LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.Byline: The Register-Guard Side issues hurt tax measure This subject of Lane County's law enforcement needs has been covered by The Register-Guard and by TV interviews, but I don't think any covered what I consider to be the main reason Measure 20-114 and previous attempts have failed. In my opinion there are too many side issues included. What the general public wants is a straightforward public protection measure, one that deals with law enforcement, prosecution and confinement. The social side issues - I call them "fluff" - detract from detract from verb 1. lessen, reduce, diminish, lower, take away from, derogate, devaluate << OPPOSITE enhance verb 2. the basic intent of the measure and voters look on that as merely being an opportunity for someone to build another empire having little to do with protection. The main purpose is to have a well-trained, reliable staff for the Lane County justice system. If that is achieved I am sure that we can be more successful when the other issues (fluff) are implemented. Another complaint is the method of taxation. All people will benefit so everyone should carry their fair share. This includes Public Employees Retirement System and federal retirees. No one should get a free ride on this important measure. What it boils down to is to increase the budget for the sheriff (more boots on the ground "Boots on the ground" is an all-purpose term used to describe ground forces actually fighting in a war or conflict at the time of speaking, rather than troops not engaged or being transported to the fighting. ), increase the district attorney's budget (more criminals being prosecuted), and add more jail space (lock that revolving door). RALPH S. HEALY Eugene Increase in crime is coming The sky is falling! In 29 days, recently, 29 crimes - including theft (11), assault and harassment (3), driving violations (10), resisting arrest resisting arrest n. the crime of using physical force (no matter how slight in the eyes of most law enforcement officers) to prevent arrest, handcuffing and/or taking the accused to jail. (1), criminal mischief (2) - were reasons for prosecution with 28 criminals fined $21,784 and sentenced to 64 days, mostly in county jail. But our county jail is full. Up to 35 prisoners are released daily without trial, simply on their promise to return for their trial. Many of them don't. They're commonly picked up in Florence after committing more crimes. Fines? Are you kidding? Most of these criminals are unemployed or unemployable un·em·ploy·a·ble adj. Not able to find or hold a job: unemployable people. un and have no money. Recently one homeless individual answered my question about his fines with, "You can't get money out of a turnip turnip, garden vegetable of the same genus of the family Cruciferae (mustard family) as the cabbage; native to Europe, where it has been long cultivated. The two principal kinds are the white (Brassica rapa) and the yellow (B. ." Yet Lane County's law-abiding citizens refuse to protect themselves by voting for more taxes. Little do they realize criminals are coming closer to their windows and doors and soon many more will be in their pockets, their homes, their houses. JERRY COPELAND Florence Police need more options I experience the death of Ryan Salisbury as a profound tragedy, particularly on the heels of other local deaths due to similar causes. Salisbury was not a criminal, but rather a bright, young, talented person suffering from a medical condition known as bipolar disorder bipolar disorder, formerly manic-depressive disorder or manic-depression, severe mental disorder involving manic episodes that are usually accompanied by episodes of depression. . From what I have read, the police were aware of this when approaching the crisis at Ryan's home. Most people who are having a psychotic break "Psychotic break" is a (layman) term used to describe the first time that a person experiences an episode of primary psychosis. Psychiatrists may informally use the term "psychotic break" in hindsight to describe the first episode of psychosis in a patient who has been diagnosed do not become violent, but when they do, they are not inclined to follow police directives. Furthermore, they may be experiencing severe paranoia or delirium delirium Condition of disorientation, confused thinking, and rapid alternation between mental states. The patient is restless, cannot concentrate, and undergoes emotional changes (e.g., anxiety, apathy, euphoria), sometimes with hallucinations. , causing a strong flight-or-fight reaction accompanied by heightened physical strength. The challenge of quelling a person exhibiting these behaviors is not to be underestimated, and our police officers deserve our respect and support. In that spirit, I would like to advocate for more sensitive policies for dealing with individuals who have a known mental illness, and also for increased procedural options. I support The Register-Guard's Nov. 16 editorial. We as a community can and must do better. There are good models out there and a local police chief who seems sensitive to the issues. Some of us in the community would be willing to help in any way we can. Let's support this family in its tragic loss, and use our energy and creativity to develop a humane system for dealing with these difficult situations. SUE ARCHBALD Eugene Don't dump pets at vet clinics I would like to clear up a matter that is often misunderstood. Some people seem to misinterpret mis·in·ter·pret tr.v. mis·in·ter·pret·ed, mis·in·ter·pret·ing, mis·in·ter·prets 1. To interpret inaccurately. 2. To explain inaccurately. the purpose of a veterinary clinic. A veterinary clinic is a hospital where people seek treatment for their animals. It is not an adoption agency. Yet that is the idea some people have gotten into their heads. They believe a veterinary clinic is a place where they can dispose of pets they no longer want. Veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
