Health Options Digest
March 13, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Thanks to those who report the news
Before we get to the news of the past week, we want thank the people who bring us the news.
At "Health Options Digest" we strive to bring to bring news together in one place and make sense out of it.
But we couldn't do our job if lots of dedicated people in the news business didn't do theirs. In our community, we are blessed to have several sources of local news.
In recent weeks, "Health Options Digest" has included news reported by Mark Baker, Randi Bjornstad, Greg Bolt, Sherri Buri McDonald, Tim Christie, Matt Cooper, Joe Harwood, Bob Keefer, Scott Maben, Karen McCowan, Joe Mosley, Rebecca Nolan, Edward Russo, David Steves, Bob Welch and Christian Wihtol of The Register-Guard; Amber Fossen of The Springfield News; Kera Abraham, Alan Pittman and Ted Taylor of The Eugene Weekly; Meghann Cuniff and Adam Cherry of The Daily Emerald; Andrea Ash, Andrew Padula and Sophie Soong of KEZI TV; and Tom Adams, Dana Rebik, Cathryn Stephens, Jodi Unruh and Nick Voll of KVAL TV. In the past, we have featured stories by others, including from KMTR TV. We thank all these people for helping to keep us informed about what is happening in our community.
In this sometimes cynical day and age, some don't appreciate the efforts of the "Fourth Estate": the journalists who are an important part of a working democracy. Indeed, some bloggers (web loggers) have taken to referring to the "MSM," i.e., the mainstream media. Some point to scandals in The New York Times, CBS News, and other media outlets, or to the supposed (liberal? conservative?) bias of the MSM.
But bloggers -- and "Health Options Digest" is a kind of blog -- would have little to talk about if not for the stories running in the MSM. Most of us don't have the resources to actually go out and cover public events and interview people to find out what is happening in our community.
Just imagine our community without any local news in the newspapers or on radio or TV. Before moving to Eugene, I lived in Boca Raton, Florida, a community about the same size as ours but whose sole local newspaper featured essentially no local news. People in Boca Raton had little opportunity to complain about, say, their city council because without local news, most didn't know what the council was doing.
A strong democracy begins with a well informed citizenry. So as many of our soldiers are fighting for freedom and democracy halfway around the world, remember the people of the Fourth Estate in our community who are doing their part for democracy here at home.
Week In Review
There was a ton of news this past week, but nothing about PeaceHealth.
In the top of the news, it appears that LTD and the labor union have agreed to a new contract. If ratified this (Sunday) afternoon, as is almost certain, buses should begin running on Monday -- just in time for finals week before the start of spring break.
We congratulate LTD management and the union for the wisdom to avoid a protracted strike that would have scarred the community. We also thank special mediators Mayor Kitty Piercy, Jack Roberts and Art Johnson, who appear to have succeeded in bring the two sides together where others had been unable to do so.
Recently, there's been a lot of heat around the use of the EWEB site, with Eugene City Councilor Bonny Bettman unfairly bearing the brunt of criticism. But there has been some light, too: Eugene needs a hospital and it would be good to have a public process for deciding how to best use the publicly-owned EWEB site.
Mayor Kitty Piercy, City Councilors George Poling and Bonny Bettman and City Manager Dennis Taylor will travel to Arizona to see another hospital built by Triad Hospitals, Inc.
Last Monday, the Eugene City Council voted 7-1 in favor of a compromise approach to enterprise zones.
Indeed, as a recent editorial in The Register-Guard notes, compromise and consensus seems to be breaking out all over the place. At a recent goal-setting meeting, the Eugene City Council agreed at least 7-1 to eight goals for the coming year.
A roundabout recently approved in Springfield isn't turning out as expected, causing heartburn for some.
Last Monday, the Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on a bill that would turn every major highway in the state into a freight route, including Highway 126 from Springfield to the Cascades. Local residents who thought that had killed this bad idea a few months ago were in Salem to again voice their concerns against trucks rumbling through the scenic McKenzie River corridor.
Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $284-billion transportation package that includes "earmarks" for projects in Lane County, including $20 million for the Interstate-5/Beltline Interchange project needed by PeaceHealth and for Bus Rapid Transit. The politics of transportation funding is odd, in that it often cuts across party lines. Democrats and Republicans alike support using public money for transportation projects big and small, as they can take credit for bringing money and jobs back home. Of course, public money spent on almost anything -- roads, schools, parks, etc. -- translates into jobs and hence economic development. But with a ballooning federal deficit and a tight state budget, every public dollar should be spent wisely.
