Health Options Digest
February 27, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week In Review
Some think CHOICES has sailed away into the sunset, singing "Kumbaya" hand-in-hand with PeaceHealth. In truth, CHOICES still has much to do. We are working with PeaceHealth to make the RiverBend site work as well as possible, and we are working with PeaceHealth to make the best use of their existing Hilyard and Willamette sites in Eugene. And then there's that "little" matter of Triad/McKenzie-Willamette siting a hospital. We urge our members and the larger community will stay engaged in these issues.
On Tuesday, the Springfield City Council heard testimony on PeaceHealth's master plan for their RiverBend site, including concerns about massive flooding. But barring any unexpected developments, the Springfield City Council will soon approve PeaceHealth's plans, paving the way for construction to begin this spring.
As the fight over RiverBend winds down, the fight over the EWEB site is heating up. EWEB and Triad/McKenzie-Willamette recently signed some kind of non-binding accord. But John Musumeci of Arlie and Company says "the gloves are off" in Arlie's fight to gain control of the EWEB site.
In other news, concerns over jobs and the economy are growing. LTD and the labor union are still at odds with each other. And Measure 37 claims are popping up all over the state.
Looking Ahead
Monday is the last day to apply for the Glenwood Urban Renewal Advisory Committee.
On Wednesday, EWEB will hold the second of two public forums on what to do with its river front site.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Wednesday, March 2 -- EWEB public forum on riverfront property
| Eugene Water & Electric Board | February 17, 2005 |
7:00 pm, North Building, EWEB headquarters, 500 E. Foourth Ave., Eugene
The Eugene Water & Electric Board of Commissioners is holding two public forums this month and in March related to the current interest in the utility's riverfront property.
The forums are designed to help commissioners gauge the community's interest and opinions about the current riverfront property negotiations. EWEB staff will make a short presentation, then be available to answer questions.
See also "EWEB plans hearing."
See also "EWEB hears support for hospital."
See also "Suggestions run gamut at EWEB's first public hearing."
Wednesday, March 16 -- Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC)
Agriculture Building, Basement Hearing Room, 635 Capitol St. NE, Suite 150, Salem, (503) 373-0050 ext. 271
Public Hearing on Proposed Administrative Rule Amendments -- OAR 660-012 (Transportation Planning Rule) -- Regarding Review of Plan and Land Use Regulation Amendments. For additional information, please contact Bob Cortright at 373-0050 ext. 241, or by email bob.cortright@state.or.us.
Opportunities
Homeowner, mobile home resident in demand
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | February 18, 2005 |
Come on, Glenwood residents, surely there must be two of you in the unincorporated part of the community -- one homeowner and one mobile home resident -- who want to help decide what the neighborhood will look like in the future.
The county commissioners have extended the application deadline for their appointments to the Glenwood Advisory Committee to Feb. 28. The eight-member committee will advise the Springfield Economic Development Agency as it comes up with plans for the future of Glenwood.
Each person on the advisory committee will represent a certain group of people or businesses. In addition to the county-appointed members, the panel will include: one retail business owner or operator and one industrial owner or operator, both in the unincorporated part of Glenwood, plus a matching pair from the incorporated area of Glenwood, now part of Springfield; a member of the Glenwood Water District board; and one mobile home resident and one homeowner in the Springfield portion of Glenwood. The Springfield City Council or the Springfield Economic Development Agency will choose those members.
To apply for the county-appointed positions on the committee, call the commissioners' office at 682-4203 for an application. Those interested in the other positions should call the city of Springfield at 726-3656.
Recruitment efforts extended for Glenwood renewal committee
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | February 9, 2005 |
Those ready, able and willing to serve still have time.
Springfield Economic Development Agency board members opted to extend recruitment efforts for the Glenwood Urban Renewal Advisory Committee until Feb. 28. The decision came on the heels of news that despite some interest from the community; several positions remained unapplied for.
Solicitation for all positions will continue. (more...)
PeaceHealth
RiverBend's path is clear
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | February 22, 2005 |
Construction of PeaceHealth's $350 million regional medical center in Springfield could begin by July following a settlement signed Monday between the nonprofit health system and the project's remaining major opponents.
The breakthrough deal with the Coalition for Health Options in Eugene-Springfield, or CHOICES, appears to remove the last big impediment blocking development of the controversial RiverBend medical complex, a project that will change the face of Springfield's Gateway area. (more...)
RiverBend opponents settle: With some modifications, PeaceHealth's plan to build a new hospital in Gateway neighborhood gets a green light
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | February 23, 2005 |
After years of legal wrangling, appeals pending against PeaceHealth's proposed hospital have been settled, essentially giving a green light to build a $350 million regional hospital and associated medical facilities in the Gateway area of Springfield.
Representatives for the Coalition for Health Options in Central Eugene-Springfield, or CHOICES, and PeaceHealth announced Monday that CHOICES will withdraw its appeals against the current phase of the proposed RiverBend project. In exchange, PeaceHealth will provide more public involvement in internal planning decisions and commits to taking a close look at nodal development, among other settlement terms. (more...)
Editorial -- Hospital's home stretch: PeaceHealth settles dispute with CHOICES
| The Register-Guard | February 22, 2005 |
It wouldn't be surprising to see a wing of PeaceHealth's new hospital at RiverBend named for Oregon Court of Appeals Chief Judge David Brewer. Thanks to Brewer's abilities as a mediator, the once-uncertain prospect of a groundbreaking on PeaceHealth's McKenzie River site in Springfield is now just a few months away from reality. (more...)
