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TACTICAL ERROR I participated in the demonstration at the WOW Hall (9/28) against the performance by Jamaican reggae artist Buju Banton. It was well attended and seemingly effective until the organizers of our peaceful gathering asked us to move aside and disband before Banton even showed up at the hall. Most concert goers hadn't arrived and when they did, there was no protest presence. To many of us gathered this seemed like a tactical error. I think that at least some people, when faced with our picketing, would have reconsidered attending. Michelle Holman, Deadwood
WHY, JIM, WHY? I enjoyed reading the Torrey vs. Walker article (EW 9/21), especially the part revealing Torrey's contribution to the Bush '04 reelection campaign. (This is most curious, given his desire to avoid the R at the end of his name.) Prior to reading the article, I had submitted the following question (for Jim Torrey) to the City Club of Eugene, for possible use in the 9/29 debate being held at the Hilton: "The Register-Guard reported on Sept. 14 that you are an unabashed supporter of President Bush. I have also heard that you contributed money to the W. Bush election campaign. Can you tell me why you would do such a thing?" Regardless of Torrey's motivation for backing the most powerful of the R men, I am proud to offer my support to Vicki Walker, a D woman. Your article made it clear to me that Vicki works her tail off on behalf of her constituents, and she knows best how the Legislature works. While I live in Springfield, and I cannot vote for her, she is the senatorial candidate who best represents working families. I hope that those who are able to vote for her will do so. Meanwhile, I anxiously await the answer from Mr. Torrey, regardless of whether it is in the debate venue or in one of his allegedly non-Republican campaign ads. Star Holmberg , Springfield
NO ON 45 Urge everyone to vote "no" on term limits (Ballot Measure 45) this fall. Term limits already exist in Oregon. They are called elections. There are really only two things a citizen of this republic has to do: Stay informed and vote. Do we really need to abdicate to an automatic process our civic duty of voting for our representatives? That is lazy and utterly lacking in personal responsibility. The longer a legislator serves, the more experience they gain, and the better they become. We are entrusting these people to run our state. Would you trust a group of rookies to run your corporation? Would you want your first open heart surgery to be your heart surgeon's first too? As a "rookie" school board member in Creswell, I recognize the importance of institutional memory firsthand. I often rely on the more seasoned board members to provide me with the history of a given issue. The difficulties of a system without that resource are insurmountable. With term limits, you are taking away that experience and institutional knowledge and replacing it with bureaucrats and lobbyists. Guess who the novice legislators turn to when there are no experienced colleagues to mentor them? The lobbyists and the bureaucrats. This is not how a republic should be run. The out-of-state donors financing Measure 45 don't believe that Oregonians can determine on their own which candidates are the most qualified. We want the most qualified leaders in the legislature. We, the voters, can make that determination ourselves without some rich intermeddler from New York and his New York-based PAC, U.S. Term Limits, telling us anything different. Vote no on Measure 45! C. Michael Arnold, Creswell
BAD NEIGHBORS? While listening to my terrorist neighbor's phone calls, I heard him make reference to paganism. I, of course, believe him to be a freedom-hating terrorist — I mean witch — either one. So here's the plan: We'll kidnap him, torture — I mean interrogate — him and then not tell anyone where he is. Then, just to be safe, let's pass a law prohibiting the Supreme Court from meddling in my secret affairs. Sounds like a plan. Oh, wait, that's already happening. Bad news for my neighbor. Kyle Mangan, Pleasant Hill
FARR'S HAT TRICKS Every election cycle, we are privy to a rather bizarre slight of hand many politicians perform trying to convince us they didn't do what they just did. Debi Farr's hands are in a flurry these days. Last election, she ran as the "education candidate" in District 14 and proceeded up to Salem to garner an impressive 0% voting record on public education issues (according to Stand for Children, a public school watchdog group). On one vote (on a bill that died in committee), she broke ranks with the Republicans. A cynic might say this was "safe" and exploitable for the next election. Yet on the school measures that made it to both chambers, Ms. Farr stood with her Republican colleagues. Indeed, she has the sixth most loyal voting record (98+ percent). Which is fine, as long as she comes back home and says that. Unfortunately, she presents herself as a maverick and quickly moves on. Ms. Farr points to her Oregon School Boards Association endorsement. Her opponent, Chris Edwards, is backed by the EEA (representing Bethel teachers); the Three Rivers Council; the Oregon School Employees Association (representing classified staff); and the Oregon American Federation of Teachers. Ms. Farr attracts management. Mr. Edwards is backed by the rank and file. Chris Edwards has a timber industry background; has run his own small business; has a special needs child in our schools; and, is making his bid to be District 14's representative his primary job — without the hat tricks. Joe Alsup, Principal, Crest Drive Elementary
