Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Question of fairness

Our Eugene City Council's wisdom and fairness is on par with that of the Enron executives. If they were to find ways to fund prostrate cancer research, taxing tampons would seem appropriate to them. Taxing property owners for road repairs ... sure, why not!

The family of seven living across the street from me has six licensed drivers and eight registered vehicles. Included are three SUVs, two premium sedans, a power boat with a trailer and, last but not least, a motor home carrying two motorcycles mounted astern. Several are equipped with studded tires in the winter.

Next door lives a 78-year-old woman who is struggling to make ends meet on her meager Social Security check. She owns no automobile and takes the bus when travel need arises. She would pay the same additional property assessment as the family of seven living next to her.

I'm confused. I don't see the fairness. Would someone from the City Council please enlighten me.

RICHARD CHAIKIN Eugene

A first-hand view

Like President Bush, I also toured a national forest in Oregon last week. I had worked for the U.S. Forest Service on a fire engine crew based out of the Bear Valley Guard Station on the Malheur National Forest many years ago. While driving through the John Day Valley, I saw a large 10,000-acre fire that burned across the north side of Strawberry Mountain Wilderness two years ago. I then drove over to Summit Prairie on the east side. From the prairie, I could see two fires that had burned 5,000 to 15,000 acres each five or 10 years ago. While driving through the Logan Valley on the south side, there was another 5- or 10-year-old fire that had burned another 5,000 to 10,000 acres of the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.

After lunch, I decided to visit my old Bear Valley Guard Station on the west side of the forest to remember the "good ol' times" when we did our best to keep away from the fire bosses in John Day. As I was approaching the guard station, I saw that there was a very recent fire that had burned in the area. I stopped at the guard station and was aghast. The fire had burned right into the guard station and had burned down two of the buildings. Across the Silvies River, the fire had ripped through the forest.

Unlike The Register-Guard editors who appeared to have not read the Healthy Forests Initiative Executive Summary issued by President Bush, I have read the report. The executive summary is a very straightforward and honest assessment of the serious fuels management and wildfire problems facing our public lands. I would encourage the public to read the report which may be found at the following Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/healthyforests/toc.html.

MARTIN DESMOND Springfield

Time for living wage

Now is the perfect time to support the Eugene living wage campaign. At a time of corporate scandals and financial insecurity both nationally and at the local level, here is an economic program to support unequivocally.

Despite criticisms that people may have read, the long-term financial benefits of living wages are documented, meaningful and powerful. They include more job stability, a more satisfied workforce, reduced reliance on social benefits and more spending in the local economy.

And who would object to an ordinance which provides working families enough money to pay their bills and feed their families? It's estimated that 70 percent of Oregon's poor work full time (Oregon State University, 2001 Report on Poverty). As a high school teacher and father of a 4-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter, I am blessed every day to witness an idealism and a clear sense of justice in children who have little patience for what is unfair. Is it not clear that it is unjust, unwise and unacceptable to use public money to provide poverty-level wages? The living wage provides a positive, tangible and politically savvy first step out of our current financial situation.

The Eugene City Council was correct to point out that there are many considerations to look at closely before adopting a living wage. However, The Register-Guard urges the City Council to "abandon plans" for the living wage (editorial, Aug. 14). I urge the editors to please rethink this dismissive position; living wage laws have worked well for communities across the United States and would work well for Eugene. I urge them to be open to the details of this ordinance, and the many options available, before making final judgments.

And to the council members who met on Aug. 12 and committed to pursuing this issue: The families, workers, and citizens of Eugene will notice, appreciate and remember them for doing the right thing for Eugene and for setting a good example for the community.

BEN RAIN Eugene

Respect not deserved

I have to agree with Thomas Brown (letters, Aug. 25) that we should show respect to elected leaders such as Gov. John Kitzhaber. But President Bush? No. He was not elected, only selected by five judges. So far the only thing Bush has shown us is what appears to be the south end of a northbound horse. And we have two more years of this? Heaven help the U.S.A.

LEO HUTTER 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. Mail letters to Mailbag, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440-2188 Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]