A public hearing originally scheduled for this Monday on proposed Lane Transit District service cuts has been postponed because of the strike.
Recently, Springfield Mayor Leiken went to Seaside to explain to the Republican Dorchester Conference why he felt the Republican Party was a better fit for his views.
Strapped for cash, the City of Coburg may reduce the size of its police force, which has been criticized for devoting too much time to ticketing people speeding on Interstate-5.
We offer a sampling of views and news on Measure 37: an opinion piece by Don Stuart of the American Farmland Trust, bills in the Legislature that would further weaken protections for our land, a $37-million claim in Deschutes County, and the first claim in Yamhill County that might actually get denied.
Lastly, we are shocked -- shocked -- to read fabrication in The Register-Guard. Columnist Bob Welch recently put words in the mouth of Meriweather Lewis. Although Welch's column gave a chuckle -- okay, quite a few chuckles -- we sincerely hope that Welch got permission from the estate of the famous explorer before making fun at his expense.
Looking Ahead
On Tuesday, the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza will be dedicated. Governor Kulongoski and others will offer comments.
Also on Tuesday, the Springfield Planning Commission will hear a presentation on the Glenwood Riverfront Plan. We hear this presentation will offer lots of good ideas and food for thought.
On Wednesday, the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) is scheduled to adopt changes to rules around the need to have adequate roads to support new development. The rule changes are in response to the court rulings last year in the case of Jaqua v. City of Springfield, which put on hold PeaceHealth's plans to build a new hospital. Ironically, although those court cases and the rules around transportation are no longer a significant issue for PeaceHealth, there is still a push to change the rules.
Also on Wednesday, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center is holding the first of two public forums on their plans for a new hospital. The second forum is scheduled for March 29.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Tuesday, March 15 -- Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza and Statue Dedication
10:00 am, Lane County Courthouse Plaza
Welcome. (Larry Perry, WMHPC Board Member)
The Lane County Plaza Project. (Bill Dwyer, Lane County Commissioner)
Memories of Senator Morse. (Aaron Jones)
The Free Speech Plaza Project. (Laura Olson, WMHPC President)
Freedom of Speech. (Ted Kulongoski, Governor)
Creating the Statue. (Gabriel Ponzanelli, Artist)
Presentation and Dedication.
(Reception following)
Tuesday, March 15 -- Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza dedication Tuesday
A public event recognizing the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza and unveiling a statue of the late senator begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Lane County Courthouse, 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene.
"While this project corrects the unstable and deteriorated walking surfaces, the final outcome also adds a new, vital touch of civic beauty to downtown," Lane County Commissioner Bill Dwyer said. "In addition to being an attractive gathering place, the area is dedicated to free speech honoring Morse. The public will enjoy and appreciate this area for years to come."
Morse, who died in 1974, was born in 1900 in Verona, Wis., and moved to Eugene in 1929.
He served in the U.S. Senate and was widely known for his independent stands and reasoned debate.
For more information, call Melinda Kletzok at 682-3747.
Tuesday, March 15 -- Springfield Planning Commission
Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield, 726-3753
6:00 pm, Work Session, Jesse Maine Room
1. Presentation and Discussion of Work Related to Implementation of the Glenwood Riverfront Plan -- A package of amendments to the Metro Plan and the Springfield Development Code is scheduled to be presented before the Lane County and Springfield Planning Commissions on April 19, 2005, which will help guide the future redevelopment of the area known as "Subarea 8: The River Opportunity Area" in the Glenwood Refinement Plan and identified for nodal development in TransPlan. This is an opportunity for the Springfield Planning Commission to be briefed by staff and discuss the package of amendments, and receive a presentation on the Riverfront Plan work.
Wednesday, March 16 -- Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC)
1:30 pm, 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.
Wednesday, March 16 -- McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center
7:00 pm, EWEB North Building Conference Room
Eugene Needs a Hospital; Help Us Create the Perfect Setting
Eugene will soon be without an Acute Care Center. Fortunately, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center has a plan. We want to create a new, state-of-the-art hospital -- with your help.
Let's talk about it.
