• We keep wondering when the major media and leadership of this state are going to call for significantly more money for public education. Just ask a good teacher. It’s all about more teacher time per student and that costs money. The leadership to get us there is more than political. It’s business, arts, sports — every aspect of the state. On the political side, Oregon House Republicans are complaining this week about Oregon schools’ poor performance and the lack of funding, and yet Republicans adamantly resist any efforts to reform our state tax code. How would R’s improve public schools? Weaken the unions and cut teacher salaries and benefits? Cut social services? Privatize schools with a voucher system? Slash PERS? Republicans haven’t come up with any reasonable solutions so far, just complaints.
Back in the mid-1970s, corporations in Oregon carried 18.5 percent of the state tax burden. But today Oregon corporations pay only 6.4 percent, thanks to Measure 5 and other property-tax limits, plus an absurd bundle of tax subsidies and loopholes, each backed by a special interest lobby. We individual taxpayers are coughing up the $2.2 billion that corporations would be paying under a more fair tax code. See ocpp.org for shocking numbers that Republicans (and even some Dems) are trying to ignore.
• Fires are burning throughout the Northwest, and even if up until now you’ve been able to ignore this fire season on the news, the unhealthy, smoky air last weekend made it hit home. Back in the spring, the National Interagency Fire Center predicted “increasing to above normal” potential for wildfires across the drought-stricken West, including all of Oregon and Washington, which it said could put homes, businesses and ecosystems at risk. That prediction has come to fruition, and it’s put lives as risk too, with three firefighters dead in Washington and at least 39 homes burned in John Day, Oregon. This state is shutting down its climate-change inducing coal-fired power plant, but pondering a Coos Bay liquefied natural gas export facility that would take its place as our largest emitter of greenhouse gases. We need to connect the dots.
• Chip Kelly watchers in Oregon should check out a recent Washington Post story on “Football’s most intriguing figure is also its most unknown” by Kent Babb. Chip’s disdain for the press clearly provokes the sports writers to dig for his story. This story weaves in an interview with Jennifer Jenkins, identified as his wife of seven years early in his career. All that really matters is whether his NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles, win.
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