The cities of Portland and Seattle are in the process of possibly passing bills to have their unhoused citizens moved off the streets and encampments to be placed in specific strictly run camps. Right or wrong, these bills may become law due to fatigue with the trash, increasing pedestrian deaths among the unhoused, crime and other issues that come with this tragic and amoral societal horror that our nation has allowed this problem to become.
As communities we bridle at the trash that is left behind and the sense we can’t enjoy our shared trails without seeing so many unhoused camped on them. I’ve often heard complaints from people about feeling they are not safe in these places.
The question is, who is truly responsible for all this misery? Passing bills and taking action to vilify the unhoused, in my opinion, is a misguided way out and misses the larger issue. Among them are that a failed capitalist system has run amok and allowed income inequality to increase to such a degree that thousands of folks have nowhere to go and have become marginalized to the extreme.
As someone who has been helping feed the unhoused for a long time, I’ve seen far too much blame put on the unhoused themselves. Until enough action is taken to make real progress solving the economic issues, maybe we can start as a society to show some empathy and compassion while we understand who and what is really to blame for all this.
Neil Burton
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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