Clowns to the Left of Us

How many of you think Eugene’s Climate Town Hall: Community Organizing for Solutions (Feb. 21) will actually result in any meaningful, local solutions to climate change? It’s obvious that many locals are interested in this event, as there’s no more seating available. 

Why is a status-quo politician (Kitty Piercy) giving a keynote address at this event? Will the current mayor, Lucy Vinis, become involved?

“Disempowering the powerful is the step that establishment politicians will not take, no matter how necessary doing so is to solving the problems at hand,” writes Rob Urie in Counterpunch, Feb. 15.

I notice Ms. Vinis being hugged by Trump-like clown Brian Obie in the Feb. 15 Register-Guard. The $75-million expansion of the 5th Street Market is an excellent example of why Community Organizing for Solutions will go nowhere. 

Who will benefit from the environmental impact of doubling the size of the 5th Street Market? Will the construction of high-priced office and retail space, an 82-room hotel and an expensive 127-unit apartment building clash with the goals of Eugene’s Climate Town Hall?

Oh, I should add that Obie is throwing crumbs (50 units of affordable housing) to the real need in Eugene.

Obie Companies agreed to pay out $400,000 for this moderate-income housing and, in return, Obie receives a $4.3 million property tax waiver. This sounds like business as usual in Eugene.

At some point soon, the people who truly care about the future of all life on this planet will need to accept the fact that domination and control are what American capitalism is all about. Until we agree to discuss and implement alternatives, we the people will continue to lose.

Robert Simms

Eugene