting us vote on delaying Dubyas new tax break for
corporations (accelerated depreciation). We were going to give corporations
a new $124 million break and cut programs to juvenile corrections
treatment and community corrections?
So Lane County released 4,500 inmates through early
matrix last year -- many of them Class C felon property offenders
wholl just go through the revolving door a bit quicker with no consequences
-- because of the states chronic underfunding of jail beds under
Senate Bill 1145; but were willing to cut their program more deeply
for this tax break?
Bullshit.
In the sausage of politics, I got half of what I wanted;
the corporations got their break but we restored $7 million to these
programs.
The funniest scene in the session occurred when our
minority leader, Kate Brown, asked the majority leader, Dave Nelson,
how many votes his members would supply on a certain measure. øI dont
know,Ó Nelson replied, øI told them to vote their conscience.Ó Kates
reply to us was, øRight there, I knew they only had three or four.Ó
I cant wait to hear from the Governor when he gets
back from France -- cant imagine hell be too happy.
Sen. Tony Corcoran of Cottage Grove represents portions
of Lane and Douglas counties in the newly formed Senate District 4,
which now includes the UO area. He can be reached at corcoran.sen@state.or.us
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For
Whats Right
Taking
a stand is a positive thing.
øThe trouble with environmental activists is theyre
against everything, and they want to protect everything.Ó Its a common
charge. But the trouble with the word øeverythingÓ is that it isnt
particularly informative. Consider, for example, some current environmental
campaigns in Oregon:
Against: Construction of the West Eugene Parkway.
For: Ecological connectedness of Eugenes now-rare
wetlands, and the ability of people to visit these parklands rather
than a highway.
Against: Elk farming in Oregon.
For: Protection of Oregons wild elk, deer, and potentially
humans from tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease, which is the
elk and deer equivalent of mad cow disease.
Against: Dumping of toxic industrial wastes into Oregons
agricultural fertilizers.
For: Clean farm soils, salmon streams, drinking water,
food crops, and farm families.
Against: Permitting a gravel mine and asphalt plant
along River Road.
For: Survival of River Road family farms and extensive
wildlife habitat along the Willamette River.
If you simply switch the words øagainstÓ and øforÓ
in the above examples, you can see that those who propose and defend
such things as the West Eugene Parkway, elk farms, toxic waste fertilizers,
and a River Road gravel mine are in reality against a lot of
things you depend upon or love.
So why do environmental activists take the rap of
being øagainst everythingÓ while developers, construction companies,
mine owners, industrial waste distributors, and their boosters assume
the mantle of being the positive folks?
The problem is not a lack of environmental proposals.
There are plenty of proposals for sustainable agriculture, forestry,
fisheries, transportation, trade, energy, health care, population,
and consumption. The rap arises from the nature of these proposals:
1. øIdleness is the Devils own invention.Ó Letting
pond turtles, wild elk, or small blue butterflies live out their lives
in healthy ecosystems isnt generally labeled as an accomplishment.
Paul Bunyan, developers, and toxics-using industries do something.
To many in our society, øliving simply so others may simply liveÓ
is simply a code word for øunproductive.Ó
2. Old profits generate strong defenses. Environmentalists
proposals often involve changes in business. Those currently reaping
profits then claim environmentalists are against øbusiness,Ó by which
they mean their particular way of doing business. In reality,
the question is which kinds of business are needed. Clean farming
or toxic farming? Wind power or nuclear power? Light transit or heavy
freeways? Nodal neighborhood development or sprawl?
3. Unsustainable is easier. Environmentalists proposals
often require system changes and more social coordination than current
unsustainable approaches. For example, altering a production process
to use fewer toxics is initially more complicated than sending toxic
wastes to a fertilizer factory. Developing global climate-protecting
transportation systems for communities involves more innovation than
punching a 300-foot wide highway through wetlands.
4. Big money backs big impacts. Think of genetic
engineering; nuclear power; agribusiness; off-road vehicles and SUVs;
and large-home, big-box developments. In comparison, modest and innovative
solutions proposed by environmentalists are generally under-capitalized
and dont promise windfall profits. They arent backed by massive
industry research and development or advertising funds. Think of the
thin investments in local agriculture, affordable housing, public
transportation, or energy conservation.
5. Strait-jacket goals. Often, environmentalists
solutions address larger goals than those envisioned by promoters
of environmentally destructive projects. For instance, proponents
of the West Eugene Parkway often ask, øIf you oppose building this
highway in the wetlands, then what route do you propose?Ó However,
the responsible solution to traffic in and out of West Eugene may
in fact be a combination of land use planning, public transit, street
modifications, and no highway.