NONSENSE This is in response to Lynn Porter's letter (9/7) criticizing Rep. DeFazio for voting to fund the troops in Iraq. During the Vietnam War, President Johnson met with a group of Democratic senators who thought things weren't going well in Vietnam and wanted the U.S. to get out. LBJ told them that if they didn't like the war, they should rescind the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which authorized U.S. troops to go to war. That's the process for Congress to express its opposition to a war. In this case, DeFazio voted against going to war in Iraq, he introduced legislation to repeal the congressional authorization to go to war and is a cosponsor of the Murtha resolution which would bring our troops home within six months to a year. But DeFazio's efforts aren't enough for Ms. Porter, so she says she's going to vote for his opponent — who recently said he thinks things in Iraq are going "fantastic." This doesn't make any sense. Tim Cullen, Eugene
TERRIBLE NON-CALLS I was one of those Oregon fans who left the Oklahoma game early and missed all the excitement. I didn't leave early because we were losing but because of WHY we were losing: three terrible non-calls on three of Oklahoma's scoring drives. On Oklahoma's first touchdown the receiver clearly pushed off of the defender — no call. On the third down play where Oklahoma made a long pass and catch for a touchdown that was subsequently recalled because the receiver stepped out of bounds, the play clock had expired prior to the snap. No call; result: Oklahoma first down followed by a score. The play clock expired again on the Sooners' second or third field goal drive (again on third down), and was again not called. These missteps by the officiating crew were clearly visible by the 59,000-plus fans (and again on ESPN Classic), but the guys in stripes somehow decided not to worry about it. So when Oklahoma whines about the bad calls late in the game (which were reviewable and decided in Oregon's favor by men with access to all the angles, unlike all the non-calls mentioned above), remember this: Those plays would've never been necessary if the officiating crew had done their jobs in the first three quarters; Oregon would've had the lead and the ball and had no reason to ever make an on-sides kick. The team that was favored to win did win; if it took playing against the officials for three and a half quarters to do it, so be it. I don't recall hearing coach Bellotti complain about those calls, nor the fact that BS (Bob Stoops) was out on the field the entire game and never flagged for it. The final score should've been Oregon 42, Oklahoma 24, but I'll take it the way it ended up — that was a lot more fun. Matt Emrich, Eugene
UNWANTED DESTRUCTION I would like to draw your attention to what is happening at the end of Hallmark Lane (18th to Hawkins to Hallmark). I wish we could have been more proactive and stopped this before it happened. Developers have clearcut the hill in the name of building million dollar homes that 99 percent of Eugene residents cannot afford. We need to hold Eugene planners and the city council accountable for this situation. Why do they continually approve the destruction of pure forest and not a road (the parkway) through already degraded wetlands that the voters have approved twice? The city council seems to have their own agenda which does not coincide with the will of the residents. Thomas Price, Environmental Scientist
TAX AIN'T PERFECT I suspect that I, like many, read the "Crouching Crime, Hidden Tax" (9/14) with biases being reinforced. I think we need this tax. It ain't perfect, but what tax is? I'll just pick out and comment on a few of the facts that my biased eye focused on: "Violent crime rate fell 11 percent." Tell that good news to the victims, family and friends of the 89 percent who were beaten, raped or murdered. And property crime? Not sure what property crime is, but ranking number eight out of 36 countries is nothing to be proud of. The progressive tax, whichever income level pays the tax, will seem like a lot. With 20/20 hindsight, would anyone have been willing to have paid the proposed tax to avoid a single violent crime in their family or circle of friends? Would anyone have been willing to have paid the tax to avoid any of these things to a complete stranger? After all, this is what paying the tax will mean to most of us: helping out someone else. It ain't a perfect tax. Yet how many of us have cringed, shuddered, shook, our heads at hearing that someone was beating hard time because of insufficient jail space? So the plan calls for 2/3 to be spent on "crime enforcement rather than prevention." Then, there is 1/3 of millions to be spent on prevention. One third of millions is nothing to sneeze at. A lot would go towards probation and supervision programs. Ask a probation officer about their case load and how it affects them and those on probation. In conclusion, it ain't perfect, but it's a tax worth voting for. Vincent Puleo, Eugene
WALKER AND EDWARDS Public education is very important to Oregon voters. This election offers a promise of real change. What can Eugene hope for? If we get a Democratic state house, actions that could lead to recovery can begin. To get a Democratic majority in the state house, Democratic candidate Chris Edwards must defeat Republican house incumbent Debbie Farr. If Oregon elects a Republican majority again, as it has for over 15 years, further public education losses are most likely. It doesn't matter what some new Republican candidates say about their private love for children, because the Republicans have cut thousands of public school teaching positions. They have given the money needed for public education to tax cuts for the wealthy, reducing state revenues for education. Ron Saxton, the Republican candidate for governor advertises that Oregon's Democratic governor, Ted Kulongolski, hasn't spent any money on education reforms. This is the same for Ron Saxton, who, with his Republican party, has reduced money for public education in Oregon year after year. Republican cuts took Oregon from the top ranks of public education in America all the way to the bottom. Republican former mayor Jim Torrey advertises that he supports children because of his private efforts in children's sports. Yet he has chosen to run as a Republican against incumbent Democratic Senator, Vicki Walker, who has battled greatly against Republican cuts in public education in Oregon. Democratic Sen. Vicki Walker represents the true hope for public education in Oregon. Jerry Smith, Eugene
