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TAX FOR JUSTICE? I must respond to Jeff Innis' letter (7/20), criticizing the proposed Lane County income tax. While true the discussion first started at only a half a percent tax, then went to 1 percent, and now has a 2 percent cap, it would take another vote by commissioners to raise it above that. And they would NEVER do that. Our DA Doug Harcleroad has made passionate pleas for this tax to be passed. Now he has botched a few minor past issues, such as wrongfully convicting two innocent men of murder, allowing the tape recording of a confession to a Catholic priest, threatening to confiscate the lands of the Oregon Country Fair for drug use, etc. But one cannot blame him for the current mess, despite the fact that he has been responsible for public safety for so long. For as he recently said: "We are living in a crime-ridden county." So with crime so totally out of control, big new taxes that will give county law enforcement a huge 50 percent increase in their budget are FULLY justified. While the U.S. has more people incarcerated than even China, the truth is that we need to jail much more of our population, in order to solve society's problems. These are prosperous economic times under the wise leadership of President Bush. I'm sure everyone can afford to give away more of their income for this noble endeavor. Please vote YES to preserve justice in our community. Lance Jacobs, Springfield
OUT OF PROPORTION While I don't support the violence used by Hezbollah, the destruction wrought by Israel on Lebanon is way out of proportion to Hezbollah's actions. Reporting on these events here in America has been equally out of proportion. We seem to forget that this episode began with Hezbollah making a raid across the border and capturing two Israeli soldiers in hopes of having collateral to make a prisoner trade. In the fray three Israeli soldiers were also killed. Hezbollah did not expect or intend the magnitude of Israel's response, which was to bomb not just the Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, but infrastructure and homes throughout Lebanon. While any loss of life is horrible, and it is hard to compare one loss to another, the Israeli air strikes have done damage and killing way beyond Hezbollah's initial actions. The "carefully targeted" Israeli attacks have killed many Lebanese women and children. Their attacks throughout Lebanon have done major damage to a country just beginning to recover from years of civil war and Syrian occupation. The Lebanese government in its newness is unfortunately not strong enough to rein in the renegade Hezbollah extremists but will be expected to repair the damage. I lived in Lebanon as a child as "a foreign service brat." I returned last summer for a wonderful visit at a time that Lebanon was experiencing the most hopeful period in more than 30 years. It breaks my heart that this beautiful little country once again is in disarray and destruction. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to send arms to Israel, because we have a previous agreement that says they can ask for them anytime they want. Hello? Shouldn't we re-examine that agreement under the circumstances? Enough is enough! Why does the U.S. continue to pander to an out-of-control Israeli government? We need an immediate cease fire and international help in stabilizing the area and rebuilding Lebanon. Karen Stingle, Eugene
REINVENT THE FAIR There was a funny vibe at the Oregon Country Fair this year. By funny I don't mean humorous. Been going to the fair for more than 20 years, so I used to feel a strong sense of community, love and creativity. The last time, going even for one day, I also felt lost, confused and uncomfortable. It's become even more difficult to get around and figure out where things are, and the "sameness" year in and year out has gotten boring and somewhat stagnant. The fair needs new, hip energy, new movement, a new approach, maybe even an aerial approach using the trees more. It needs to get better dance music, find new ideas. It needs to have new life breathed into instead of the same-old same-old "cliqueness" that it is now offering. The fair needs to reinvent itself. Even something as innovative, imaginative and wonderful as the concept of the Country Fair can become a rut after a while. What a shame to have such a concept take on the clothing of the corporate approach. After all, it is a community fair, isn't it? There are many of us here who yearn for real community and real energy and, unfortunately, the Eugene Celebration has become corporatized to some degree. So, why let the fair go that way, too? There's got to be a way for us to come together and put more of that community energy/spirit we all yearn for back into the fair. Let's reinvent the fair. Geno Shane, Eugene