We invite you to talk with us about hospital development. Where should we build? What do you want? What do you need? Help us refi ne and improve this to-do list:
* Abundant greenscape
* Preservation and enhancement of public gathering spaces
* Compatibility with surrounding neighbors
* Energy effi cient/environmentally sound building materials, construction and hospital operations
* Safe access for pedestrians as well as vehicles
* Innovative design emblematic of the Northwest
* Visual art and spaces for performing arts
We will use the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria to guide development of a new hospital. LEED is a tool for advancing "best practices" in design and construction. It will help us minimize environmental impact, optimize the site's potential and meet community goals for sustainable urban development.
For more information about McKenzie-Willamette's plans to build a new hospital, visit our website at http://www.mckweb.com, or call us at 726-4789.
Please join us on the 16th and 29th and partner with us on the future.
Wednesday, March 16 -- McKenzie-Willamette sets forums on possible move
| The Register-Guard | March 10, 2005 |
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center invites residents on Wednesday and March 29 to share their views about a new hospital in Eugene.
McKenzie-Willamette and its majority owner, Triad Hospitals Inc., have been working to move the Springfield hospital to the Eugene Water & Electric Board property along the Willamette River near downtown Eugene.
The public forums will give residents a chance to tell McKenzie-Willamette officials where they think a hospital should be built and what the development should include, among other things.
Both meetings will be at 7 p.m. in the EWEB north building conference room. For more information about McKenzie-Willamette's plans to build a hospital, visit the Web site www.mckweb.com, or call 726-4789.
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Slant -- Bonny Bettman
| Eugene Weekly | March 3, 2005 |
Bonny Bettman's taking a lot of guff for her recent comments favoring Triad's hospital plans over Arlie & Co.'s proposals for the EWEB site. But Bettman's right on target, and Arlie's Musumeci is up to his old Gang of 9 tricks of exaggeration and blame, trying to turn public opinion against progressive leaders. Bettman's support for Triad is based on a string of council decisions favoring a hospital at the site, and months of due diligence and negotiations regarding the property's access, infrastructure and easements. Arlie's "offer" of $28 million for the site has little credibility. We don't see Arlie going through detailed negotiations; nor do we see that the company is actually building anything in the valley, just moving dirt around at its Crescent property. Blaming Bettman for future EWEB rate hikes might be shrewd politics, but scratch the surface and it becomes a silly and bizarre contention.
Letter -- Eugene prefers sustainability
By Joanna S. Enmagoods, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 7, 2005 |
The voice of local big development, The Register-Guard editorial board, is trumpeting some new poll stating economic issues are of primary importance for Eugene's citizens.
Wow, that's news.
However, I fail to recognize how a government-supported convention center and hotel downtown, tax subsidies for corporations such as the departed Sony plant or slick speculation such as that proposed for Eugene Water & Electric Board's property are supposed to ease my mind.
I didn't know boondoggles were so good for the average citizen's economic welfare. But I'm just an economic knucklehead. After all, I had thought that my financial insecurity might be more related to what is happening in Washington, D.C., such as this new personal social insecurity program.
I am sure that those and their friends who make their fortunes off of big development in this town are good people. But obviously self-serving rationalizations for such projects, when the citizens of this community have stated time and again that they prefer sustainable development, are outra- geous.
The mantra of more jobs is make-believe. As is that of an economy of scale. The motive is for more dollars for the John Musumecis and Arlie & Companies of this town.
I won't be surprised, if a little mindboggled, by the millions in windfalls this EWEB deal and others like it are going to make for a few editorial staff cronies in the big development business. That should make us all feel better about the economy.
Letter -- City Council serves all of Eugene
By Scott Siegmund, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
I sincerely hope that after reading Bonny Bettman's statements in Joe Harwood's article on the Eugene Water & Electric Board site (Register-Guard, Feb. 24) that the citizens of Eugene have a better understanding of the credibility of their City Council. Shouldn't the City Council act with the best interests of the majority in the community?
"She wants a new McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center there as proposed by Triad Hospitals Inc." Personal agenda? What about us?
"She said the city would give Triad and EWEB an extraordinary level of help in order to site a hospital on a location that poses many challenges. But that elevated level of city support would not be forthcoming for any development other than a hospital." Isn't this discrimination and a threat? Our city is "open for business" only for those favored by a biased council.
"In addition, the EWEB site is zoned as industrial property and is public land. It is not zoned for residential or commercial uses. The city has the authority and resources to mitigate those challenges, but only in pursuit of a hospital." If council members wanted mixed-use residential and commercial, would the zoning be altered to suit their agenda?
