LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.Byline: The Register-Guard Consider selling air rights This downtown revival scenario is playing out kind of slow. OK, so a major player who has invested in no small amount of acreage in downtown Eugene would like to develop it after years of planning and cogitating. Some earnest and hardworking business people have also banked on just this occurrence. I must pose the question: Have any of the people involved in this vision considered the silly concept of selling or buying airspace, or more accurately termed "air rights"? Apparently this idea has been used in many large cities all over the world. Oddly enough, when this particular survey maneuver is employed, it results in such unexpected tenant relationships as condominiums and symphony halls There are a number of concert halls known as Symphony Hall. Among the best known are:
v. nes·tled, nes·tling, nes·tles v.intr. 1. To settle snugly and comfortably: The cat nestled among the pillows. 2. and contained within larger buildings, even skyscrapers. I know this sounds a little naive, but think of this: The business owner or land owner sells the airspace above their downtown shop. The new developer spans over the top (easily done structurally these days). The shop owner has the option to sell the rest at a later date at some profit should the development be successful, and all benefit. If the project fails, the shop owner has lost nothing except the real problem, which is lost revenue during construction. That might happen during that vacation they take with some of the money they made on selling the air rights. PAUL DUSTRUD Eugene Fair elections require paper trail We need a paper trail for each election. It is ridiculous that I can get a paper receipt each time I buy gasoline, but it is impossible to get a paper receipt when I vote. It is common knowledge that contents on a computer can be manipulated by using software, and the manipulator can be on the other side of the world. Paper trails and correctly functioning machines are critical to fair elections. The fact that the Republicans don't want them to have paper trails proves my point, since the manufacturers of the voting machine voting machine, instrument for recording and counting votes. The voting machine itself is generally positioned in a booth, often closed off by a curtain to assure secrecy for the voter. told President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney that they needn't worry about losing the last election. SUSAN APPLEGATE Yoncalla Beyond protected speech A wise justice of the Supreme Court once said: "Freedom of speech does not allow one to stand in a crowded theater and shout `fire.' ' It would seem that publishing a cartoon disparaging dis·par·age tr.v. dis·par·aged, dis·par·ag·ing, dis·par·ag·es 1. To speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; belittle. See Synonyms at decry. 2. To reduce in esteem or rank. the sacred tenets of Islam is no less beyond protection. LES MEGGS JAN MEGGS Florence Schools face political agenda The recent Eugene School Board meeting made it all too clear that Superintendent George Russell For other persons named George Russell, see George Russell (disambiguation). George Allen Russell (born June 23, 1923) is an American jazz pianist, composer and theorist. , the school board and Nancy Willard Nancy Willard (born June 26, 1936, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a children's author and poet. In 1982, she received the Newbery Medal for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She lives in Poughkeepsie, New York and lectures at Vassar College.[1]. have a political agenda that has little to do with achieving better education for all our children. The discrepancy between their stated goals and the decisions made show that they have inadequate understanding of the principles of scientific investigation, statistics and human behavior. Why is it OK for some schools to co-locate and not others? Are some people inherently able to get along and resolve conflict while others are not? Do you want to reward those who bully the most with giving them their way? How about statistics? Eastside is no less diverse than most of the other elementary schools elementary school: see school. in south Eugene, including Willard's Edgewood. Want to bet what the average family income is at Charlemagne? Scientific investigation: The Parker-Eastside parents (and I guess teachers, if we are to include the most vitriolic) who have spoken up over the last year are self-selected and therefore feel the strongest. Did Superintendent Russell perform a scientifically valid (random and blinded) study of both schools? Of course not, yet he comes to the conclusion that co-location is unfeasible, because he wants to. I suppose he forgot that these same two schools successfully worked together to put in a new playground. So what's next? Intelligent design? There certainly is some unintelligent design
Unintelligent Design is a satirical reaction to the Intelligent Design movement which claims that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent going on around here. CYNTHIA PALMAN Eugene Government depends on cars Do local, state and federal governments really want to promote alternative transportation like public transit and bicycles, and save resources and the environment by reducing the numbers of cars on the road? No. Why? Because cars make money. The government and businesses want you to drive your car as much as possible. That's why we have the West Eugene Parkway The West Eugene Parkway was a proposed re-alignment of Oregon Route 126 through the western parts of Eugene, Oregon and its suburbs. Highway 126 through western Eugene currently runs along several surface streets (including West 11th Avenue); this route is well-known in the Eugene project, instead of a light rail system using the train tracks that parallel the route of the parkway. That's why there are still concerns about parking at the library despite the presence of a bus depot across the street. That's why the City Council is giving the new Whole Foods store a parking lot next to the new rapid transit rapid transit, transportation system designed to allow passenger travel within or throughout an urban area, usually employing