There can never be enough excellent, thoughtful options
on the table. Indeed, one of the redeeming graces of humans is our
ability to modify dead-end behaviors. Environmental activists are
people who understand how certain activities are unnecessarily destructive
of life and spirit on Earth, and know those activities can be changed.
Many of their proposals are time-tested and proven; some are sketchy
and need development. But at their core, environmental activists are
øforÓ far more than they are øagainstÓ: They are standing up for you
and all your relations here on Earth.
Mary OBrien has worked as a public interest scientist
for the past 20 years. Her new book, Making Better Environmental Decisions:
An Alternative to Risk Assessment, has been published by The MIT Press.
She can be reached at mob@efn.org
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Non-Sensical
Syllogisms:
Are
the latest anti-drug commercials bad for kids?
In a $3.4 million ad campaign, the two latest anti-drug
commercials use a new twist on the usual fear
tactics used to scare kids from drugs. The ads also use every parents
secret tool of persuasion: the guilt trip. Perhaps the ads have positive
intention, but they dont educate about intoxicants or addiction.
Instead they misinform and may actually be destructive.
The commercials use non-sensical syllogisms to convince kids that
if they buy drugs, they are contributing to terrorism. Its a smart
campaign, playing off the post-Sept.11th patriotism, but is simply
not true. It would be like saying that if I once threw rice at a wedding,
I am responsible for the extinction of a particular bird. A plus B
does not equal C.
Yes, some drug money may end up in the pocket of a
terrorist, but terrorists may also earn their living in other ways.
Are kids to understand that if they are given free drugs its okay,
seeing as how they paid no terrorists?
The first commercial, øAK-47,Ó uses MasterCards øpricelessÓ
ad-style, showing various price listings, such as øFake ID $3,000,Ó
øExplosives $,1200,Ó and øAK-47 $250.Ó The prices are in between odd
images, like a house at dusk, a guy on a computer next to a briefcase,
and a car trunk full of guns. The ad, at the end, asks øWhere do terrorists
get their money? If you buy drugs some of it might be from you.Ó
George W. Bush may be the inspiration for these ads.
At www.theantidrug.com (where you can view the commercials in the
media gallery), there is a quote from the president stating øIf you
quit drugs, you join the fight against terror in America.Ó Wouldnt
that also be true, then, if Americans quit flying, quit the stock
market, quit pushy foreign service policies, all of which have had
a more direct influence on terrorism in the US?
The other commercial, øI Helped,Ó has an odd, eerie
tone and dark mood. Its filmed in black and white and shows various
kids, each confessing to a different crime, such as øI helped kidnap
peoples dads -- hey some harmless fun,Ó øI helped a bomber get a
fake passport,Ó and øI helped kill a judge,Ó each said in monotone,
guiltless voices.
Neither commercial provides any anti-drug information,
such as dependency, health consequences, or legal risks, all more
vital topics than terrorism when concerning drugs. Furthermore, neither
violence nor guilt are a helpful focus in teens who today are already
higher in depression, and who already fear violence from their peers.
Plus, some teens may take too seriously the guilt of contributing
to terrorism after having once bought a bag of weed. In an age group
with such high suicide rates (third cause of death among teens, and
still rising), its irresponsible to feed them a guilt trip.
By focusing on street drugs, the commercials are further
misleading. It sends a mixed message to a generation of pharmaceutically
altered minds, the kids who are fed pill after pill by parents and
doctors. The hidden message is that prescription drugs are not a problem
(after all, theyre purchased at a pharmacy), though dependency on
them is a large risk to todays youth.
Also, in these patriotic times, kids see the øall-AmericanÓ
ads and slogans for beer, and perhaps do not see the larger risk of
alcohol abuse, the most deadly risk to American youth. According to
MADD, alcohol kills 6.5 times more than all other illicit drugs combined
and is the number one drug problem among young people. Anti-drug commercials
would better inform kids if they focused on all intoxicants and their
direct dangers, especially alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs.
Street drugs are a smaller threat to American youth,
since most kids have access to prescription pills and alcohol in their
own homes.
These latest anti-drug ads do a disservice to youth
and provide no true information. Its time kids be told the truth
about drugs, a much easier and greater deterrent, rather than being
fed non-sensical syllogisms. Besides, leave the guilt trips for parents.
Melissa Lewis, MA, is a Eugene writer and teacher.
Shes currently working on her first collection of short stories.
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HELPING
SCHOOLS
Health care costs are spiraling upward to
the detriment of schools with insurance premiums increasing 20 percent
a year.
