Eugene Weekly : Letters : 06.22.06

LEADERSHIP IS LAGGING

Oregon Democrats had their state convention in Eugene the weekend of June 2-4. Some 800 delegates, plus alternates and guests, came to renew political ties, listen to party leaders lead, and create a platform for November.

I was an "active guest" at the convention, working with a group of Eugene activists to put a meaningful anti-war statement into the Democratic agenda. During the convention I talked individually with nearly 100 people, listened in workshops to 150 more and attended two plenary sessions. I was impressed with the delegates' breadth of knowledge, experience and depth of commitment not just to their party, but to Oregon and the country.

The delegates were way ahead of their party leadership on two important issues: immigration and the war in Iraq. The original draft "Platform" and "Legislative Principles and Actions" were carefully ambiguous and non-committal in most instances where immigration was an implicit issue, and nearly silent on Iraq. The Democratic delegates put their own stamp on these documents, and stamped on them repeatedly.

Time and again, phrases would attribute rights and benefits to "citizens." In nearly every relevant instance, the language was amended to include "all people" in order to address the rights of undocumented immigrants. Phrases guaranteeing rights regardless of "age, disability, ethnicity, gender" were amended to include "legal status." Immigrants, with or without papers, were declared to have basic human rights.

War and peace was another area where delegates were out front.

Betsy Steffenson and Todd Huffman of the Lane County Democratic Party Peace Caucus succeeded in establishing a statewide Peace Caucus.

The Democratic Party leaders' original statement on Iraq was indistinguishable from the administration's stated policy (except for removal of American bases). Delegates replaced this with Peter DeFazio's five-point approach to withdrawal:

Negotiate a timeline for withdrawal … having U.S. troops out of Iraq within six to 12 months; renounce any U.S. interest in permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq; schedule a prompt and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops from front line combat positions … accelerate reconstruction spending and grant the bulk of reconstruction contracts to local companies employing Iraqis; reduce the Baghdad embassy to normal size and authority.

One delegate remarked that what this country really needs is a five-point exit strategy from the military-industrial complex.

A "platform" is mostly useful to stand on so we can reach higher. The delegates, the people of the Democratic Party, stood up and spoke out, but the platform still does not reflect the needs and desires of an increasing number of voters.

Michael Williams, Eugene

REAFFIRMING RIGHTS

On June 12, at Mayor Kitty Piercy's behest, the Eugene City Council considered and passed a resolution (No. 4881) reaffirming the city's commitment to protecting the human rights of all community members, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. The resolution also reaffirmed the City's intention to continue its compliance with Oregon state law that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from "detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of law is that they are persons of foreign citizenship residing in the U.S. in violation of federal immigration laws."

The mayor and City Council are to be commended for taking this principled stance. The current debate over immigration reform has unfortunately led some parties to engage in strong anti-immigrant rhetoric, including the use of demeaning stereotypes about members of the immigrant population. Such rhetoric and stereotypes can easily evolve into acts of harassment, discrimination and other unjust treatment. The city's human rights resolution sends a message that such acts will not be tolerated in Eugene, a message that needs to be widely heard, acclaimed, and respected.

Ken Neubeck, Eugene

EYE ON THE CENTER

On behalf of WREN, I would like to thank Mary O'Brien (6/8) for bringing the importance of the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center and programs to the attention of your readers. The West Eugene Wetlands Education Program has been operating on the proposed Education Center site. In the past four years, more than 11,000 students, young and old, have attended education programs despite the limitations of the current, primitive facility.

The proposed Education Center site is ideally situated, close to a variety of transportation modes (bike path, bus and automobile) and adjacent to natural areas to optimize experiential learning. Through appropriate site design and landscaping for the new Education Center, the site can be substantially improved to make it much better for Fender's blue butterflies than the site's current condition, allowing visitors the opportunity to see these rare creatures in their native habitat.

Even though the most recent studies conclude that the site is not considered critical habitat for the Kinkaid's lupine or Fender's blue butterfly, upland prairie restoration will be one of the primary values considered in the final planning and design.

The time is ripe to perfect the plans for the Education Center, and to collaborate as a community to decide how best to blend the land, the buildings, and the infrastructure to reflect the values and dreams of our citizens.

Tim Whitley, WREN Board President

SHE SPEAKS FOR ME

Whenever I sit in on a City Council meeting, I am always pleased that I don't have to always jump out of my chair or take the mic to offer rebuttal to the input from special interests; though, rest assured, I have and will if necessary. Why? Because Councilor Bonny Bettman generally hits the nail on the head (see cover story 6/15).

