Kudos to LTD
After moving downtown to be near the bus station, I quickly came to appreciate the courtesy of the drivers and other staff. Recently, however, LTD went above and beyond. When I was waiting for bus 67 outside Whole Foods, the bus didn’t arrive. Then the driver of bus 13 told me the 67 had returned to the station as it was unable to get along 10th Avenue due to unanticipated construction. The driver then phoned LTD. Before long, a supervisor appeared in a van to take me and another stranded passenger to our different destinations. Kudos to the supervisor and LTD. You made my day.
Linda Sage
Eugene
It’s Readers Like You
Are your standards by which to measure “Best of Eugene” (EW, 10/24) guided entirely by your inner subjective circumstances? Or are those the criteria by which to measure the consensus?
Michael Billings
Eugene
Editor’s Note: It’s a readers poll — so yes, it’s guided by Eugene Weekly readers’ subjectivity!
The Price of Measure 118
It’s good to see varied perspectives on Measure 118 in EW. As an economist with expertise in these “gross receipts” taxes, I can explain why opponents argue it will raise prices. The reason is straightforward: since the tax would apply to all revenues, it increases costs for businesses, who usually pass on some of these costs to consumers to stay in business. Limiting the tax to larger businesses may not prevent this, as many small businesses rely on goods from larger suppliers and will likely see their own costs rise.
Gross receipts taxes also lead to “tax pyramiding,” meaning the tax is applied at multiple stages. For instance, General Mills would pay the tax when selling Cheerios to Safeway, and Safeway would pay again when selling to customers. This layering can lead to retail prices increasing by more than the tax rate itself, as costs are passed through at each step. With recent inflation, it’s no surprise that opposition to Measure 118 includes people from across the political spectrum.
Keaton Miller
Associate professor of economics, UO
Eugene
Abortion is Health Care
At age 17 I had an abortion after being raped by my ex-boyfriend in an attempt to get me pregnant and hold on to me. He was abusive and extremely controlling. I chose a better life for myself. Abortion is health care. Period. This issue is an exceedingly urgent one. Please do your (nonpartisan) research thoroughly so you may understand the many nuances of women’s health care.
In Oregon a woman has the right to make decisions about her own body, although this would likely change if Donald Trump wins the election — even in cases of rape (it’s documented in Project 2025). It is imperative that we care what happens to women in other states, to our medical institutions, to doctors who are terrified of going to prison if they provide care for miscarrying women or if they’re denied access to the equipment necessary for a D&C (dilation and curettage, the procedure to remove the fetus and material, which is the exact procedure used for an abortion).
It is important to realize how this affects everyone, whether you can get pregnant or not. Women are dying without the care they desperately need, regardless of the disinformation we hear from neo-conservatives. Not every woman is able to travel to another state to receive this vital healthcare. I urge you to vote for democracy, whether or not you are a Democrat, and for a woman’s right to choose.
Sheree Walters
Eugene
What Happens Nov. 6?
The realist in me thinks “two weeks out” will be much darker than two weeks before, no matter what the results are.
If Vice-President Kamala Harris wins, there will be a target on her back. All Dems will be targets. We won’t hear the end of the “Big Steal, 2.0.”
If Donald Trump wins (how can we even live in a country where that’s possible?), the world as we know it is over. He won’t last long — he’ll have a hamburger heart attack in Putin’s arms — then JD Vance will rise to be master of “The Maiden’s Tale” new reich.
My wish is a massive blue wave Nov. 5 that drowns out Trumpism and fascism in the USA, restores women’s dignity and sends our Republican neighbors and the global audience a message: We are taking a higher road.
My granddaughter’s birthday is Nov. 6. I want to celebrate her turning 15 and share love and happiness and dreams that night.
We’ll see how that goes.
Michele Postal
Coburg
Basic Economics and History
Anyone who made it through high school economics and American history classes should remember that we live in a capitalistic society — business, profits, investments, bottom lines. Some call rising prices “inflation,” but it is the normal way to do business in America, no matter who’s in office.
Theocracies, communism and dictatorships run their societies differently. That’s not us, so far. Here we are free to own a business and make as much money from it as possible. That’s why people from the whole planet come here — money, money, money, money. Ask Donald Trump or Elon Musk, both from immigrant families.
So when media pundits try to sway your votes touting “runaway inflation” under the current administration as a real election problem, think back to those boring civics classes. Our system is capitalistic. Also, it’s our Congress (state and federal) that makes the laws that we all have to live by, not the president, VP or members of a cabinet. It’s our judicial system that interpret and apply the laws, not amend them, and that we have a representative democracy, not a true-majority wins-democracy, and until our constitution is amended to get rid of the antiquated electoral college (where about seven states decide the presidency), we have to stay educated and not succumb to emotionally driven fear tactics that pit us against each other, spreading lies and rumors so that we don’t want to vote at all.
Vote like our country depends on it — because it does.
Annie Kayner
Eugene
Online Extra Election Letters!
No to Ranked Choice
As the election draws near, I urge you to vote no on Measure 117. Although touted as electoral reform, Ranked Choice Voting has many unintended consequences and built-in problems that should raise concerns for everyone.
The first and most troubling of these is central tabulation. This is where ballots from across the state are sent to one central location (Salem) to be counted. This would take authority away from local elections offices to be able to count ballots and has huge implications for transparency and integrity. It would further sow doubt in the elections. This would also create more complications as mistakes would be harder and more costly to fix.
