Shannon Wilson’s recent plea about local action on the housing crisis (“Building a Luxury Hotel While People Sleep in the Streets,” Letters 4/8) comes at the right time and sets a good example. This is a time where America is clearly faced with a fork in the road: equity, or the status quo that leaves the majority of Americans behind. With 10 million Americans paying over 50 percent of their income for housing, the increasing number of hungry, homeless and the unemployed, it is time for this critical choice.
The recent COVID relief bill began the road to equity, but most of the bill is temporary. The increase in the child and earned income tax credits alone could cut child poverty in half, if made permanent. So use your voices, a privilege in our democracy, to write, call and virtually visit your members of Congress, calling on them to make these tax credit increases permanent and pass new housing legislation and other bills to help our country travel the road to equity. Then follow up, follow up, follow up.
If we stay silent, the choice will be made without us, most likely continuing the status quo.
Willie Dickerson
Snohomish, Washington
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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