DON’T LIKE HOLVEY? THERE’S AN ELECTION FOR THAT

As a life-long Democrat, I strongly oppose the efforts to recall Paul Holvey from the Oregon Legislature. Holvey has repeatedly demonstrated strong support for labor and progressive politics. It is ironic that a lone union leadership is interested in recalling him. If you don’t like him, vote against him. Trying to recall him is an abuse of the system and a false accusation against an honest and courageous representative.

Munir Katul
Eugene

‘NO’ TO THE RECALL

The full-page ad in the August 10 edition of Eugene Weekly said, “Paul Holvey is not a bad person, but we deserve a better state representative.” That says it all. While Holvey may fit that description, that is not a reason for a recall. That is what elections are for.

John Bredesen
Eugene

RECALL HOLVEY FOR BEING UNRESPONSIVE

I’ve written the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative several times regarding the meager options for bottle returns here in Eugene, a city approaching 200,000 people.  No response.

I submitted several letters to the editor when The Register-Guard printed them, addressing the breach of public trust regarding recycling and the lack of bottle/can return options plaguing our “progressive” state.

I wrote to Rep. Paul Holvey and attached documentation, info and suggestions regarding the lack of options our community has for bottle and can returns here in Eugene. No response.

I support the recall of Paul Holvey. No thank you for your input. No acknowledgement. No reply.  No recognition of any kind.

It’s like he doesn’t really exist.

Robin Kelly
Eugene

WHY IS A UNION ATTACKING HOLVEY?

I am deeply disturbed that a union has launched an effort to recall state Rep. Paul Holvey. This effort is driven by false claims that Holvey has made “repeated attacks on the livelihoods” of Oregon workers and “shown allegiance to large corporations.” It’s also worth noting that no other union in Oregon is supporting this campaign.

Holvey’s exemplary 20-year record of fighting for workers, consumers and small businesses forcefully refutes these claims. Having worked with him on numerous occasions as a labor and political activist, I have direct knowledge of his many legislative achievements.

As a union carpenter with deep roots in the labor movement, Holvey worked diligently to create new standards, protections and opportunities that have improved the lives of working Oregonians. He led efforts to increase the state minimum wage, offer paid sick leave to Oregon workers, provide farm workers with overtime pay and expand apprenticeship programs. He has fought to curtail predatory loan practices that harm consumers and has sponsored legislation that granted small businesses tax relief to help them during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. His career has been marked by a rare combination of persistence, passion and principle that have earned him the respect of his colleagues and his constituents.

In the words of a famous labor song, Holvey has always known which side he is on. Voters in District 8 should reject this ill-advised recall campaign and stand in solidarity with one of Oregon’s finest and most effective elected officials.

Bob Bussel
Eugene

NO STADIUM AT THE FAIRGROUNDS

Forty-three million dollars may not sound like a lot of money for some, but, with the pandemic and all the economic upheavals for everyone, I would hope that $43 million can be put toward many immediate needs in our city, county and state. For example, health care, housing, jobs, education and more. 

The Elmore family, Donna Frame Tuttle and the shareholders of the San Francisco Giants have $43 million. They can build a stadium anywhere. The location of the Lane County Fairgrounds isn’t an appropriate site for any stadium. It’s a residential neighborhood. The Fairgrounds has many annual and seasonal events plus has the potential to create even more events. Maintaining a place for emergency preparedness with all the fires and natural disasters that may occur is crucial. 

The city and county can hold public hearings now, regarding the building of a new stadium at the Fairgrounds. We do not need to vote on a bond measure. And what would be the environmental impacts of building and maintaining a stadium at the Fairgrounds? With almost 400,000 people living in Lane County, I think our priorities need to be with what people truly need. 

Planet Glassberg
Eugene 

THE STADIUM PLAN IS ALL ABOUT GIVING AWAY PUBLIC RESOURCES

I live near the Fairgrounds. The discussion of whether baseball is a good idea for the neighborhood is the wrong conversation. That is a frame designed by marketers who are paid by developers to get the win. The win is to transfer public resources, lands and funds into private control.

Developers extend their profit when they acquire public resources. Marketers argue this transfer of value is for public benefit. That frame, about the future, is extremely vague. Professional marketers sway the public and our officials with a positive vision. The public loses, exchanging material value for a rhetorical pie in the sky.

The framed counter-argument is also designed by the same marketers. A straw man argument gives the illusion of a righteous contest but is designed to lose. The lifeless “No Stadium at the Fairgrounds” vs. “Pie in the Sky” work together to strip the public of resources and extend private, individual and corporate control.

Manipulation marketing works on our human psychology, our hopefulness and fear. Through this method, private interests, kings and corporations seize resources while the public is stripped of the commons. 

The only conversation we should be having is whether it is or is not a good idea to continue to give the commons to private interests.

Otis Haschemeyer
Eugene

EDUCATION SHOULD ALWAYS BE CHALLENGING

Recently, the 2023 Idaho Teacher of the Year winner was harassed so frequently by right-wing parents and community members that she decided to leave the state to pursue a different career. What exactly was she harassed about? She committed the ultra-conservative sin of discussing world cultures and recognizing the existence of the United Nations. In a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1816, he said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

Education is not limiting but liberating. Education should challenge us and our ideas, and lead us to challenge the world in which we participate. Education should reveal our prejudices and misconceptions. Ideally, education should lead us from knowledge to wisdom and understanding.

In the 4th century BCE, when asked where he was from, Diogenes of Greece said “I am a world citizen.” To prepare us for living in the current world, education should develop us to be citizens of the world.

Christopher and Deb Michaels
Eugene

UNLINK FROM CENTURYLINK 

We live approximately 14 miles south of Eugene in a rural area. CenturyLink is our landline carrier. We have had no landline service for a week and a half now. There is no communication from CenturyLink, and it is next to impossible to reach a real person to talk to.

Our neighbor is 87 years old and has many medical issues. He does not have a computer, nor does he have a cell phone. He had a medical emergency in the midst of the phone outage and had to try to physically get himself to a neighbor’s so he could be taken to the emergency room and be taken care of.

This is 2023. It is hard to believe that we could possibly be without phone service for so long and, even more important, why is it that those of us who live in rural areas are the least and last served when it comes to communications, whether it be phones or wi-fi, etc.

CenturyLink is tone deaf and has very poor customer service. We will certainly be looking at other options.

Marion Sproul
Eugene

CORNEL WEST OFFERS A NEW APPROACH

You know, it’s truly disappointing to witness the Democratic Party resorting to fear-mongering tactics. Their attempt to frame a vote for Cornel West as somehow aiding Trump is nothing but a distortion of the truth. In fact, supporting West’s candidacy represents a principled stand against not only the Trump administration but also the Biden administration’s shortcomings.

When you cast a vote for West, you’re not just rejecting the status quo; you’re demanding a better future for all Americans. It’s about advocating for essential rights like health care and housing that should be accessible to every individual, regardless of their socioeconomic background. West’s campaign underscores the importance of prioritizing the needs of the people over political games.

It’s high time we break away from the binary thinking that a vote must only be about keeping one side out of power. We should be voting for genuine change, for policies that uplift the marginalized, and for leaders who prioritize the welfare of the entire nation. A vote for West is a vote for a more just and equitable society, where healthcare and housing are not privileges but fundamental rights.

Let’s move beyond the partisan rhetoric and focus on the issues that truly matter. Let’s support candidates like West who are committed to addressing the pressing concerns of our time and working towards a future where everyone can thrive.

Devon Lawson-McCourt
Walterville 

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