Eugene's waterfronts should attract tourism and better serve the majority of taxpayers.
How long can the people of Eugene sustain this caliber of government and the tax burdens it is nurturing?
Letter -- Bettman won't change her view
By Bob Rutledge, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
On the one hand, you've got to admire a person who sticks to her guns, no matter what. On the other hand, you've got to acknowledge Albert Einstein's definition of insanity, which is a person doing the same thing over and over again, each time expecting a different result.
Am I the only person for whom this brings Bonny Bettman to mind?
Letter -- Hospital deja vu all over again
By Robert Olsen, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 9, 2005 |
A hospital seeking relocation, land near a river and Arlie & Company: Haven't we experienced this nightmare before? Well, as the saying goes "those who don't learn from the past are condemned to repeat it."
In a spirit of erudition and civility, I suggest that we keep the following in mind:
1) There is no free lunch, and all gains have a cost. Many positive and negative outcomes, such as increased convenience and loss of esthetic experience, fall upon those who are not direct parties to a transaction but nevertheless have a right to have their positions considered.
2) Riverfront land, such as the Eugene Water & Electric Board site, is unique and as such its community value cannot be correctly estimated by reference to a market price arrived at by the competitive process. Also, that EWEB believes that the price should be equal to its cost of relocation makes no more sense than for me to say, "I should get a higher price for my used car since my new car will be more expensive."
3) If EWEB's land were rezoned, allowing the purchaser to enjoy vastly increased monetary reward, equity needs to be addressed. Have the public share in this private largesse, which has, after all, been created by the public officials.
Then again, maybe we could call this whole unpleasant affair off by having PeaceHealth stay closer to home on the EWEB site, McKenzie-Willamette stay where it is and encourage Arlie to raise row crops at the floodplain RiverBend site.
Letter -- What will Triad do for citizens?
By Russ DesAulnier, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 9, 2005 |
It is admirable that the Eugene City Council is committed to putting a hospital in the downtown Eugene Water & Electric Board site. But in the light of our society's most pressing economic burden, the high cost of health care, the council's support for Triad, a for-profit hospital corporation out of Texas, doesn't seem to offer much to the greater good of our community.
Sen. Bill Morrisette, D-Springfield, in a recent radio interview, indicated that the No. 1 cause of escalating health care costs is hospitals. In fact, he is so concerned he is spearheading legislation to contain hospital costs in Oregon.
If the City Council cares about those it represents, and if it does in fact have influence over the public EWEB land where Triad wants to build, why can't the council force a deal that will truly benefit Eugene citizens?
As a part of its partnership with our city, why shouldn't Triad be required to maintain urgent care services on a sliding scale for low-income people and those without health insurance? Why shouldn't Triad provide local residents, especially the uninsured and underinsured, with low-cost routine preventative testing such as mammograms, pap smears, peripheral vascular checks, PSA prostate screenings and a host of other tests that might help avoid serious illness and more burden on the health care system?
In other words, what will Triad do for us, the people of Eugene, beside hold our health care hostage for unbridled profits?
Letter -- EWEB site needs master plan
By Art Farley, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 11, 2005 |
In 2004, the city of Eugene adopted a downtown plan that included the following policy:
"A master plan for the Eugene Water & Electric Board riverfront property must be approved by the city before any redevelopment, land use application, rezoning (or) MetroPlan or refinement plan diagram amendments are approved for uses not associated with EWEB functions." This plan must create a multi-use "people place" with riverfront setbacks and environmentally sensitive design.
With EWEB now embarking on a six-month study of the feasibility of moving its facilities, Eugene and EWEB should immediately initiate a process to complete a master plan for the site during this period. Usually, the public is involved in developing visions for or commenting on development proposals for private property. With the EWEB property, the public is the owner and could set an agenda for development by any future owner.
An approved master plan would inform any buyer of public expectations and serve to speed acceptance of more specific development plans that are consistent with the plan. Any plan must be broad enough to invite a variety of development proposals while providing guidance on how to satisfy public goals and policies.
A publicly initiated planning process for this public property is preferable to a private process with all the baggage that it brings. If this property is so important to the future of downtown Eugene, and I agree it is, there is no reason to delay this required planning process.
Letter -- What about this hospital site?
By Joseph L. Mckinney, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 11, 2005 |
There is a central city location that I consider an excellent site for a new hospital in Eugene.
