|
Viewpoint:
It's Our Decision PeaceHealth siting process is just beginning.
Letters:
EW readers sound off.
It's
Our Decision
PeaceHealth
siting process is just beginning.
Sometimes it feels good to just sit with friends
and rant about all the ridiculous things going on in the
world. But there are times when we have to stand up in public and
let our voices of reason be heard. It's part of the responsibility
we, as members of our chosen community, have to ensure the community
remains one in which we chose to live.
Over the past year, I have spent a lot of time talking
with people about PeaceHealth's plans to build its new regional medical
hospital campus along the McKenzie River in the Gateway area of Springfield.
Right off the bat, people recite all the reasons why
they dislike the proposal. Residents of south and west Eugene lament
the loss of emergency services within reasonable driving distance.
Campus-area business owners lament the loss of the employees and visitors
that sustain their establishments. Fiscal conservatives lament the
millions of dollars in public subsidies for building and maintaining
roads and other infrastructure for the new development. Gateway area
homeowners lament the increased traffic congestion and the high-rise
buildings dominating their neighborhood. Nature lovers lament the
loss of rural open space and riparian habitat (though occasionally
admitting they would find poetic justice in the stranding of the hospital
when the inevitable catastrophic flood or earthquake occurs). Health
care professionals lament the burden of relocating their practices
or of longer commutes between their offices and the hospital.
But mostly, people are upset about PeaceHealth's encroachment
on the service area of McKenzie-Willamette, Springfield's community
hospital. Most of the community's residents seem to truly "get it."
They understand that McKenzie-Willamette would not be able to remain
at its downtown Springfield site if PeaceHealth moves to the Gateway
area. Either McKenzie-Willamette would have to find a way to move
to west-central Eugene, or McKenzie-Willamette would cease to exist
altogether, leaving the region without a secular, community-based
choice for hospital services. Most Springfield residents hate the
thought of losing the hospital "they" built. Eugene residents, while
excited about the prospect of obtaining a hospital that might be more
"sensitive" to their needs, reluctantly admit that the cost of swapping
hospital locations and leaving three vacant facilities in two downtowns
does not seem to be the most efficient use of scarce resources.
Nobody buys the "healing environment" propaganda
about overworked nurses and recuperating patients taking leisurely
strolls along the riverfront. People don't doubt that both hospitals
need updated facilities and modern equipment, but they question the
need for extravagance by an organization supposedly focused on treatment
and care, not fancy furnishings. Many share stories about their stays
in urban hospitals that were every bit as healing as any in isolated
outlying areas. Most know that indoor atriums and views of the Cascades
can provide the connection to nature that both hospital staff and
patients desire, without the costs associated with abandoning the
urban core.
The propaganda, however, has left many expressing
apathy and powerlessness. People feel betrayed by the out-of-state
parent of what was supposed to be a local charitable nonprofit, and
they feel overwhelmed by the seemingly bottomless war chest the parent
company has apparently put at the local board's disposal. Although
it hasn't even applied for, let alone received, required zoning changes
and master plan approval, PeaceHealth has labored to sell the "done
deal" line.
But PeaceHealth's plans are a very long way from a
"done deal." The area's regional and neighborhood plans do not currently
allow for a hospital on the Gateway site. At 7 pm Tuesday, Dec. 3,
at Springfield City Hall, the Springfield Planning Commission begins
hearing public testimony on whether to allow the plans to be changed.
Yes, that's right — the process is just beginning.
This is the first decision, but it is absolutely
the most important. If existing community plans are changed to allow
the hospital at the Gateway site, then the rest of the discussion
will be about the width of the parking spaces and the color of the
wallpaper.
Nothing requires us to change our community's plans.
The community still has the right — indeed, the obligation —
to tell PeaceHealth that we will not allow it to impose unacceptable
costs on our community.
Whether you're from Eugene or Springfield, whether
you're a health care worker or a potential patient, show up, stand
up, and be heard. This is our community. The decision about
where to site our regional hospital is our decision, and the
decision hasn't been made yet.
Jan Wilson is coordinator of the Coalition for Health
Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES, www.efn.org/~choices).Public
hearings on proposed plan amendments to allow a hospital at the Gateway
site will be before the Springfield Planning Commission at 7 pm Tuesday,,
Dec. 3; and before the Springfield City Council at 7 pm Tuesday, Jan.