Health Care For All-Oregon has a 3 to 11.5 percent
payroll cost that often undercuts present insurance premiums from
3 to 9 percent and therefore saves school districts thousands to millions
of dollars. Scappoose would save $344,000, Corvallis saves $497,000,
Centennial $563,000, Eugene 4J $2.3 million and North Clackamas $3,540,000.
The City of Portland would save approximately $9.5 million in 2002.
With schools looking forward to a future of yearly
budget cuts, we encourage everyone to learn more about about this
measure on the web at www.HCAO.org and volunteer. The petitioning
has ended and now we must inform our friends about this more efficient,
cost-saving medical care plan for all Oregonians. Call 484-6145 for
information.
Ruth Duemler
Eugene
EGREGIOUS
BEHAVIOR
As many of you may have read this past week
(6/20), the three of us (Brett Cole, Jim Flynn and Josh Laughlin)
settled our five-year-old civil rights lawsuit against the City of
Eugene and its police department. Although there was no official admission
of guilt in the settlement, the city and the police department finally
accepted some responsibility for their egregious behavior on June
1, 1997.
In response to their gross misuse of pepper spray,
they coughed up $30,000 to keep this case from going to trial. They
also agreed to have Eugene police officers ranked sergeant and above
attend a series of trainings in dealing with nonviolent demonstrators.
In the courtroom, the June 1st incident is over. Outside, though,
that dark day will live with many in our community for a long time.
The incident shined a light on issues that have been
festering in our city. Corporate welfare, police brutality and heritage
tree preservation all came to the forefront. Why was the city in such
a rush to cut those 39 trees that they had to douse us with chemical
agents to make way for a publicly subsidized parking garage for Symantec
(which has since left town)? We simply wanted to hold off the illegal
cutting until it could be adequately addressed at the next nights
City Council meeting. We would hope that the city would act differently
if the same situation arose today.
The small settlement is a bit of a hard pill to swallow,
especially since Jim has a permanent neck injury from officers Ted
Williams and Tom Turner (under the supervision of incident commander
Becky Hanson) torquing his neck, yanking his hair and punching his
body. Its also unclear what the long-term health risks are of receiving
up to 15-20 cans of pepper spray on ones body. But weve got more
pressing issues to focus on, and its time to move on. May June 1,
1997 be a date that we all never forget.
Brett Cole, Jim Flynn, Josh Laughlin
Eugene
RARE
SERVICE
In Aryn Nolascos letter (6/20) is
the statement øEugene ... has the worst public transportation of any
city I have ever lived in ...Ó I would like to know where Nolasco
has lived, because for a city the size of Eugene to have such an extensive
bus service, as it does, is a rarity throughout the U.S.
Fresno, Calif., where I am from, is several times
the size of Eugene, but the bus service there offers less than half
the number of routes LTD does, stops at 9 pm, and more often than
not runs up to 20 minutes late. After moving up here and finding out
I could quickly and reliably get almost anywhere in town up until
11:40 pm for only $35 a month, I about had an epiphany, and have been
intentionally without a car ever since.
Anyone who is literate enough to read a bus schedule
and take the minimal extra effort to plan their trip will not be østranded,Ó
for the Riders Digest is anything but øconvoluted.Ó As long as there
are low-income, teenage, elderly, disabled, frugal, or earth-friendly
people in Eugene, as there always will be, LTD will definitely not
øbe gone in 10 years due to lack of interest.Ó
Ashley Wright
Eugene
STRESSING
SYSTEM
First, I would like to commend Wendy Strgar
for creating and putting the necessary energy into the Eugene Childrens
Peace Academy. I believe that creating such a school, in contrast
to a military academy, makes great sense. However, I have concerns
that creating another elementary school is going to stress an already
strained school system. It seems to make much more sense to begin
at the middle or high school level and work down if the need is seen.
If you think an elementary school that teaches the
basics of peace doesnt exist, I have to tell you differently. I know
a school where the children are taught to work together and work out
their differences peacefully. They learn to respect all the members
of their school community. Any violent actions, even in play, are
dealt with quickly and decisively.
There is a cultural and social mix of children in
most classrooms and people from around the world are brought in to
talk to their students about life in other countries. This school
is called Adams/Hillside school. My child attends Adams Neighborhood
School and couldnt get a better start in understanding peace anywhere
else.
Melanie Namkoong
Eugene
SCARY
FOR DRIVERS
I read with interest your article about
the traffic mess along 24th to 29th and Willamette. I have lived in
that area since 1987 and have watched the traffic congestion get progressively
worse. Something needs to be done.
