Eugene Used To Be So Cool

Dear Eugene: Let me see if I understand this. You hold an Abolish the Police rally while the city of Eugene is charging anyone whose employer has a Eugene address a hefty tax for public safety. I live in Lowell, where we have no police and a County Sheriff’s Officer to cover all of Lane County.

All of us who live outside of Eugene have to pay this tax. The reasoning was that if we were at our jobs in Eugene we would benefit from the extra police protection. I have been working remotely for over a year (as have many others, due to the pandemic).

I’m not in Eugene. Why do I have to pay this tax? Good question. The city council won’t answer, the mayor won’t answer, the governor’s office won’t answer. The tax is over six times what the LTD transit tax is. This wasn’t voted on by anyone except the city council. Where is this money actually going? I think that if Eugene citizens want more Eugene police, let them pay for it. Instead, you hold rallies to abolish the police. I don’t and won’t shop in Eugene anymore. You used to be cool, Eugene, but you’ve gotten a little too full of yourself. 

Tasha Drake

Lowell