It's a tough gig having to represent the citizens of Eugene against developers who think they know what's best for us. And we can't always be involved 100 percent of the time. Frankly, I think it's a big personal sacrifice to brandish that shield full time. And it tickles me that she won't let them run roughshod over our desires and our vision for the community.

They can be insulted by her "uppity broad" stance as much as they like. Me? I think it's damn sexy.

Davy Ray, Eugene

DENIAL IS EXPENSIVE

Good for the gritty and bold women of Eugene who looked intimidation and fear in the face to get Roger Magaña and Juan Lara, two rogue cops, off the streets of Eugene.

This is a leadership problem that should not be tolerated. People in various positions around Eugene had to have heard the rumors, but no one had the courage to deal with these corrupt cops. Denial and looking the other way is expensive.

The line has been drawn in the sand, and I will be shocked if other women walking in these shoes do not come out and blow the whistle on other perverted, corrupt thugs around the country.

Lou Cinda Black, Emmett, Idaho

LONG MAY SHE REIGN

Thank you for the enlightening and informative piece on natural burial (6/8) featuring Cynthia Beal, aka 2002 Slug Queen Radia. However, one small thing could not escape my eye. While Cynthia IS the former Red Barn owner, there are no "former" Slug Queens. Likewise, no past, no previous, and no ex- Slug Queens exist in this realm or the next. The proper term for a Slug Queen who has stopped "raining" is Old Queen, although it is equally acceptable to refer to her by her year, as in "2002 Queen Radia," or simply as "Slug Queen Radia."

Once she reaches her 10-year anniversary she becomes a Very Old Queen and 20 years earns her the venerable title of Very VERY Old Queen. OK, now that we've got that under control, will everyone out there in ReaderLand please repeat after me: Once a Queen, always a Queen.

2000 Slug Queen Accordionna, , Supreme Sovereign of Squeeze

GIVE A BIG HUGGLY

After reading a couple of Sally-bashing letters in the EW recently, I am compelled to write and say, "Sally, you carry on, girl!" I appreciated your column on the baby-making decision and co-parenting a fledgling adult. I enjoy reading your contributions to the EW and by the way — to those readers who get irked by her point of view and style, I say don't read her columns! There's plenty else in the EW to peruse. Lord knows I don't read everything printed in an issue. So Sally, you keep that lovely, self-satisfied goddess "simper" of a smile, and a big huggly snuggly for you too!

B.R. Bishop, Deadwood

AN ABOMINATION

A few days ago a friend and I were in Eugene, and she took the long way to I-5. In the course of this detour I saw the most hideous travesty to this city's landscape yet: the new courthouse.

Eugene has enough hideous buildings. Putting in this monolithic monstrosity that looks like something out of a BAD sci-fi movie has made Eugene look even uglier, disjointed and schizophrenic. I find it classically "Eu-u-u-u-egne" to put a totally inorganic building with absolutely no soul or warmth basically across the street from where the new "natural market" (Whole Foods) is supposed to be built.

With all the beautiful stone, tile, and building materials available that actually look like something that belongs in the Willamette Valley, our brilliant officials have saddled Lane County taxpayers with yet another pile of ugly. If their intent was to intimidate the defendants coming to court, mission accomplished! The new courthouse looks like a giant death chamber from a futuristic military society.

I find it absolutely amazing that an area that can't get it's head out of it's '60s would allow this abysmal futuristic abomination.

Michael Adler, Creswell

HE NAILED IT

Regarding "Enough Enviros" (6/8): Josh Schlossberg has gotten the message. Out of all the letters of that week's EW, he gets the idea of a true democracy and what it is going to take to preserve the ideals of liberty that we all claim to hold so true.

Citizens need to take an active role in advocating for positive change because, let's face it, our elected leaders are not doing it. Everyone is debating about Iraq, tax issues, racism, diversity, and weak Democrats.

If everyone claims to be in favor of protecting the environment, why are our glaciers melting? Do we need another Katrina? Will Americans finally stand up only after we have a severe drought and famine in our country like the one experienced in Somalia due to climate change? Maybe we are in a city of wanna-be hippies. Stand up for your rights as humans.

Our own use of electricity is killing our earth and damaging public health through global warming pollution. We owe it to our children to actively fight for global warming reductions despite the misinformation that the oil companies are paying for. Oregon is uniquely vulnerable to global warming because our coast could see increased flooding with severe storms and our melting snow pack in the Cascades presents us with drought and economic disaster.

A clean energy standard of 25 percent is something Oregon can do. Aren't we known for protecting the environment and being "green?"

