Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Bush showed hypocrisy

The sublime irony is that on the very day Wayne Hazard's letter (March 27) appeared criticizing Terry McAuliffe and Democrats for raising money, President Bush was demonstrating once again that he is a liar, a coward and a hypocrite.

The lie: Candidate Bush vowed to oppose Sen. John McCain's campaign finance bill, but once this poll-watching administration realized that the public supported it and was beginning to question Bush's money ties to Enron, he flip-flopped and signed it.

The cowardice: Not wanting to offend his money-grubbing base, Bush signed the bill with no media present. If there were no media present, does that mean it didn't happen? McCain didn't even learn of the signing until later in the day.

The hypocrisy: Then how did Bush spend the rest of his day? Flying around in Air Force One raising soft money for Republicans for this fall's election.

Hazard calls us to join the rest of the Republican dukes on the "moral side" as they return us to war and recession, deficits and disinformation, but the majority of Americans long for the return of the peace and prosperity, surplus and sanity that we experienced for eight years because of President Clinton's extraordinary leadership.

CHARLES VARANI Eugene

Many parkway questions

As a resident of West Eugene, I think it's remarkable how many Register-Guard readers have written letters to the editor opposing the building of the West Eugene Parkway.

All of these letters have stated familiar arguments. But here are some thoughts and questions to ponder: With two roads already converging at the eastern edge of Fern Ridge Lake, why do we need a third? The vote on the parkway was not a majority, unless there's a new definition of 1 percent.

Are those people in favor of this project living in West Eugene, and are they aware of the significant contributions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Land Management to the quality of life in this part of the city? Have parkway proponents considered what will happen to the rest of the infrastructure (roadways) if this project begins (the cost has has already escalated beyond $100 million)?

How will the parkway proceed once it reaches Belt Line Road? If a roadway really is necessary, why not extend Roosevelt Boulevard? Anyway, I'm sure everyone gets the point; there are many more questions than answers.

STEVE COADY Eugene

A fine school chief

In response to Kat Summerlin's criticism (letters, March 27) of Springfield School Superintendent Jamon Kent, she should remember the saying, "When you point a finger, three fingers point back at you."

Let's look at some facts: When Kent started in 1994, there was no alternative education program; now there are four in the district, 10 outside the district, and a "turnaround" school. As a result, the dropout rate has decreased from 10 percent to 5 percent. When Kent started, the district had about $5 million in annual grants; now there is $12 million in grants for student programs. When Kent started, there were 578 teachers, 21 schools and 21 administrators; now there are 605 teachers, 24 schools and 20 administrators.

Kent obtained additional funding for middle school after-school and other student programs totaling over $8.5 million. As a result of his efforts, reading scores have improved to the point where nearly 90 percent of third-grade students are successful readers. As for the budget cuts, let's not blame it on any one person but spread it around, starting with the legislators and the taxpayers who don't vote. Finally, Summerlin should ask herself: What has she done to create better schools?

I think it is time Springfield School District residents stop letting the perpetually dissatisfied 10 percent speak for us. Summerlin's view is obviously one-sided. I am confident that the school board realizes what a caring, sincere, experienced superintendent we have. As far as Summerlin's statement that Kent is "dragging the district down," she is sadly mistaken. The facts speak for Kent's excellent performance.

REICA HERBISON Springfield

Voters have spoken

Lisa-Marie Divincent (letters, April 1) suggests we stop the West Eugene Parkway and institute her alternative solutions to west Eugene traffic problems. What part of the word "vote" does she not understand?

In the ballot referendum of November 2001, the Eugene City Council asked Eugene citizens whether they should consider alternative solutions to the parkway. The voters said absolutely not! They voted against alternative solutions in an overwhelming fashion, 68 percent to 32 percent.

One can only wonder why Divincent continues to believe her "solutions" are more important than the vote of the people. On the other hand, her letter was offered on April Fools' Day - maybe she was just kidding. Maybe she really does believe we live in a democracy and that votes really do count. Yeah, that's it.

TOM SLOCUM Eugene

Votes should count

Recently the Lane County Planning Commission recommended approval on various plan amendments that are necessary to facilitate the construction of the West Eugene Parkway.

The commission had the integrity to honor Eugene's recent vote to build the parkway. What remains to be seen is whether the other adopting governmental agencies in Eugene, Springfield and Lane County will make the same straightforward decision in the coming weeks. And I can't help but think of the irony in timing on which those decisions will be made.