The West Skinner Butte neighborhood sits at the foot of Interstate 105. Highway construction is pending, and isn't the timing perfect to add or adjust an exit ramp?
The neighborhood is primarily warehouses and commercial facilities -- mostly parking lots, really. It is screaming for revitalization and renewal.
What a coincidence: It's also along a bend in the river! Wouldn't that make a healing environment for the patients?
Letter -- Bettman didn't threaten anyone
By David Kelly, Eugene City Councilor, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 11, 2005 |
I had thought that nothing in this town could surprise me anymore, but I was astonished by some people's misinterpretation and mischaracterization of Eugene City Councilor Bonny Bettman's remarks at the Eugene Water & Electric Board site hearing on Feb. 23.
Councilor Bettman did not threaten anybody regarding EWEB's relocation or possible sale of its site to McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center or any other company. What she and the rest of us have said on countless occasions is the following:
The council unanimously committed last year and reaffirmed this year to prioritize the goal of locating a hospital in the city's central core. In pursuit of that goal, we have committed a large amount of staff resources, we have defined substantial financial incentives to be offered and we have agreed to undertake significant transportation projects to improve access to a hospital on the EWEB site.
The city organization is totally focused at this time on trying to get to a conclusion that is a win for McKenzie-Willamette, a win for EWEB and a win for the people of Eugene. If for some reason the hospital siting at EWEB does not come to pass, the future use of the EWEB site may or may not even come before the City Council. If it does, I have no doubt that each and every elected official will carefully consider any proposal on its merits, its harmony with adopted laws and policies, and its fiscal implications for the city's taxpayers.
Letter -- Bettman's efforts appreciated
By Robert Bolman, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 11, 2005 |
Amid the controversy over Eugene City Councilor Bonny Bettman stating that city help with zoning and transportation for the Eugene Water & Electric Board site would be available only for a hospital, the following point must be emphasized:
John Musumeci and his development firm, Arlie & Company, by definition, are interested in one thing -- making lots of money.
By contrast, Bettman, who formerly worked as a nurse, in her current capacity as a city councilor is interested in the health and well-being of all the people of Eugene.
I appreciate Bettman's forthright honesty and would always trust her over a development company to look after my best interests.
Letter -- Explore nodal use of EWEB site
By Gary Crum, Junction City
The Register-Guard | March 13, 2005 |
As a member of the greater Eugene community -- I live near Cheshire but own property in Eugene -- I'd like to offer a few comments regarding the Triad Hospital-Eugene Water & Electric Board property issue.
First, I feel the issue has been procedurally handled badly by the Eugene City Council. Councilor Bonny Bettman made it clear that she is interested in the EWEB property being used only for the Triad development. This is fine so long as it's clear she is speaking only for herself. Her comments gave the impression that she was speaking for the entire council.
This impression was enhanced when the mayor and all other council members let Bettman's comments stand without responding. Silence after such comments is usually seen as tacit agreement. It is incumbent on the council to take a clear position on the use issue: Either the council is only interested in a hospital, or it will be willing to entertain other development ideas for the property.
Second, the City Council has shown real enthusiasm for the concept of nodal development. May I suggest that there is no better property in the entire city than the EWEB site for nodal development. Imagine a river walk approach with shops and restaurants and condominium development on upper floors. Imagine even a small monorail connecting the node with downtown Eugene.
Perhaps such suggestions are bad ideas. But, dismissing them without open discussion and community involvement in the decision is irresponsible. The council can and should do better.
Eugene City Beat: Triad to fly city officials to Tucson for hospital visit
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 13, 2005 |
Some Eugene residents are headed to Arizona on Monday. But they're not extreme sun worshippers.
Mayor Kitty Piercy, City Councilors George Poling and Bonny Bettman and City Manager Dennis Taylor will visit a new hospital in a Tucson suburb built by Triad Hospitals Inc. Triad, based in Texas, is picking up the travel tab. (more...)
Nearby Developments
Council considers business decisions
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 7, 2005 |
The Eugene City Council will get down to business this evening, acting on proposals to allow tax breaks for firms, and whether to expand the city's hazardous-chemical reporting program.
City Hall observers say the decisions will be among the most important for the council since the start of the year, when it was joined by two new members and Mayor Kitty Piercy.
Councilors are to decide whether to ask the state to reinstitute the city's enterprise zone property tax break program for firms that create new jobs. They also are scheduled to act on a proposal that would require more businesses to participate in the city's toxics-right-to-know program. On the toxics law, some councilors said they want to study the issue more before possibly expanding the list of covered businesses. (more...)
Council votes to ask state for new enterprise zone
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
The Eugene City Council on Monday night chose political compromise over what could have been a bitter fight on property tax breaks for businesses.
On another hotly debated idea -- requiring more businesses to report hazardous chemical use -- councilors decided to tread cautiously. (more...)
Hynix Hand-Out
Council vote may mean $100 million tax break for corporation.
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | March 10, 2005 |
The Eugene City Council voted 7-1 March 7 to in effect offer Hynix Semiconductor about $100 million in tax breaks if it builds later phases of its chip factory in the west Eugene wetlands.
Councilor Betty Taylor was opposed and councilors Bonny Bettman, Andrea Ortiz, David Kelly, George Poling, Chris Pryor, Jennifer Solomon and Gary Papˇ voted together for creating the enterprise zone tax give-away.
Councilors removed some "greenfield" land near the current Hynix plant from the enterprise zone but city development staffer Denny Braud said the factory still has room to build later phases on it's adjacent land within the 5,000-acre tax break zone. "It's all in that boundary."
Mayor Kitty Piercy said in an interview that giving Hynix an additional $100 million in tax breaks is a good idea. Piercy said she was "pleased" with the vote and praised Hynix as a good "example" of a company providing jobs while taking care of its land. (more...)
Council approves housing next to WOW Hall
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
A heavily subsidized affordable-housing project that could transform the downtown block partly occupied by the WOW Hall got hearty approval from the Eugene City Council on Monday. (more...)
Editorial -- An ambitious agenda: Eugene City Council sets eight important goals
| The Register-Guard | March 13, 2005 |
Not too long ago, getting seven of eight Eugene city councilors to agree on something of substance was about as rare as rain has been around here this year. As a case in point, the previous City Council emerged from last year's goal-setting retreat with a single priority that won support from at least seven councilors.
This year's council, by contrast, was a paragon of collaborative consensus at its recent goal-setting retreat. Not only did the council come up with eight major areas of convergence, but the goals themselves reflected impressive diversity and a commitment to appropriately high aspirations for Eugene's elected officials. (more...)
Paving the way for growth
The University's expansion into the East Campus area has caused mixed sentiment
By Meghann Cuniff, Senior News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 7, 2005 |
University officials admit it: The University is landlocked but land hungry. Like so many other campuses across the country, the room for expansion is limited, but the need to do so continues to increase.
The University's recent purchase of the Williams' Bakery site near Franklin Boulevard and the University of Oregon Foundation's current effort to acquire the vacant car lot just blocks away from the site are attempts to build a land bank for the University's future. (more...)
University envisions future of campus
By Greg Bolt
The Register-Guard | March 7, 2005 |
The University of Oregon's parklike campus still has plenty of open space, but the space around the open space is getting harder to find.
That could be a problem down the road, because it's the places not protected as open space that can be used for new or expanded buildings. That raises the question: How long does the UO have before it runs out of developable space?
The short answer is at least 10 years.
That's how far out university planners are looking as they work their way through the first update of the Long Range Campus Development Plan in almost 15 years. Chris Ramey, the UO's planning director and campus architect, said the campus should be able to handle all of its known space needs for the next decade, with just a little wiggle room for the unexpected.
But after that? (more...)
Letter -- Convention centers won't help
By Jeff Koenig, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 9, 2005 |
Bob Zagorin's guest viewpoint (Register-Guard, Feb. 22) highlights the futile efforts that many small- and medium-sized cities are undertaking in order to lure tourists and conventioneers. What he fails to consider is that the same old tired ideas -- like a sports complex or a convention center -- will never allow Eugene to really compete with the weather, attractions or entertainment available at a true convention destination such as Orlando or San Diego.
I appreciate the desire to tie tourism to the University of Oregon, but one look across the street from Autzen Stadium finds a youth prison, not a mall, hotel or restaurant complex that could be enjoyed by the large numbers of people who come to Duck games.
Instead of trying to fight Salem for Portland's convention leftovers, a better approach would be to promote the things that are already here, such as the university, the scenery, the culture and the people. Spending public money on a new convention center, despite credible reports that they are not worth it, will not enhance existing tourism and would waste money that could be better spent developing new ideas that every other town has not already tried.
Transportation
Roundabout takes bite out of neighbor's yard: Council countermands the change, asks for a report
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 11, 2005 |
The location and size of a roundabout is generating enough concern that summer construction plans could be thrown off kilter.
Since Springfield City Councilors gave the nod to a conceptual design for South 42nd Street in December, city staff members have been busy fine-tuning design elements to improve the street's safety, which includes a roundabout at Jasper Road.
But the roundabout design has changed from the concept reviewed by council and a citizens advisory committee. (more...)
Highway 101 Could Become Freight Route
"It's not like we're not used to trucks," Bill Hall, Owner of the Florence Cafe said.
Trucks and car traffic run non-stop past the Florence Cafe, where Bill Hall has done the cooking the past 3-years.
His reaction to news that truck traffic in-front of his cafe could increase: "Trucks don't run. Neither does America," he said.
That sentiment is shared by the trucking community, which wants to see freight routes increased around Oregon.
Lawmakers are considering Highway 101 as an option. (more...)
Highway neighbors make case
By David Steves
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
SALEM -- The McKenzie Valley's battle against the designation of its highway as a freight route rumbled into the Capitol on Monday, where dueling bills were presented to the Senate Transportation Committee. (more...)
Battle over highway rages on
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 11, 2005 |
The battle to ensure that McKenzie Highway's scenic beauty remains unmarred by a freight route designation continued at the Capital this week.
Although the Oregon Department of Transportation decided to pull Highway 126, from Springfield to just south of the Santiam Pass, off a list of proposed inclusions to the State Freight Route System, residents along McKenzie Highway want to make sure their scenic route stays off the freight designation radar.
Gathered before the Senate Transportation Committee, McKenzie Highway residents gave their support to Senate Bill 566, which, once amended, would prohibit designating the highway as a freight route. (more...)
Truck lobby battles coastal towns
State bureaucrats and legislators feel the pressure of arbitrating freight movement versus building tourism
By Janie Har
The Oregonian | March 7, 2005 |
Last fall, Lylla Gaebel and other leaders on the northern Oregon coast sent a message to state planners: Please don't turn U.S. 101 into an official freight route, a designation that could give rumbling big rigs priority over small-town efforts to build wider sidewalks and other tourist-friendly features along their main streets.
The Oregon Department of Transportation did not include the coastal highway in a list of possible new freight routes for state commissioners to consider. And Gaebel, a Clatsop County commissioner, breathed easier.
Now things aren't so certain. (more...)
U.S. 101 cities fear increase in traffic
Designation as freight route could bring more trucks
| The Associated Press | March 8, 2005 |
For many towns along U.S. 101, Oregon's coastal highway, the route is, in effect, Main Street.
A move by the trucking industry to designate the highway as a freight route has some communities worried that it would hurt their tourism-oriented economic bases.
In the fall, North Coast community leaders sent a message to state planners not to turn U.S. 101 into an official freight route.
They said that the designation could allow the trucking industry to run roughshod over small-town efforts to develop tourist-friendly features such as wider sidewalks along main streets. (more...)
Bill would pave way for Oregon projects
By David Steves
The Register-Guard | March 11, 2005 |
Oregon transportation projects would get a $2.58 billion infusion -- including about $67 million for work in Lane County -- under legislation passed Thursday by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Among the big-ticket local items are $10 million for a countywide communications system for police and other emergency workers; $20 million for expanding the Interstate 5/Belt Line Road interchange; and $9 million to revamp the Coburg I-5 interchange. The bill also contains money for the Lane Transit District and for extensive bike path work.
The $284 billion, six-year appropriation passed after nearly 18 months of wrangling. Although the Senate has yet to work out its own version, Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Springfield said he hopes the appropriations he helped secure for Lane County and elsewhere in Oregon would hold up as a final version is worked out. (more...)
Funding on way for road repair: DeFazio secures $2.58 billion for highway projects
| The Springfield News | March 11, 2005 |
Rep. Peter DeFazio of Springfield, ranking Democrat on the Highways, Transit and Pipelines Subcommittee, yesterday announced that the House of Representatives approved legislation including over $2.58 billion for highway projects in Oregon. The legislation is a six-year, $284 billion federal highway and transit funding bill.
Among the projects DeFazio got funding for in Springfield are $20 million for the Interstate 5-Beltline interchange and $3 million for the Middle Fork Willamette River Path.
