LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.Byline: The Register-Guard We're ignoring the big problems Let us define insanity. The biosphere biosphere, irregularly shaped envelope of the earth's air, water, and land encompassing the heights and depths at which living things exist. The biosphere is a closed and self-regulating system (see ecology), sustained by grand-scale cycles of energy and of and civilization are facing collapse because of toxics and greenhouse gases greenhouse gas n. Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. greenhouse gas released as a result of our current lifestyles and industrial processes. Yet, as the entire human race, its leaders, and all its highest institutions around the world foresee this doomsday, we have 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. pushing to spend $200 million to $300 million for new basketball and baseball stadiums. How about spending $200 million on efficiency, conservation, solar energy solar energy, any form of energy radiated by the sun, including light, radio waves, and X rays, although the term usually refers to the visible light of the sun. and research to save the biosphere? We have Eugene, Lane County and the Oregon Department of Transportation, run by the most educated minds in the county, planning to spend $800 million on new freeway projects. No mention in their documents about the end of cheap oil or the collapse of the biosphere. We have the Eugene Water & Electric Board telling us that it must have a brand new $85 million palace on undeveloped land in west Eugene. Is this preparing EWEB EWEB Eugene Water and Electric Board (Oregon) ratepayers for future shortages of water and hydroelectricity when the glaciers feeding our community are gone? What about spending $85 million on energy conservation and efficiency? We have federal and state agencies, again run by the most educated minds in the state, pushing for the good old days of extraction on our publicly owned Publicly owned can refer to:
What are our elected leaders doing to prepare us? Why are the media not exposing this insanity instead of covering stories about downtown or cops or politics? Shannon Wilson Eugene Piercy isn't mayor for all Eugene I don't normally send letters to the editor. But I found it interesting that former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey, along with The Register-Guard's editorial staff, criticized Eugene's current mayor, Kitty Piercy "Kitty" Piercy is the current mayor of Eugene, Oregon, sworn in January of 2005. The press dubbed Piercy's election part of a "shift to the left" for the Eugene City Council. , for failing to support the newest city manager pick, Jon Ruiz. It wasn't until that occurred that Piercy decided it was in her best political interest to put a letter to the editor in the newspaper emphasizing her support for Ruiz. When will Eugene realize that Piercy isn't the mayor for all of Eugene? She continues to stumble on the various issues important to everyday Eugene residents, such as infrastructure, roads and public safety. She's not even capable of doing something as simple as voicing support for the city's newest leader! Come on Eugene, wake up! Bill Ward Eugene BLM BLM n abbr (US) (= Bureau of Land Management) → les domaines is right to revise its plans Sam Porter in his Feb. 5 guest viewpoint is identified as a "courtesy research associate" in the University of Oregon's Sociology Department Noun 1. sociology department - the academic department responsible for teaching and research in sociology department of sociology academic department - a division of a school that is responsible for a given subject whose "research examines the conflict over Oregon's federal forests." Porter passionately argues that the alternatives the Bureau of Land Management is considering for revising its management plans are not "legally defensible de·fen·si·ble adj. Capable of being defended, protected, or justified: defensible arguments. de·fen " because they do not meet the requirements of the National Forest Management Act or the purposes of the Organic Act. As any first-year forestry student knows, these laws do not even apply to the Department of Interior or the BLM. The Organic Act of 1897 created the National Forest System, which is administered by the Department of Agriculture's U.S. Forest Service, and NFMA NFMA National Forest Management Act of 1976 NFMA National Federation of Municipal Analysts NFMA Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (Seattle, WA) NFMA Northumberland Farmers' Markets Association (UK) is the primary legislation guiding the management of these lands. These Western Oregon This article is about the region of Western Oregon. For the University, see Western Oregon University. Western Oregon is a geographical term that is generally taken to apply to the portion of the state of Oregon that is west of the Cascade Range. BLM lands were created by the O&C Act of 1937, and the Federal Land Policy Management Act guides their management. Furthermore, the Northwest Forest Plan is just that, a plan, not a law, that should be periodically updated as situations change. Finally, the BLM is revising its management plans because the NWFP NWFP North-West Frontier Province (northwest Pakistan) NWFP Northwest Forest Plan NWFP Non-Wood Forest Product violates the O&C Act, which clearly states that the O&C lands are "for the purpose of pro-vid-ing a permanent source of timber sup-ply." We can only hope that UO's Department of Sociology Noun 1. department of sociology - the academic department responsible for teaching and research in sociology sociology department academic department - a division of a school that is responsible for a given subject has a higher standard for research than is exhibited here by Sam Porter. Ross Mickey Eugene Substitutes need health care Along with the Beaverton and Portland school districts, the Eugene School District Eugene School District (4J) is a public school district in the U.S. state of Oregon. It serves the city of Eugene Elementary schools