surface, elevated, or underground railway systems or some combination of these. route which will go right by the property - a parking lot paid for by taxpayers. Local government makes money from your car's registration fees, parking and road tax. The police love cars with tickets and violations for every petty thing, as well as towing and recovery of stolen vehicles. When was the last time the police ever cared about a stolen bike? Let's face it, automobiles are big business. The sad and frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: reality of urban planning urban planning: see city planning. urban planning Programs pursued as a means of improving the urban environment and achieving certain social and economic objectives. is that it is geared to the needs of cars, not to the needs of people, and will continue to be as long as the focus of our economy is on cars. ALISA McLAUGHLIN Eugene Darwinist worldview world·view n. In both senses also called Weltanschauung. 1. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 2. A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group. is limiting `We believe that among God's good gifts are human minds capable of critical thought and that the failure to fully employ this gift is a rejection of the will of our Creator.' This statement from the Clergy Letter Project The Clergy Letter Project is an organization that has created and maintains a statement signed by American Christian clergy of different denominations rejecting creationism, with specific reference to points raised by intelligent design proponents. (Register-Guard, Feb. 13) is indeed true. However, employing this gift of critical thinking has led me to reject the conclusion that the theory of evolution is `a foundational scientific truth' or that `to reject it is to deliberately embrace scientific ignorance.' The real question is not scientific, but philosophical. Our society has embraced the idea that truth can be discovered only through the narrow lens of science. However, this philosophy severely limits critical thinking. Truth can be known that is beyond the constraints of the naturalistic nat·u·ral·is·tic adj. 1. Imitating or producing the effect or appearance of nature. 2. Of or in accordance with the doctrines of naturalism. worldview. To dismiss this wider view of truth as `deliberately embracing scientific ignorance' seems to me to be a much more profound ignorance. Scientific study and common sense could suggest that the complexity of a single cell is evidence of a master plan, but not if one's mind is closed by a Darwinist worldview. JUDY PINSON Springfield OHP OHP Oregon Health Plan OHP Overhead Projector OHP Observatoire de Haute-Provence (French observatory) OHP Office of Historic Preservation OHP Oral History Project OHP Occupational Health Psychology OHP Oxford Health Plans Inc. application wasted time Something struck me as rather strange when I applied for the Oregon Health Plan The Oregon Health Plan is the Oregon state healthcare program for low income residents of Oregon. Eligibility Basic eligibility requires that the applicant be a resident of Oregon, as a citizen or otherwise. . My husband and I are both middle-aged students at the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. and we live ridiculously below the poverty level. A little while ago, I became concerned that we do not have health care coverage, so I investigated the OHP to see if we qualified. The Web site gave vague information about eligibility, referring the user to a non-secure Web site - Oregon Helps - that asks for financial information. Not being inclined to enter my financial and personal information where any hacker A person who writes programs in assembly language or in system-level languages, such as C. The term often refers to any programmer, but its true meaning is someone with a strong technical background who is "hacking away" at the bits and bytes. could see it, I called the OHP toll-free number. I was told that the best way to see if I am eligible is to apply, which I did. When I received the denial notice, it informed me that I don't qualify because I'm not 65 or older, pregnant or an illegal alien! I think it's strange that they couldn't have told me this before I wasted my time applying. How many tax dollars are being spent on the processing of applications that a few words over the phone could prevent? ANNE STARKE Eugene PERS a. 1. Light blue; grayish blue; - a term applied to different shades at different periods. pension isn't tax exempt I read with interest the Feb. 12 letter from Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor and social activist. . As a 1999 PERS retiree with 30 years in the system, I pay state tax on my PERS pension. Since retiring, I have been a volunteer with the AARP AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan national organization dedicated to "enriching the experience of aging"; membership is open to people age 50 or older. Founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus as American Association of Retired Persons, AARP now has over 30 million Tax Aide group. In that capacity, I have had the opportunity to work with many PERS and federal pension retirees when they file their state tax returns. Each year, as part of our updated training, we review the Oregon state tax guide. There is no law listed in the 2005 Oregon tax guide that exempts all PERS pensions from Oregon taxation. Without researching the early years of Oregon tax law, it is difficult to say what the tax laws may have been in the past. Tax laws change. I do know that since 1999, my PERS pension has not been exempt from Oregon tax. Regarding federal pensioners, there are specific rules to calculate how much of their pension is taxable. If the federal retiree's years of service were all before Oct. 1, 1991, their pension is exempt from Oregon tax. Those retirees with service after Oct. 1, 1991, use the formula on page 26 of the 2005 Oregon tax booklet to determine how much of their pension is taxable on their Oregon tax return. Each individual federal or PERS retiree's tax situation may be different. Implying that all PERS and federal retirees are not paying state taxes is inaccurate and misleading. JIM BLACKBURN Coburg |
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