Colin McKellips, Eugene

KILLING MACHINES

I agree with Tom Bush (6/15) concerning the level of hatred that exists among some peace activists, which is deplorable.

However, he states that "the men and women in our armed forces give us what we have!" which is patently untrue. Those men and women have been intimidated to overcome their natural resistance to killing another human being in order to make a split-second decision without thinking (see www.killology.net,written by a military trainer).

They have to do this to survive. You're right, Tom, they are not political, they have become efficient killing machines, and they are being used by pathological, powerful interests in our government to increase their power.

Our Constitution and Bill of Rights, the freedom of speech, and the people who protest unjust laws, give us "what we have." The first amendment doesn't mention foreign infringement of our rights, it says our own government cannot remove our right to free speech.

So what I really hear Tom talking about is misdirected blame. Who is to blame? Indirectly, all of us. "We have found the enemy, and it is us," as Pogo said. The government, the system, cannot operate and behave as it does without our cooperation.

We vote some with our votes, but mostly we vote with our dollars, and our lifestyle choices are closely connected to government policy. Think about it. Did your car start this war? Could be. We are not victims of the system, we ARE the system, aren't we, Tom?

David Hazen, Eugene

COFFIN-FREE BURIAL

As the administrator of a local cemetery, I enjoyed last week's (6/8) article on green burial options. I would like to make EW and your readers aware that the Mulkey Cemetery, a small nonprofit pioneer cemetery in southwest Eugene, offers the option of liner- and/or coffin-free burial in a traditional cemetery setting.

The Mulkey Cemetery is landscaped with native and heritage cemetery plants and maintained without the use of pesticides or herbicides. Spaces remain available for both new interments and cremated remains.

For more information, interested readers can see our web site at www.mulkeycemetery.orgor write to us at Mulkey Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 26124, Eugene 97402.

Sara E. Palmer, Eugene

WE'RE NOT FOOLED

It is becoming obvious that marketing has taken over the government's interactions with its citizens. The most transparent current example is calling citizens on the phone to poll them on their opinions about a new county tax. They are using this to sell the tax, as well as to convince us that they really care about our opinions. We aren't fooled, and most of us will vote no regardless, so let's hold the election instead of spending more money to convince us they need more of our wages to staff more jails, while they shut down drug treatment and school programs.

Here are additional examples:

• It's been going on a long time, but primary elections are spaced out to achieve the government's (corporate) marketing goals, not to give the citizens a right to pick the candidates. The whole system is set up for marketing the corporate choices, not for democracy.

•. Education is increasingly controlled by marketing goals. Literacy, numeracy, knowledge of geography and history, and ability to reason are unwanted by-products of the education process, which is set up for indoctrination into the belief system that serves our corporate masters. This is why many students arrive at community college unable to understand their textbooks, unable to apply mathematics to simple problems, ignorant of the simplest geographic concepts such as latitude and longitude, and believing that the Vietnam War was the same as World War II.

Ann Tattersall, Eugene

RIGGED DEBATE

I am tired of powerful special interests vying to control our minds and what we perceive as the truth. Global warming is real and has already had a negative impact worldwide. Politicians and scientists receiving large amounts of financial support from the energy industry are liars and should be thrown in jail just like Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. But instead of lying and stealing money, this group of people rigging the debate are killing our earth and taking away our children's future.

Fossil fuels burned to generate electricity are Oregon's biggest source of global warming pollution, which makes no sense at all since Oregon has huge potential for wind and solar power. Eastern Oregon has one of the nation's largest sources of wind power but we generate a ridiculously low amount of our electricity from these sources, currently around 1 percent.

If homegrown renewable energy keeps money in our pockets and helps protect our beautiful state without relying on foreign companies, then why aren't we using it? It's because of the liars who are rigging this debate. We shouldn't let them influence Oregon and we should move forward with clean energy standards. Our elected leaders already wasted enough time on the gay marriage debate. Let's not let them waste any more time because if there is no earth, there is no debate about marriage, Iraq, taxes or health care.

Veronica Mejia, Eugene

BETTMAN'S INTEGRITY

Thank you for your thoughtful and timely piece on Councilor Bonny Bettman. Once again you dare to step where others fear to tread, offering a human portrait of one of our area's most dedicated and maligned public servants. I don't live in Councilor Bettman's district but that doesn't matter since her integrity, intelligence and tenacity has served the public interest beyond the borders of her ward. The fact that she continues to pursue this work in the face of repugnant attacks from the likes of the "anonymous" Gang of 9 only deepens my admiration for her. I am glad to add my name to the list of those whose support has kept her in office and fighting the good fight.