I’d like to bring a little kindness into the elected auditor discussion. Folks on both sides are upset. Political empaths such as myself feel concerned for everyone involved.
Though I disagree with the criticisms offered by the opponents of Measure 20-283, I believe they’re acting on good intentions. Yet no matter how I stretch my mind, their preferences still seem to lead back to benefiting the few rather than the many.
I feel disheartened to see an apparent lack of respect for plain old democracy. That phrase may sound outdated in an era crying out for transparency and accountability, but our city needs more democracy, more citizen empowerment, more independent checks and balances — not less.
I have empathy for the people who perceive flaws in the elected auditor plan. There’s a drive in human nature to see what’s missing, to make things more our own.
I believe in taking time to include all perspectives; At the same time I have no confidence in our City Council’s ability to meet the objectives that the citizens’ initiative clearly and effectively does.
Please contact everyone you know to ensure they’ve sent in their “Yes” on 20-283 and “No” on 20-287 ballots.
Lisa-Marie DiVincent
Eugene
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