Opinion: Page 411

Slant 12-20-2012

Slant

• Mass shootings are now part of our national identity, and each incident seems to trigger the next one. The solution to gun violence, we hear from folks like Rep. Dennis Richardson, is more guns. Arm those teachers with Colt .45s and Bowie knives! Install hitching posts in front of every school! But hardly anyone in the media talks about this tragic phenomenon in terms of lack of health care. When the topic of mental health does come up, it usually just adds to the false perception that mentally ill individuals are all dangerous. Continue reading →

Slant 12-13-2012

Slant

• A homeless micro-housing pilot project requires four to six months to get a conditional use permit? Holy freezing to death on the streets, Batman. We respect the need for due diligence, but when lives are at stake, a little expediency is in order. Kudos to the council for approving the Opportunity Village pilot project, and in particular to Councilor Alan Zelenka for making sure a location was chosen before the council’s winter break, but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking those at risk on the streets are now safe. Continue reading →

Letters to the Editor: 12-6-2012

Letters

GUNS IN THE USA As a Springsteen fan, I’m offended by your Nov. 29 cover. This image must somehow fit with the wacky worldview of EW staff, but it in no way fits with Springsteen’s music or stated political views. Couldn’t you have found someway to use Ted Nugent on your cover instead? Born in the U.S.A., Aaron Toneys, Eugene EDITOR’S NOTE: Baby, we were born to pun!   OCCUPY’S FAILURE Continue reading →

Slant 12-6-2012

Slant

• Tax breaks for developers have persisted for decades as a major economic development strategy, and for decades we at EW and progressives in local government have insisted they do more harm than good. The New York Times has investigated these billions of dollars in tax incentives nationwide and published a story Dec. 1 saying “The giveaways are adding up to a gigantic bill for taxpayers,” and the results are tenuous at best. Continue reading →

Letters to the Editor: 11-29-2012

Letters

THE POTTY DILEMNA We have 11 restrooms in downtown Eugene that the public can sometimes use: two below the Overpark (the only truly public restrooms), five at the library and one at the LTD station. The ones under the Overpark are not well maintained, have no stall doors, and are frequently locked at random times. People have speculated that these restrooms are closed because they need cleaning and no staff are available to maintain them. Continue reading →

Slant 11-29-2012

Slant

• The city of Eugene’s budget woes are in the news, and the city has been polling residents about how to raise revenues. It looks like some proposal will go before council and maybe voters soon. The polling asks lots of questions about attitudes and it appears the city is looking at what the citizens are willing to do in terms of taxes and fees, and also testing various arguments and selling points to see if they have traction. Continue reading →

Letters to the Editor: 11-21-2012

Letters

ANOTHER DEADLY WINTER When the Occupy Eugene site was closed in December last year, we went peacefully under the impression that certain promises made by our City Council would be followed through. We went under the false understanding that those who had no place to call their own would be taken care of, that they would not face another winter, sickness and probable death, alone on the streets without at least the option for a warm place to sleep. We thought that despite everything, we had made some small but solid victories. Continue reading →

Slant 11-21-2012

Slant

• Thanksgiving is a big family holiday for some, a celebration of “America” for others and, for many indigenous peoples, a reminder of racism and genocide. We give big props first to members of the Eugene community for speaking out about their feelings about a flyer that advertised the “Spanksgiving” Fetish Ball using an image of a woman in facepaint and an “Indian headdress.” And second kudos to Diablos Fetish Night for immediately responding to those concerns from the Native community. You can catch some of the dialogue on EW’s and Diablos’ Facebook pages. Continue reading →

Letters to the Editor: 11-15-2012

Letters

RACIST CODE WORDS The election brought good news, not only because the candidates whom I supported did well, but because the process speaks well of us. The biggest money didn’t always carry the day. And a campaign of racism, misogyny, gay-bashing and persecution of immigrants and the poor got its ass kicked. Continue reading →