News Briefs: The Politics of Security Explored at UO | Housing Standards get Consideration | America's Most Expensive Gas | Action Alerts | Corrections/Clarifications | Slant: Short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes. THE POLITICS OF SECURITY EXPLORED AT UO Dr. Noeleen Heyzer The Borders of Human Security: Geopolitics Comes Home is the theme of a May 20-21 Center for the Study of Women in Society conference that brings together eminent social scientists, lawyers, labor leaders, and community advocates to address topics of human and national security. Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), will open the conference on Thursday evening, May 20, by exploring the concept of human security — an alternative security paradigm that has captured the attention of many in the international policy community. On Friday, May 21, the conference continues with four panels that include distinguished scholars and community advocates Dorothy Roberts, Cynthia Cockburn, Cindi Katz, Dalia Hashad, Rhonda Ramiro, Ramon Ramirez, Patricia Cortez, Sandra Morgen, Lynn Stephen, Joan Acker, Guadalupe Quinn, Carol Van Houten, Hope Marston, Harriet Merrick, Deana Dartt, Margaret Knox, and Lise Nelson. The panelists will discuss: the effects of violence that result from war, political conflict, terrorism and the war on terrorism; human rights, immigration, and work; the production of economic insecurities in the context of globalization; local, national, and international efforts to promote human security. The conference is free and open to the public. For complete schedule, see http://csws.uoregon.edu/home/index.shtml     HOUSING STANDARDS GET CONSIDERATION The Eugene Citizens for Housing Standards continues the fight to have the city prioritize issues of rental housing conditions in Eugene. In this week's May 10 city council meeting, more than 50 students, renters and landlords attended to give testimony to the need for local housing standards. The council will consider all testimony and information gathered in the last five months in a May 24 work session on local housing standards. Maddy Melton, ASUO president and ECHS spokesperson, says, "Over 54,000 renters in Eugene are forced to rely upon state law and an inadequate court system for protection and/or assistance of unsafe living conditions." That state law comes in the form of the Oregon Landlord-Tenant Act and, as Melton describes it, "The system is time consuming and cost-prohibitive for many low-income residents." ECHS hopes to have the City Council adopt a rental housing program similar to a successful one in Corvallis. In effect for more than two years now, the Corvallis program works with tenants and landlords to explore all options for complaint resolution before using the court system. The program is funded through an $8 fee charged to each rental unit in the community. ECHS staff member Brett Rowlett says, "We want this not to be a landlord versus tenant kind of thing. In fact, ECHS has succeeded in finding local landlords who support this program. It really is about making sure that everyone's interests are protected." The current list of ECHS coalition partners includes: Amazon Neighbors, the Associated Students of Lane Community College, the Associated Students of the University of Oregon, Centro Latino Americano, Community Alliance of Lane County, Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network, Jefferson Westside Neighborhood Association, Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group, Oregon Students of Color Coalition, Service Employee International Union-Local 501, and the West University Neighborhood Association Executive Board. Melton says of the diverse involvement in the coalition, "I think we may have enough momentum to make some changes." — Bobbie Willis   AMERICA'S MOST EXPENSIVE GAS Higgin's Texaco at 1796 Willamette may offer the most expensive gas in America, at $2.560 per gallon of regular unleaded gas on May 10. The nation's average is $1.892 per gallon of regular unleaded gas and the Eugene-Springfield area's average is $2.204 per gallon, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Even California's average, $2.240 is considerably less than the cost at Higgin's Texaco. The service station does not post its gas prices on a large billboard. Several customers have been upset to discover the price only after filling up. "The bill came and I was shocked," says Mae Andrews, still holding her $38 receipt after buying gas last Friday, May 7. Higgin's is one of a handful of privately owned service stations in Eugene. It has been at 18th Avenue and Willamette St. since 1966. The Higgin's Texaco manager declined to be quoted in this article. —Kate Storm   ACTION ALERTS Two longtime peace activists and social justice heroes will be in town this coming week: On May 13, National WAND (Women's Action for New Directions) Public Policy Director Marie Rietmann, also a native Oregonian, will speak about her experiences as a Congressional staffer and an experienced lobbyist and present her list of "8 Ways Grassroots Activists Can Influence Public Policy" at the monthly WAND meeting, 7 pm at the McNail-Riley House. Plans for assembling citizen groups to meet with Senators Smith and Wyden and Representative DeFazio on specific issues of interest will also be hashed out. A "meet Marie" reception begins before the meeting at 6:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Twenty years ago, former German Chancellor Willy Brandt formed the Brandt Commission, which proposed measures to reduce the vast and unjust economic discrepancies between the developed and developing worlds. The recommendations were never implemented. Today, international development consultant Dr. James Quilligan is reintroducing those strategies. He speaks at 7 pm May 18 at the Unitarian Universalist Church and at 7 pm May 19 at the UO Knight Library. Free.   CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS Last week's calendar listings noted that Yo-Yo Ma's May 13 appearance at the Hult was free. Not so, unfortunately. The concert was sold out months ago. Last week's wine column noted that Zelaya's was opened by Patrick and Madeline McKee. In fact, the McKees were joined by Pamela Mathis and Sara Chinske in creating Zelaya.     SLANT Betty Taylor Last week's endorsements blurbs and stories had photos for many of our candidate picks, but we didn't have room for all the photos. One of the seven photos left out was Betty Taylor's, and wouldn't you know it, her endorsement ran right above a paid ad with a photo of her opponent. So, Betty, here's lookin' atcha!   We nominate Willamette Week for a Pulitzer prize for extraordinary guts and excellence in journalism. That's a prize unlikely to be given, but it should be. WW is the Portland alternative weekly that researched and broke the sordid story of Neil Goldschmidt's sexual assault of a l4-year-girl when he was mayor of Portland and his buying of her continued silence 10 years ago. Newspaper readers first saw the story in The Oregonian last Friday under the banner headline "Goldschmidt confesses '70s affair with girl, 14. Former governor quits career, citing his long-held 'lie.'" But internet readers read the thoroughly documented details that apparently brought about his confession on WW's website the day before. Incidentally, that headline was a clue to The Oregonian coverage of this story. "Affair?" That's hardly the correct word — and readers responded with anger. Two months ago, WW started following a tip to this story. After it was nailed down with documentation, WW made repeated calls to Goldschmidt's office last week. He did not respond, going instead to The Oregonian, where his treatment would most certainly be "softball," as they say in the trade. The daily would get undeserved credit for breaking such a significant story, and, most importantly, Goldschmidt would control the spin. Amazingly, an Oregonian associate editor immediately questioned in his column whether this story should have been told, now or ever. By his own confession, Goldschmidt, educated as a lawyer, is guilty of the gravest abuse of power. He admitted a felony. Although the statute of limitations for prosecution has passed, it is rape if an adult has sex with someone under 16. His crime with a 14-year-old was concealed for 20 years and then he paid $250,000 in an out-of-court settlement to further conceal it. Apparently because of this lie in his past, he long ago left electoral politics, gravitating instead to the accumulation of immense power without accountability. The week before last, Neil Goldschmidt was the most powerful man in Oregon. In Eugene, we're well aware of his power; new chairman of the State Board of Higher Education; lobbyist and more for Hyundai-Hynix in building their plant on wetlands; lobbyist for the wood products industry in setting up dubious land swaps with government agencies; the guy Democrats must go to if they want to run for statewide office or even try for a judgeship; grossly overpaid lobbyist for SAIF. In the days to come, as more details unfold, will it be apparent that Willamette Week's investigative reporting has truly ended Neil Goldschmidt's remarkable career? The Oregonian reported that Mayor Vera Katz of Portland predicts he will come back. Former Congressman Jim Weaver of Eugene told Associated Press that his political power is gone. Again, that probably depends on the spine of the Oregon press in documenting all abuse of power. Lest we forget, every editor should post the column by Steve Duin from the May 9 Oregonian. This is how it ends: "Like any father, I can still picture him, on those carefully arranged afternoons, stepping into the room where she sits on the edge of the bed. "I imagine him taking off his coat and loosening his tie. And that's about the time the scene goes dark, and I turn away before the sadness and the horror overwhelm me. "She was 14 when he lay down with her. She has never been the same."   The scandalous and outrageous behavior of American troops in dealing with prisoners of war continues to unravel and shake our government to its highest levels. Bush has already committed numerous impeachable offenses, and allowing this abuse to happen on his watch is just one more. His rhetoric about "evil" nations just fuels the sense of us vs. them. We are reminded of former Congressman Jim Weaver's psychological theories about political hawks: They have little empathy for anyone different from themselves. They will do anything — suppression of rights, torture, even murder — to protect their clan or tribe from perceived threats. It's obsolete thinking, but it persists as long as we allow it. Let's get some doves in office and build peace in the world.   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 VOTE Primary Election May 18, 2004 Endorsements at a Glance A quick look at EW's picks for the May 18 Primary Election. Unopposed candidates are not included. U.S. President John Kerry (D) Secretary of State Bill Bradbury (D), Fred Granum (R) House District 7 Shirley Cairns (D) House District 8 Paul Holvey (D) Judge, Supreme Court, 4 Rives Kistler Judge, Supreme Court Position 7 William Riggs Judge, Court of Appeals Position 7 Robert Wollheim Lane County Commission, Position 4 Greg Ringer Lane County Commission, Position 5 Don Hampton Lane County Sheriff Russel Burger Mayor of Eugene Kitty Piercy Eugene City Council, Ward 1 Bonny Bettman Eugene City Council, Ward 2 Betty Taylor Eugene City Council, Ward 7 Andrea Ortiz EWEB, Wards 1 & 8 Position John Simpson
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