Eugene Weekly : News : 05.06.04

News Briefs: Million Moms March, Picnic on Mom's Day | Developers Fund Meisner, Slocum, Denner | Hart Williams Gets Left Out of Pamphlet | SMART Guy in Town on Northwest Tour | Torrey Backs Bush and Nathanson | Group Views Oregon as State that Swings | Swifts Take Plunge to Awaiting Claws | Corrections/Clarifications |

Slant: Short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes.

News: Democratic Diva

Amy Goodman lands in Eugene.

Happening Person: Nancy Weisel

MILLION MOMS MARCH, PICNIC ON MOM'S DAY

"Celebrating Youth and the Promise of Peace" is the theme speakers and musicians will embrace this Sunday when Eugene participates in the national Million Mom's March for Mother's Day. Beginning at 2:30 pm, moms, kids — even dads and friends — will gather at the EWEB Plaza fountain then march — or rather, stroll — to gather at the Owen Rose Garden for a picnic and music.

The march is intended to speak out against gun violence. In Washington, D.C., more than a million people are expected to gather the same day under the theme, "Halt the Assault." The Assault Weapons Ban is up in September, and the NRA is currently lobbying hard to keep it from being reinstated.

The Eugene march focuses on honoring youth and youth groups who work for peace. Mayoral candidate Kitty Piercy will be among the speakers addressing those gathered at EWEB. After 3 pm, the march begins toward the Owen Rose Garden for a picnic and more music, led by bagpiper Wylie McKinnon and special grand marshalls.

A free van shuttle will take picnickers from the Rose Garden back to EWEB. The event is free, but those wishing to donate to the Million Mom March to offset local costs and support the national agenda may send a check to Million Mom March of Lane County, 30 East Broadway, Box 13, Eugene 97401. — AS

DEVELOPERS FUND MEISNER, SLOCUM, DENNER

Eugene Councilor Scott Meisner has claimed to support the environment in his campaign for re-election. But Meisner's Oregon League of Conservation Voters record of only 10 percent pro-environment votes has earned him campaign cash from developers.

Meisner's leading campaign contributor is the local Giustina family of loggers, land and real estate speculators and developers. In two other key council races, the state's leading pro-sprawl lobbying group — the Homebuilder Association PAC's "Oregonians for Affordable Housing" — has made major donations to Maurie Denner and Tom Slocum.

Here's a look at how pro-sprawl and anti-environmental interests are backing their slate of candidates for the Eugene City Council with big bucks, according to reports of contributions made by April 1:

Scott Meisner, Ward 7, reported $4,256 in contributions. The Giustina family gave Meisner $1,250 through their various companies. The Duncan & Brown real estate analysis firm gave $500. The Eugene Firefighters union gave $500. Republican Mayor Jim Torrey and the Ulum Group, a conservative lobbying and PR firm, each gave $100.

Tom Slocum

Tom Slocum, Ward 1, reported $3,240 in donations. An association of commercial investment real estate agents (CID) gave $700. Real Estate broker Ward Beck gave $250 and brokers Robert Nelson, John Pennington, Bill Baxter, Artie Gilad, Mike Miller, and Kenneth Kime gave $100 each. The Homebuilders PAC gave $500, contractor Don McCrae gave $200 and contractor Fred Wittkop gave $500.

Maurie Denner, Ward 2, reported raising $5,825. The Homebuilders PAC and the Chamber gave $750 each. Other big contributors include $1,000 from Kay Toolson, CEO of Manaco Coach and a major Republican Party contributor, $200 from Liberty Bank manager Mike Drennan, $250 from Cascade Title Co. owner Tom McMahon and $250 from J. Douglas McKay, lumber mill manager. — Alan Pittman

HART WILLIAMS GETS LEFT OUT OF PAMPHLET

The Voters' Pamphlet that arrived in the mail last week does not include a column of words or a photo of Oregon House District 8 candidate Hart Williams, and he's irked.

"Last Thursday friends began calling me to say: 'Hart! You're not in the Voters' Pamphlet!' I got mine in the mail, and sure enough, nothing," he says. "This was a 'Pearl Harbor' kind of emotional blow: The legs had been cut out from under my campaign."

Hart says he'd decided to save money in his "under $2,000" run for office, and "didn't feel like paying the $300 'graft' they demand for inclusion of one's mug shot. In the past, there would appear a blank space saying that the candidate had declined — which I'd counted on — but this time, no payee, no existee."

Hart says Oregon statutes (ORS 251.165) require that the secretary of state include all candidates, but he was told that he was included in the listings of candidates on Page 4.

