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The revelations of the past month and a half have shone light on system of suspicionless global and domestic surveillance so pervasive that George Orwell would have been stunned. The goal of the NSA is that all electronic communication whatsoever will be stored and analyzed. If “red flags” are raised in the analysis, or if suspicion is raised for other reasons, then a closer look may be had. Continue reading
HELP FOR HOMELESS There’s good news to report for the homeless. St. Vinnie’s is adding capacity to its Service Station on Highway 99. This was one of the recommendations from Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness and it’s great to see it happening. Continue reading
When the press reports that the Oregon Legislature adjourned sine die, it does not mean physician-assisted suicide by trigonometric function. Gov. Kitzhaber’s not that kind of doctor. Sine die is Latin for “without a day,” meaning in this case that the 77th session of the Salem Hot Air Society is done for this year, kaput. There will be an additional $1 billion for schools, some half-hearted PERS reform and no additional background checks for guns. Next session, next February, unless there’s a special session. Continue reading
RECALCITRANT PACHYDERMS Continue reading
• Those of us who are skeptical of biomass burning plants such as Seneca’s wood incinerator in west Eugene can celebrate, just a little, even as Seneca applies for a permit from LRAPA to emit a couple tons more of particulate matter. A U.S. Continue reading
My friend and former Congressman Jim Weaver, who lives on Seavey Loop Road, called me about a month ago asking what might be done, if anything, about the summer events in Buford Park that seemed to be multiplying exponentially. He told me about an event last year that backed up traffic from the park to I-5 and kept him from getting out of his driveway. Continue reading
The air was calm, the birdsong brisk, as sunlight slanted through the canopy, spotlighting the Wiley Griffon Historical Monument in the Eugene Masonic Cemetery. It may have been a trick of the light, but Wiley’s bronze eye sparkled. The Preacher and I stood looking out into the forest, overlooking the gravesite on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Medgar Evers, June 12. Continue reading
WORSE THAN COAL Continue reading
• On July 17 LRAPA is holding an informational meeting about Seneca Sustainable Energy biomass plant’s permit application to emit tons more particulate matter into west Eugene air. That’s more small particles that kids breathe into their lungs and more pollution into our airshed. Buying carbon credits Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs or offsets) for PM10 from International Paper in Springfield doesn’t help the two elementary schools that are within two miles of the biomass burning. Go to the meeting; find out more. Continue reading
BEST USE FOR TREES? The debate about logging public lands is like a Hatfield/McCoy feud — it just goes on and on. Over the past 30 or more years we have heard many of the same arguments over and over and over. Continue reading