All three districts at this time offer a health insurance opportunity for some substitutes. In current negotiations with the local union, the Eugene Association of Substitute Teachers, the district has put health insurance on the chopping block. Many substitutes currently choose to work more often in the Eugene School District than other local school districts. Many substitutes choose to work as many days as possible in Eugene schools in order to try to qualify for the limited and largely basic health insurance benefit. Substitutes often are told how essential they are to the successful education of local students. The monthly premium for this insurance coverage amounts to about one-third of a substitute's monthly paycheck. With a loss of this availability of some health insurance, substitutes would become the school district's only employees without district health benefit support. Substitute teachers have the same certification as classroom teachers. Substitutes, who often receive 6 a.m. work calls, always are prepared to come in, at a moment's notice, and to teach different groups of students, different subjects and different grade levels on a daily basis. Most substitutes previously have been regular classroom teachers for many years. Please support the substitute teachers' union in our current mediation. If possible, contact a school board member and attend a school board meeting. Pete Ruby Eugene Mitt's millions didn't buy votes As soon as I heard the news about Romney's withdrawal, I could see the headlines: "Mitt hits the fan!" Millionaire Mitt has learned a lesson about the decline of the dollar: You can't even buy votes with it now. Randy Stenersen Eugene Check out these giant potholes I broke up laughing as I read Bill McConochie's suggestion (letters, Feb. 5) for the pothole pothole, in geology, cylindrical pit formed in the rocky channel of a turbulent stream. It is formed and enlarged by the abrading action of pebbles and cobbles that are carried by eddies, or circular water currents that move against the main current of a stream. party, but his might be on the wrong side of town. I suggest fellow Eugene residents check out a few of the potholes for disaster here north of Cal Young Road, especially if you had plans to move here and take a bus to work. Going north on Norkenzie, turn left on Bond Lane and continue very carefully on to Fir Acres Drive, where you have just passed high-density housing. Then left again up to Cal Young once more, where the bus service is almost nonexistent non·ex·is·tence n. 1. The condition of not existing. 2. Something that does not exist. non in recent years. Next, make a right turn onto Cal Young, then another right down Willagillespie Road to Fir Acres, but this time turn left and be very careful! I don't recommend taking a walk in this small neighborhood without perfect vision, especially toward evening or in the early morning hours. It could be a life-altering event for those of us who are living alone. But who to call? I've had no success in more than a decade. So why am I laughing? jean davis Eugene UO balks at information release University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer has said that he would be open and transparent with the public about the new arena, which will be built six blocks from my house. He just sent me and the rest of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association A neighborhood association is a group of residents, sometimes organized as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, who take on problems or organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary or mandatory dues. a lovely letter reiterating this. But apparently he finds it much easier to make these promises than to keep them. I've been trying for months to get a copy of the EcoNorthwest arena report from Frohnmayer's office. It took a petition to the Attorney General just to get UO to admit they had this report. They then said I could buy it for $36.70, but that I might be charged more. I e-mailed Frohnmayer personally and asked him to follow through on his promises and waive this indeterminate That which is uncertain or not particularly designated. INDETERMINATE. That which is uncertain or not particularly designated; as, if I sell you one hundred bushels of wheat, without stating what wheat. 1 Bouv. Inst. n. 950. fee. Oregon's public records law - which he helped write - allows fee waivers when there's a general public interest in the matter. He ignored me. If Frohnmayer is going to go to these lengths to try and hide public records, he should stop claiming he's being open and honest about the arena. It's hypocrisy. I'm not even opposed to the project, just a little worried about neighborhood parking and the peculiar financing scheme. I have no idea if there is anything interesting in this report, but Frohnmayer has sure done a good job of making me curious! My check is in the mail, and if $36.70 won't cover it, he can send me the bill for the rest. Bill Harbaugh Eugene Time to print same-sex births Now that the state of Oregon recognizes civil unions between same-sex couples, I hope that The Register-Guard will finally print their birth announcements. In recent years, this discriminatory policy of not printing birth announcements from same-sex couples has served only to divide our community; continuing the policy would be reactionary at best. Marli Miller Eugene Gas tax cheaper than alignment I just spent $51.95 to get the wheels realigned on my one-year-old car. A 10-cent-a-gallon gas tax would be cheaper for me, and a lot less hassle than taking my car in for realignment re·a·lign tr.v. re·a·ligned, re·a·lign·ing, re·a·ligns 1. To put back into proper order or alignment. 2. To make new groupings of or working arrangements between. every year. Can't we come together to find a way to pay for road repairs? Nancy Nichols Deadwood Deadwood, city (1990 pop. 1,830), seat of Lawrence co., W S.Dak.; settled 1876 after discovery of gold. A Black Hills tourist center, it is also a trade hub for a lumbering, stock-raising, and mining region. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion