A Shout Out to Dorothy Velasco
I was delighted to see the review of Hello, Dolly! by Dorothy Velasco (“Well, Hello!” EW, 10/3). Velasco was the “go-to” critic when I first arrived in Eugene some 30 years ago.
I am a real theater buff — especially old musicals (the ones I grew up with) — and I look forward to more shows and more of Velasco’s reviews. The local theater scene is terrific, excellent quality without Broadway prices. At 88, I couldn’t have wound up in a place that suits me better than right here in Eugene!
Jane Dods
Eugene
Define ‘Dippie’
I’m not sure exactly what the author of “Hoedad Nobel Prize Winner” meant when she referred to the Hoedads as “hippie-dippie,” though the term is typically mildly pejorative (EW, 10/10). While there were certainly hippies involved, I can assure you that the Hoedads were anything but “dippie.” They brought loads of cash into the local economy when their cronies rolled into town, as well as a set of progressive politics that Eugene is/was associated with, represented by one of our finest county commissioners ever, Jerry Rust.
It is my guess that the author wasn’t around then, and my belief that she could use a good editor.
Doug Curry
Eugene
Editor’s Note: The editor, like the writer, has a sense of humor. And age is just a number …
Reject 30-362
Recently, the City Club of Eugene held an important community discussion. Here is what I learned. There will be three measures on our November ballots that should be voted “Yes” on to “clean up” our home charter (think county constitution) to make it more relevant and up to date.
However, we must reject the fourth, Measure 20-362, which was submitted at the last minute by a private attorney! This measure, placed on our ballot with no public hearing, would allow county commissioners to redraw voting districts whenever they saw fit.
Why do three of the five commissioners want to change the maps mid-cycle? Because it will affect those up for re-election in 2026! This is the very definition of “gerrymandering” — when electeds choose their voters in order to maintain their re-elections. These commissioners are attempting to rig the system. Don’t let these politicians marginalize our power. Pat Farr, Ryan Ceniga and David Loveall are wasting our tax dollars and resources to feather their own nests. Vote No on 20-362 and strengthen local Democracy!
Betzi Hitz
Springfield
Why the Bottom?
Who decides the placement of names for the highest office in the land on the ballot? The Republicans and Democrats being the top contenders, so you might expect their names to be first and second! As I reviewed the list, I finally found Harris/Walz last. Why?
Marlene Pearson
Eugene
Editor’s Note: According to the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division, the gist of it is that the Secretary of State provides county clerks with a randomized list of letters of the alphabet and candidates are then listed by their last name.
DeSpain is Half Right
“Congress is broken.” I read these words on Monique DeSpain’s campaign website and I couldn’t agree more. This, the 118th Congress, has been among the most ineffectual in our nation’s history. That’s saying something.
What I understand, and which DeSpain seems not to, is that this is a Republican-controlled Congress. From its first moment, this GOP-led Congress has been a disaster. From the first week, spent fighting over a Speaker of the House, to the constant GOP dysfunction that led to another Speaker fight, to pointless and costly impeachment inquiries, this has been the chaos Caucus, the drama Congress. What can congressional GOPers point to and say, “We did that. We helped America.” I can think of little meaningful legislation passed by this Republican-controlled Congress.
Yet DeSpain wants us to reward this bad behavior, this dysfunction, and add another member to the Republican ranks? Would you promote a colleague who was dragging down your company? Would you employ that colleague’s friend? Common sense says, “No!” No to this GOP Congress. No to dysfunction and gridlock. No to constant chaos. No to DeSpain.
I’m voting “Yes” to Val Hoyle, a member of Congress who has stayed above the political fray, doing the work of the people, bringing back millions of our dollars to our Congressional District, working across the aisle in bi-partisan legislative endeavors.
In the words of DeSpain, “Congress is broken.” Who on earth would reward those who have broken it? Reward those doing the work. Reward Hoyle.
Melissa Sherwood
Roseburg
Look at the Whole Problem
I wish I could reach all the people driving by that flip me off or say f**k you for waving a Palestinian flag. I’d like to ask them what it signifies for them, to ask them why it makes them angry. I’d like to ask them if they consider why I might be waving the flag (but something tells me they’re not the kind of people that pause to think).