21. Both hearings will be at Springfield City Hall.
Back to Top
BLOW-BACK
FACTOR
I was wondering how the government plans
on destroying Saddam's chemical weapons, when they still have not
found a safe way to destroy our own private stash at Umatilla. The
last time we tried to destroy chemical weapons in Iraq, we created
a toxic cloud that was one of the contributing factors to the Gulf
War Syndrome, along with tainted vaccines and 640,000 lbs. of vaporized
depleted uranium munitions. The Gulf War sickness has killed 9,000
of our Gulf War veterans and permanently disabled another 179,000.
Our government has a bad habit of creating Frankenstein-
like dictators and weapons, only to have them "blow back" and kill
us. The sad truth is that the only "safe" way to destroy chemical
weapons is with the heat created by a thermonuclear explosion, thus
creating a whole new "tar baby" problem from which we will not be
able to pull out of.
Michael T. Hinojosa
Drain
DYNAMICS
OF CHANGE
Alan Siporin's rather self-congratulatory
two-page "Spread the Word" piece (11/7) is one more example of liberal
single-issue-ism. Contrary to the mantra of the article, "word of
mouth" is not how "real change takes place."
Siporin cites the supposedly wonderful example of
how tiny protests grew to reach a "critical mass" during the war in
Southeast Asia. But the symbolic, well-behaved displays of protest
in the decade from 1965 to 1975 did not, tragically, end the war.
It ended because the other side kept fighting, with the result that
U.S. troops steadily began to refuse to take the field. Ten years
of ineffectual demonstrations coexisted with the deaths of about three
million Asians. Civil gestures were not enough. Accommodation to evil
is not "non-violence."
The empire, with a string of wars and invasions since
Vietnam, is now going for broke. No one should doubt that real resistance
is needed, and that it must be armed with an understanding of the
nature of the cancer-like global machine of capital and technology.
Two notions that liberals like Alan are averse to.
John Zerzan
Eugene
SORRY
ACCOUNT
Was it your idea that it would be funny
to have a hostile observer cover Bill Clinton's appearance in Mac
Court? The guy thought he was funny, but he was only snide and sarcastic.
I was fortunate to be there myself, but it's too bad
that your readers who weren't there had to read this sorry account
of the biggest political event of the year.
George Wickes
Eugene
STAGE
ONE
To all of those who worked so hard this
election and gave so much of your time and selves to issues that mean
so much to you and the rest of us. we wish to say thank you, thank
you, thank you! A wise sage once said that all truths pass through
three stages. First it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed
and third it is accepted as being self evident. Think of this as stage
one. Again thank you!
Roberta and Tim Boyden
Eugene
GET
BUSY, TED
I would like to say congratulations to Oregon's
new governor, Ted Kulongoski. Well done Ted, now let's get to work.
On Kulongoski's website, www.tedforgov.com,he
states, "As governor, I will personally take charge of the cleanup
of the Willamette River and turn all the paperwork into results."
I am looking forward to seeing the results.
The Willamette is one of the most polluted rivers
in the West. Industries put close to 4 million pounds of toxic chemicals
into its waters yearly, including lead, arsenic and dioxin —
nearly a 300 percent increase since 1991. As a result, a 5.5 mile
stretch of the Willamette in Portland Harbor has been declared a federal
Superfund site, a distinction reserved for the nation's worst toxic
waste sites.
Kulongoski has publicly realized this and declared
it unacceptable. Now, as constituents, we have to keep him accountable
to us and to our state's well being. Give him a call. Write him a
letter. Tell him to get started.
Carson Bennett
Eugene
UO
BOOT-LICKING
Judging by David Frohnmayer's opposition
(News, 11/14) to Prof. Frank Stahl's resolution opposed to war, the
distinguished professor's time on campus may be in jeopardy. That
might be deduced from what happened twice before when a UO president
gave in to efforts of the power structure (corporations are the new
dominant force on campus) to control university policy.
The first was when Dave was law dean before becoming
president, when the lumber industry, through Aaron Jones, muscled
the UO into forcing the Environmental Law Institute off campus. Then,
during Frohnmayer's presidency, it involved boot-licking for an even
more significant donor, the Nike Corp. In that case, Nike's Knight-in-tarnished
armor was upset over the university linking up — at student
insistence — with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), which
had critical things to say about Phil Knight's treatment of overseas
workers.
Knight threatened to renege on his $10 million pledge
for the Autzen Stadium expansion unless the WRC was evicted from campus.
So someone at the UO did some obvious arm-twisting of his own, convincing
a compliant State System of Higher Education to hustle up some new
rules that made the WRC relationship retroactively illegal. The pouting
golden goose came back, and an expanded stadium became a reality.
