I’ve read how much Rep. Peter DeFazio should be appreciated for the benefits he brought to all Americans. Well, he sure enjoyed plenty of benefits himself, including a salary far above a living wage, generous time off from work, universal medical benefits for himself and his congressional cohort and an excellent pension.
All those benefits he voted to give himself. Too bad over his long career he couldn’t get around to voting to give us the benefits he enjoys: a living wage, relaxed working conditions, free universal health care and an adequate pension. I say, good riddance to DeFazio and all his compatriots who refuse to give us the benefits they enjoy, at our expense, as taxpayers.
Trisha Driscoll
Eugene
Editor’s note: According to Peter DeFazio’s office, Congressman DeFazio has voted against and turned back every congressional salary increase since being elected to Congress. Instead, for more than a decade he has linked his salary to cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security recipients and returned the excess pay to fund scholarships for displaced workers and low-income students at community colleges in southwestern Oregon. By the end of 2021, he will have turned back more than $445,000 to fund well over 270 scholarships and deficit reduction. Further, there is no special health care plan for Members of Congress. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), all Members must receive — and pay for — a health care plan through the ACA.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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