Before Eugene Weekly issues its November election endorsements, I urge the editors to look closely at what is arguably the most important statewide race.
The secretary of state is Oregon’s chief elections officer. We should expect that person to honor voter decisions and protect and promote citizen participation in the political process.
Shemia Fagan has done exactly the opposite. During her time in the Legislature she joined her fellow Democrats, including all of them from Lane County, in violating two voter mandates (Measures 97 and 88) via House Bills 3427 and 2015. Fagan and her colleagues, using an underhanded political move (HB 2164), killed the citizen referendum against their multi-billion-dollar gross receipts tax.
They continued their assault against voters with bogus “emergency” clauses to prevent referendums and with Senate Bill 761 which suppressed citizen initiatives. In summary, Fagan’s message to voters is “Shut up and obey — and don’t you dare challenge our decisions!” Is this the kind of representation we want from our Secretary of State?
Kim Thatcher opposed the foregoing abuses. She has repeatedly tried to rein in the use of fraudulent “emergency” clauses only to have the Democrat majority consign these efforts to the trash bin. Thatcher will protect the election process. She will respect voters and their decisions and won’t try to revoke them. She deserves our votes on Nov. 3. Fagan most assuredly does not.
Jerry Ritter
Springfield
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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