A moment of silence for one ballot measure we won’t be able to vote on this November. 

A total of 15,000 Lane County residents signed petitions asking to vote on the banning of aerial herbicide spraying in Lane County — two years of gathering signatures, and then denied ballot access.

The timber barons have a stranglehold on Lane County government. They threw as many roadblocks as possible in front of this initiative. People who don’t like herbicides contaminating our air, soil, ground water, gardens, fields, school grounds, developing babies, breast milk and our bodies in general have been relegated to a position of less importance than corporate profits.

The timber industry has been in control of laws governing whether neurotoxins, immune disruptors and carcinogens can be sprayed from helicopters in Lane County. Acting through their lawyers and in collusion with 80 percent of the County Commissioners, they denied people the opportunity to express their wishes on the ballot. 

Subsequently, the people replaced Sid Leiken with Joe Berney. Now, hopefully, Heather Buch will be successful in ousting Gary Williams in their November runoff. 

Additionally, an appeal is being heard at 10 am Nov. 5th in County Circuit Court. Maybe democracy will be respected. 

Regardless, we continue to demand justice. There is a growing awareness by voters that people over profit is the crux of most problems in America.

We won’t stop fighting for our rights. As long as evil exists, the battle persists.

Bernadette Bourassa

Eugene