Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Be ready at border

As an occasional traveler to Canada over the last 20 years, I had crossed the border on numerous previous occasions. I knew that security was tighter since Sept. 11, and I was prompted by the signs to "have identification ready" as we approached the border control booth.

The agent looked disdainfully at my Oregon driver's license and asked for "proof of citizenship," such as a birth certificate or passport. Pleading ignorance of the new requirement was no excuse; it is the traveler's responsibility to know the requirements. Passing the time in the line at immigration was amusing - we traded stories about what we had said that ticked him off, but we got the message.

Crossing international borders with a nod and a smile is a thing of the past. So for all you travelers visiting our Canadian neighbors to the north, bring proof of citizenship - a birth certificate (preferably with a raised seal) or a passport (even an expired passport proves citizenship). It will keep your travel on schedule (that's "shedule" in Canadian).

CARLA LUX Eugene

Voters have alternatives

I have been a registered Libertarian since I came of voting age in the late 1970s. I am currently secretary of the Libertarian Party of Coos County. The Libertarian Party is made up of many former Republicans and former Democrats, as well as those who have always been independent.

Candidates on the Libertarian ticket offer an alternative for voters who don't feel they are being represented by the Republican or Democratic parties. They are not in the race to be spoilers. They offer a serious alternative, even if they don't seriously expect to win.

From what I read, many voters feel tired of the partisan politics and the sad results that we are getting from our elected officials. When things aren't working, we should look seriously at alternatives. Some Libertarian ideas may seem radical, but if you take the time to study them you may find our ideas quite rational. I invite readers to check out the web site LP.org for more information.

People should cast an honest vote, and no one should feel a blind allegiance to vote their registered party line. Someday, when there are enough people fed up with the two parties in power, we will see the Libertarian candidate as a contender - not just a wild card. I hope to see more coverage of all candidates in The Register-Guard.

CINDY RAWLINGS North Bend

Morality by consensus?

Kudos to the Eugene Human Rights Commission for being able to define morality and taking only an hour and a half to do it (Register-Guard, July 31). That's a remarkable achievement, given the climate of diversity Eugene is famous for. I sense a couple of problems with this accomplishment, however.

First, just whose standard of morality is the commission trying to force on us? Surely, it is not proposing morality by consensus? Are we to determine what is or is not moral by voting on it?

Secondly, since when does, as Karen Lundblad claims, a label make a person immoral? It is true that God loves us despite our labels; however, it is he who decides what is or is not moral.

Doug Smyth said it best. "But I'd also like to ask you, is this enough? ... In a few years I will be back, and I'll be asking you for more." In this city of intelligent, enlightened people, are there any who see a problem with subjective morality?

DAVID E. ABBALE Eugene

Comparisons revealing

Regarding reporter Scott Maben's excellent article on the Eugene Water & Electric Board's salaries ("Big Payday" July 21), the chart comparing EWEB and nine other utilities was mind-boggling.

Choosing to compare EWEB with only those that also include water service (seven of the 10 shown) still shows marked overages in EWEB's number of employees vs. its number of customers and overall salaries, particularly in the manager's total compensation.

Compare, for example, Modesto's 243 customers per employee, or Clark County, Washington's, 468 customers per employee to EWEB's 176 customers per employee. Looking at total revenue billed, Modesto, with almost 20 percent more customers, billed $373 million, whereas EWEB billed $358 million. Clark County, with almost double EWEB's customers, billed only $283 million, and its manager made $32,000 less total compensation than EWEB's.

When the article noted that EWEB general manager Randy Berggren's pay was "slightly less than average" his total pay is actually $35,000 higher per year than his base salary of $129,378 (if he stays until 2005 - who thought this one up?) His total pay was exceeded by only two other managers of utilities that are four and six times larger than EWEB!

How about asking Maben to do a similar article on the city of Eugene, with a chart comparing total population vs. the number of employees and salaries for several cities of comparable size? He could also include what the city of Eugene is doing with the extra 6 percent revenue from all those 43 percent extra EWEB billings.

