(LACK OF) TRUTH IN RECALL ADVERTISING

As Senate Workforce Committee chairs we have been the Senate counterparts to Rep. Paul Holvey’s House Business and Labor committee and have worked closely together over the years to pass some major labor priorities including paid sick leave (SB 454) in 2015, increasing the minimum wage (SB 1532) in 2016 and farm workers overtime pay (HB 4002) in 2022. 

For the Recall Paul Holvey campaign to mischaracterize in its paid advertisements that Holvey wasn’t central in these efforts is a blatant lie. 

Holvey was instrumental in leading on all of these efforts. We spent countless hours together working on these bills before, during and following their committee hearings. Many of these efforts included extensive workgroups and took multiple sessions to pass. Holvey not only helped negotiate those bills, he was the carrier in all three House debates. The person assigned to carry a bill is the legislator who fully understands and can explain the bill during debate; it’s the true sign of who’s leading on the bill. 

Those of us working in the trenches know that Paul Holvey is an incredibly hard-working legislator.  His extensive record as one of the leading champions for working people in the Legislature is being distorted by UFCW and is yet another sad symptom of this shameful effort.

State Sen. Michael Dembrow

Senate District 23

State Sen. Kathleen Taylor

Senate District  21

POOR SPORTS

Two takeaways from the very public humiliation of the wildly outclassed Portland State football team (Oregon 81, PSU 7 on Sept. 2): College football needs a mercy rule. First team to a 40-point lead, the game is over. Go tailgate and savor your victory.

Whatever happened to consideration and sportsmanship?

Max Smith

Junction City

WHERE DOES MENTAL ILLNESS CROSS THE LINE?

Who is protecting Eugene citizens from those with volatile mental health issues? No one! Not the police, not CAHOOTS, not Lane County Behavioral Health. None of these entities will address the disturbing tantrums of a neighbor with ongoing mental health issues.

In a recent tirade she threatened to kill me, to kill herself and throw her body in my yard. I’m her target. From her patio she can see above the 6-foot fence into my yard, and watches me constantly. I’ve invested thousands in landscaping to block her view. The trees have not filled in enough yet.

I called CAHOOTS and the Eugene Police Department. CAHOOTS says it will send someone out when they are available, Eugene police say the woman is entitled to freedom of speech and that nothing can be done until she attacks me physically. Will killing me rise to the level of action? She receives public funding, has a caretaker who comes three or four times a week, doesn’t work, has a disability (other than mental illness). It disturbs the whole neighborhood. Why is she allowed to continue unabated? I’m terrified of her, I don’t know what she is capable of doing. When asked to stop screaming, says she won’t until she gets what she wants, but can’t articulate what that is.

 I call authorities over and over, as do neighbors. No one should live in fear of going into their own backyard, no one should have to retreat indoors on a beautiful summer evening. Where are my rights?

Nancy Maniago

Eugene

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