To make up for the omission, Hart says he plans to "make a spectacle of myself in every possible manner" and "make as much noise as possible to try and overcome the new 'rule' that only political 'insiders' are interviewed for endorsements, are included in Voters' Pamphlets, or are taken seriously by most of our local media."

Hart is running against Paul Holvey and Mitzi Colbath in the race and this week held a press conference attacking both opponents. His chief complaint is that Holvey's campaign is being heavily financed by money from Washington state.— TJT

SMART GUY IN TOWN ON NORTHWEST TOUR

How do we actualize true security in a world of war and terrorism? One person offering a new vision is Ira Shorr, national field director of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). Shorr is on a Northwest tour and will be in Eugene speaking at 7 pm Tuesday, May 11 at Lawrence Hall, Room 177 at UO.

Ira Shorr

He is also known as a talented satirist, currently touring as "Senator Jess Trussme, from a state that cannot be named for security reasons and candidate for the White House in 2004 — running to the right of George Bush."

Shorr will also appear at noon May 12 in Albany at the First Christian Church, 432 Ferry St.; at 7 pm May 12 in Corvallis at the Oddfellows Hall, 223 SW 2nd; and at 7:30 pm May 13 in Salem at Cone Chapel on the WU campus.

Shorr is currently championing the House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 392, calling for adoption of PSR's Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism (SMART) security platform. This resolution calls for congressional action to "strengthen international institutions to reduce/prevent terrorism, reduce the threat and stop the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, address root causes of terrorism, reprioritize budget priorities to meet human needs and to engage in international diplomacy as the alternative to war."

Shorr will talk about the rapidly growing national movement for SMART security and will offer ways to reach swing voters during this election year.

Shorr was founding director of Back From the Brink, a coalition of 40 national arms control organizations committed to removing nuclear weapons from being on "hair-trigger alert." He is now with PSR's national office in Washington, D.C.

His local visit is sponsored by PSR along with the UO Peace Studies Program, Forensics Program and Concerned Faculty for Peace & Justice.

TORREY BACKS BUSH AND NATHANSON

Mayoral candidate Nancy Nathanson isn't the only politician running for office that Eugene Republican Mayor Jim Torrey has thrown his weight behind. Torrey is also backing George Bush for President. According to federal election records, Torrey, owner of a billboard advertising company, gave $2,000 to Bush last Sept. 8. — AP

GROUP VIEWS OREGON AS STATE THAT SWINGS

A group of young doers in Seattle has launched a political organization, Driving Votes, in an attempt to get Bush out of office this November.

Believing that registering voters in swing states is the single most effective way to ensure that Bush loses the upcoming election, their website, www.drivingvotes.commakes it possible for visitors to download voter registration forms, plan road trips to swing states and get in touch with others around the county who are passionate about de-Bushing America.

Driving Votes defines a swing state as "a state where the outcome of the election is uncertain … where the margin between Gore and Bush in the 2000 presidential election was less than 10 percent." The homepage at Drivingvotes.com displays a map of the country's swing states, and, of course, Oregon is brightly highlighted.

Drivingvotes.com provides voter registration packets for all the swing states, and provides the energetic road-tripper with information on where to go to find Democrats, local organizations one can partner with, and answers to frequently asked questions.

The Driving Votes team will be coming down from Seattle to get the word out and to register voters sometime in the upcoming months. — Ben Fogelson

SWIFTS TAKE PLUNGE TO AWAITING CLAWS

What's new with the vaux's swifts at Agate Hall?

Well, for one, there's a flock of bird watchers. This may or may not be new. Loads upon loads of binocular-toting, Patagonia-wearing bird watchers fill Agate Hall's parking lot nightly to watch thousands of little black swifts swarm together before bedtime.

At dusk, at one critical moment known only to the feathered, the swarm takes the shape of a tornado and uncannily plummets down Agate Hall's chimney to roost. Bird watchers "ooh" and "ahh" and use their Birkenstocks, bikes and BMWs to go home, snuggle up with a movie and digest ice-cream from Prince Pucklers (next to Agate Hall.)

A recent arrival, however, has the bird-watchers flapping their wings. Just as the swifts begin to gather from all corners of the neighborhood, a smart little hawk — maybe a kestrel — flies up to the tip of the chimney, ties a little napkin around its feathery neck, and waits with baited breath for the swifts to become so adorned with the idea of rest that they overcome the daunting image of predator on their doorstep.

