MAGA Tactics
I wholly concur with Deb McGee’s letter (“MAGA and the County Charter,” EW, 8/15) and Bentley Freeman’s story (“It’s Bullshit,” EW, 8/22) regarding the tenacious 3-2 conservative majority on the Lane County Commission. Their push to gerrymander the commission districts, in a costly, low turnout 2025 special election, is the epitome of undermining democracy for political gain.
This is a prime example of how democracy is fragile. Nationally, conservatives have enacted minority rule by gerrymandering state and federal voting districts since the 2000s. Democrats win more votes, but Republicans win more seats in the legislatures. That is the classic outcome of “pack-&-crack” redistricting strategies, and this is patently un-democratic.
The only thing that can stop this attempt at minority rule of the county is the Lane County Charter’s requirement for these issues to be put to a vote of the people, and the people actually turn out and vote it down.
If there is an under-representation of conservatives in city/county jurisdictions, changes like Ranked Choice Voting system or multi-member districts would be more effective (and democratic) at attaining “one person, one vote.”
Jim Stauffer
Eugene
Use ‘Horse Puckey’ Instead
We’re seeing the s**t word show up in texts in substitution for the word “stuff” — come on! That’s the kind of thing 13 year olds do to shock those within earshot! If you want me to look at the letters and toss the Weekly after that, keep it up!
Lee Rothrock
Springfield
Editor’s Note: We did indeed use the word “shit” several times last week. Had we said “stuff,” the headline on the charter gerrymander would have been “It’s Bullstuff,” and the Slant about KLCC’s John Fischer bashing print would have read that Fischer’s segment “stuffs on the notion of print media in general.” As for the South Lane School Board member’s expletive-laden voicemail we quoted, we don’t bleep the news.
A Movie Tip for EW
Thank you, EW, for nudging Gov. Tina Kotek to nominate Ellen Waterston as Oregon’s new poet laureate. May she consider a way to continue the drive-through poetry of her predecessor. I am looking forward to reading Walking in the High Desert and appreciate the blurb from Timothy Egan who is no slouch as a source of PNW lore.
A small quibble. Her brother Sam Waterston should be recognized by Eugene/Springfield residents not from Law and Order, but as the Indigenous cattle rustler and proud owner on a McKenzie River boat in the movie Rancho Deluxe (music by Jimmy Buffett), which can be described as the stoner version of The Missouri Breaks with Slim Pickens playing the Marlon Brando role and Jeff Bridges in Jack Nicholson’s role. Screenplay of both films by Thomas McGuane. Harry Dean Stanton in both.
Should be seen to be believed.
David Schworm
Eugene
Hungry Thieves
Today my husband and I were sitting at a table outside a popular food cart near downtown Eugene. He got up to get a fork. I looked across the table to see a scruffy guy squirting salsa over spouse’s plate of food. Then he picked it up and sauntered off with my husband’s lunch!
The cart owner apologetically replaced the food. We saw a guy at one of the Saturday outdoor markets casually steal a roll from a vendor and were told that this is just the way it is in Eugene at the outdoor markets. We never saw anything like this entitled attitude during our nine years in Bend, or any of the many other places we have lived in the US. When did theft become normalized in Eugene?
Susan Groszkiewicz
Eugene
A River of Misery
There was a suicide this morning at the end of North Adams Street down by the river. Someone shot themself. Lordy, lordy. God bless the meek, the easily imposed upon, the submissive, sociologically neglected derelicts who can fit all their possessions in a paper bag, for they shall inherit nothing in this world or the next. God bless Eugene, the city that can’t and won’t. There is a river of misery running through the center of Eugene.
Leo Sulentic
Eugene
He Hasn’t Changed
Former Republican conservatives — the party stands for one-man rule now (like Russia, China and North Korea). They got a fast-talking salesman from New York City with a self-confidence problem to replace their conservative principles.
They’re hoping you’ll still vote for him out of habit even though they stand for something else new.
Good luck.
Bruce Barney
Eugene
Invaded by Hate
On August 10, I woke up excited about going to my first Pride Festival in Eugene. It was a beautiful day, thousands of people were joyfully celebrating.
However, starting around 3:30 pm or 4 pm, a group of approximately eight to 10 large burly men in their 30s to 40s began to appear. They carried signs with insulting messages and photos of dismembered fetuses. Several of us volunteers stayed close to them, dancing, singing and hiding their hateful signs with our Pride flags.
At first attendees passing by ignored them. But within 30 minutes, perhaps tired of getting no reaction, one of them took his crew to stand in front of a booth where HIV testing and counseling was in progress. His harsh amplified voice and insulting words began to trigger outrage among many attendees who started shouting back angrily. The situation became increasingly volatile and we were afraid violence was about to break out.
Even though park rules forbid amplification and most of these bullies had no wristband authorizing their presence on festival grounds, the Eugene police officers standing around simply watched, refusing the organizers’ pleas to intervene. The men thankfully left after another hour without physical violence erupting, yet we have all seen how people committed to hate have committed or provoked violence at public events with tragic consequences. Shame on the EPD for not taking action. They allowed this beautiful festival to be invaded by hate.