Lane County’s homeless population increases by about 130 per month. It is the cost of housing and living in general, imposed by government, which is a principal cause of homelessness. Zoning restrictions, building codes, permit fees and trade restrictions make construction of unsubsidized “affordable housing” impossible.
Increased taxes on transportation, fuel, license fees, franchise fees and utility costs, coupled with a compounded 3-percent annual increase in property taxes, an endless sequence of bond measures and a usurious 16-percent interest on delinquent property taxes, all of which “fly under the radar” of the CPI, push those on the edge over the edge.
With a health care system designed to enrich the medical/industrial complex while bankrupting the patient, the primary causes for the housed becoming un-housed are fairly evident. Generally, they are omitted from discussion. Efforts to provide for the homeless population are welcome and well overdue, but only by acknowledging and addressing the many causes of homelessness can remediation succeed.
Instead of recognizing the situation and finding ways to make city operations efficient enough to provide needed services with the substantial taxes already collected, Eugene has exacerbated the situation by imposing yet another tax on its residents and businesses.
Marc Shapiro
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
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