JANE MONTGOMERY Eugene

Time for secession

West Lane County citizens should secede from Lane County.

Leftist extremists dominate Lane County. Citizens west of Eugene are the politically marginalized hostages of this socialist regime. West of Eugene, citizens generally oppose tax increases, and assisted suicide is considered a rude attempt to cull elderly folks. Must these Eugene liberals control birth and death?

I wish these Calif-Oregonians would spare west Lane County citizenry the indignity of their socialist domination games. Not content to ruin Eugene, these Marxists intend to hijack the power of west Lane County resources and population while snickering at the rural and family values that make us unique.

Let's redraw the county's boundaries east at Interstate 5 and west at Fern Ridge. The socialist Republic of Eugene can then ban new business and construction, legalize drugs and prostitution, burn all churches and legalize marriage to pets. Those who burn Nike outlets in Seattle to save shrimp in India will remain alone in a Eugene-sized Lane County that would qualify as the first U.S. insane asylum county!

Thomas Jefferson once said "the majority should rule, but never let the majority be a tyrant over the minority." The phonies and demagogues in Lane County government are tyrants - neither leaders nor representatives, but an affront to democracy and a malignant disgraceful aberration in Lane County.

THOMAS KEHLER Walton

Focus on thinning

Rick Gehrke's July 27 letter stating that tree-sitting is akin to burning down corporate offices is absurd and inappropriate.

Basil, the woman who lived in a tree at the Berry Patch timber sale for more than two weeks, deserves support, not inflammatory and cruel statements. The true eco-terrorists are those who want to destroy our forests and put Basil's life in danger by denying her food and water and who felled trees only 20 feet away from her platform.

I agree with Gehrke that fighting fires is dangerous. Firefighters in the forest have to put their lives at risk, as other forest defenders do, because of greed. The timber industry and supporters of destructive logging practices are exploiting the current forest fire season for financial gain.

Fires are currently so widespread because 100 years of fire suppression and clear-cuts turned tree farm plantations that are now tinder boxes. Some forest advocates support thinning of small-diameter trees within these plantations. If the industry wants an end to controversy and fire reduction, it should pay attention and turn the focus to these types of projects. Labor-intensive thinning and restoration of these areas will also provide more jobs.

On the contrary, logging corporations and the Bush administration are pushing for logging of large trees in remote areas that do nothing to reduce risk to homes and communities. Let's save what remains of native forests and restore the rest. It's right for the forests, the ecosystem, and citizens of Oregon.

LISA DENETTE Eugene

Bozievich is no spoiler

The Register-Guard's July 29 editorial comment regarding the "spoiler" status of Libertarian Party candidates is well taken. However, there are Oregon statehouse races this year in which the Libertarian candidate is definitely not a spoiler, and one of them is right here in Lane County.

The contest for House District 13 (North Eugene, River Road and part of Santa Clara) is a two-party race between a Democrat and a Libertarian. The Libertarian's name is Jay Bozievich. He is not running to take away votes from anyone; he is running to win.

Democrats will find his stand on social issues compatible with their own, putting the lie to the "conservative" epithet usually hurled at Libertarians. Republicans will like his views on taxes, regulation and the size of government. Independents will appreciate the fact that he is not beholden to either of the major parties' back-room power brokers.

I urge The Register-Guard to take a look at the District 13 race. Bozievich isn't running to spoil anyone; he's running to make things better for Lane County.

KEN BARBER Eugene

LETTERS LOG

Letters received in past week: 114 Letters published: 60

What's on readers' minds: No single subject dominated the mail this week. Seven letters dealt with violence in the Mideast. Four letters addressed each of the following topics: corporate financial scandals, the evolution-creation debate and forest management issues. Three letter-writers commented on the closure of the All Women's Health Services clinic in Eugene.

- The Register-Guard