Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.Byline: The Register-Guard Practical and visionary I was glad to see the article on the Eugene millrace mill·race n. 1. The fast-moving stream of water that drives a mill wheel. 2. The channel for the water that drives a mill wheel. Also called millrun. (Register-Guard, Dec. 8), and I appreciate Jerry Diethelm for continuing to advocate rebuilding and restoring this local historic treasure. I disagree, however, with reporter Bill Bishop's description of the millrace issue as one "stagnating for decades between the forces of pragmatism pragmatism (prăg`mətĭzəm), method of philosophy in which the truth of a proposition is measured by its correspondence with experimental results and by its practical outcome. and nostalgia." Developing a resource which celebrates Eugene's unique past and future in a way that provides outdoor recreational opportunities with tourist-drawing aesthetic charm would seem to be both financially practical and visionary, rather than "nostalgic." And bypassing this civic opportunity while pursuing a more "pragmatic" project, such as the just-like-every-other, could-be-anywhere-strip expressway we have just non-voted on, seems both short sighted and foolish. LUCIA Lucia frustration causes her to murder husband. [Ital. Opera: Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor, Westerman, 126–127] See : Madness HARDY Eugene A domineering dom·i·neer·ing adj. Tending to domineer; overbearing. dom  i·neer approach
On Dec. 6, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft John David Ashcroft (born May 9 1942) is an American politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. He served during the first term of President George W. Bush from 2001 until 2005. Ashcroft was previously the Governor of Missouri (1985 – 1993) and a U.S. stated: "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: your tactics only aid terrorists." I resent the accusation that I am "aiding terrorists" simply because I criticize the Bush administration's approach. This is not Stalinist Russia or Maoist China. Dissenting voices are part of what makes democracy possible. Officials in President Bush's administration, by walking out of the Kyoto global-warming protocol and the United Nations' racism conference, by nullifying treaty after treaty and by taking a domineering "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists" approach, has made it very difficult for Middle Eastern peoples and governments to work with them in an effort to root out terrorism. The Bush administration could have instead responded to Sept. 11 by listening to and addressing the legitimate concerns of the Middle Eastern people, respecting them and working with them as equals. Because it is human nature to reciprocate re·cip·ro·cate v. re·cip·ro·cat·ed, re·cip·ro·cat·ing, re·cip·ro·cates v.tr. 1. To give or take mutually; interchange. 2. To show, feel, or give in response or return. v. respect, the floor of support would likely have fallen out from under al-Qaeda, leaving the organization weak and exposed. To be fair, the Bush administration did make efforts in this direction. But these efforts have been mixed with a domineering approach that seems tailor-made to spread fear and hatred of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and to create the terrorists of tomorrow. Now this domineering approach is being applied domestically to silence dissent. I for one value democracy too highly to be silenced by the likes of Bush and Ashcroft. DAVID David, in the Bible David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. DUEMLER Eugene Library a joy to behold Daily I purposely go blocks out of my walking day to pass our new library. After visiting magnificent libraries in Corvallis, Bend and Portland, I lamented the fact Eugene, a great city, had lagged behind. If you want to be overwhelmed with joy, observe this state-of-the-art facility that will be opening late 2002. I also stop in the existing library and see the hordes Hordes may refer to:
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the library was closed two days a week. I suggested I had not ever heard of an athletic event being canceled, and certainly not closing a bastion of learning. Ah, those detractors who complain about the parking: Directly across the street is the Lane Transit District A transit district or transit authority is a special-purpose district organized as either a corporation chartered by statute, or a government agency, created for the purpose of providing public transportation within a specific region. bus station, the finest facility of its kind in the state. During these energy-minded times for our society, I have also said "the bus goes there whether I'm on it or not." Try it, you'll like it! If you asked a newcomer how they like Eugene, they always answer simply "I love it." Now you can love all of it! ARTHUR GOLDEN Arthur Golden (born in 1956 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is the writer of the bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha. A member of the Ochs-Sulzberger family (owners of the New York Times Eugene Right path for Eugene? Judging by the home towns listed on letters to the editor, The Gang of 9 would be best served if Eugene city issues were voted on by people who live in other cities. We're doing it all wrong. I gather that Eugene would be an OK place if it weren't for Eugene residents, 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 those darned darned adj. Damned. Adj. 1. darned - expletives used informally as intensifiers; "he's a blasted idiot"; "it's a blamed shame"; "a blame cold winter"; "not a blessed dime"; "I'll be damned (or blessed or darned or officials representing opinions from