DeFazio has also brought home $10 millions to upgrade emergency communications systems along I-5 and U.S. 101. The legislation would make LTD Bus Rapid Transit progressive corridor enhancements, extend the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway into Lane and Douglas counties and enhance McKenzie Highway. (more...)
Highway Funds
EUGENE -- Congress has approved a bill designed to funnel money toward improving our nation's roadways. Northwest lawmakers are praising the mammoth highway and transit bill. It would bring in more than three billion dollars for highway, bridge and transit projects in Oregon. (more...)
Officials hail road bill's local impact
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 12, 2005 |
The money is not yet in Oregon coffers, but elected officials on Friday were delighted about passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of a federal funding bill with about $64 million in road projects for Lane County.
With $20 million to expand the Interstate 5/Belt Line Road interchange, $2.9 million to link hiking and biking paths in Delta Ponds to the Cal Young neighborhood, and $9 million to upgrade the I-5/Coburg interchange, officials had plenty to appreciate.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., a member of the House transportation subcommittee, helped fashion the $284 billion, six-year plan that the House passed Thursday. (more...)
Lane Transit District: Views
Letter -- Wrong Direction
By Cathy Seitz, Eugene
Eugene Weekly | March 3, 2005 |
Regarding the LTD labor representative's contention that we don't need capital investment projects like the EmX (the planned rapid bus corridor between Eugene and Springfield): The EmX will make travel to Springfield less convenient, not more. I spoke with an LTD representative about the EmX, and he admitted that this first route alone will not add convenience; that in fact it would take 20 to 30 years and many more dollars before the other lines will add up and achieve real bus convenience: rigging the entire metro area into compatible systems.
Given how rapidly technology is changing, it is most likely that better transportation technologies will appear before that time. I just can't see us withholding fair labor treatment of the drivers and continuing a trend of route-cutting over money for this project when this will discourage existing bus customers, not attract more.
We can just switch to hybrid electric buses (which is now the industry standard anyway) without having to widen roads and build platforms. Let's return the money to the feds, keep our 20 percent, and tell them, "No thanks, we support our drivers." If we want cleaner air in Eugene, we should beautify the parks, put filters on the factories, and stop ugly strip malls -- so people choose to walk and aren't in such a hurry to drive out of it all the time.
Letter -- Lack of Balance
By Tim Mueller, Eugene
Eugene Weekly | March 3, 2005 |
In our capitalist system, I see four competing interests: the manager, the owner, the worker and the customer. More people are winners if these interests are balanced. The crux of the dispute between LTD and its workers is a loss of balance.
Despite the tough economy of the last few years, there was much balance -- the workers went without raises, the customers dealt with service reductions, the owners (all of us) held investment (tax rates) steady, and the managers were frugal. All this while health care costs were going up, putting pressure on everyone.
Now the balance has changed as managers have opened the spigot on just one kind of expenditure -- their new rapid transit plan costing millions -- and cut back on all the rest. Now workers are expected to work essentially for less, customers are expected to take more service cuts, and the public may be asked for a tax increase.
This issue is very clear. When things go out of balance they don't work well, they cause pain, they even stop working at all.
I support the union. From their special perspective they are leading the effort to get LTD back in balance. I call on the LTD Board and the governor who oversees them to join that effort. We all need each other.
Letter -- LTD workers want too much
By Mike Brooks, Coburg
The Register-Guard | March 7, 2005 |
I am surprised by the letters being written in support of the Lane Transit District workers. The logic runs something like this: Every worker deserves a high salary, a nice benefit package and a great retirement program, so we should give these to the LTD workers.
The fact is, we cannot afford the high salaries and the great benefit packages that the LTD drivers are asking for. No one in the private sector gets these sorts of benefits. No one in the private sector gets even half the salary paid to an LTD driver. To be honest, with most routes losing money and with many buses running empty, it is questionable whether we can even afford LTD.
It is silly, in these times of economic uncertainty, to even be discussing pay raises and benefit increases for any government institution. The discussion should be focused on closing down money-losing routes, getting rid of excess LTD workers and saving money.
Editorial -- Offering the ATU the aid and respect it deserves
| Oregon Daily Emerald | March 8, 2005 |
The Emerald has fully supported the Amalgamated Transit Union Division 757 from the very beginning of its struggles with Lane Transit District leadership. