The Oregon Legislature and local jurisdictions are scrambling for solutions to what they’re calling a housing crisis. House Speaker Tina Kotek claims, “The reality is we’re just not building enough housing… and if we’re going to grow as a state we need to change that.”
Even if, for example, changing that “reality” results in the aesthetic and cultural degradation of historical single-family neighborhoods.
But the housing problem is only a symptom of the larger population problem, political turf most fear to tread. Politicians and administrators consider it their charge to promote and accommodate growth, but, as air, water and ground pollution increase and the planet continues to heat up, growth has shown it will not be accommodated, nor, for those increasingly feeling its pinch, tolerated.
Despite a common refrain to the contrary, overpopulation and the growth it spurs are not inevitable; they’re a matter of choice, a matter of policy.
Overuse and abuse has led to quotas in popular hiking and boating areas. To meet the goals of our land use protection system legislators would do well to forego accommodation for restraint.
Tom McCall, where are you when we need you the most?
Robert Emmons
Fall Creek
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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