DEAR SCUMBAG This letter is to the scumbag who broke into my car between July 1 and July 9 in Eugene on Franklin Boulevard. I would like to tell you about a few things you have taken from me. I am an EMT/firefighter with Fairview Rural Fire Protection District in Coquille. We are a volunteer group that pays for these items ourselves. You took all my firefighting gear, so now when I go to a fire I will be on the sidelines watching the house burn and not being able to help. When I go on a medical call, I hope a rescue truck gets there before me because I now have no medical equipment. You took my medical/fire radio so now I can't communicate to anyone to let them know I am en route or, God forbid, in trouble myself. To top it off, you took my granddaughter's car seat. Now come on. That is low. What if that baby would have been with me? If you are reading this, please turn in the fire gear in the red bag and the radio. These things can't be much use to anyone else. The yellow fire coat has "Fairview RFPD" on the bottom and 7542 on the back. Insurance doesn't pay well, and these are very expensive things that I have to replace. And to the person who took my things, remember, what goes around comes around. Cindy Gisholt, Coquille
PHONY SURVEY I don't know if the local political debate is going to start taking on the flavor of national politics or if the Republican dirty tricks squad's antics have just trickled down to the local level, but I got a very disturbing phone call on July 18. I get so many calls trying to sell me something that I usually just respond with, "thank you, I am not interested," but the caller made a point of saying he was not trying to sell me anything and had just a few questions, so I gave in. He asked, "Would you be more likely to vote for Democrat Jim Torrey or Republican Vicki Walker?" Of course my response was, "You must have that wrong. Jim Torrey is the Republican and Vicki Walker is the Democrat." He said he was reading from a script and that a number of people that had said that, but he was just asking questions. I asked him if he did not think it unethical to call people and purposefully give out misleading information. His response was that he was just reading the script. I asked who was behind the survey and, of course, his response was that he did not know. I don't know who is behind this survey, but at the very least, I think their behavior is unethical and whoever is conducting it should stop immediately. I am not non-partisan, I am a Democrat and a PCP, but this is not even about party politics, this is about purposefully trying to confuse voters. At all levels, it seems today that most politicians feel the less the voter knows, the better and if we can confuse the issue with a little well-placed misinformation, so much the better. I do not know if Jim Torrey or his campaign was behind this or if it is some independent group, but it should stop. Let's not try to muddy the waters with false information couched in a phony survey. Brian E. Nessler, Eugene
FREEDOM SLIPPING It was with a certain sense of sadness that I read Harald Sundt's letter ("The Parking Lot Big Bang," July 13) in which he extolled the many freedoms he enjoys as an American. My sadness was prompted by the acute realization that these freedoms may soon be ripped from us. Let me explain. I was able to attend not one but two local screenings of Aaron Russo's new film America: From Freedom to Fascism during the first week of July. (It premiered in New York on July 4.) It is the most important and alarming film I've ever seen, making Fahrenheit 9/11 seem pale in comparison. Well-crafted and well-paced, it leads us on a journey through the IRS tax fraud, the swindling of America's gold reserves, the Federal Reserve sham and into the sinister and horrifying world of the USA PATRIOT Act (mandatory injections of untested vaccines and mandatory microchip implants AND a national ID card for every citizen by May 2008) and the appalling list of executive orders (our bumbling figurehead of a president may declare martial law at any moment). I attended the screening along with most of my friends, and we were collectively shell-shocked and outraged. Personally, I felt like letting out the ultimate primal scream. Inarguably, this is the most shattering film of its kind ever made in this country. It is thoroughly and impeccably researched, and was financed out-of-pocket by Mr. Russo himself who spent two years of his life producing it. It will be showing locally at the Bijou in August. You may see a trailer for the film at freedomtofascism.com Rob Simonson, Eugene