Recently three boxes of kittens were dropped off at a veterinary clinic within three days. Each box was tightly sealed and set at the front door. Sixteen kittens were found inside. The clinic became responsible for housing and finding homes for the kittens. Do people really expect a veterinary clinic to be able to care for all of these kittens? There are only so many employees to foster them and only so much cage space. Who is going to pay for all of this? People need to stop dumping their problems on others. People need to spay spay v. To surgically remove the ovaries of an animal. spay, spey to remove the ovaries. See also ovariohysterectomy. spay hook see spay hook. and neuter neu·ter adj. 1. Having undeveloped or imperfectly developed sexual organs. 2. Sexually undeveloped. n. A castrated animal. v. To castrate or spay. neuter 1. their pets to stop the overpopulation overpopulation Situation in which the number of individuals of a given species exceeds the number that its environment can sustain. Possible consequences are environmental deterioration, impaired quality of life, and a population crash (sudden reduction in numbers caused by that leads to animal abandonment. SARAH Sarah or Sarai: see Sara. Sarah (flourished early 2nd millennium BC) In the Hebrew scriptures, the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. She was childless until age 90. STEINKRUGER Cottage Grove Cottage Grove, village (1990 pop. 22,935), Washington co., SE Minn., near the St. Croix River; inc. 1965. There is farming (cattle, sheep, corn, and soybeans) and manufacturing (chemicals and machinery). VA's changes help veterans The editorial "Helping homeless vets" (Register-Guard, Nov. 15) does a great job. Why? Because it calls attention to a recurring problem, which once recognized, can be corrected. Every war produces a threat to vulnerable personalities. Post traumatic stress disorder Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) A disorder that occurs among survivors of severe environmental stress such as a tornado, an airplane crash, or military combat. Symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, flashbacks, and nightmares. existed among veterans of the Civil War. We had no name for it then, but history of the post-war years reveals poorly adjusted soldiers as wanderers, fortune-seekers and petty criminals. The editorial gives credit to the Veterans Administration for adapting its systems to deal with this problem in an effective manner. I would also like to point out that the VA system for health care of vets provides impressive results. Attention to the health of their patients before emergency care is required leads to great economies. If we examined this success and understood how effective it is, we might avoid erroneous judgments about government health care and its presumed failures. BILL WARNER Bill Warner (born January 24, 1881) was an American football player and coach. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Following his playing career, he was the head football coach at Cornell University, the University of North Carolina, Colgate Winchester Bay Rangel's draft bill has a point I read with interest the editorial with a headline that was critical of Rep. Charles Rangel's call for a military draft (Register-Guard, Nov. 22). First, let me state I am not a Democrat, I am not a member of a minority group, nor am I in favor of the draft. It would be devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. if our grandsons were drafted and lost their lives in a war that was started at the whim of a president who himself took steps to avoid being placed in harm's way harm's way n. A risky position; danger: a place for the children that is out of harm's way; ships that sail into harm's way. . I will go a step farther than Rangel by saying that presidents and politicians would be less inclined to send American armed forces into questionable conflicts if there was a chance they themselves would have to give their lives. Before any politician could cast a vote for this nation to enter such conflicts, they should be required to spend 24 hours in a veterans' hospital. Then they would see first-hand some of the results of their vote. It is so much easier to send someone else to die or suffer catastrophic wounds than make the same sacrifice. Although Rangel knows the draft he advocates has little chance of passing, he is seizing the opportunity to point out something that many do not want to hear. His message is that an unfair price is being paid by the poor and middle class. Many of the enlistees join the military, as I did, to escape poverty. What a terrible country this would be if we didn't have representatives like Charlie Rangel who dedicate their political lives to keeping the greedy, uncaring and intolerant in check. LEO ROBERTSON Coos Bay Coos Bay (k  s), city (1990 pop. 15,076), Coos co., SW Oreg., a port of entry on Coos Bay; founded 1854 as Marshfield, inc. 1874, renamed 1944.
Impeachment impeachment, formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct. In a looser sense the term is sometimes applied also to the trial by the legislature that may follow. a waste of time There have been only three House impeachments of a president; there have been no Senate convictions. Thanks to his attorneys general, President Bush probably has plausible deniability Plausible deniability is the term given to the creation of loose and informal chains of command in governments and other large organizations. In the case that assassinations, false flag or black ops or any other illegal or otherwise disreputable and unpopular activities become for many illegal actions. Impeaching Bush would be a waste of time and energy when there are many calls for legislative action. Congress can undo some of the more egregious offenses against the Bill of Rights such as the denial of habeas corpus habeas corpus (hā`bēəs kôr`pəs) [Lat.,=you should have the body], writ directed by a judge to some person who is detaining another, commanding him to bring the body of the person in his custody at a specified time to a in the deeply flawed military tribunal law. Congress can restore its own badly neglected oversight functions. Lawmakers can develop plans to assure the safety of our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, to stop war profiteering and to assist our veterans. They can start to put the nation's fiscal house in order by settling on a fair exemption to estate taxes, not renewing the tax breaks for the wealthiest, reducing the impact of the alternative minimum tax on the middle class and raising the minimum wage. They can make meaningful changes to ethics rules and can enact laws governing election reform and lobbying excesses. Lawmakers can put America on the road to greater energy efficiency and to more responsible world citizenship with respect to global warming. They can address affordable health care and prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, costs. Each of these areas can draw support from Republicans as well as Democrats. Impeachment cannot. Many of the actions of Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and their ilk are despicable; let Congress act to make them irrelevant. WILLIAM MAY Eugene The Register-Guard welcomes letters on topics of general interest. Our length limit is 250 words; all letters are subject to condensation. Writers are limited to one letter per calendar month. Because of the volume of mail, not all letters can be printed. Letters must be signed with the writer's full name. An address and daytime telephone number are needed for verification purposes; this information will not be published or released. Mail letters to: Mailbag, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440-2188 Fax: 338-2828 E-mail: rgletters@guardnet.com |
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