The swifts invariably descend (night is drawing nigh and tomorrow's a big day) and woe unto one of the first few swifts to reach the chimney, 'cause the kestrel's not to be denied. It doesn't sit there to give bird watchers a show. Well, maybe it does, but that's not the point. What's important is that the hawk easily snatches a swift; the swarm scatters to the four winds, and slowly gathers anew.

The swifts all (except for the first sacrifice) make it down into the chimney eventually, but occasionally the hawk finishes its meal and regains its take-out window for seconds, before the swifts sufficiently regroup and try their descent again. — Ben Fogelson

CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

Last week's viewpoint by Spruce Houser stated in the fifth paragraph that ""Modern day zealots are another dangerous weapon. Here in Eugene, the issue is real and palpable." Houser's original version simply stated: "Modern Day Zealots — Here in Eugene, the issue is real and palpable."

SLANT If you've ever worked in a windowless office space under harsh fluorescent lights, you'll appreciate EW'sgratitude toward artist Dan Hitchcock. Over a recent weekend, Hitchcock conducted a stunning transformation of our production room, covering the concrete workspace walls with a mural of blue skies, meadowland and dense forests. Says EW Art Director Kevin Dougherty, "Dan brought the great outdoors indoors." Many thanks to Hitchcock and his wife, Mae (also an artist and "scenery consultant" on this project). To see more of their work, visit www.danandmaehitchcock.com Elections are hectic and curious times for newspapers and EW is no exception. It's a bit of a circus as we try to sort out rhetoric from reality, follow the money, and sift through conspiracy theories about missing lawn signs and errant campaign mailings (as we go to press, Andrea Ortiz is wondering why hundreds of her mailed fliers have not arrived at their destinations in Zip Code 97404). We debate whether or not leadership "style" is really important in candidates, and what the hell is a "real Democrat"? We poke fun at some clueless R-G endorsements and note that some others are right on. And we laugh at the R-G's use of labels such as "liberal" and "moderate." Track the words and predict the endorsement. Piercy was described as "liberal," Nathanson as "moderate." We ponder why the R-G put County Commission candidate Bobby Green's mug on the front page above the fold the same day ballots arrived. The R-G's lead story May 4 was a lightweight feature on people managing local mayor campaigns, but buried inside on the bottom of D-1 was an important story on the Chamber of Commerce trying to buy the election. And did the R-G editors designing the front page story on the mayor candidates May 1 know the photographer prominently shown taking the photo was EW Editor Ted Taylor? We notice KEZI seemed to be giving extra attention to Nancy Nathanson (Chambers money went to Nancy) and we're curious why their website poll shut down after it showed Kitty with a huge lead. We track campaign financing as best we can (it takes a lot of digging) and discover that donations tell stories that we don't get from the candidates themselves. In all, the primary races of '04 have been quirky, fun, educational and exhausting, and we can hardly wait for November. We are shocked by the photos and stories of American troops and their inhumane treatment of Iraqi and Afghan military prisoners. But we should not be surprised. We live in a violent society and we brutalize and murder each other right here at home in Lane County. Add the frustrations and constant dangers of a war zone and it's surprising more gung-ho GIs aren't seeking vengeance and taking out their anger on prisoners. War brings out the best and worst in people, but mostly the worst. What keeps such atrocious behavior in check, ideally, is military discipline and a strong chain of command. Soldiers caught overstepping the bounds of decency must be punished as criminals, along with anyone up-rank as high as it goes, and all reasonable systems must be implemented to 1) stop other abuses that are certainly going on unnoticed, and 2) prevent future incidents. Every atrocity we commit on foreign soil gets magnified in world opinion and adds to our growing national insecurity. You may have missed it, but the federal government in late April quietly agreed to pay $2 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by two leaders of Earth First! who were arrested and branded eco-terrorists by the FBI. A bomb exploded in their car in Oakland 14 years ago, seriously injuring them. This is the Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney case that has played out in the courts over more than a decade (see "FBI on Trial," EW archives, 5/23/02). Cherney and Bari sued the FBI and Oakland police investigators, alleging false arrest, illegal search, slanderous statements and conspiracy. It's good to see some degree of accountability and justice in this case, even seven years after Bari died. SLANT includes short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com

Democratic Diva

Amy Goodman lands in Eugene.

BY ARIA SELIGMANN

Amy Goodman

"People are hungry for alternative media," says "Democracy Now!" host Amy Goodman, speaking on a cell phone as she whips through the streets of Boulder, Colo.

On a zig-zag, chaotic coast-to-coast tour to celebrate the release of her new book, The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them, as well as the 55th anniversary of Pacifica, the nation's first listener-sponsored radio network, Goodman is astounded by not only the success of her book, but also of her radio show.