Slant -- CHOICES
| Eugene Weekly | February 24, 2005 |
CHOICES, the scrappy local group that's been in the ring with PeaceHealth for several years, has agreed to concessions on development of the new RiverBend hospital, and they got some licks in on the future of the existing PeaceHealth property downtown. Details are available at http://www.efn.org/~choices It's encouraging to see that citizens can stand up to a huge corporation in cahoots with city government, and force the tweaking of flawed plans. Kudos to Judge David Brewer for mediating kumbaya. But CHOICES could see where the fight was headed and wisely decided to cut its losses. So should we be celebrating? Hardly. It's a TKO. Thousands of hospital patients and their families, doctors and employees will now be forced to drive to the outskirts. The relocation will encourage sprawl, traffic congestion and air pollution. And Springfield's community-built hospital has been forced to tag-team with a for-profit corporation in order to survive, and is now making plans for an expensive move to Eugene. We will all pay for this boondoggle with even higher local health care costs over the next 20 years. PeaceHealth tells us their ringside Eugene donors are still carrying water for them, but we wonder.
Letter -- CHOICES' deal ignores flood issue
By David Rodriguez, Springfield
The Springfield News | February 23, 2005 |
In regards to the latest news from CHOICES regarding a settlement with PeaceHealth -- while they have addressed a few important community-cooperation and building-design issues, this settlement, and that of the Jaquas, are not as important as the significantly larger flood hazard issues now being exposed.
CHOICES members remain well aware of the flood hazards associated with the hospital, as it was a forefront issue they advocated from the beginning. What happened? There is absolutely no mention of these flood issues within their settlement release. I can understand that they gained some ground on other issues, but the most important concern was forgotten. What good is a hospital and nodal development if it is going to be at risk during a severe flood?
Obviously, PeaceHealth pushed to formalize a settlement before the Tuesday public hearing. I can understand their strategy. They are aware that these SERIOUS flood issues will now be at the forefront of discussion from this point forward, so they need to remove other opposition. I suspect concessions were made on the part of PeaceHealth in order to facilitate a settlement before Tuesday.
However, this in no way diminishes the importance of the flood risks relating to lateral channel migration that were NEVER addressed within the last 4 years of analyses by PeaceHealth. Also, the fact that Sony partially flooded during the 1996 flood proves that building is partially within the FLOODWAY! The fact that this is going to be the medical laboratory for the new hospital, owned by the hospital, supports the fact that the Master Plan is flawed, and places hazardous material activity within the floodway.
While the proposed MDR housing development to the north is significantly more at risk to bank erosion then the hospital, at least the buildings will not be over three stories.
There are many other examples and I'm not trying to belittle the ground CHOICES gained, but there is a much bigger issue here.
It is unfortunate that CHOICES has chosen to settle. But it does not change the reality of the greater issue.
RiverBend hospital process moves on in wake of settlement
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | February 23, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- In an atmosphere giddy with cordiality following Monday's settlement with the project's main opponents, the City Council opened a hearing Tuesday on a master plan for PeaceHealth's proposed medical center at RiverBend.
The plan is essentially the same one the council approved last year, before a lawsuit filed by opponents caused the hearing process to start over.
PeaceHealth Chief Executive Officer Alan Yordy set the tone for the evening when he listed, by name, staff members of the Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield, and said, "PeaceHealth owes these people a huge debt of gratitude." (more...)
Former RiverBend rivals patch it up at hearing
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | February 25, 2005 |
The proposed RiverBend hospital is edging toward reality, but a small hurdle remains as Springfield city councilors review Master Plan and zone change applications.
A public hearing on the applications Tuesday night drew a full room, and testimony on the proposed RiverBend hospital remained largely positive in the wake of this week's announced settlement between PeaceHealth and Coalition for Health Options in Central Eugene-Springfield, better known by their acronym, CHOICES. (more...)
Springfield City Beat: Health coalition gains seats on PeaceHealth committees
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | February 26, 2005 |
When PeaceHealth and the Coalition for Health Options in Central Eugene-Springfield announced their settlement agreement this week over siting the hospital corporation's new medical center, one provision was that CHOICES would gain seats on two PeaceHealth committees.
One committee deals with development details at the RiverBend location in northern Springfield, while the other will look at the corporation's Sacred Heart Medical Center site on Hilyard Street.
The likely candidates for those two jobs are Jan Wilson, a lawyer and the coordinator of CHOICES, and Tom Bowerman, son of legendary track coach and Nike founder Bill Bowerman and a landowner near the proposed RiverBend medical center next to the McKenzie River. Tom Bowerman said Friday that he and Wilson were still working out details over who would serve on which committee.
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Letter -- EWEB needs neutral advice
By Susan Rogers, Eugene
The Register-Guard | February 23, 2005 |
I am concerned about the offer made by Arlie & Co. to buy the Eugene Water & Electric Board riverfront land. The Arlie developers already have a history of buying Eugene area land from naive sellers at low prices and then selling the same land at a huge profit soon after.
Usable land is becoming more scarce in the Eugene-Springfield area, and land prices are continuing to increase. The EWEB riverfront land is an irreplaceable resource which may double or triple in value in the near future.
Since EWEB is a customer-owned utility, I hope the EWEB board will protect this valuable EWEB land and not sell it to the Arlie group. The EWEB board should get some expert, neutral advice regarding the projected potential value of the property and then make decisions that will benefit Eugene's citizens and enhance our city. The citizens of Eugene should be the ones to profit from this valuable property, not rich private citizens.
Letter -- Arlie deals affect both hospitals
By Mike Tucker, Junction City
The Register-Guard | February 23, 2005 |
I commend Arlie and Co. for all it is doing for the communities to help keep health care costs from rising.
When PeaceHealth was looking to relocate within Eugene to property it owned on Crescent Avenue, Arlie purchased adjacent land on Crescent and made it available to PeaceHealth. When the city of Eugene identified potential problems with this site, Arlie entered into a business venture with PeaceHealth to buy some land in Springfield -- oops, I mean RiverBend. Arlie then sold the land to PeaceHealth for an $11 million profit and received the Crescent site back.
Now, to help the community and all us poor Eugene Water & Electric Board customers who are being taken advantage of by Triad Hospitals Inc., Arlie wants to make sure EWEB receives a fair price for its riverfront property and has presented an offer to the utility for $28 million.
Finally, in the Feb. 2 Register-Guard, John Musumeci of Arlie identifies PeaceHealth as a money machine. "If they have to throw $50 million (at any roadblocks) to have the certainty of opening their doors before Triad, they would do it."
Am I just a little paranoid here with a conspiracy theory, or can anybody else follow the bouncing ball?
EWEB plans hearing
| The Springfield News | February 23, 2005 |
The Eugene Water & Electric Board of Commissioners is holding two public forums regarding the interest in the utility's riverfront property.
The forums will be held at 7 p.m. tonight and again on Wednesday March 2 in the North Building of EWEB's headquarters at 500 E. Fourth Ave. (more...)
EWEB hears support for hospital
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | February 24, 2005 |
Support to build a new hospital on the Eugene Water & Electric Board's downtown campus outweighed opposition Wednesday night by an almost 2-to-1 ratio led by the Eugene City Council.
About 75 people showed up at the first public forum held to gauge interest and opinion on a possible sale of the utility's riverfront property to Triad Hospitals Inc. or to Eugene development firm Arlie & Co.
Triad, majority owner of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, wants to build a five-story hospital on the site, while Arlie is proposing a development that would include residences, retail shops and office space. Triad last year bid $24.8 million, and Arlie last month offered $28 million.
EWEB commissioners have not acted on either offer, and are in the midst of calculating the cost to move some or all of the campus to west Eugene. (more...)
Suggestions run gamut at EWEB's first public hearing
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | February 25, 2005 |
Nearly three dozen people had something to say about Eugene Water & Electric Board's riverfront property.
Sell. Don't sell. Move. Stay. Split the move.
All were among the suggestions and comments aired Wednesday night during the first of two public forums intended to gauge where the community stands on the possibility of EWEB relocating from its current site along the Willamette River in Eugene -- possibly as part of a deal with Springfield's homegrown McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, which wants to relocate there. (more...)
Arlie declares 'the gloves are off' as councilor's comments fuel ownership fight
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | February 25, 2005 |
Eugene real estate firm Arlie & Co. came out swinging Thursday, declaring it will fight to win ownership of the Eugene Water & Electric Board's downtown campus. (more...)
EWEB, Triad agree to keep talks going
| The Register-Guard | February 26, 2005 |
Triad Hospitals Inc. and the Eugene Water & Electric Board on Friday signed an agreement to continue negotiations over a possible sale of the utility's downtown campus.
The accord is not a contract to sell Triad the 22.5 acres of EWEB property the Texas-based hospital chain wants to buy in order to build a five-story McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center on the site, according to the document.
"It's an agreement that outlines a process for continuing negotiations," said EWEB spokesman Lance Robertson. "This (agreement) gives us the unilateral right to end negotiations at any time."
Triad officials have been trying to convince EWEB to sign a more formal contract, but utility officials have refused pending results of a cost-analysis study due in September.
Triad spokeswoman Rosie Pryor said the agreement would allow the hospital to begin the certificate of need process in late spring or early summer.
Editorial -- Leave the gloves on: Let facts, not feelings, determine fate of EWEB
| The Register-Guard | February 27, 2005 |
It's a riverfront real estate smackdown, and folks are getting a bit testy. Developer John Musumeci says he's taking off the gloves, hoping to knock out opposition from Eugene City Councilor Bonny Bettman. But it's Eugene Water & Electric Board commissioners who are feeling sucker-punched by Bettman's remarks at a public forum on a possible sale of the utility's Willamette River site.
How about this? Let's lock everyone who's interested in the use of EWEB's property in a steel cage and let the last person standing decide what to do.
OK, let's not. How about this, then? Everyone take a deep breath, calm down and remember that EWEB just awarded a $792,031 contract to Eugene-based WBGS Architects & Planners to determine the actual costs of moving the utility's headquarters and operations facilities to a new site. Preliminary results from that study will be available in a few months. (more...)
Health Care
Big health reforms called unlikely
| The Associated Press | February 22, 2005 |
SALEM -- Oregon's health care system may be nearly broken, but state lawmakers said any reforms to emerge from this session are likely to be figurative Band-Aids, not full-scale surgery. (more...)
Government health care costs to rise dramatically
By Pauline Jelinek
The Associated Press | February 24, 2005 |
WASHINGTON -- Within a decade, the government will be footing the bill for nearly half the nation's medical costs, its share propelled higher by the new Medicare drug program, administration economists estimated Wednesday.
At the same time, total health spending -- both private and government -- will take an ever-larger portion of America's economic output, said the report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The rise in federal payments raises "some really, really big issues'' about a government budget in which other programs already are being squeezed out, said Urban Institute tax analyst Eugene Steuerle. (more...)
Nearby Developments
Editorial -- Eugene has job anxieties: Latest survey shows growing concerns
| The Register-Guard | February 23, 2005 |
Keeping Eugene residents happy with their city government is a challenge for municipal officials, because people keep changing their minds about what they want. Yet as they attempt to hit the moving target of public opinion, Eugene officials should not ignore emerging anxieties about local economic conditions.
The University of Oregon Survey Research Laboratory has been conducting a City of Eugene Community Survey for several years. Results of the poll conducted last November, involving telephone interviews with 401 respondents, have now been posted on the city's Web site (http://www.ci.eugene.or.us). Comparing results over a period of years reveals that one primary constant is change, and that another is an increasing concern about economic conditions. (more...)
Tax Breaks
Eugene may give millions to corporations, for nothing.
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | February 24, 2005 |
A tax break program under consideration by the Eugene City Council could divert tens of millions of dollars in funding for schools and other government services to corporate profits.
The City Council, which appears almost evenly split on the issue, plans to vote March 7 on creating an Enterprise Zone tax break program covering 90 percent of the city's industrial land for the next decade.
Business groups and corporations lobbying hard for the tax breaks argue that they will create jobs. They claim that the breaks will not cost the city anything, because without them, the corporations wouldn't come to Eugene and pay taxes. (more...)
Slant -- Recruiting Big Industry
| Eugene Weekly | February 24, 2005 |
On a related note, City Councilor Betty Taylor reminds us that recruiting big industry to the county has unintended effects, such as drawing thousands of unemployed people here looking for work, thus burdening our social services, schools and public safety. And, as we learned in the recent Economic Forecast 2005 conference, Oregon's high unemployment rate is not due so much to our rotten economy but rather to the livability of our state. We attract people from all over and keep people here with our natural environment, our arts and culture, our relative tolerance for alternative lifestyles, and our stimulating intellectual and educational communities. We also excel in sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, according to folks who move here from Wyoming and North Dakota where jobs are plentiful, but people are not so open-minded. Welcome to Oregon. Bring a tent.
Letter -- Compromise on enterprise zone
By Greg McLauchlan, Eugene
The Register-Guard | February 26, 2005 |
The Eugene City Council is about to consider re-establishing a large enterprise zone in west and north Eugene, where businesses could get generous tax breaks for creating new, well-paying jobs. This issue has been controversial in the past for good reason -- it wasn't clear if taxpayers were getting a good deal or just subsidizing businesses and jobs that would have been created anyway.
Councilor Bonny Bettman has proposed a smart compromise: Limit the zone to the large area where there is existing industry, which would include hundreds of acres of underutilized or polluted "brownfield" sites. This is a win-win solution that could help Eugene move past prior conflicts.
The Chamber of Commerce will be happy with an enterprise zone that includes hundreds of local businesses and room for new businesses. Environmental activists, neighborhood leaders and others will be happy that the zone targets incentives on redevelopment of existing industrial land (infill) and cleaning up pollution in our commun- ity.
Politically, this proposal is in the mainstream of Eugene values. In 1998, after much public input, the City Council adopted an economic development policy that calls on the city to "direct available financial and regulatory incentives" toward providing "family-wage jobs principally by supporting local, and environmentally sensitive businesses."
The City Council should recognize it has two birds in the hand here.
Bob Zagorin -- Lane County's tourism dollars slipping away
By Bob Zagorin
The Register-Guard | February 22, 2005 |
Lane County and Eugene-Springfield have reached a major crossroads. One route leads to a vibrant, sustainable tourism economy; the other to continued erosion of our market share. Please let me explain. (more...)
Editorial -- Cafe style tables downtown: What a great idea!
| The Springfield News | February 23, 2005 |
The City of Springfield is considering an ordinance that would bring a little bit of Paris into downtown Springfield. (No, not THAT part of Paris!) They're talking about the charming little streetside caf/s where little tables are set out on the sidewalk and folks sit tableside on a summery afternoon, sipping chardonnays and nibbling on croissants.
What a great idea. This may come as a surprise to those whose impressions of downtown Springfield just come from a "windshield survey" on the way home from work -- past the strip clubs and the run-down bars. (more...)
Condo lifestyle on comeback trail: Appeal of urban dwelling at forefront of local resurgence
By Joe Mosley
The Register-Guard | February 21, 2005 |
It's the real estate world's equivalent of a new tie-dye booth at the Saturday Market.
Condos are that hot, and that retro. (more...)
Richard Herman -- Downtown developer's plan works best for all
By Richard Herman
The Register-Guard | February 21, 2005 |
Charles Tilt opened his Feb. 7 guest viewpoint by saying, "Some decisions are permanent. You get only one chance to do the right thing." Metropolitan Affordable Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing provider, agrees.
We believe the city of Eugene did the right thing through the right process in acquiring property on Eighth Avenue and then soliciting proposals to develop a mixed-income and mixed-use affordable housing community on the site. Such a development would be consistent with the Eugene downtown plan adopted last April by the Eugene City Council. (more...)
Developers buzz about downtown: Whole Foods grocery chain and OFAM propose projects near new courthouse
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | February 25, 2005 |
In a potentially huge boost for downtown Eugene, Whole Foods Market, the nation's No. 1 natural foods grocer, wants to put a store in the heart of the city.
The retailer, based in Austin, Texas, is working with a Eugene property owner and a Portland developer to open a store at Broadway and High Street, east of the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts. An International House of Pancakes eatery currently sits on part of the site.
In a related proposal, the Oregon Festival of American Music, which operates The Shedd, wants to strike a deal with the city that could lead to the construction of a parking garage that would serve the new federal courthouse district, Whole Foods, The Shedd and other draws on the east side of downtown. OFAM plans eventually to construct a music school and retail building behind The Shedd for its fast-growing music instruction program. (more...)
Editorial -- Downtown gains variety: Grocery, garage would provide a boost
| The Register-Guard | February 26, 2005 |
Variety is the key to downtown Eugene's future. For the city core to thrive, it will need a mix of housing, public buildings, office space and retail stores. Some of these components have been falling into place in recent years. Now an ingredient that has been conspicuously missing -- private commercial development -- is on the horizon, with an accompanying parking garage that could cement downtown's link to the emerging federal courthouse district. (more...)
Green Dreams
Nearby wildlife areas can boost Lane County's economy.
By Kate Rogers Gessert
Eugene Weekly | February 24, 2005 |
A recent trip to the West Eugene Wetlands hit me with the force of revelation. I had visited corners of wetland, like Swallow Pond across from Lane Electric. I knew there was more wetland beyond West 11th, but driving past, it looked like just factories and grass. Yet once I turned onto Terry Street and walked west, I stepped into another world, vast and serene. Marshes spread into the distance. White-tailed kites floated above, and meadowlarks sang from the grasses. Meadowlarks! For years I had looked for them, and they had been here all the time.
The proposed West Eugene Parkway would cut through the heart of the wetlands. But if they are left in peace and attract visitors, these beautiful wild lands might bring more money into the local economy over the long term than the quick profits of road-building. The wetlands, our community's green lungs, would stay safe for hawks and meadowlarks, and for all of us. (more...)
Transportation
Grounded DeFazio now a road warrior
| The Associated Press | February 21, 2005 |
WASHINGTON -- Call him the reluctant road warrior.
After 18 years on the House aviation subcommittee, Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio is trading his political airman's wings for a hard hat.
The veteran congressman has given up his seat as senior Democrat on the aviation panel to become the top Democrat on the subcommittee for highways, transit and pipelines, also part of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The switch makes DeFazio one of the committee's "Big Four'' members responsible for trying to win passage of a highway bill that could pump at least $2.5 billion into the Oregon economy. (more...)
Letter -- Workers must fight for fairness
By Jeanine and Davin Anderson, Eugene
The Register-Guard | February 21, 2005 |
In the current U.S. economy, I am disheartened to see all the negative letters with regard to the Lane Transit District union members.
Companies have been given so much power by our current administration, and they are using that power to intimidate workers into thinking a job at any pay is a good job. Unions have been fighting for the rights of workers not only for a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, but for safety issues. It seems the negative responses have been focusing on the pay and benefits issues of the current negotiations. Also, take into consideration that along with reducing the time union drivers have to perform safety inspections on their buses, LTD has refused to release its financial numbers and refuses to cooperate with the LTD-ATU Community Committee.
Do we want to become a nation of Wal-Mart employees? A nation where we allow the big companies to bully the workers into living paycheck to paycheck and praying that no family member gets sick because they can't afford to meet the deductible set by employers?
While the CEOs buy their vacation homes, employees need to start standing up for their rights and working toward jobs that allow us to feed, clothe, educate and keep our families healthy. Union jobs offer these benefits, and union employees are willing to fight to keep their jobs.
Don't let the land of the free become another Third World country, a place where the "haves" and the "have mores" make their money off the backs of the working poor.
Letter -- Don't devalue workers' struggle
By Gloria Goskie, Eugene
The Register-Guard | February 21, 2005 |
My jaw just dropped when I read the letter from Carmen Getz (letters, Feb. 10) who complained about Lane Transit District workers who are trying to hold onto their benefits package with a possible strike.
Her resentment seems to stem from the fact that her college-educated husband took a $10,000 pay cut in order to stay in Oregon. It is obvious to me that her attitude is one of the main contributors to the situation we now have in this country, that is, CEOs making obscenely huge salaries and options while nearly everyone else struggles to pay the light bill.
It's the divide-and-conquer strategy that has led to this. These days, having a college degree cuts no ice with companies that only want to make more and more money. I can attest to this as can my former co-workers, who lost their jobs when our company pulled out of Oregon.
I say more power to any workers who demand to be compensated for their hard work. We're all in this together, and when you devalue one worker, you devalue us all.
Letter -- Piercy's concern appreciated
By Jennifer Chambers, Veneta
The Register-Guard | February 23, 2005 |
In the wake of all the controversy about Lane Transit District, I would like to register a compliment for Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and her attempt to deal with the situation. Although I am a resident of Veneta, I very much appreciated an act of goodwill I witnessed.
When I rode the No. 93 bus to my home from the station recently, I was very surprised to see Piercy on the bus speaking to riders about their ideas on services provided and listening to complaints. She then proceeded to get the name of everyone present and a list of what bus they rode. In our case, obviously, it was the Veneta bus. Her concern was the suspension of services for people in the outlying communities and how drastically it would affect our lives.
She was prepared to present the list of riders at the next meeting with LTD. As a University of Oregon student, I am a frequent system user and it was important to me that she was acting as our collective voice.
Letter -- LTD issue shows workers' plight
By Steve Johnson, Eugene
The Register-Guard | February 23, 2005 |
Carmen Getz's vitriolic and irrational letter to the editor on Feb. 10 did nothing to further public knowledge or debate on the labor struggles at Lane Transit District. However, it was a wonderful example of the plight of the working poor and the difficulties of a declining middle class.
Her letter shows the importance of workers having the right to collective bargaining and the value of unions. I only wish her husband's workplace was as well organized as LTD.
Letter -- Workers' struggle could help all of us
By Vernon Bell, Springfield
The Springfield News | February 23, 2005 |
I wonder what would happen if a group of people would unite and stand up for themselves against an employer, and get fully paid medical insurance and a living wage. The group is ATU local 757, the union representing the workers of Lane Transit District. The employer is Lane Transit District. Do you think this might help other workers in the area? I do.
We are quick to say "They are getting too much." Well, maybe we are not getting enough. Wouldn't it be better to lift ourselves up to a living wage and fully paid health insurance, than to drag them down? If we support the workers at LTD, we can change a trend in America. If one group can win, then all workers win.
Lane Transit District belongs to the people of Lane County, not Ken Hamm or Gerry Gaydos. The board of directors is appointed, not elected. They do not have to respond to the people; they will keep their jobs no matter what they do to your transit system. If we all stick together, we will all win.
Letter -- LTD contract issues aren't trivial
By Kimberly Langdell, Eugene
The Register-Guard | February 25, 2005 |
Lynn Carancho states in her Feb. 9 letter, "It's unbelievable how they take for granted the great wages and insurance, not to mention the extra benefits."
Lane Transit District's workers are not taking it for granted; they are fighting to keep these benefits and wages!
Does anyone think they are willing to strike, not get paid, not have any benefits, not be able to collect unemployment, leave hundreds of people stranded and lose community support for a trivial loss in benefits?
No. The cut is significant, and their wages are going to be frozen. All because of LTD's poor spending and budgeting.
The union voted to not strike for 35 days to allow negotiations to continue. The union members don't want to leave people stranded; they want to keep working and come to a reasonable agreement.
It is LTD that isn't budging.
The union has filed a grievance against LTD because it is not willing to negotiate within the guidelines outlined by the state. But everyone is pointing their fingers at the union members.
Comparing one's own situation to what is going on with LTD employees is distracting from the real issues.
The workers are willing to lose it all to stand up for what they believe is an injustice.
People shouldn't judge LTD workers because they may have something others don't.
After all, others want the same or better for themselves. This seems of be what is making most people bitter.
Letter -- What will LTD do with the tax money?
By Valerie Harris, Springfield
The Springfield News | February 25, 2005 |
Regarding several topics:
1. LTD Bus Drivers Strike. It is most interesting that the LTD administration was not willing to work with a community group, who was very willing and open to mediate between union and LTD administrators.
If the LTD administration allows the union to strike, what will happen to payroll taxes which are specifically designated for daily operations?
