Health Options Digest
April 25, 2004
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week in Review
Last Tuesday, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals quietly ruled that the City of Eugene can legitimately allow a hospital just about anywhere in the city, thus opening the door for a new hospital to come to Eugene.
But which hospital? State rules are making it difficult for McKenzie-Willamette to relocate anywhere but in the two Springfield zip codes. Thus McKenzie-Willamette might have to go through a year-long process to gain a "Certificate of Need" before they can relocate in Eugene.
On the other hand, those same state rules allow PeaceHealth to relocate just about anywhere -- in Eugene or even in McKenzie-Willamette's own backyard. Whether intentionally or not, the rules for a hospital "Certificate of Need" favor larger hospitals over smaller.
Still pending is a decision from the Court of Appeals, which holds the linchpin to all of the hospital siting stuff. The court could rule in favor of Springfield, thus clearing the way for PeaceHealth to break ground this summer. If so, McKenzie-Willamette is stuck trying to play catch up and looking for a site outside of the shadow of PeaceHealth's two campuses: Hilyard and RiverBend.
Or the court could stop PeaceHealth dead in their tracks, citing all sorts of legal reasons why PeaceHealth can't build a hospital in Gateway. What then...?
Well, hmmmm. If PeaceHealth couldn't relocate to Springfield but Eugene has opened the whole city up to a hospital, then perhaps PeaceHealth might reconsider staying in Eugene. After all, they have been in Eugene for more than half a century. That would allow McKenzie-Willamette to stay at their current location free from competition just down the street while they consider where in Springfield they might want to relocate. After all, McKenzie-Willamette has been in Springfield for half a century or so. We could end up with two hospitals, one in each city and on each side of the river -- each in the city in which they "belong." What an interesting idea...
So we wait for how the Court of Appeals will rule. (But don't be surprised if the court rules neither "yes" nor "no" but some shade of gray in between.)
While there has been much talk about taxes and the cost of government, the Oregon Center for Public Policy recently released a study showing that costs other than taxes -- including the cost of health care -- are what are squeezing family budgets.
In other news, democracy is alive and well in Eugene, with the mayor's seat and three city council seats hotly contested. Meanwhile in Springfield, a candidates forum for the only contested city council seat drew almost no one. Is this because Eugene now offers its elected officials modest stipends and Springfield doesn't? Is it because everyone in Springfield agrees with each other and everyone in Eugene argues with each other? Or do people in Springfield have better things to do than worry about local politics and people in Eugene don't? We don't know...
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Looking Ahead
Have you noticed more cracks and potholes in our streets? Those are public streets and that is our investment falling apart. On Wednesday, Lane County and the cities in Lane County will meet to discuss our to raise -- or share -- money to maintain our streets.
Last week, the City Club of Eugene had a good forum for the eight candidates for city council. On Tuesday, you can meet with the candidates in their neighborhoods. On Friday, don't miss the forum for the candidates for mayor.
While waiting for the judges to rule, it is a good time to exercise those democratic muscles on behalf of the candidate(s) of your choice... or your physical muscles enjoying the outdoors as spring feels more and more like summer.
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Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Tuesday, April 27 -- City Club of Eugene
On Tuesday, we will meet at 5:05 pm in not one, but four, locations. Each location is in or near a ward that is electing a city councilor this year. Each will have a host from the League and a host from City Club. If you want to chat with your future city councilor up close and personal, this will be your chance:
Ward 1: Cafe Paradiso (Bdwy & Olive) -- Bonny Bettman, Tom Slocum, Adam Walsh
Ward 2: Jiffy Market (3443 Hilyard) -- Maurie Denner, Betty Taylor
Ward 7: New World Cafe (449 Blair) -- Scott Meisner, Andrea Ortiz
Ward 8: Schlotsky's Deli (3215 W. 11th) -- Chris Pryor
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Wednesday, April 28 -- Lane County Board Of Commissioners' Joint County/City Road Finance Meeting
5:30 p.m., Dinner
6:00 p.m. -- 8:00 p.m., Meeting, Lane Community College, Workforce Training Center, Bldg 19
1. Welcome And Introductions
2. Opening Remarks
3. County/City Road Partnership Agreements
4. OTIA-3 County Pass-Through Funding
5. Road Maintenance Efficiency and Consolidation Audit
6. Federal Earmark Match
7. County General Fund
8. Next Steps/Closing Remarks
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Friday, April 30 -- City Club of Eugene
11:50 a.m., Eugene Hilton, 66 East 6th Ave., Eugene
City Club of Eugene, together with The Register-Guard, KLCC-FM, and KEZI-TV, is staging the only mayoral debate for this primary season. If one of the candidates receives more than 50 percent of the vote on May 18, his or her name will be the only one on the November ballot.
