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Slant: short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes. News: Growth Policies Take a Vacation BAXTER AIR POLLUTION TOPIC OF GATHERING A public meeting about the possible health hazards of the chemical fumes emitted by the J.H. Baxter wood preserving facility will be held from 6 to 8 pm Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the American Red Cross Building, 862 Bethel Drive.
The Oregon Public Health Service has agreed to consult with Bethel, Trainsong, and River Road neighbors concerned about the potential hazards of the chemicals emitted by the Baxter plant on Roosevelt Boulevard, according to Becky Riley of the as-yet unnamed coalition organizing the meeting. Riley says agency representatives are holding the meeting to gather and record information about residents' health symptoms and concerns, and they will also "present information and answer questions about the hazards of wood preserving chemicals and how people are exposed to these chemicals from the Baxter plant." The Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) recently declared the J.H. Baxter plant a suspected nuisance due to a surge of complaints in the past two years from residents of the three neighborhoods about strong chemical odors from the facility. Concerns about health hazards, not just odors, have prompted residents to ask health officials to get involved. Residents note that several of the chemicals emitted into the air by the Baxter plant, including creosote and pentachlorophenol, are classified by the EPA as probable human carcinogens. "My eyes water and I get an instant headache, and sometimes even nausea, if I go out into my yard when the fumes are strong," says Leslie Maguire, a Trainsong resident quoted by the group. "The plant operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and fumes are routinely present in the air here. Sometimes I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I know this is not a healthy situation for anyone." — Ted Taylor
DEVELOPERS SHOOT SELVES IN FOOT In the last Legislature, homebuilder lobbyists went after development fees cities charge to limit growth subsidies. But, ironically, the bill that they helped pass could actually dramatically increase Eugene's system development charges (SDCs). The transportation SDC Eugene charges developers could increase roughly 50 percent as a result of Senate Bill 939, city staff estimate. "This may be one of those be-careful-what-you-wish-for scenarios," Eugene City Councilor David Kelly said at a recent council discussion of the change. Councilor Bonny Bettman noted the "irony" that the local home builder lobby had opposed a similar change on a city SDC advisory committee she served on a few years ago. Bettman had supported the higher SDCs. Although the new legislation will require the city to rework its rate structure, "ultimately I think it's probably a good thing." Currently, Eugene charges its parks and transportation SDCs on the basis of an estimate of what it would cost to continue the current level of city services for the expanded population that new development would add. SB 939 requires that the city instead base those SDCs on an actual list of planned building projects in an official capital improvement plan (CIP). City SDC staffer Fred McVey told councilors that the bill could have the impact of making the CIP more controversial. For example, the policy issue of whether or not to build a new bridge to Valley River Center is undecided, but including it in the CIP could make SDCs go up. City attorney Jerome Lidz told councilors that if such a bridge project were included in the CIP but then later removed because of opposition, the higher SDCs charged developers would not need to be refunded. The assumption would be that the higher SDCs charged would be used for another road project to meet the transportation demand in a way other than the bridge, according to Lidz. Mayor Jim Torrey, elected with big donations from developers, expressed surprise that lobbyists for home builders had passed a bill that could mean easy increases in fees for their constituents. "Somebody could jack up the CIP and increase the SDCs with what, a public hearing?" Compared to other cities, Eugene's SDCs are already among the lowest in Oregon, city surveys have shown. Most other cities moved to the CIP method of calculating developer fees years ago to limit taxpayer subsidies for growth. — Alan Pittman
SPRINGER PUBLISHES NEW CARTOON BOOK Local cartoonist and illustrator Jesse Springer has published his second collection of editorial cartoons and will be signing books at 5:30 pm Friday, Dec. 5 at the Book Mark, 856 Olive St. His new book is called Nobody Messes with my Right to Dye! and includes many cartoons and cover illustrations that have appeared in EW and other publications in recent years.
Springer's early editorial cartoon book Only in Eugene was published three years ago. The new book features cartoons about PeaceHealth, the Gang of 9, redistricting, the West Eugene Parkway, the Oregon Legislature, the USA PATRIOT Act, the War in Iraq and dozens of other topics. Many of the cartoons have accompanying "Instant Context" boxes with short explanations of the news items that inspired the illustrations. Springer's cartoons, once carried only by local papers, are now making their way into other papers around the state, from Medford to Portland. The book also contains passwords for viewing some of the illustrations on-line in color. — TJT
ELECTRONIC RALLY GETS HUMAN FACE MoveOn.org, a grassroots Internet network consisting of 2 million activists worldwide, put out a call Nov. 19 requesting members to host house parties to show the newly released documentary video, Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War. The film is to be shown across the country on Sunday, Dec 7. Within a week, almost 2,000 people had signed up to host such parties. The parties will be brought together through a cross-country conference call. At 5:30 pm Sunday, parties will be able to dial in to this conference call, which will feature Whole Truth director Robert Greenwald, as well as MoveOn leaders and other party attendees. Currently, there are 2,272 parties planned nationwide including public and private showings in the Eugene/Springfield area. Friendly Neighbors is having a party at the Amazon Community
Center Main Hall, 2700 Hilyard, at 4 pm. For more information on this
event, call Barbara Sklar at Justice Not War is showing the film on a big screen at 7 pm at Cozmic Pizza, 8th and Charnelton. A discussion follows at 8 pm. Call Michael Carrigan, 342-1953, for further information on this viewing. For other locations or to sign up to attend, see the MoveOn.org website. Local organizer/activist Carrigan says, "MoveOn is providing activists a wonderful tool for doing local organizing and local activists will be giving MoveOn's electronic organizing a human face." — Aria Seligmann
After a year's time, local non-profit internet service provider Eugene Free Network (EFN) is still negotiating issues on the labor front. In the last year, EFN unionized reportedly due to tension in the workplace between employees and board members/management, specifically with General Manager Seth Cohn, whose management style has been described in terms ranging from brilliant and technically savvy to autocratic and controlling (EW 12/19/02 and1/09/03). Employee dissatisfaction has dissipated since then, due, perhaps, to more than just unionization: According to EFN Administrative Manager Alyse Hayes, Cohn was "involuntarily terminated by the EFN Board of Directors effective 25th of June 2003." Neither Hayes nor IWW Union Steward for EFN Patrick Wade could comment on the specific circumstances of the firing, though Hayes did speculate that Cohn's management style might have had something to do with the decision. Cohn himself could only say that he had been forced to sign a non-disclosure severance agreement, preventing him from speaking about the details of his dismissal. Some rumbling within the local online community hints
that firing Cohn may not have been the best move for EFN. Those in the
know have praised Cohn's contributions to EFN's customer service sector,
as well as his technical and organizational leadership. Though Union
Steward Wade says that morale has improved significantly in Since Cohn's dismissal, EFN's GM role has been covered by two managers he hired — Hayes and Mike Jackson, technical manager. The past year also seems to have found some resolution on EFN's volunteer situation, which was getting squeezed in the effort to streamline the EFN support staff; volunteer activity has moved to Oregon Public Network, EFN's parent organization. EFN employees' efforts to ratify a union contract have taken longer than projected; critics say that this is because the employees' old-school style of all-decisions-by-committee have them mired in discussion and negotiations. However, both Wade and Hayes say that negotiations have been progressing steadily. Says Wade, "We have acquired newer figures on budget and revenues, and this has obliged us to modify the schedule and conditions for the living wage proposals. But we seem to be in agreement about the issues and principles. I look for ratification [to happen] toward the end of November or early December." — Bobbie Willis
Jailed
for Justice "Fence so high, but we can get over it, oh rock-a my soul," sang Eugene peace activist ,Peg Morton as she was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 23 for engaging in civil disobedience by entering the Fort Benning Army Base in Fort Benning, Ga. She was charged with criminal trespass, a federal offense. Because she's been arrested and charged with the same offense before, Morton, 73, faces up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for her act. Her trial is scheduled for Jan. 26 in Columbus, Ga.
During the weekend of Nov. 23rd, approximately 10,000 protesters, including eight others from Eugene and Roseburg, gathered to protest the mission of the military school housed at Fort Benning. Formerly known as the School of the Americas (SOA), it's now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation — a name change enacted in 2001 and meant to appease congressional and public dissent — yet its work is the same: to train Latin American soldiers in assassination, torture, combat, counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics. Every year in November protesters gather at the base to mark the anniversary of the 1989 murder of five Jesuit priests, a woman colleague and her daughter who were murdered by SOA graduates in Argentina. Among the SOA's nearly 60,000 graduates are Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, Leopoldo Galtieri and Roberto Viola of Argentina, Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Ecuador, and Hugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia. Lower-level SOA graduates have participated in human rights abuses that include the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the El Mozote Massacre of 900 civilians. On Sunday, Nov. 23, protesters formed a procession carrying crosses and flowers, calling out names of those massacred and conducting a mock funeral, with Morton among those mourning over the corpses. "A group of us knelt among them and prayed," says Morton. The group then decorated the chain-link fence — erected after 9/11 — that marks the boundary of the army base. "We prayed there and walked on … we believe the fence is blocking the truth of what really is happening … and many of us walked around, climbed under or went over it. Our supporters cheered and clapped," says Morton. The protesters sang "We shall overcome," were handcuffed, led to a bus and transported to a processing center on the base. More than 40 were charged with criminal trespass and taken to jail. Bail was posted at $1,000. "It was up $500 from last year, and I only had $500 with me," says Morton. Members of SOA Watch, an independent organization located near Fort Benning that is working to close the school, gave free legal representation to arrested protesters and arranged bail money for them.
Morton, a retired social worker, says she was willing to cross the line for a second time, even knowing she could face hard time. "I was moved to choose arrest after reflecting on the suffering and fear I encountered among residents during past trips to Guatemala," she says, adding, "I'm a Quaker and a solidarity activist, and this protest is a creative, courageous, nonviolent movement out of the Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. tradition. It's important to me that it's both nonviolent and forceful — or forcefully nonviolent— not passive." Although Morton was reflecting on the stories she heard from survivors of abuses in Guatemala at the time of her arrest, she did not despair. "As the procession continued and I gazed at the oncoming rows of people, my weeping became weeping of hope. I realized, deep inside, the strength and love in this mass of people, only a few of the millions around the world who are working, praying and marching for peace," she says. Joining Morton in protest were students, clergy, labor groups, veterans, human rights and social and global justice groups. Other local protesters included Sister John Backenstos, SNJM, of McKenzie Bridge, Lorrie Agost of Roseburg, Leanne Agost Miller, Russell Benedict, Shauna Farabaugh, Tony McElfresh, Jonah McElfresh and Matt Hornback. Morton says if sent to prison, she will use her time there to collect the stories of incarcerated women. If she must do community service instead, she will concentrate her efforts in the Whiteaker neighborhood. The threat of punishment does not dissuade Morton from her cause. "My action is nothing compared to those seeking justice in Latin America," she says. "We must stop the suffering — we must close the School of the Americas."
Growth
Policies Take a Vacation Some eyebrows were raised in late November when plaques outlining the City Council's Growth Management Policies disappeared from the west wall of the McNutt Room at City Hall. Some councilors reportedly wondered aloud if the missing policies had anything to do with them being ignored in recent years. But as it turns out, the plaques were not torn down and sacrificially burned, but were only stored away and will be returned, according to a note to councilors by Mary Walston of the City Managers Office. Walston wrote that the display was "removed temporarily to make room for the award to the city from Nature Conservancy." She notes that many awards are displayed in the council office, but few are seen in public spaces. "Over the winter break we are going to place these awards in the display case in the southwest corner of the Council Chamber," she says, and then the policies display will be returned. So why were some councilors concerned? The 19 Growth Management Policies were adopted in the fall of 1998 after two and a half years of community forums, surveys and workshops. Since that time, implementation of the policies has met resistance. The policies include supporting the existing urban growth boundary (UGB), increasing density, using existing vacant land, encouraging infill, mixed-use, redevelopment, and encouraging a mix of business and residential uses downtown. "They have relevance, and current validity, but it's always been easier for both council and community to value the policies but not their implementation," says Councilor Scott Meisner. "Everybody spoke for holding the UGB through infill and redevelopment (densification of the existing UGB), but I don't think there has yet been an infill or redevelopment that didn't raise the hackles, and 'fear of change,' of neighbors and some councilors."
Councilor Bonny Bettman agrees that implementation of the policies has been a chronic problem. "Even the few very modest provisions we have gotten in the land use code the homebuilders and the Chamber of Commerce have been dismantling with the help of the city, the planning department and the majority on council. And it seems that every plan or document or rule that is in place is dispensable. If a developer comes in with a proposal and they want to build it, they just come to council and the majority of the council just changes the rules for them." Bettman says sprawl is "extraordinarily expensive" in terms of providing services outside the urban core. "We're developing in the city pretty much on a '70s tract," she says. "We are making decisions by looking in the rearview mirror instead of looking at the road ahead. We're building the same kind of farm and forest land-consuming sprawling subdivisions of the '60s and '70s with big shopping centers completely dependent upon the automobile. The whole idea of the Growth Management Policies was to put us in a direction where we could have a built environment that was more urban livable … on the scale of an urban village." Policy 5 is specific in its call to work "cooperatively with metro area partners (Springfield and Lane County) and other nearby cities to avoid urban sprawl and preserve the rural character in areas outside the urban growth boundaries." However, Jack Roberts, the executive director of the Lane Metro Partnership, recently called for expanding local UGBs to provide more land for industrial sites and other purposes. Policy 17 calls for the city to "Protect and improve air and water quality and protect natural areas of good habitat value through a variety of means such as better enforcement of existing regulations, new or revised regulations, or other practices." But the council recently voted to reduce the inventory of urban natural resource areas slated for protection under statewide planning Goal 5. And city staff last week recommended developing more ballfields in natural areas of Amazon Park. A seemingly unrelated Policy 19 calls for the council to "expand city efforts to achieve community-based policing," but city councilors were not allowed any involvement in the selection of the new top candidate for police chief, Robert Lehner. Eugene's City Charter specifically forbids councilors from participating in city personnel decisions, leaving hiring, firing and management exclusively to the city manager. However, community policing issues were reportedly a high priority in interviews with applicants for the top cop job.
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