their current constituencies. On the upside, this does seem to provide a number of folks a call to community involvement, even if it's not their own community. In lieu of that, will citywide elections combined with - I hesitate to use the word "liberal" - infusions of cash, topped with a steady diet of caricatures of our volunteer public servants, be enough to put us on the right path (or expressway)? D. DARRELL JONES Eugene Remove the dams Oregon without salmon? Inconceivable! They simply must be saved. However, I have lost faith in the ability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help. The corps has assured us since the 1970s that it will take care of the problem. Since the proposed modifications to the four lower Snake River Snake River River, northwestern U.S. It is the largest tributary of the Columbia River and one of the most important streams in the Pacific Northwest. It rises in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and flows south and west through Idaho, turning north at dams would cost more than the dams' removal, it would seem that money is talking here. Count me among the large number of citizens, economists and scientists who support removal of the dams. MARIAN STREETER Eugene Experts' advice ignored I was amazed a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. at the proceedings on Dec. 4 concerning Eugene Sand and Gravel's proposed gravel site. Granted, no one in our area likes to see change - even if it's inevitable. If the commissioners had followed the rules regarding significant resources, then they would have unanimously voted yes. Other government agencies and the county's own staff recommended approval of the application and stated that the site is a significant resource, but three of the commissioners didn't bother to follow their advice. This leads me to wonder: Why did the commissioners bother to have state agencies and staff do preliminary studies if they were just going to disregard them? I commend the commissioners who recognized the value of work done by the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, the Department of Land Conservation and Development and two separate registered geologists, all of whom concluded that the site was a significant resource. If anyone understands significant resources, it ought to be the registered geologists and the state agencies who are involved. One of the tasks the commissioners face as elected officials is that of abiding by the laws of the state. Are they so different from other citizens that they don't have to? GREG A. BAUGHMAN Eugene HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, flattens COLA Starting Jan. 1, 2002, my Social Security retirement check will be increased a mere 2.6 percent due to a "cost of living adjustment." On that same date, my Medicare supplemental health insurance (HMO) will go up a whopping 128 percent, to $89 from $39 a month. Needless to say, come Jan. 1 I will be enrolled in another HMO at $55 a month for a comparable coverage plan. After thoroughly researching the market, it was the best I could do. I have been annoyed by the fact that at the start of each new year, my HMO wiped out the "cost of living adjustment" and added on a few dollars. You might say the HMO took away the adjustment and then some. The 128 percent figure is outlandish out·land·ish adj. 1. Conspicuously unconventional; bizarre. See Synonyms at strange. 2. Strikingly unfamiliar. 3. Located far from civilized areas. 4. Archaic Of foreign origin; not native. ! Why doesn't the Social Security Administration cut out the nonsense and eliminate the need for HMOs? It seems the merciful mer·ci·ful adj. Full of mercy; compassionate: sought merciful treatment for the captives. See Synonyms at humane. mer thing to do! MONTE GUARDINO Eugene Deceit part of the job The continuing saga of the Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. ruling that lawyers cannot engage in dishonesty, deceit or misrepresentation misrepresentation In law, any false or misleading expression of fact, usually with the intent to deceive or defraud. It most commonly occurs in insurance and real-estate contracts. False advertising may also constitute misrepresentation. would be hilarious if it wasn't so pathetic. Federal attorneys are saying they can't supervise necessary covert federal law enforcement operations anymore because they would have to be aware of necessary deceit. Am I missing something? Lawyers are, by definition, liars, are they not? Say the words one right after the other, out loud, three times: lawyer, liar; lawyer, lair; lawyer, liar. I don't think it's coincidence they sound so much alike. Every time a defense lawyer takes his client into court and pleads him not guilty, even though he knows he is guilty, is he not lying, being deceptive? When a corporate lawyer, representing a big corporation that has polluted pol·lute tr.v. pol·lut·ed, pol·lut·ing, pol·lutes 1. To make unfit for or harmful to living things, especially by the addition of waste matter. See Synonyms at contaminate. 2. a nearby river, claims his client is innocent even though he knows they're guilty, isn't that being fraudulent, dishonest or deceptive? That's his job. Most lawyers aren't interested in justice; they're interested in having their client's point of view prevail. Or maybe this is one of those cases where the media leave out important but difficult to understand details because they're trying to make the story fit into 30 seconds or be something a fifth-grader could understand. Someone help me out here. What am I missing? I guess there is one other possible explanation - I could be dumber than a fifth-grader. Or a lawyer. GARY CORNELIUS Eugene |
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