However, you missed half of the problem with your
emphasis on bicyclists (who really should just avoid the street altogether
if possible -- its far too dangerous) and pedestrians. As a driver,
it scares the hell out of me. There are too many driveways with people
trying to get onto the street and too many drivers trying to turn
left. Its a nightmare. I find that I do errands only on the right
side of the street (in either direction) at a time so I dont have
to try to pull across or turn left. Its not convenient and, like
the pedestrians, I avoid some stores or services -- because theyre
a left turn away. I also take other routes when I can -- down to the
lower streets to either 24th, 27th or 29th where there are signals.
And when I leave the parking lot from Market of Choice
(its not PC Market any more), I go out on 29th unless Im turning
right. And its only going to get worse before someone makes it a
priority.
Carol Busby
Eugene
BASIC
NEEDS
With the support of four councilors, the
Eugene City Council has set Aug. 14 for a work session on the living
wage ordinance. The proposal would affect city workers, workers contracted
by the city, and workers of companies receiving from the city significant
tax reductions.
The work session is good because the council needs
to look at ways to stop using our taxes to pay poverty level wages,
and because our community needs to recognize that it takes $12 hour
for a single parent family with one child to meet a basic needs budget,
excluding savings and retirement. Most of our new jobs do not meet
this minimum.
We can help pass the ordinance by calling our councilors
and by attending living wage activities, including the August work
session. Call Eugene Springfield Solidarity Network for information:
736-9041.
Erik Muller
Eugene
WORD
OF GOD
Lynn Warner (6/27) begins her letter by
quoting Gandhi, further exemplifying the cult of the personality that
is pacifism. Pacifists apparently feel that Gandhis word is the word
of God.
Lynns horrified that SOME anarchists can support
violent acts and still be committed to anti-authoritarianism. She
claims theres nothing more authoritarian than murder. I disagree.
I believe that being able to impose your will on the entire globe
with military might is the ultimate act of domination.
Anarchists recognize that violence is authoritarian.
But whats more authoritarian is not using violence to stop
oppressors from subjugating, exploiting, even exterminating others.
Lynn cant comprehend that one could justify killing McKinley. This
is because shes unaware, or doesnt care, that McKinley waged a genocidal
campaign against Filipinos. During the Nazi era, anarchists unsuccessfully
attempted to assassinate Mussolini and Franco. Would those killings
have been authoritarian, or acts of killing for the common good?
Lynn ends her letter by claiming that øthe means chosen
to enact social change predetermine the result.Ó Shes right. But
since theres no such thing as ønon-violent revolutions,Ó theres
no way of knowing if the results would be better than previous revolutions.
Few revolutions have had the results that anarchists
hope for. But the fact is that many revolutions have had positive
effects that pacifism couldnt achieve. Previous revolutions degenerated
because of a lack of commitment to egalitarianism, not violence per
se. Future revolutions will fare better if theres widespread commitment
to egalitarianism.
Eric Blair, GA Collective
Eugene
POULTRY
PARITY
I can understand Jerry Harriss resentment
toward Swedish society (6/19). At times, it can be a tough place to
live. As the poor sibling among the Scandinavian countries for most
of recorded history (Sweden became prosperous only after the Industrial
Revolution), the country has deep roots of conformity and a distrust
of unusual perspectives. Compared with neighboring Denmark, which
has always been one big, bountiful farm with an open attitude and
a lively pub culture, Sweden can seem dour and dark. Ever seen a cheerful
Bergman film? And geographically, Sweden is separated from the landmass
of Europe by the Baltic Sea, which hasnt helped its ethnic situation.
Even so, the Sweden of the 60s, 70s and 80s was
remarkably culturally open, and it was popular for families to adopt
orphans from Asia and Africa. The country was openly against our Vietnam
War and immigrants were treated royally.
Since the economic crunch of the late 80s, however,
attitudes have become more conservative. And in Sweden, like the rest
of Europe, the massive influx of immigrants -- mainly from Muslim
countries -- has created a situation where many Swedes now feel their
traditional culture and values are threatened. Its not a good time
to be a different-looking foreigner.
Hopefully, and most likely, Sweden and Europe will
soon work through the process of assimilating their new citizens and
emerge the stronger for it. The governments and many activists seem
to be working hard at it.
As for the alleged $15 chickens: My wife, who has
just returned from Sweden and who, like Mr. Harris, very practically
values things according to the number of chickens that can be bought
for the same money, reports that they cost $1.22 a pound, $1 on sale
-- pretty much the same as here.