Here we are in the primary election season, with candidates and campaigns all asking for our vote - a vote that each needs to be elected. Meanwhile, a group of elected and appointed officials could very well be deciding that our vote on the parkway really didn't mean anything.

It will be interesting to see if council and commission members will actually disregard the public vote of last year's two ballot measures that gave clear direction to build the parkway.

Hopefully, our elected and appointed officials will honor the voting results of the people in Eugene and approve the plan amendments necessary to facilitate the construction of the parkway. Otherwise they need to explain why your vote on the parkway really doesn't count.

DEBORAH P. JEFFRIES Eugene

Let go of old myths

In response to Bob Strelow's letter of March 30: It's true that there was no Palestinian state before 1948, but there wasn't a Lebanon, Jordan, Syria or Israel, either. All were part of the Ottoman Empire. When Western allies partitioned the area into the Arab states that we know today, tribes and religious sects were thrown together to compete for leadership. Brutal civil wars ensued.

While there was no Palestinian state, there were Palestinians. In the 1948 war, the Jewish army emptied more than 400 towns, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Yes, Resolution 242 proposed two states, one Palestinian and one Israeli, but there was no political or military structure to enforce the plan. Yes, Israel absorbed Jews expelled from Arab lands. But Israel was in a hurry to repopulate the land with Jewish settlers. The new Arab states, mired in conflict themselves, had no such incentive to take in Palestinians.

There is a way out. I hope Israel follows the lead of Jewish Israeli war hero Ami Ayalon, retired head of the Israeli navy and of the Israeli internal intelligence. He advocates giving up most of the settlements for a Palestinian state. Numerous opportunities have been lost and atrocities committed. Not all Palestinians are suicidal. Many are ready for peace. If we want to help our friend and ally Israel, we need to let go of the myths of the past, acknowledge our hand in this tragedy, and commit ourselves to a diplomatic solution.

JULIE WHITMORE Eugene

Cigarette tax regressive

In The Register-Guard's April 5 editorial lauding the value of a cigarette tax, the editors cite the Department of Human Services Report. Apparently they didn't read Page 8 of that report, from which the following facts can be gleaned about this tax: that 79 percent of adults pay no cigarette taxes, that almost 60 percent are paid by households earning less than $25,000 per year, that 87 percent of households that earn over $50,000 per year pay no cigarette taxes, and that 30 percent is paid by households earning less than $15,000 per year.

Regardless of the wonderful uses the revenues will be put to, regardless of the laudable reduction in smoking that the tax forces, it is still a tax. And this particular tax is, in the most obscene and unprecedented extreme, a tax on poor people (in great measure, poor nonwhite people, since nonwhites represent 79 percent of smokers).

The Register-Guard's editorial discusses a tax without considering perhaps the most important aspect - on whom the tax burden will fall. Not only is that slipshod journalism, it doesn't smell very good when, based on some assumptions about pay scale and ethnicity, chances are that no more than 4 percent of the editorial staff that's so enamoured with this tax would pay one dime.

JOHN BIGGS Cottage Grove

Give peace a chance

I can't believe the misinformation I'm reading in Mailbag concerning the latest Middle East situation.

The Israelis are not murderers and terrorists. Are they supposed to sit around while their people get slaughtered daily by Islamic zealots? Israelis are peace-loving people. Yes, the Palestinians want an independent state, but they don't want to live next door to the Israelis. The simple fact remains that Palestinians, and Arabs in general, hate the Jews. They have for centuries. Why did militant extremists kill former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat? It was because he was making peace with Israel.

Several times Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat was offered a chance to form a Palestinian state, but he turned it down. Several weeks ago, Israel, at the request of the United States and others, pulled its troops back from the West Bank in an effort to try and work out a peace agreement. What happened? More terrorist bombings. Who danced in the street during the fall of the World Trade Center in New York? The Palestinians are bullies who went looking for a fight. Now that Israel has responded, they're crying to the world, "Look what they're doing to us. We're so innocent."

We could have peace in the Middle East if the Palestinians and other Arabs would give peace a chance. I wonder if Cat Stevens is singing "Peace Train" anymore. Palestinians are in shambles by their own choosing. They who live by the sword, die by the sword. As John Lennon said: "All we are asking is give peace a chance."

CAL CROWE Florence

CAPTION(S):

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: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]