Will the local businesses cease payment while the bus drivers are on strike?
It is only logical for the payroll taxes to cease during the strike, because daily operations will cease.
As the LTD administration has pointed out in The Eugene Register-Guard in January 2005, there will be no alternative services. Thus, one can conclude that payroll taxes should cease.
Why should the LTD administration continue to receive income during a strike? That is not justice for the bus patrons, who will be placed in a major inconvenience during this time, in the middle of winter.
2. I keep hearing that the LTD administration has $8 million-plus. What is the original source of this money? A grant from the federal government? Or, from payroll taxes?
One can conclude that the $8 million was from the 24 service cuts, which have affected many lives already.
3. Medical. It is my observation that the bus drivers should receive full medical.
It is the bus drivers who deal directly with the public every day of their work hours.
Question: As of Feb. 1, a different medical insurance program was implemented for LTD bus drivers. Was that legal?
4. Bus Routes 18 and 19. Personally, I would like for the 18 and 19 to continue their current routes. They work very well for me.
Thanking you in advance for your attention to these matters.
Health benefits at heart of LTD labor dispute
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | February 24, 2005 |
The struggle between the Lane Transit District and its unionized workers to forge a new employment contract resembles a hard-fought tug of war.
On one end, district officials are pulling for the financial goals they've set for the overall transit system. On the other, employees are trying to hang on to wages and benefits.
And in the middle, yanked to and fro, are the people who ride the bus -- both sides call them "guests." (more...)
Manager supports board's effort to control rising costs
| The Register-Guard | February 24, 2005 |
Throughout the contract bargaining, much ire has been directed at Lane Transit District's general manager, Ken Hamm.
Newspaper ads paid for by the Amalgamated Transit Union have accused the 56-year-old administrator of cutting bus service, leading the LTD board "to divert millions of operating dollars into bottomless-pit construction projects," bloating salaries and benefits for high-level managers, running up attorney costs for failed contract negotiations, and forcing a strike.
Hamm says he tries to take the attacks in stride. (more...)
Stop 'Hard Bargaining'
By Kera Abraham
Eugene Weekly | February 24, 2005 |
As the Lane Transit District labor dispute drags on, a group of citizens is weighing in to urge both the district and the union to return to the bargaining table.
The LTD/ATU Community Committee, composed of citizen volunteers, released a report Feb. 23 detailing its conclusions. The report emphasizes the public losses that the region would suffer in the event of a strike and asks both parties to offer fresh proposals in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
The committee asks the LTD board -- which has chosen not to participate in bargaining -- to get involved. "You represent all of the community, not just the management of LTD, and the community needs to hear from you," the report reads.
To the union, the committee says: Be willing to flex on a health care contract. While commending the union for postponing a strike scheduled for Feb. 1, the committee asks the union to adopt a more positive stance toward the district.
The committee asks the district to drop its proposed work rule changes, rethink its 4 percent cap on pay raises, and refrain from implementing the rest of its proposals so that the good faith bargaining can proceed.
In sum, the report calls on both parties to stop the "hard bargaining" that sully labor relations and seek a fair resolution.
Group's report on LTD, union released
| The Springfield News | February 25, 2005 |
The LTD/ATU Community Committee has concluded its monthlong effort to analyze and help with the labor negotiations between the Lane Transit District and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757.
Union members voted to postpone any potential strike -- allowing the committee 35 days or until March 4 to conduct a third party audit and to examine issues that continue to keep both parties from reaching a contract agreement. (more...)
Joan Pierson and Curt Bylund -- For all our sakes, good-faith bargaining must resume at LTD
By Joan Pierson and Curt Bylund
The Register-Guard | February 25, 2005 |
We are citizen volunteers who have come together to analyze and assist with the labor negotiations between the Lane Transit District and the Amalgamated Transit Union. This report summarizes our conclusions and strongly urges both parties to return to the bargaining table in order to resolve the outstanding issues.
Our highest priority is to avoid a shutdown of our transit service. The union agreed to postpone its strike for a month in order to allow this committee to comment on the negotiations; this was a service to the community. We hope a strike can be avoided, because it would have several negative results. (more...)
Editorial -- Committee LTD report is vague, disappointing
| The Springfield News | February 25, 2005 |
Maybe the LTD folks were right to ignore the Eugene/Springfield Solidarity Network when it popped up and offered to do an "independent audit" of the district's ongoing labor dispute with its bus drivers. The consortium just released the report it claims to have been working on for weeks and, well, it's disappointing.
On the bright side, it's an easy read. And, in fact, it would make a fine editorial. In three well-written pages, it basically tells the union and management to quit posturing and sit back down and start talking like grown-ups again.
Hear, hear. We couldn't agree more. But saying that was the easy part. We were really hoping for something more. This group was going to spend a month studying this issue in an attempt to find something that the parties to the wrangling weren't seeing. What we were hoping to see was a comparison of health-care plan options and costs with a recommended compromise for both parties; an evaluation of whether the 10-minute prep time is reasonable, with comparisons to other transit districts; an independent look at the controversial new work rules -- that sort of thing. In other words, some heavy lifting -- a hands-on, ground-level analysis of this ugly little drama. (more...)
Safety issue complicates LTD labor feud
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | February 23, 2005 |
A judge may rule Thursday whether Lane Transit District can shave five minutes off the daily inspection time for buses, in the latest turn of caustic 10-month contract talks between LTD and union workers.
An attorney for two passengers and two bus drivers sued in Lane County Circuit Court on Tuesday, arguing that the shorter 10-minute inspections by drivers will jeopardize safety once implemented Sunday.
A hearing will be held Thursday on the request for a temporary restraining order against LTD, said Gene Mechanic, the plaintiffs' attorney. (more...)
Judge keeps door open for disabled bus rider
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | February 25, 2005 |
A disabled bus passenger -- backed by a bus drivers union whose contract talks with the Lane Transit District have stalled -- won a partial court victory Thursday when a judge agreed to consider ordering LTD not to cut daily bus safety inspections from 15 minutes to 10.
Circuit Judge Lyle Velure told Merrill Haggard, an LTD rider who suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, that he will hold a hearing at 9:30 a.m. next Thursday to decide whether laws protecting passengers, and especially disabled people, require LTD to maintain its current safety inspection schedule.
The transit company has ordered its drivers to begin the abbreviated inspections on Sunday, saying the shortened schedule will save as much as $45,000 a year. (more...)
Editorial -- A waste of time: Dispute over bus safety inspections a trivial issue
| The Register-Guard | February 25, 2005 |
When sideshows start stealing the spotlight in deadlocked labor negotiations, opportunities for a settlement slip farther away, and the public begins to lose interest.
That's the last thing leaders of Lane Transit District and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 want to see happen as they struggle to avert a strike that would strand thousands of daily riders and damage public support of LTD. But the silly tiff over the time allotted for bus safety inspections is just the kind of distraction that diverts energy from resolving the main issue: the cost of health care benefits. And it threatens public confidence in the bargaining process, something unions can ill afford. (more...)
LTD talks are still sitting at the curb
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | February 26, 2005 |
Nothing yet.
Negotiators for the Lane Transit District and its union-represented employees spent a full day Friday with a professional mediator but still couldn't come up with enough give-and-take to arrive at a tentative contract settlement.
That leaves the two sides with one more scheduled mediation session -- next Friday -- before members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 go out on strike, which they've said they'll do March 7 if they can't come to an agreement by then. (more...)
Other
Women workers protest Schwarzenegger's rhetoric
By Beth Fouhy
The Associated Press | February 23, 2005 |
SAN FRANCISCO -- Could Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have another "woman problem'' on his hands?
Schwarzenegger made headlines in recent months by deriding political opponents as "girlie men'' and ridiculing a group of nurses at a women's conference. Now, an effort to paint the state's teachers as little more than a balky special interest group has angered many critics, who have begun to question why constituencies dominated by women have been subjected to such tough talk. (more...)
Measure 37: Views
Editorial-- No special treatment: Bill singles out Measure 37's chief petitioner
| The Register-Guard | February 24, 2005 |
When extending an olive branch in politics, it's usually a good idea to first make sure you won't end up getting whacked in the back of the head with the same branch in the future.
In a gesture intended to acknowledge the flaws in the state's land-use system that prompted voters to approve Measure 37, the Oregon Senate last week approved Senate Bill 348. The bill would allow the measure's poster "child," 92-year-old Dorothy English, to bypass the new law and fast-track her plans to develop her property in rural Multnomah County.
Lawmakers risk establishing an unwise precedent by allowing the legislative process to be used to circumvent state land-use laws. Special legislation exempting English from state law would open the door for other Oregonians to lobby for -- and win -- similar favors. (more...)
Letter -- Measure 37 claims threaten Oregonians' quality of life
By Erin Ganahl, School of Law
Oregon Daily Emerald | February 25, 2005 |
It has started. Measure 37 claims have begun rolling in, and eight waivers have been granted in Yamhill and Jackson counties. County commissioners have approved the least problematic applications, but what's next?
Many Oregonians live here and love their state because of the quality of life. Our quality of life results in large part from Oregon's system of land use planning. Having grown up in a small coastal town near San Francisco, I have come to appreciate the benefits of intelligent and rigorous land use planning. Half Moon Bay is made up of farmers, ranchers and fishermen, as well as urbanites who value the sanctuary outside of the city. Area residents value the quality of life in the town and have presented only rare challenges to the town's land use laws. As a result, the town has retained its small-town charm and historic character.
Ten miles to the east, lack of land use planning has created a different landscape. Along Highway 101, single family homes, fast food restaurants, and industrial complexes mingle to create a jumble of development that stretches for miles. No one wants Oregon to resemble a California suburb.
The passage and potential abuse of Measure 37 presents this possibility. With every Measure 37 waiver, Oregon's quality of life is slowly eroded. The few large, corporate landowners that funded Measure 37 should not be permitted to take our way of life away.
Letter -- Protect Oregon's quality of life
By Erin Ganahl, Eugene
The Register-Guard | February 26, 2005 |
Bonnie Smith's Feb. 17 guest viewpoint asked how many lawsuits Liam Sherlock would file if regulators prevented him from living where he chose. The answer is: none.
Sherlock and many Oregonians live here because they value the quality of life that characterizes this state. They do not seek, for financial motives, to undermine everyone's quality of life by challenging a system that protects it.
Smith blames Big Brother-like bureaucracies and wealthy corporations for the existence of land use regulations. This assertion is misguided, misleading and false. In fact, major funding for Measure 37 came from large, corporate landowners. The select few that have a financial stake in subdividing and exploiting the land wish to roll back land use protections. The rest of us simply wish to look out our window and see a neighbor or trees rather than a fast food restaurant, or stroll along the Willamette River and admire the wildlife without having to pay for it, as Smith suggests.
In the small California town of Half Moon Bay where I grew up, stringent land use regulations never prevented people from creating a life there; they simply protected its charm and historic character. However, 10 miles to the east, lack of land use planning has created a jumbled landscape of homes, fast food and industrial complexes, which is an eyesore.
No one wants Oregon to resemble a sprawling California suburb. Our quality of life is important to the people of Oregon. Let's hold onto it.
Letter -- Do we want to be L.A. North?
By Norm Maxwell, Lorane
The Register-Guard | February 26, 2005 |
I was fascinated to read Bonnie Smith's Feb. 17 guest viewpoint. Her perspective of "letting the land guide growth" is certainly novel.
Clearly, the land wants to be paved and converted to house farms here in Lane County. Or is that the desire of the hundreds of developers who live here?
The good news is that houses will drop in price to $20,000 if we just let the land guide growth. There is nothing legal you can grow that will give you the return of pulling a quick subdivision on a piece of marginal farm or forest, throwing down a bunch of houses and running away with a huge bag of money.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners will vote 3-2 to let you do it, too. Oregon's Land Use Board of Appeals may reverse the commissioners, but somebody will have to put up the money to challenge you. Win, lose or draw, the challenger will still have to shell out thousands of dollars and won't receive one red cent out of the deal.