DARK DAY IN HISTORY History will mark Sept. 27-28, 2006 as a dark day for our country. On those two days, the GOP-controlled House and Senate voted in favor of the Military Commissions Bill (H.R. 6166 and S. 3930, respectively), which will leave permanent damage to the U.S. Constitution. The Military Commissions Bill does the following: Re-establishes the Bush military tribunals (which were previously rejected by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional); gives the green light to the "CIA program" allowing waterboarding and other forms of torture; strips Guantanamo detainees of the right to challenge their detention, thus prejudging them as being guilty; disallows any person harmed by the U.S., in violation of the Geneva Conventions, from filing a claim in U.S. court; and most heinous of all, it strips legal U.S. citizens of their right to challenge their detention if they are accused of being "enemy combatants." Furthermore, this legislation grants immunity to Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al, by legalizing U.S. war crimes committed prior to Dec. 30, 2005. This clause, as well as the Geneva Convention waiver, indicates that the administration knows full well that its acts will be considered war crimes. The only members of the Oregon delegation to vote for this disgusting legislation were Sen. Gordon Smith and Rep. Greg Walden, who coincidentally are the only Republicans in the group. Please thank Sen. Wyden and Reps. Blumenauer, DeFazio, Hooley, and Wu for their futile attempt to uphold the Constitution. God bless America indeed. Greg Lief, Corvallis
STOP WANTON CRUELTY One hundred years ago, famed social critic Upton Sinclair's masterpiece The Jungle exposed the filthy conditions and cruel treatment of animals and workers in Chicago slaughterhouses. The book electrified the nation, led to enactment of the first Pure Food And Drug Act and is generally credited with spawning the U.S. consumer and labor union movements. Unfortunately, it did little to improve slaughterhouse working conditions and even less to reduce the cruelty of animal slaughter. Subsequent Humane Methods of Slaughter Acts of 1958 and 1978 were never funded or implemented. For the last 24 years, World Farm Animals Day (wfad.org) has continued in Sinclair's footsteps, exposing the atrocious conditions of animals raised for food in the world's factory farms and slaughterhouses. On Oct. 2 (Gandhi's birthday), I and hundreds of other caring folks in all 50 states and two dozen other countries planned local educational events including information tables, exhibits, leafleting, marches and vigils. It seems to me that folks who choose to eat animals owe them at least a decent life and truly humane slaughter. They should refuse to patronize a meat industry that cannot meet these minimal standards. Edward Newland, Eugene
KICK 'EM TO THE CURB It appears to me that the U.S. military has come more and more to resemble the old French Foreign Legion, an employer of last resort. They've lately changed the recruitment rules to allow some with a criminal past in. Misfit for the society at large, they are shipped abroad, to Afghanistan, Iraq, Uzbekistan, etc., to serve in an army of occupation, for the "nation-building" project of the U.S. empire envisioned by the Bush gang. The French eventually abandoned their imperial aspirations, as have all others with the sole exception of the U.S. The war on Iraq alone has cost Lane County taxpayers over $2,000 each, and counting. Those whose domestic dream is a police state (the National Security Society) have sowed the wind. They will reap the hurricane. While individuals may act heroically in the heat of battle, the presence of the U.S. military increases local resentment and terrorist recruitment. It's a damn shame that they are dragging the rest of us along with them. We need to put a stop to the extreme and irrational foreign policy we've been saddled with for five years. Throw the bums out! Paul Prensky, Eugene
DEFAZIO AGAINST THE WAR The EW recently published a letter from an opponent of the Iraq War (Lynn Porter, 9/7) who said she plans to vote for Peter DeFazio's Republican opponent to send a "message" to Mr. DeFazio for voting for funding to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan even though he's always opposed the war in Iraq. The only message Ms. Porter will send with that strategy is that she wants to perpetuate the failures in Iraq. Because, unlike Mr. DeFazio, his opponent has been a long time supporter of the war in Iraq and believes President Bush's status quo policy is brilliant. Besides voting against going to war in Iraq, DeFazio has written to President Bush proposing a withdrawal strategy, voted for a Woolsey amendment directing the president to submit a plan to Congress to withdraw our troops from Iraq, has co-sponsored legislation calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, has co-sponsored legislation to establish a U.S. policy against permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq and has co-sponsored the Murtha resolution to bring our troops home as soon as possible. DeFazio has been a vocal critic of the Iraq war since 2002. A vote for his opponent is NOT a vote to end the war in Iraq. It is a vote to PROLONG the war in Iraq (and to go to war with Iran for that matter). Supporting the troops means more than slapping a ribbon on your car. Teresa McSween, Eugene
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