Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Voters' intention clear

I have been surprised at what little response there has from the voters of Oregon as to what the elected officials have done with the drug forfeiture money. The elected officials just don't get it!

The voters' intention in approving Measure 3 is very clear. They do not want the spoils of private property that are gained through seizures to be added to law enforcement agencies' budgets. This kind of procedure invites corruption and greed by law enforcement. The district attorney's office and other government agencies need to function within a budget. Government agencies seem to never have enough money to get their job done, and this will never change.

My opinion is that most of our politicians wish there were no voters. That way, they wouldn't have to do slick end runs around the majority of citizens they are supposed to be representing. It's not difficult to understand voter apathy.

DONALD D. STALEY

Dexter

Subdivision rejected

Recently the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the tiny Fire Road Defense League in the matter of an attempted rezone in the flood plain of the Siuslaw River at the end of Fire Road near Lorane. As a result, an inappropriate subdivision will not be permitted.

Of the half dozen questionable issues raised by Norm Maxwell of the defense league, the three judges assigned to the case decided that Lane County's own regulations dictate that all lots involved in an attempt to rezone property must be legal lots, which is not the case at the end of Fire Road. Maxwell continually stated this to Lane County's Land Management Division and developer for two years. The appeals court remanded "Maxwell vs. LMD and developer" back through the Land Use Board of Appeals to Lane County for the original hearings officer and/or the Board of County Commissioners to uphold the current zoning.

The appellate judges have not examined other questionable issues in the case, such as migrating lot lines. On behalf of his family and neighbors, Maxwell has fought the Land Management Division and developer every step of the way - beginning with the county system, through the Land Use Board of Appeals and to the Court of Appeals. Maxwell is now in the driver's seat.

Will the Land Management Division and the developer force Maxwell and the Fire Road Defense League into Oregon's Supreme Court? Surely the Supreme Court has more important cases to decide, and the Land Management Division has more important business to do.

NENA LOVINGER

Fall Creek 

Stop eco-terrorism

Did I read that the eco-terrorists have won by getting their way on the Clark timber sale, which was reduced to 43 acres from 90 acres? The environmental protection movement has been terrorizing the timber industry for so long that its members seem to think it's OK to burn up log trucks, burn public and private buildings, damage crawler tractors, make rubber-tired log skidders inoperable, spike trees, damage roads and cause other costly time losses for workers, mainly because no one is being punished for the crimes.

Those who participate in, encourage or support these activities are terrorists! There are groups of timber terrorists right here in Eugene, and across the nation. People may be unknowingly supporting these groups through contributions. And who puts up the money for transportation, food, shelter, tree-sitting equipment and other supplies used in performing terrorist acts?

It's time we demand a stop to these activities, as we are doing on a worldwide basis. Some help is coming with enforcement of the Racketeeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act of 1970. And the Internal Revenue Service is looking into some groups' non-profit status, which they violate by engaging in lawless activities.

Congress has taken action, with Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., introducing a bill called the Agro-Terrorism Prevention Act. The act provides heavy sentences and would create a national clearinghouse of all crimes "directed at any commercial activity on the environment." Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., has introduced a similar bill called the Environmental Terrorism Reduction Act.

Terrorism is not something that happens just someplace else. It's right here in River City. Let's stop them.

W. REX STEVENS

Eugene

LETTERS LOG

Letters received in past week: 117

Letters published: 59

What's on readers' minds: Twelve letters dealt with various aspects of terrorism and the war in Afghanistan. Ten letters addressed Attorney General John Ashcroft's efforts to combat terrorism on the home front, while two others dealt with his actions regarding Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law. Eleven letter-writers responded, most of them positively, to Otto Poticha's remarks (Commentary, Dec. 9) about Eugene's uninspiring architecture. Seven letter-writers commented on the University of Oregon football team's standing in the Bowl Championship Series rankings; some of these may be published in The Register-Guard's sports section on Sunday.

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