With corporate money riding high, lumber and Nike
have bribed their way to preeminence at the university. With the place
of education faltering, even an honored figure like Stahl may no longer
feel at home there.
George Beres
Eugene
ROUND-UP
TIME
I am against public domestic partner registries,
not from the standpoint of accepting alternative relationships, but
from a desire for privacy. An organization of interest in domestic
registries, according to a recent news article and unbeknownst to
most people, is the Heritage Foundation. What interest does a conservative
Republican think tank have in something as foreign to its general
stated philosophy as this? Is it because they want to know who these
people are in "non-traditional" relationships; hetero, gay, and otherwise;
so when it comes time to round up people who are considered generally
inimical to conservative interests, they'll know right where to find
them? What will the corporate Christian religious right make of this?
Will this be an excuse for them to persecute and eradicate people
they consider immoral?
With privacy in our society becoming more and more
elusive due to omnipresent, nonstop information gathering, and viewpoints
on issues becoming more and more polarized, I believe these are questions
that need to be addressed. People in alternative relationships tend
to be more aware of the injustices and atrocities committed against
humans, animals, and the environment for the sake of making a buck.
Marginalization and eradication of groups opposed to a quasi-religious
government/corporate regime is nothing new — ask the Jews.
Michael Anderson
Eugene
JAVA
ZOOM-ZOOM
Although I appreciate reading the "Best
of Eugene" issue every year, I have felt for some time that your category
list has a huge, gaping hole in it. Not all Eugeneans can afford the
time to sit and leisurely drink espresso on soft, velvet couches while
our favorite local musician plays softly in the background. For some
of us, enjoying a great latte or mocha means zooming into our favorite
coffee kiosk for a fast pick-me-up on the way to somewhere (Duck games,
work, appointments — wherever!).
I have been expecting EW to recognize our sub-culture
for several years now, and each Best Of issue has come out without
a "favorite drive-through coffee" category. It really isn't fair to
lump all the coffee places in Eugene together, when "sit down" venues
serve a different function (and often a different crowd) than their
"drive-through" brethren.
I say it's time to give busy people their own coffee
category. For the first winner, I nominate the Dutch Bros. kiosk on
Franklin Boulevard. With Dollar Days on Duck home game days (when
every drink, no matter size or shot numbers are $1), their great baristas
(excellent drinks in record time) and their very good prices, I will
drive across town and completely out of my way to get my coffee there.
Come on, EW has ignored coffee kiosk-ites too
long. Drive-through coffee drinkers need love, too!
Teri J. Velazquez
Eugene
OK,
WE'RE READY
Well, the recent election has once again
revealed the power of money in swaying voter's minds via (mostly)
television advertisements. Before the ads started 70 percent of the
people polled believed in labeling for genetically modified food in
Oregon. Then a corporation from another country pours millions of
dollars in television ads saying people's grocery bills are going
to increase hundreds of dollars if this is voted in. So Measure 27
gets trounced.
Same for Health Care for All-Oregon. In response
to all the legislators that were too chicken to endorse this measure,
yet all agreed the present system is broken and desperately needs
to be fixed: OK, we're ready. Fix it! Fat chance!
We know money rules the political system, corrupts
the system and that needs to change. Well, last Saturday in Salem
there was a meeting to reinvigorate the campaign finance reform effort.
We agreed this time to do two initiatives — one to ban corporate
money and limit individual donations for candidates, and another one
to ban corporate money and limit individual donations for initiatives.
So after we file the initiatives, more than likely
the title will get challenged so it will be delayed about three months
— then we need you to help get the signatures, raise
money and educate citizens on this fundamentally important issue.
All progressive issues will be a huge uphill battle until this is
accomplished. It won't be easy, but it will be worthwhile!
We can't have a democracy if we don't all participate
in it. As Frederick Douglas said, "Power concedes nothing without
a demand. It never did and it never will."
Pamela Driscoll
Eugene
UNITING
U.S.?
It's unfortunate that both a letter writer
and a "Slant" opinion used the term: USA Patriot Act (11/21). A minimal
acceptable term is USA PATRIOT Act, as it is an acronym for "Uniting
and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required
to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism." This Act threatens our civil
liberties and has nothing to do with our patriotism. For that matter,
it has nothing to do with uniting and strengthening us either. I suggest
using U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act as a reminder.
Robert Simms Coordinator,
Benton County Bill of Rights
Defense Committee,
Corvallis
EDITOR'S NOTE: You're right, it's just irritating
to see the capitalized acronym jumping out of paragraphs screaming
for attention.
CATERING
TO THE BUCKS
In recent times, the Eugene city government has given
disproportionate priority to catering to commercial interests over
the public's interests and rights. This has also been a national and
global trend.
With global resources and markets opened up for exploitation
by multi-national commercial interests, the ruling class is quickly
moving to put in place the ability to deploy overwhelming repressive
force to any challenges to their legitimacy. Challenges that are sure
to come.
I am shocked by the rapid rise of fascism and repressive
force throughout the world, the nation, and indeed in our own community.
Fascism is making a comeback. No less terrible or significant than
that in Hitler's Germany. The parallels are shown by numerous historical
examples. Yet many citizens in the U.S. and Europe are silent in their
mesmerized complicity, much like the Germans in the 1930s.
The buildup in repressive force by the police in Eugene
is alarming. New laws make it even easier for the traditionally fascist
police to use excessive force and torture on citizens who have not
even been convicted of a crime. An atmosphere of repression exists
that threatens to stifle open debate and democracy.
I want to see our local governments clearly move to:
protect our rights as citizens, and state that our rights as citizens,
our human rights, and the health of our democracy all have priority
over commercial interests.
This would be a change from the status quo. Lack of
effort in this direction is clearly deferring to the rising tide of
fascism and repression.
Think of what a difference it could have made if more
had spoken out in protest to Hitler's aggression. We have that opportunity
now. Let's not waste it in silence.
Boz Van Houten
Eugene
ME
VOY PA' GUATE
Goodbye Eugene. I am off to Guatemala. I
will be going there to work as a human rights observer. As many of
you probably know, the situation in Guatemala has become worse in
the last couple years. Violence and human rights abuses are on the
rise. The political party that was in power during the highest rates
of occurrences of massacres and other atrocities during the '70s and
'80s is back in control of the government. They have violated the
peace accords of 1996 by continually increasing their military budget.
Despite these violations and a worsening human rights record, the
U.S. is training Guatemalan soldiers at the School of Americas (SOA)
in Fort Benning, Ga. This is all contributing to a great threat to
the peace process in Guatemala.
In response to this threat, I, like many others, have
decided to volunteer to go and live in an at-risk community in the
jungle of Guatemala to report on the human rights situation there
and to offer my presence as a deterrent to potential human rights
abuses. Wish me luck. Also, please do me a favor and write our representatives
to tell them that you oppose the training these soldiers receive at
the SOA and that you expect them to work for peace rather than war
in Washington. If you are interested in learning more, getting involved
or supporting my work in any way, please contact Peg Morton at 342-2914.
Sean Tanner
Eugene
CAREENING
UNCOUTH
Courteous, intelligent, law-abiding bicyclists
are a distinct minority among the bike riders of Eugene. I can't count
the number of times I've been bumped or forced off the sidewalk by
uncaring, uncouth bicyclists. Just the other day, I was bumped in
the arm by a rude, careening bike rider who came up behind me. He
gave no warning and when I yelled at him to have more courtesy, he
gave me a hand gesture that has become all too common among this bunch.
They seem to think they have the right to the sidewalk, but they are
supposed to obey all laws that pertain to motor vehicles.
That means they are to stick to the streets, obey
traffic signals, and all the other laws pertinent to motor vehicles.
It's time for us pedestrians to take back our sidewalks.
In case you think I'm unsympathetic to bicyclists,
I also ride a bicycle. But I ride only on streets and when I'm on
a bike path, I tell pedestrians I overtake from behind that I'm passing
on one side or the other. It's the courteous, socially acceptable
way to ride. I know, too, how careless motor vehicle drivers can be.
That's still no reason to endanger pedestrians by riding on the sidewalk.
I have a suggestion for the police: Ticket people
who are seen riding their bikes on the sidewalk. If their bikes are
not licensed, confiscate them. That would go far in "curbing" these
morons who have become so obnoxious to pedestrians. The city has gone
to great trouble to provide expensive bike paths and bike lanes. The
ones who insist on riding on sidewalks can be ticketed or their unlicensed
bikes auctioned, thus paying for the maintenance of the special lanes
and paths provided for their benefit by all taxpayers.
Doak Roberts
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.
Back to Top
Table
of Contents
| News | Views | Arts & Entertainment
Classifieds | Personals
| EW
Archive
|