A few years ago, only a handful of radio stations across the country were broadcasting her show. Today, "Democracy Now!" is the largest public media collaboration in North America and a quickly growing grassroots movement.

"Now, we have more than 200 stations, radio and public television, and we're adding two to three every week," she says.

In Eugene, "Democracy Now!" is broadcast on CTV Ch. 29 from 5 to 6 pm, Monday through Friday and on KWVA 88.1 FM radio from 7 to 8 am, Monday through Friday.

Goodman, who will be in Eugene this Saturday, is astounded by the numbers showing up for her appearances. "In New York, more than 1000 people came; in Fresno, we had the same thing. At the Pacifica anniversary celebration in Berkeley, we had more than 1,100 and in L.A., 2,000 came out."

The book is cranking, as well. Although the Eugene appearance is sponsored by KWVA and Borders Books, other stops have been sponsored by independent bookstores, who've called Exception to the Rulers, "hotter than Potter."

Goodman's book, written with her brother and writer, David Goodman, outlines her experiences in "going where the silence is." The Exception to the Rulers chronicles the tireless efforts of an unembedded journalist and her colleagues to get to the truth and expose the lies, corruption and crimes of the power elite — an elite that is bolstered by large media conglomerates. From hanging out with Arab immigrants in L.A. post 9/11 to reporting on the atrocities in East Timor, Goodman digs deep into the crevices to find injustices.

Rather than embedding reporters in the frontline, she asks, why not embed them in "the trigger end — in Iraqi hospitals and in peace movements around the world?"

It's the people who have the power of voice. And she gives it to them, passionately. "There are so many important stories to tell, so many voices that have never been heard, it's about giving the microphone to them, recording the voices of those who've been silenced."

From Iraqi civilians wounded by U.S. troops to prisoners on death row in America, Goodman says that's where reporters need to be.

That silencing may not go away if Bush gets re-elected, and with Bush leading in the polls, that seems something to be figured out.

"If you look at John Kerry a year ago, he was for the invasion of Iraq," points out Goodman. "Then Dean comes into the picture, takes the lead, is anti-war. Kerry is the quintessential politician; he gets the message that in order to win this Democratic primary — to compete — he needs to adopt that view, which he does, better than Dean."

Now, says Goodman, instead of pointing out his differences with Bush and using the opportunity to teach a lesson about the ills of war, as he did when he returned from Vietnam as a decorated war hero and spoke out against it, Kerry has backed off even his own previous positions. He's agreed with Bush on sending more troops to Iraq. He also agrees it's OK to assassinate foreign leaders.

"If he's going to not oppose but run with Bush and the people want to choose between two candidates," says Goodman, "they'll choose the real Bush."

On May 18, Oregonians will make their voice heard when they vote in the primaries, and we'll know if Goodman's point is accurate. But it's the local races that can also make an enormous difference, and Goodman agrees.

"I think local politics are absolutely critical," says Goodman. "This is a critical year for the world, not just for the presidential election. It starts at home. Cleaning up the environment starts at home and goes abroad."

For those who slam the age group of 18 to 24 as being "apathetic," Goodman says local politics is "extremely empowering for young people," who are naturally involved when it comes to issues such as local environmental concerns, schools and public education, but they may "wonder where they fit in when they look at Bush and Kerry," she says.

But Goodman enjoys high ratings among young listeners, as well as other age groups on her radio show. With more and more stations broadcasting her show, she says, "Democracy Now!" is more than a program, it's a movement for independent media."

NANCY WEISEL

As a kid growing up in tiny Burlington, Wisc., Nancy Weisel was inspired by her father, a minister and penitentiary chaplain. "I've never considered anything else except social service work," says Weisel, now clinical director of the Center for Community Counseling. Located in an old farmhouse on the grounds of St Thomas Episcopal Church, CCC was founded by Jan Moursund in 1978 to provide affordable counseling services to low-income adults. "We believe that mental-health services should be available to everyone," Weisel says. "We have three part-time staff and 70 volunteer mental-health professionals. Our average fee is $5." After graduation from college, Weisel worked and studied in Chicago for 12 years. "I started as an adolescent counselor at a psychiatric hospital," she notes. "I got a masters in social work from Illinois-Chicago Circle." On the way west, she worked in an employee mental-health resources program in Spokane for four years before landing in Eugene in 1991. She began at CCC a year later. "I've never stayed at any job this long," she observes. "It's an exciting place — I'm honored to be part of it."