It also fails to deliver on its promises. Proponents claim it avoids vote-splitting, yet in other states this is not the case. Take Alaska, for example. In 2022, after rolling out RCV, the people were told that it was safe to run multiple candidates in the same party. Republicans took heed and ran both a moderate Republican (Nick Begich) and a further-right Republican (Sarah Palin). What ended up happening is that the Republican vote was split and the only Democrat (Mary Peltola) won, even though Republican voters are a majority in Alaska. The same thing could happen in Oregon and turn traditionally blue seats red.
As a proponent of true voting reform, I believe that there are better voting methods out there and that Oregon’s voters do indeed deserve better. That is why I’m voting no on Measure 117.
Erica Lyon
Eugene
We’ve Been Here Before
Almost everyone I know lives these days in a state of dread surrounding the election outcome. Nobody can figure out how to cope if the outcome they hope for is not realized.
Here’s a possible solution coming off a similarly disturbing election in 2000, when the courts awarded George W. Bush the presidency. I call it Plan B. It’s pretty simple.
First, identify a concrete, measurable, finite project that benefits your community that you could do in your spare time without having to organize others and/or attend meetings. Secondly, do it. You’ll have four years to complete your project.
An example of this is the pedestrian crosswalk on 22nd and Jefferson. It exists because of the 2000 election and the ensuing disappointment. Previously, no safe crossing was available between 18th and 28th. The project involved gathering information, petitioning neighbors for signatures, phone calls with city offices, LTD, schools and the neighborhood organization.
It happened gradually. After a few years, kids were walking and riding their bikes to local schools and the school bus was no longer needed. Parents organized a bike train. The speed limit was reduced. Solar powered lights were installed in 2005, completing the project. Living on/walking/crossing the quieter street was a pleasant surprise. Getting to know more neighbors, an unexpected bonus.
It sure felt good to confirm that any one person can make a difference. As this paper’s precursor reminded us weekly for many years: Living well is the best revenge.
Linda Seymour
Eugene
DeSpain Will Deliver
I’m not normally a political person, but I am paying attention this year. As a Democrat, I believe candidates should have experience and understanding of business, the military, the law, national security, foreign affairs, financial matters, the environment, animal rights and basic human access to food, shelter, medical care and safety. There is one candidate who has impressed me with her knowledge and determination to effectively address these issues: retired Air Force Colonel Monique DeSpain.
I’ve taken the time to get to know DeSpain and can personally attest that the lies being told about her are not true in the slightest. DeSpain opposes a federal abortion ban. As a member of the lesbian community, I can confirm that she supports the right to marry whomever you love. She greatly values public education. To me, the deceptive TV ads attacking DeSpain being paid for by her incumbent opponent, our current Congresswoman Val Hoyle, reveal a serious weakness of character — in Hoyle.
People really are hurting from the declining public safety, our unsecured border and our unaffordable economy. This is exactly what DeSpain is most focused on solving. As the mother of twin boys and a 30-year distinguished career in the Air Force, she understands what it means to deliver results on a budget while holding people accountable. I have the deepest respect for her, and I know she will deliver for us once elected.
Please join me in voting for DeSpain for Congress this November.
Pamela Mathis
Springfield
Results, Not Excuses
During the recent Eugene City Club 4th District Congressional candidate forum, we heard from several people running, including our current Rep. Val Hoyle.
If you look around, things are a mess. Eugene is plagued by fentanyl addiction, record homelessness, crime and a rising cost of living. Instead of taking responsibility and admitting things need to change, Hoyle responded as if she hasn’t been in office for two years and plans to spend more money in the future on the same policies that are failing now.
Some of Hoyle’s supporters rudely heckled her chief opponent, retired Air Force Colonel Monique DeSpain, but DeSpain just stood up and resolutely pointed out that we have the wrong policies and our current Congresswoman has let us down. DeSpain laid out common sense approaches for addressing public safety, the crisis at our southern border, the rising cost of living and our burning forests — all caused by policies for which Hoyle has been an automatic rubber stamp.
DeSpain then debunked the baldfaced lies in Hoyle’s TV ads claiming DeSpain would ban abortion, which DeSpain clearly stated she opposed doing. I also learned that Hoyle is mired in a scandal over an illegal grant she arranged as Oregon’s Labor Commissioner that has the U.S. DOJ investigating Hoyle’s texts and emails. That was the clincher.
We need a strong, forthright truth-teller in D.C. with experience delivering results, not excuses. Please join me in voting to send Monique DeSpain to Congress on Nov. 5th.
Erik Dean
Eugene
Count by Hand
We have private and secret control, without secret ballots, over what are supposed to be public elections. Although I am politically left-of-center, I agree with the right wing that the best solution against election theft is hand-counted paper ballots. This proposed hand count would cost only time, understanding that Republican and Democrat counts would skew separately towards those parties’ positions. Same with the Green Party, etc.
Oregon’s paper ballots are machine-counted, therefore vulnerable to computerized ballot tampering, not to be confused with the very rare voter fraud, voter impersonation. Please read Black Box Voting by Bev Harris. Vote into the black box, where our votes go, no one knows.
See also the Dec. 11, 2013, Columbus Free Press, wherein we learn that, after 2 am on election night 2004, the Ohio count mysteriously shifted from John Kerry leading by three points to George W. Bush leading by three points. Or a 1988 Republican primary that had Bob Dole leading by about eight points to George H.W. Bush leading by eight. This 16-point turnaround was a statistical impossibility.