SOLUTIONS MISSING I must admit I was impressed by Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, which did a pretty good job of summarizing, in a comprehensive and compelling manner, the seriousness of the climate crisis and what it means for life on Earth. I thought Gore's most effective tactic was debunking such myths as "global warming is just a cyclical trend," by presenting data that proves how the current levels of CO2 and corresponding air temperature are far greater than have ever occurred before, during past natural cycles. Something sorely missing from the film, however, were some honest solutions. For instance, one of the paltry "solutions" Gore suggests is to "plant more trees," with nary a mention to the 214,000 acres of forests worldwide that fall to the chainsaw every day. One of the vital roles of our forests is the retention of CO2, the main cause of global warming. Massive deforestation of our planet is exacerbating climate change. Therefore, one of our first solutions to the climate crisis should consist of a serious re-examination of the timber industry and its century long free-for-all plunder of our nation's heritage forests. Josh Schlossberg, Eugene
GROUP SCREAM ANYONE? I found Hugh Massingell's letter ("Search for Meaning", 7/20) strangely comforting. With mass media telling us to buy, go faster, do more and things will only get better and alternative voices telling us to practice peace, abundance and love, it felt good to know there is someone else out there with their eyes open who just feels like screaming. Call me pessimistic, but I don't see things getting any better — not as long as we all try to make ourselves feel good despite national circumstances. Maybe feeling some group psychic pain might be the medicine this country needs to wake up and mend a few things. Group scream, anyone? Katy Doones, Eugene
DARE TO SHARE CNN is running a "documentary" on the evils of Kim Jong and the oppressed one party state of North Korea. I don't believe we are really interested in human rights violations in North Korea, Iraq, or anywhere else. If that were true, we would be protecting the women and children from the violent sexual homicide that is happening in Sudan and Darfur. Our government's interest is: weapons, oil, power and money. No one is allowed to have more WOP and M than we have. This is an election year. Let's vote for representation that will shift this obscene focus. Let the only rousing debate on the floor be how many programs of ethical stewardship will be implemented in this session. Let's dare to share. Share the wealth, the resources, the medicines. And maybe these countries, one by one, will follow our lead, the way they have followed the weapons, oil, power and money game we have been modeling. Carrol Dower, Eugene
COJONES WANTED Mexico and the U.S. have a lot in common besides a border. The U.S. had a close presidential election that was tainted by carefully orchestrated spin, smear, false allegations and ballot box fraud. Democrats, the losing political party, vowed to not give in until the true vote was revealed. But like a castrated mule, the Democrats gave in and allowed themselves to be corralled out of power. Mexico also had a close presidential election that was tainted by carefully orchestrated spin, smear, false allegations and ballot box fraud. But unlike the Democrats, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the PRD party have vowed to fight and not give in to Felipe Calderon Hinojosa and the PAN party until the truth of the election is made transparent. Even though the corporate media spin machine and our own King George have taken their whacks and declared Calderon to be the winner, Obrador refuses to be beat like the paper-mache Kerry pinata. Obrador is showing the U.S. that it takes cojones to be the real presidente. Michael T. Hinojosa, Drain
THE SEARCH CONTINUES Regarding Mr. Massengill's letter of July 20, "Search for Meaning," I believe his situation is hard, but good. It seems he's getting to the cry of anguish and pain beneath the pandemic bitterness and anger of these days. In middle school I learned no political party remained "top dog" much past its 200th year. It appears the U.S. is no exception. How can one deal with such times? Indeed I've found a good, old-fashioned primal scream and an hour of sobbing a great help on the short-term, but, once done, longer term measures are in order. Complaining, whining, and demanding, though common, are misuses of emotional and mental energy better used for discovering solutions. I have no answers, but I'm on the quest. In my journey I've found some guides who have helped me through their writings: M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled; Victor Papnek, Design for the Real World; E.F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful; and Dietrich Bonhoeffer — a German Lutheran who chose to stay in Nazi Germany for the sake of another Germany he loved and faced martyrdom at the hands of his countrymen. G. B. Koerner, Eugene
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