Joe Valasek
Eugene
TAX
MY POT, PLEASE
I once read a wonderful book, How to
Stay Alive in the Woods, by Bradford Angier. In the second chapter
Mr. Angier takes the reader to Lost Cabin Creek where -- in the Lost
Cabin -- four prospectors died of starvation. The author then points
out the abundance of edible food surrounding the cabin.
Which brings me to Gov. Kitzhaber and the clowns in
the Oregon Legislature. These Bozos are running around unable to find
money, which is readily available.
Personally, I do not own property, so increased property
tax will not affect me. I make little money so increased income tax
will not affect me much. I dont smoke tobacco, so I wont pay that
sin tax at all, and I drink little alcohol, so that sin tax will have
little effect.
I smoke marijuana. I would not mind paying a øsinÓ
tax on my marijuana. I want to pay tax on my marijuana. I am begging
to pay tax on my marijuana. Just legalize it and tax away.
But the government does not want my money.
Chris Pender
Eugene
OPEN
HOUSE
I am writing out of concern for an event
that took place at the Cottage Grove Ranger Station May 30. The event
was referred to as an øopen house,Ó yet there were 12 armed policemen,
including county sheriffs. Those who came were videotaped, with their
license plate numbers run through police computers. Visitors were
allowed to enter the building singly only if they were seen as non-threatening.
One woman burst into tears as she was judged unfit to enter the building,
which was guarded with an abundance of yellow tape.
Maybe the events of the previous open house were not
what the Forest Service expected, but there was no display of violence
or aggression. A flag was stolen; however, it was returned. Yet we
did not deserve this.
Especially when the concerns are for clear drinking
water and the plight of publicly owned lands. The local populace that
pays taxes is the true owner of the national forest. The public meetings
that used to take place at the Community Center on Gibbs Avenue are
no longer. Is this how our dialogue is supposed to take place: Police-escorted
citizens allowed to enter singly surrounded by armed guards? No, this
is not an environment that can foster such a thing.
I think it is a travesty that the Cottage Grove Ranger
Station has to use such extreme measures to control the public they
are supposed to be serving. It threatens my civic right as a concerned
citizen interested in our government, and this intimidation makes
me afraid to express myself. In my opinion, the Cottage Grove Ranger
Station stands to be reprimanded and questioned for using such measures
as at the last open house.
Kerstin E. Britz
Eugene
FEAR
OF BUSH
EW, your silence on the matter of
the Bush administration locking up civilian American citizens with
absolutely no rights whatsoever to any of the U.S. Constitutions
Bill of Rights in a military brig, leads me to believe either your
silence equals consent, or youre in fear of the Bush administration.
If so, it demonstrates you will not be winning any awards for a øprofile
in courage.Ó
By the way, guess what, EW? None of your stories
about WEP, Hynix, etc. will matter when we who are willing to stand
up for our rights are all rotting in military brigs, while fascism
is the rule of the day for the sheep who remain.
Jack Myreng
Eugene
NASTY
STUFF
Although I am very glad to see your paper
cover reggae events regularly, please do not ever have Ben Fogelson
write another reggae-related article. His moronic øinterviewsÓ with
Skelly (of Israel Vibrations, 6/6) and Toots Hibbert (6/13) were both
insulting and borderline disrespectful.
When He asked Skelly, øHave you ever found anything
nasty in your dreads?Ó all I could think was, øBen, have you ever
found anything between your ears?Ó
Brian Greshock
Eugene
WHOS
IN CHARGE?
Being a resident of the Friendly Street
neighborhood and a regular shopper in the area, I read the EWs
article (6/20) about South Willamette Street with great interest.
Assuming Mr. Pittmans piece is accurate, a question comes to mind:
Who is running this town?
For years, the City Council has recognized the traffic
problems on the street. The citizens who live, work and shop on the
strips between 24th and 29th have been begging for improvements. The
city itself paid for a study that gave them a blueprint to follow.
What am I missing?
Re-striping the five blocks to provide a bike lane,
a north and south one-way lane and a center turning lane would cost
the city the price of the paint. We already own the equipment and
have experienced, skilled personnel. The argument that the street
would require bus turnouts doesnt wash. Parts of 18th Avenue have
been functioning very nicely without turnouts, as are many other streets
in the city. The lack of turnouts is why LTD installed blinking arrows
on the buses.
If re-striping the strip would be less than perfect
because of the many driveways, so be it. Take it one step at a time.
Once the strip is a safer, more consumer-friendly area, business might
improve, and then anything is possible.
This city will spend millions of dollars to create
streets but will not spend pennies to correct a problem. It makes
me wonder who is running this town.
Norman Bellitt
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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