Upzoning Is Hypocrisy

Thanks to Paul Conte for calling attention to the destruction of local zoning — dictated by the state legislature and facilitated by the city staff. As Conte explained so well in his Viewpoint “Housing the Rich,” the result of the city’s planned deregulation will be the destruction of affordable housing to build more expensive housing, such as has already happened at 94 and 96 W. 15th Avenue. Under the pretense of increasing housing availability, developers are allowed to replace affordable units with more-expensive houses or apartments, at the same time contributing to climate change by destroying trees and open space.

I can imagine what George Orwell, Jonathan Swift or Mike Royko might say about this hypocrisy.

Betty Taylor

Eugene

Editor’s note: We received a large number of letters in response to Paul Conte’s “Housing the Rich” Viewpoint. More can be found online at EugeneWeekly.com.

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!