Each of the media sponsors will provide one questioner, and Rick Dancer will serve as moderator. The formal debate will last for exactly one hour (to make rebroadcasting simple) and will be followed by 25 minutes of Q&A from members in a special moderated format that will promote fairness.
Whoever stages a debate with several candidates finds themselves between the horns of a dilemma. Since the length of the program is fixed, is it better to hear from all candidates equally or to invite fewer candidates to get more depth? Rather than make that decision ourselves, we decided to imitate our state Legislature and punt the issue to you.
You'll find a ballot in the center of your CCE newsletter with two questions. Question One asks members to rank the candidates whom they would most like to hear from on Friday. Question Two asks members if they would prefer to hear from all candidates and not just two or three.
The results of the ballot will be announced on Friday, April 16, before the end of that day's City Club meeting.
The following Tuesday, you will have the opportunity to hear from all the candidates at Cafˇ Paradiso. KRVM would like to broadcast that event live, but its plans are not yet confirmed.
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PeaceHealth
Hospital focus of Eugene candidate debate
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 24, 2004 |
It's been nearly three years since PeaceHealth settled on building a hospital in Springfield, but the roots of the decision remain a hot political issue in Eugene.
That was evident Friday, during a debate among candidates for half of the seats on the Eugene City Council.
The debate, at the Eugene Hilton and sponsored by the City Club of Eugene and League of Women Voters of Lane County, featured sharp barbs, polite conversation and a little humor. It all added up to an increase in temperature for the May 18 primary.
The sharpest exchanges occurred between Ward 1 councilor Bonny Bettman and her two challengers, Tom Slocum and Adam Walsh.
Slocum, a commercial real estate broker, criticized Bettman for her initial support three years ago of a plan to condemn many homes and businesses around Sacred Heart Medical Center in order to allow the hospital to expand at that city-center site. The plan fizzled as PeaceHealth later announced that it would build a replacement hospital for Sacred Heart on property it bought from Arlie & Co. in northwest Springfield, near the McKenzie River.
Bettman said PeaceHealth executives proposed the condemnation idea, and, after negotiations she agreed to it because it was important for Eugene to retain a hospital, especially one south of the Willamette River. (more...)
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McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Proposed site rules dismay hospital
By Tim Christie
The Register-Guard | April 20, 2004 |
It's been almost a year since McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center asked for changes to state rules to ease a possible move from Springfield to Eugene, but the end result may be so restrictive that it won't help the hospital.
The proposed changes to the certificate of need rules are intended to address situations when one hospital's existence becomes threatened by another hospital moving into its territory, state health officials said.
McKenzie-Willamette sought the rule changes last year after PeaceHealth, corporate parent of Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, made plans to build a replacement hospital in north Springfield -- right in the middle of McKenzie-Willamette's service area.
The Springfield hospital began looking for potential sites to build its own replacement hospital in Eugene and was hoping to avoid the more expensive and lengthy certificate of need process usually required in such a move. That can take up to a year and cost $250,000 or more.
But now McKenzie-Willamette may end up going that route anyway because of restrictions built into the revised rules, hospital spokeswoman Rosie Pryor said. The biggest stumbling block is a proposed three-year moratorium on adding new services. (more...)
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Proposed siting rules threaten hospital relocation
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | April 23, 2004 |
The result of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center's request to change state rules to ease a possible move to Eugene may not provide the help desired.
Last year the Springfield hospital initiated proposed changes to the certificate of need rule to allow construction of a new hospital outside its current service area, the ZIP codes 97477 and 97478.
Unlike PeaceHealth, which has a dominate market share in Springfield and won't be impacted by the current law when it moves to Springfield, McKenzie-Willamette must complete the costly rule process. (more...)
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Cost of Health Care
Commentary: Taxes more affordable, household costs aren't
| By Chuck Sheketoff, Oregon Center for Public Policy | April 16, 2004 |
As Oregonians finish filing their income taxes, a new report released today by the Oregon Center for Public Policy finds that taxes are not the source of the budget squeeze felt by many families. The report shows that taxes have become more affordable, but the costs of other household budget items, including housing, health care, child care, and higher education, have risen faster than Oregonians' income. (more...)
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Nearby Developments
Springfield Cuts Impact Library
By Pat McGillivray
KVAL | April 21, 2004 |
SPRINGFIELD -- It is a familiar story in Springfield. The city is facing its eighth consecutive year of budget cuts. This time it is a $1.3 million deficit. And once again the Springfield Library will have to make cutbacks to help balance the budget.
A nearly full-time employee in the children's department, a 12-year veteran, is scheduled to be laid off. Springfield now has the lowest book budget of any similar-sized library in the state. And the support group Friends of the Springfield Library has become a necessity rather than an extra. "I think in recent years they've been kind of patching holes in our budget rather than being able to do real enhancements," admits Library Director Bob Russell.
The library is not alone in facing cuts. The police, fire and development departments are all losing one full-time employee.
Springfield's city budget will be adopted in June.
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Editorial: When the final horn sounds, the library should still be standing
| The Springfield News | April 21, 2004 |
The Springfield Public Library is the latest political football to be kicked around the budget-cutting gridiron -- and the staunch defenders of the library are growing weary of suiting up for the game. The economic field is slippery, they say, and the fix is in.
The library is a decided underdog. But, much like the war game going on in Iraq -- and all wars in general -- the collateral damage must be taken into consideration before we choose up sides.
An attempt to merge the Springfield fire department with Willakenzie Fire District would have freed up some funds for the library, but it had a short shelf life, and was not approved. Consequently, the library is now facing budget cuts -- like every city-funded entity -- and attempts by the first-string library lineup to coerce the city into putting a levy on the fall ballot to bolster the budget ended up in a midfield fumble -- far from the goal line. City councilors told the library to "find creative solutions" to its woes. Councilor Anne Ballew's remarks were pointed. "I think in these days when the city has an imbalance, unfortunately the library is one of the nice things, not the must things," she said.
But library board member Howard Coffin threw a perfect spiral back to council. "I'm not convinced a library isn't necessary," he said. "What business would want to move into town if we can't even operate a library?" (more...)
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Springfield surprise shifts $73,435 development grant
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | April 20, 2004 |
What the committee giveth, the council taketh away.
At least that's how it went Monday night for a faith-based community organization that showed up at the Springfield City Council expecting to get $73,435 in community development block grant money to help construct a $500,000 day care center in the Meadow Park area for low-income families.
The grant to GOREAP Ministries of Springfield, which is an acronym for the group's values of gleaning, outreach, relationships, education, anonymity and prayer, already had been approved, on a split vote, by the community development advisory committee as part of $1.5 million in grants to a dozen community service agencies.
But Councilor Christine Lundberg raised questions at the council meeting about GOREAP's degree of community support and whether it was state-certified as a day care center. (more...)
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City denies grant funding for proposed child center
By Jaime Sherman
The Springfield News | April 21, 2004 |
Springfield City Council has turned down grant funding for a faith-based organization trying to build a child care center in the Meadow Park neighborhood.
With plans to build the Children's Hope Center at 759 Mill St., GOREAP Ministries requested $100,000 through the Community Development Block Grant program and expected to received $73,435 recommended by a city advisory committee.
But councilors cut short the project Monday night, citing a concern that the project doesn't have enough community support and will negatively impact the organization's current soup kitchen ministry on Mill Street. The funds were combined with another $112,675 for St. Vincent de Paul to build 33 bedroom units with ground floor commercial space at Fifth and Main streets. (more...)
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Commentary: Annexation issue needs open debate
| By Julie Fischer, Mara Wile and Rob Handy | April 21, 2004 |
"House for sale: 1950s charmer, hardwood floors, large lot with fruit trees, gardens and outbuilding, country feel. Located in River Road, $160,000."
Interested? Many of us would be -- and if this house were on College Hill, you would be assured of neighborhood stability and urban services. But in River Road and Santa Clara, the future is much less predictable.
While older residences in River Road and Santa Clara are on Lane County land, all new development must be annexed to the city of Eugene. Neighbors can subdivide large lots, slap up a sea of dense housing, and retire to Ashland with money in their pocket. The resulting patchwork of city and county properties creates an inefficient and confusing maze of urban services.
In addition to unpredictable development, residents face the constant anxiety of future annexation to the city of Eugene. While the area is clearly in transition, the question many residents ask is: Transition to what? (more...)
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Council Balks at Blocking Big Stores
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | April 22, 2004 |
While dozens of cities around the nation have moved to regulate big box stores such as Wal-Mart, it doesn't look like Eugene will be one of them.
The Eugene City Council voted 5-4 April 12 to not impose a moratorium on big box retailers. Councilors Nancy Nathanson, Jennifer Solomon, Gary Papˇ, and George Poling and Mayor Jim Torrey voted in favor of big boxes and Councilors Bonny Bettman, Betty Taylor, Scott Meisner and David Kelly voted to pursue a moratorium. (more...)
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Protesters rally against Wal-Mart expansion plans
By Joe Mosley
The Register-Guard | April 23, 2004 |
A protest against greatly expanding west Eugene's Wal-Mart store made the jump from electronic messages to hand-made placards Thursday, as a coalition of labor and religious groups rallied in hopes of derailing the retail chain's plans.
Several dozen picketers fringed both sides of West 11th Avenue at the entrance to Wal-Mart's property. They held signs labeling Wal-Mart a "bad neighbor" and warning that the company's addition of a grocery store would cause job losses elsewhere in the local grocery store industry. (more...)
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Wal-Mart land use approved
By Ravi Kapur
KVAL | April 21, 2004 |
LEBANON, OR -- The debate over a planned Wal-Mart reconstruction in Lebanon is nearly over. The Oregon Court of Appeals rejected a land use challenge today, paving the way for construction to begin. The battle lines for Wal-Mart's latest supercenter were drawn nearly two years ago.
After two appeals, it appears like Lebanon is primed for the revamped store and jobs, most in the town say they desperately need. For many shoppers in Lebanon, locally owned Shop n' Kart is one of the only reasonable options they have. But with Wal-Mart planning to replace their existing store in town, with one twice as large, residents welcome the supercenter. (more...)
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Briefly: Appeals court denies challenge to Wal-Mart superstore plan
| The Register-Guard | April 22, 2004 |
SALEM -- A land use challenge to Wal-Mart's plan to build a superstore in Lebanon was rejected Wednesday by the Oregon Court of Appeals.
The court upheld the state Land Use Board of Appeals, which had approved three city land use actions to facilitate the company's plans to replace its existing Lebanon store with a much larger 180,000-square foot store on another site.
The lawsuit was brought by local grocery store owner Blake Barton and the land use watchdog group 1000 Friends of Oregon.
The appeals court said the city acted properly in rezoning and other actions to advance the project and that Barton "does not identify any harm to his interests as a result of the city's chosen procedure.''
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Eugene City Beat: The sun also rises
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 25, 2004 |
Seen as an asset to downtown, the new Aurora Building at East 11th Avenue and Oak Street has received an award from the Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services and the Oregon Downtown Development Association.
The low-income apartment building developed by St. Vincent de Paul shows that downtown housing is viable, said Richie Weinman, the city's urban services manager. Lane Community College students and other people on limited incomes live in the building, which is at full occupancy.
Still, a lot of subsidies made the $8 million building possible, Weinman said.
Among other financial helping hands, the complex got a 20-year exemption from property taxes; $665,000 in federal funds; $500,000 from Lane Community College; $350,000 in a low-interest loan from the city; and energy credits from Eugene Water & Electric Board.
The relatively high cost of land and expense of building downtown requires subsidies for housing developments in the city center, Weinman said. The city offers 10-year property tax exemptions to for-profit downtown housing developers.
"Any low-income housing project is going to have a variety of subsidies," Weinman said.
"Even a market-rate project is going to have some subsidies," he said.
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Briefly: Area cities honored as 'Tree City USA'
| The Register-Guard | April 25, 2004 |
Eugene has been named "Tree City USA" for the 25th straight year. It's one of 37 Oregon communities given the honor this year.
A program of the National Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by the state Department of Forestry, Tree City USA recognizes cities that have developed programs that plant and care for trees.
Other Tree City communities recertified for 2003 include Coburg, Cottage Grove, Coos Bay, Reedsport, Sweet Home, Corvallis, Albany and Toledo. Klamath Falls was added to the list this year.
Tree Cities must meet four criteria: adopt a tree care ordinance; establish a tree program, board or commission; meet a minimum of spending on a community tree care program; and conduct an Arbor Day or Arbor Week ceremony.
National Arbor Day is celebrated the last Friday in April. Oregonians celebrate Arbor Week the first full week of April.
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Transportation
Costly Additions Widen Highway Bill
By Richard Simon
Los Angeles Times | April 19, 2004 |
WASHINGTON -- Flip through the massive highway bill moving through Congress and you'll encounter some unexpected detours: tax breaks for the limousine industry, gunsmiths, fishing rod manufacturers, even casinos.
A tax break for stores that sell alcoholic beverages appears in the same bill that includes measures to crack down on drunken driving.
Tax concessions in the Senate version of the bill would cost the Treasury more than $3 billion over 10 years, according to the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense. The House bill contains tax breaks worth an estimated $12 billion to businesses over a decade.
As House and Senate negotiators prepare to work as early as this week on the bill's final version, they are expected to be lobbied heavily by special interests hoping to hitch a ride on the must-pass measure. (more...)
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Development Report: Upgrades begin on Garden Way
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | April 20, 2004 |
Work to upgrade Garden Way begins in earnest this week, a project that will pave the way for commercial, housing and office development north of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Eugene Water & Electric Board crews have been working along Garden Way since February to put utilities underground in anticipation of the improvements and future development.
On Monday, Wildish Sand & Gravel Co. workers were at the site, preparing to launch the $3.7 million project that city officials hope is substantially complete by September, in time for the crush of traffic from the first University of Oregon home football game. (more...)
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LTD bus catches fire, slowing I-5 traffic
By Mark Baker and Jim Murez
The Register-Guard | April 21, 2004 |
GOSHEN -- An articulated Lane Transit District bus that caught fire on southbound Interstate 5 near here Tuesday evening was the same model, purchased from the same Canadian company, as a bus that had engine trouble and burst into flames on a Honolulu freeway last summer. (more...)
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Bus fire's cause under scrutiny
By Tim Christie
The Register-Guard | April 22, 2004 |
It's too early to say what caused a Lane Transit District bus to catch fire, but LTD officials were talking with their counterparts in Honolulu on Wednesday to find out what they can about a strikingly similar bus blaze last summer. (more...)
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Fire probe puts focus on engines of buses
By Tim Christie
The Register-Guard | April 24, 2004 |
Federal traffic safety investigators plan to examine this week's Lane Transit District bus fire as part of a larger probe into bus blazes around the country that have one common denominator: the same type of engine.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary investigation into the bus fires last month that focuses on Series 40 and 50 turbocharged diesel engines manufactured by Detroit Diesel Corp.
The traffic safety agency has received reports of at least 20 fires involving 12 public transit fleets around the country, including LTD's, agency spokesman Rae Tyson said.
Officials in the Office of Defects Investigation are close to completing the early stages of the probe and will decide soon whether to conduct a full-blown engineering analysis, he said. That process could take as long as a year and result in a recall if engineers find a safety defect. (more...)
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Elections
Letter: An alternative for Springfield mayor's slot -- Joshua Parrish
| By Daniel J. Moore, Springfield | April 21, 2004 |
I was taking a late-night exercise and ran across my very first re-elect Sid for Mayor sign. Sid Leiken is a beautiful man who has been in town for almost more than a year and many, if not most, like his California personality.
But being that he is running unopposed in what seems to be a crime against the basic concept of democratic political process -- and would offend even Mark Twain -- I wish to inform all of those living in Springfield that I have, under the "Found Penny Campaign," found a write-in candidate in another fine fellow named Joshua Dan Parrish to offer as an alternative officer.
Mr. Parrish has lived all his life in this town, has the very best public education the town could afford -- and everyone likes him. His hobbies are hunting, fishing, freelance reading and writing. He is a strong admirer of the local Latter Day Saints folk who have always been a helping force to his beloved grandmother.
Mr. Parrish is a working, disabled, adult diabetic with the most rotten form of that disease, and is therefore a true example of the most basic daily courage that the rest of us do not face just to exist day to day.
He promises that if he is elected he will find a business suit somewhere to wear to meetings, and if things go well he will arrange an organ transplant to fight his cruel disease.
For a free democracy, write in Joshua Dan Parrish for mayor of Springfield. He is the "Found Penny" of Springfield, and no other local citizen apparently wants the job.
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Springfield Ward 6 candidates will line up for Q&A
By Jaime Sherman
The Springfield News | April 21, 2004 |
Four Thurston residents will be in the hot seat tonight.
Springfield City Council candidates David Jacobson, Debbie Davis, Joe Pishioneri and Debi Baker will face the public at 5:30 p.m. for a question and answer forum hosted by Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
The forum is designed for the community to learn more about the political newcomers who are vying to represent Ward 6 on the May 18 ballot. (more...)
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Springfield Ward 6: Four vie to serve Thurston on council
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | April 23, 2004 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Four political neophytes -- a sheriff's deputy, a banker, a high school teacher and a projects manager -- will square off in the May primary to represent the Thurston area on the City Council in the only contested race in town.
In this oasis of political harmony, Mayor Sid Leiken and councilors Christine Lundberg, Anne Ballew and Dave Ralston are all running without opposition.
The only reason there's a contest here is that former Ward 6 Councilor Tim Malloy resigned his seat to take a job in Bellevue, Wash., so close to the May 18 primary that the City Council decided not to appoint a replacement before the election. (more...)
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Springfield Ward 6: Candidates show up for forum, not many others
By Jaime Sherman
The Springfield News | April 23, 2004 |
Four people vying to represent the Thurston area on Springfield City Council got a taste of a typical Monday night when decisions are made before a sparse crowd.
In a forum hosted by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Wednesday evening, Debi Baker, Debbie Davis, David Jacobson and Joe Pishioneri answered a series of questions before 12 people gathered in council chambers. (more...)
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Editorial: Springfield Ward 6: And the winner is -- who cares?
| The Springfield News | April 23, 2004 |
We hope Wednesday night's candidate forum -- which featured hopefuls Debi Baker, Debbie Davis, David Jacobson and Joe Pishioneri -- was not an indication of voter interest. If it was, the May 18 Primary may be the election that was called off due to terminal apathy.
Twelve -- that's the number 12, as in a dozen -- people showed up for the Springfield Chamber of Commerce's forum in council chambers to question the four candidates vying to represent Thurston on the City Council. Worse, one candidate arrived late, one left early, and two members of the media were counted among the devoted dozen.
Now that's what we call an outbreak of ennui. (more...)
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Eugene Mayor: Candidate Piercy airs plan to pump up city's economy
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 20, 2004 |
Eugene mayoral candidate Kitty Piercy on Monday unveiled her prescription to help pump life into Eugene's sluggish economy.
Piercy's economic plan includes calls for the city to:
Tout itself as a place for environmentally friendly businesses.
Offer a helping hand to local firms by streamlining bureaucracy and possibly waiving property taxes on local firms' expansions.
Spur more downtown housing and revitalization.
Consider ways to get companies to use marginal commercial property, including so-called brownfields, for new development.
Change its poor-mouth attitude about business to a positive approach. (more...)
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Slant: Kitty Piercy's Economic Plan
| Eugene Weekly | April 22, 2004 |
Mayoral candidate Kitty Piercy outlined her economic development plan this week, a tidy mix of incentives, bureaucratic streamlining and attitude adjustment. Support and promote Eugene's quality of life, and business and industry will follow. The plan is broad, but sound, logical and forward-thinking. Opponent Nancy Nathanson says she won't have a plan until Torrey's ad hoc economic development committee makes its report this summer. What kind of leadership is that? Particularly since the mayor's race could easily be decided May 18.
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Buying a Mayor
Developer cash backs Nathanson.
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | April 22, 2004 |
Nancy Nathanson
Mayoral candidate Nancy Nathanson has the cash backing of development interests who stand to rake in money on urban sprawl and freeway projects if she's elected.
Development interests -- including real estate speculators, builders, construction companies and local timber barons -- contributed $10,350 to Nathanson's campaign as of April 1. Nathanson, who has a solidly conservative and anti-environmental voting record as a city councilor, is backed by the Chamber of Commerce, but opposed by local environmental and good government groups. (more...)
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Eugene Mayor: Nicholas quits mayoral race, backs Piercy
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 23, 2004 |
Willie Nicholas, a long-shot candidate for Eugene mayor, on Thursday pulled the plug on his campaign.
Nicholas filed the paperwork to withdraw as a candidate, but his name will remain on ballots that are to be mailed to voters between April 30 to May 5 for the May 18 primary election. (more...)
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Editorial: Nathanson for Eugene mayor: Three-term councilor's record speaks for itself
| The Register-Guard | April 25, 2004 |
Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey's decision not to seek a third term leaves big shoes to fill at City Hall. Supporters and critics alike acknowledge that Torrey's unmatched work ethic and willingness to listen have made him an accessible and accountable public official. Throw in his diplomatic leadership of an often divided City Council -- leadership that has delivered an impressive record of civic progress in the past eight years -- and you get a feel for the daunting task confronting the four candidates who seek to replace him.
Eugene voters are fortunate to have two candidates in the four-person field who have the potential to meet the high standards Torrey has set. Twelve-year City Council veteran Nancy Nathanson and former three-term state representative Kitty Piercy bring substantial, though different, strengths to the mayor's race. (more...)
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Eugene City Council Candidates Debate
In a city that prides itself on being unique, sit eight very different candidates, all campaigning for a spot on the Eugene City Council. U of O student Adam Walsh is the youngest. He says, "I feel there's no one currently on the council who represents the students of the university and young people in general than myself."
Today, his opponents were focused on other issues. Real Estate broker Tom Slocum and current Councilor Bonny Bettman continually swapped jabs at each other, everything from why Hynix got tax breaks to what sent Sacred Heart packing for Springfield. Slocum said, "Your actions during that period helped to drive Sacred Heart out of this community, and I think that's a shame."
Bettman defended her voting record, as did current Councilor Betty Taylor. School principal Maurie Denner, is running against Taylor. He didn't like the way the council first voted not to change the name of Centennial Boulevard to MLK. Denner explained, "When we send committees off to do committee work and we have citizens who work more than a year on an issue we need to honor that work."
Taylor pointed out, she often disagrees with the majority of council. Like when she proposed a moratorium on big box stores like Wal Mart. She says diversity on council is needed, and believes her opponent is too much like the others. Taylor said, "We need different types of opinions and if a candidate's opinions are the same as the majority than maybe that person isn't needed."
Ward 8 candidate Chris Pryor had it easy, he has no opponent. And the candidates for Ward 7 had trouble finding something to disagree on.
So, who will lead the city? You get to decide. (more...)
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Eugene Ward 1: Foes blame Bettman for council fights
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 21, 2004 |
In this election, City Councilor Bonny Bettman has something no other Eugene council incumbent can claim: two challengers.
Commercial real estate broker Tom Slocum and University of Oregon student Adam Walsh want to replace Bettman as the Ward 1 councilor. Voters in the south-central ward that includes parts of downtown, the Jefferson-Westside area, and the Friendly Area neighborhood, will make their choices in the May 18 primary election.
Bettman, seeking a second term, often votes with councilors David Kelly and Betty Taylor. These liberal or progressive councilors sometimes find themselves on the short end of 5-3 votes, outvoted by the conservative-moderate leaning council majority. (more...)
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Editorial: Bettman in Eugene Ward 1 -- Incumbent's experience trumps two challengers
| The Register-Guard | April 24, 2004 |
An interesting aspect of the Eugene City Council race in Ward 1 is that both candidates challenging incumbent Bonny Bettman are as concerned with her legislative style -- which they charge is overly contentious -- as they are with the policies and programs she has championed in her first term. (more...)
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Eugene Ward 2: Principal mounts council challenge
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 19, 2004 |
South Eugene voters soon will have a choice between a well-known incumbent proud of her liberal views and a longtime educator who promises to help business.
Incumbent Betty Taylor faces Maurie Denner in the May 18 primary election for Ward 2, the southern section of the the city beginning about 28th Avenue, extending along Amazon Drive and up Spencer Butte.
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Editorial: Eugene Ward 2: Denner -- Challenger's priorities include public safety
| The Register-Guard | April 23, 2004 |
Almost nothing in Eugene resists change more vigorously than the notion that the most important choice voters make in local elections is determining the dominant political ideology of the City Council or mayor's office. That typically translates into catch-all labels such as pro-business or pro-environment -- labels that serve only to relieve lazy voters of the need to really examine candidates' positions, personalities and priorities.
All of the contested races in the May 18 primary have fallen into this rut, and the Ward 2 contest between two-term incumbent Betty Taylor and challenger Maurie Denner is no exception. (more...)
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Eugene Ward 7: Redrawn city ward shapes council race
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 20, 2004 |
A city councilor running on his record, a political newcomer touting a history of volunteerism, and, compared to the last election, a very different electorate.
Throw them all together, and what do you get? The Ward 7 Eugene City Council race between Scott Meisner and Andrea Ortiz. Voters will choose between the two in the May 18 primary election. (more...)
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Editorial: Meisner in Eugene Ward 7 -- Incumbent's record, independence are big assets
| The Register-Guard | April 22, 2004 |
The normally loquacious Scott Meisner has an uncharacteristically short answer to the question about why he's seeking re-election to the Eugene City Council: "I'm not done yet." Ward 7 voters have been well served by Meisner's accomplishments on their behalf, and they shouldn't hesitate to support his bid for a third term.
But those same voters also should memorize the name of Meisner's challenger, Andrea Ortiz. She exudes an infectious enthusiasm for community service, and she hopes to inspire other Latinos to participate in local government. Win or lose, she'll continue to find ways to make a difference in her community. (more...)
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Eugene Ward 8: Candidate draws no rivals
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 21, 2004 |
For a man who's up for election to the Eugene City Council, Chris Pryor doesn't have the stressed look of many candidates.
That's understandable. He's is running unopposed for the Ward 8 seat. (more...)
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Slant: Lane County Democrat endorsements
| Eugene Weekly | April 22, 2004 |
The Lane County Democrat endorsement gig was last week. We hear the big topic of the night was the need for party cohesiveness vs. supporting the "real" Democrats. Similar debates happen among Republicans and Greens. In this case, some D's running for local office tend to vote with R's on important environmental and land use issues. To endorse or not to endorse? The group decided to tackle the issue race by race. Mayor candidate Nancy Nathanson (one of those D's who behaves like an R), said endorsing in the mayoral race would be too divisive. We suspect she feared an embarrassing outcome, but we'll never know the outcome because Kitty Piercy, perhaps too kind-heartedly, agreed with Nancy and no vote was taken. Bonny Bettman got a strong vote of endorsement, but an attempt to endorse her young opponent, UO student Adam Walsh, failed for lack of votes. No one made a motion to endorse incumbent Scott Meisner (ouch) but his challenger Andrea Ortiz got a strong stand of support. Looks like Andrea is now considered a "real Democrat." Welcome to the club. Do these partisan endorsements mean anything in non-partisan races? Maybe a little money and emotional support. The non-endorsements carry more significance. Walsh, who appears to favor sprawl, cannot go door-to-door telling voters his candidacy is backed by the Democratic Party. Meisner's lack of endorsement might help him swing more conservative and independent votes.
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Other
Mayor, wife kick off Red Cross campaign
| The Register-Guard | April 22, 2004 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Mayor Sid Leiken and his wife, Debbie, made the rounds Wednesday to kick off the annual fund-raising campaign for the Red Cross. (more...)
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Marketplace: Pacific Continental hires Mayor Leiken
| The Springfield News | April 23, 2004 |
Pacific Continental Bank has hired Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken to work in commercial lending. Before moving to the Springfield branch last week, Leiken worked for Wells Fargo in Eugene, handling small business loans.
Leiken said Pacific Continental, which first contacted him about the job late last year, gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. He said he is exciting to be working in Springfield.
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Springfield City Beat: Mayor makes shift in jobs from one bank to another
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | April 24, 2004 |
Mayor Sid Leiken has made it official: He's left Wells Fargo Bank and moved over to Pacific Continental Bank, where he's now a commercial banking officer with emphasis on business development in the Springfield-Eugene area. (more...)
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Utility to operate low-cost Internet service
By Sherri Buri McDonald
The Register-Guard | April 21, 2004 |
Eugene Free Community Network, a homegrown Internet service provider that has offered low-cost Internet access to needy groups and individuals for more than a decade, will continue that mission, but as part of the Emerald People's Utility District.
Financially strapped EFN announced Tuesday that the Lane County utility will take over the operation and administration of EFN's Internet service, which has thousands of local subscribers.
The utility will buy the efn.org domain name and its accounts, but not EFN's other assets, such as its equipment, said utility spokesman Bob Mieger. Financial details of the deal were not available Tuesday. The utility's board of directors must approve the purchase, which will probably happen in about two weeks, Mieger said. The transfer of accounts is probably three or four weeks away, he said.
The purchase will add about 4,000 paying accounts to the utility's base of about 2,000 Internet customers, Mieger said. (more...)
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EFN hooking up with local utility
By Ted Taylor
Eugene Weekly | April 22, 2004 |
Two seemingly unrelated local public service organizations are making plans to link up to their mutual benefit. Eugene Free Network (EFN), struggling with financial and technical problems, announced this week that it will be turning over its Internet services to Emerald People's Utility District (EPUD). (more...)
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