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As Spring arrives, the 77th Hot Air Society is devolving into Salem’s version of our national political gridlock. Republicans are showboating with an unacceptable PERS reform proposal and refusing to negotiate over new taxes. Meanwhile, Democrats are hiding the ball on specific PERS reforms, quite understandably, until the Ways and Means picture is clearer. Continue reading
BEST-KEPT SECRET Continue reading
• The report on the audit of the Eugene Police Department’s Property Control Unit (PCU), which revealed 1,116 missing items including guns, drugs and jewelry, was quite an eyebrow raiser. We met with Police Chief Pete Kerns and the civilian employee who requested the audit, and they said some policies and procedures have been ignored for years, leading to disorganization. Further investigations will hopefully determine whether the missing items are really gone from “The Vault” at EPD or just misplaced, and whether any criminal activity has taken place. Continue reading
One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. – Henry Miller Continue reading
Lane County has pulled out all the stops on promoting Goshen as an up and coming industrial job center for Lane County. But before we go ga-ga over Goshen I’d like Lane County to answer a few questions. How much is it going to cost? How long is it going to take? We already know it’s the public who gets to pay, but who is going to benefit? Are there other interests besides the landowners who will benefit at the public’s expense? Continue reading
The last time you tried to explain why you support marriage equality, did you mention civil rights? Justice? Equal access to benefits? Did you call it “gay marriage?” Wrong, wrong, wrong and waay wrong! Who knew? I always thought the “liberty and justice for all” argument was a pretty good one. I mean our Constitution does guarantee equal justice under the law. But we can talk about equal rights and justice till we’re lavender-blue in the face — it just turns people off. At least the still-undecided voters. Dang. Continue reading
TEACHERS OUTVOTED The recent controversy around the common schedule in District 4J’s middle and high schools is a reflection of a bigger problem in the district. The process of centralization and standardization has been going on for several years but has dramatically accelerated recently under the new superintendent. Continue reading
• Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart’s convoluted attempt to get all of Lane County residents and businesses to pay for his ill-advised industrial development plans in Goshen is raising eyebrows even among the pro-growth crowd. As regional economic development veteran Bob Warren points out in his Viewpoint this week, “It’s time for a reality check.” Looks like the garbage fee idea, Senate Bill 248, died this week, at least in its present form. Continue reading
When we did PERS reform in 2003, we didn’t attach it to the budget as severely as you’re seeing in this 2013 version of the Hot Air Society. It’s stunning to see both parties and two branches of state government simultaneously tying the funding of education, public safety and human services so tightly to one target. Continue reading
OUR FAILED LEADERSHIP The full page ad on the back cover of EW Feb. 28 illustrates the interesting psychological conditioning that happens to politicians over the course of their careers. The ad extensively quotes Peter DeFazio calling for a moratorium on a whole class of toxic chemicals used in commercial forestry. The facts and detail presented make DeFazio sound like the kind of strong, environmentally conscious leader that we’d like to have holding office. Continue reading