I’ve wanted to take down some stats — types of cars they drive, gender, age, socio-economic stratum. What I’ve observed is there’s a range. One characteristic is consistent: they all appeared to be white. I am, too, but I’m holding a flag that represents a non-white people. I’m not going to draw any conclusions, because then I’m doing exactly what they’re doing: making a judgment about a person based on one characteristic or behavior.
I doubt I’ll get the chance to ask one of the finger flippers or swear spewers “why?” If I did, my experience tells me that they won’t want to engage in any meaningful dialogue, but I have to catch myself. I’ve just made a generalization about “them” based on my experience and “their” one behavior. And therein lies the problem. My experience is limited, and I only observed one behavior at one time in one place. That cannot possibly sum up the whole of a person. If it did, then I hate to think how I’d be summed up based on any one thing I said or did in the course of my lifetime.
Molly Sirois
Eugene
Lane County, Follow Protocols
Every 10 years we take a national census of the people. Part of the goal is to keep voting districts fair and representative using the population loss or gain. Based on the 2020 census, an independently appointed Lane County Charter Review Committee concluded the 2021 maps are accurate and defensible as fair. The committee’s process included 18 months of study with twice a month meetings. Their work was transparent, robust and included public comments and a public survey.
Our current district maps, as recommended by this committee, rely on currently available data. The next review of the maps and voting districts should use data from the 2030 census.
Why have three county commissioners placed a mid cycle redistricting measure on the November ballot as a home charter change, against recognized “best practices”?
This ballot measure costs thousands of our tax dollars, goes against the advice of our experienced county clerk, and has been supported publicly by just one local attorney. Ballot Measure 20-362 does nothing to increase counties’ services to citizens. It’s expensive, unnecessary and taxes already hard working public employees. There is no accountability in this proposal!
Voters should reject this attempt to gerrymander our community! Just Say “no” to Measure 20-362.
Joan Kleban
Eugene
A ‘Yes’ Vote for 20-362
This is in response to Gloria Orrick’s misguided letter (“Say ‘No’ to Gerrymandering, EW online letters, 10/10).
A yes vote on Measure 20-362 is the way to correct gerrymandering and fix the corruption in our redistricting process in Lane County by ensuring the commission is impartial in the future.
A no vote keeps our corrupt system the same.
The maps in 2021 were drawn under our current redistricting system which was run by very partisan and motivated players and was not independent. In fact, Kevin Cronin was involved in drawing two of the final maps and he had been paid $106,526.57 in 2018 by two sitting commissioners. It is not a stretch to assume he was drawing boundaries on behalf of his clients? And there were clearly strange lines drawn like taking North Eugene High School out of the North Eugene District and stretching the South Eugene District to Beltline. We deserve to have a redistricting process that is impartial.
Let’s make sure voters’ voices are preserved by voting ‘Yes’ on 20-362.
Duncan Murray
Eugene
Hoyle’s the Real Deal
When Peter DeFazio retired as our longtime District 4 Representative in Congress, I felt a sense of dismay. I’d voted for him when I was a student at the University of Oregon in the ’90s, and again when I moved back to Eugene in 2018. Though he endorsed Val Hoyle, I was skeptical about her (or anybody’s) ability to replace him.
Two years on, I’m a firm supporter of Hoyle. She has proven herself in Congress as a champion of Oregon’s working families, sponsoring legislation that will protect Oregon’s wild habitats while also preserving rural jobs as well as legislation to expand apprenticeship programs and support for community colleges. As a member of the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, she focuses on Oregon’s rural and coastal communities as well as urban centers. Health care is another area she covers, working with both the rural health and mental health caucuses in Congress.
Crucially, Hoyle is a champion for women’s reproductive rights, unlike her Republican opponent for the District 4 Congressional seat. Despite Monique DeSpain’s rhetoric to the contrary, she worked as a paid lobbyist for a group fighting against reproductive and workers’ rights in Oregon and cannot be trusted to ensure women’s rights to control our own bodies.
We need someone who represents all Oregonians. Vote Hoyle for Congress!