We should emulate Southern California and pave everything and let people do whatever they want with their land until we are Los Angeles North. Perhaps then there would be no motivation to move to Oregon.
Larry George -- Land-Use Limbo: Fenced in or fenced out?
Measure 37 should be the impetus to correct restrictions and override arcane rules
By Larry George
The Oregonian | February 20, 2005 |
I was in the property rights battle for a decade. I've watched the movement grow. Now Oregon voters have twice said: Fix the system -- it doesn't work.
Finally, a real dialogue has begun in the Legislature. That debate needs to move beyond clarifying Measure 37 to addressing the serious problems in Oregon's land-use system that led to its passage in the first place. Voters first said "yes" to a similar measure five years ago that was later invalidated by the Oregon Supreme Court. (more...)
Measure 37: News
The law of the land
Measure 37's execution has caused a backlash of proposed legislation to attempt to clarify the policy
When Measure 37 passed in November, policymakers and land activists weren't quite sure what to expect.
Now, nearly four months later, not much has changed. (more...)
Measure 37 suits head to court
Financial impact of land-use lawsuits requesting millions still unknown
By Sue Pesznecker
The (Portland State University) Vanguard | February 25, 2005 |
Now, almost four months after its passage, Measure 37 lawsuits are barreling into Oregon's courts. To date, approximately 220 requests have been filed statewide, including nine in Multnomah County.
On Nov. 2, 2004, Oregonians passed Measure 37, requiring the state to compensate land owners for property value lost as a result of zoning or environmental restrictions.
Although the final cost of the measure cannot be determined, the Oregon Attorney General's office projects at least $344 million in court costs and administration, with settlement payouts to be added to that total. In Multnomah County alone, individual settlement requests vary from $55,000 to $1 million.
As to where the money will come from, no one seems to know. (more...)
Measure 37 washes over coastal areas
By Alex Pulaski
The Oregonian | February 22, 2005 |
SEAL ROCK -- For more than a decade, Lowell Patton searched for a way to develop his 31 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
After battling neighbors over his plans to replace the pines and beach grass with an RV park, Patton has turned to Oregon's new property-rights law, Measure 37. In December, the semiretired Portland-area lumberman issued Lincoln County a $12.6 million ultimatum: Allow him to place four times as many dwellings as zoning currently allows or pay up. (more...)
Measure 37 foe files development bid
Former legislator Lynn Lundquist, who didn't favor the land-use initiative, has asked to subdivide his farm
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | February 25, 2005 |
Lynn Lundquist faced a political conundrum: He opposed Oregon's new property rights law, but he also had an ideal case to take advantage of it.
The former Republican House speaker and current head of the Oregon Business Association is among eight Measure 37 applicants in Crook County, where he owns about 300 acres of farmland. Lundquist is requesting permission to split his property into 33 nine-acre lots, an opportunity he says is worth nearly $4 million. (more...)
Measure 37 opponent files claim
| The Associated Press | February 25, 2005 |
PORTLAND -- The head of the Oregon Business Association, who was one of the most visible opponents of the state's new property rights law, has filed a claim under the new law.
Lynn Lundquist, a former Republican House speaker, is among eight Measure 37 applicants in Crook County, where he owns about 300 acres of farmland, on which he grows grain and mint.
Lundquist is requesting permission to split his property into 33 nine-acre lots, an opportunity he says is worth nearly $4 million. (more...)
Central Oregon spawns Measure 37 cases
In an area where development is pressing and farms are waning, 20 landowners in Deschutes County alone have filed claims
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | February 25, 2005 |
BEND -- Under Measure 37, Central Oregon's explosive growth and lackluster farming sector have created a hunger for subdivisions.
Nearly two dozen applicants in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties hope the state's new property rights law will give them leverage to split land for profit.
If their plans materialize, buyers in the increasingly expensive recreation mecca may be able to pick among several 50-lot estates with full-on mountain views, including one with man-made lakes and riding stables. Real estate and development experts say demand is so high, construction allowed by Measure 37 would barely make a dent in satisfying the market. (more...)
Measure 37 claims rise
| The Associated Press | February 27, 2005 |
BEND -- More than half a century ago, Gary Nelson's father bought 160 acres in then-wide-open Deschutes County, where his family farmed potatoes, dairy cows and hay.
Today, though, the resort town of Bend is creeping ever closer to their homestead, and the family thinks their next crop could be rooftops.
They've filed a Measure 37 claim seeking either $1 million or the right to build a 50-lot subdivision on their land, one of 17 claims filed so far in the fast-growing county.
Overall, Deschutes County landowners are asking for $16.1 million, or the right to build 228 lots on 844 acres. (more...)
Farmers seek new cash crop: homes
By Chris Barker
The (Bend) Bulletin | February 26, 2005 |
Over the course of more than half a century, the Nelson family raised potatoes, dairy cows and hay on a picturesque patch of irrigated land northeast of Bend.
Today, after passage of Measure 37, they figure their next cash crop will be rooftops. (more...)
Property-rights initiative being explored
By Jennifer Langston
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer | February 25, 2005 |
When Tim Matthes considers how government rules have eclipsed people's retirement dreams, a property-rights initiative seems overdue.
He bought a small cattle property outside of Port Orchard 34 years ago, when land seemed like a good investment for a young shipyard worker.
But plans to leave parcels to his children evaporated after zoning rules preventing suburban sprawl made it impossible to subdivide. Wetland regulations could keep him from building a one-story home suitable for an aging couple.
Land-use frustrations such as those -- and popular support for a landmark property-rights ballot measure in Oregon -- have spurred the Washington Farm Bureau's board to direct its staff to explore an initiative here, said the bureau's government relations director, Dan Wood. (more...)
Implications of Oregon property law still unclear
By Jennifer Langston
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer | February 25, 2005 |
Three months ago, Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed a citizens initiative requiring governments to pay owners -- or forgo enforcement -- when land-use restrictions reduce property value.
Now they're seeing what that means. (more...)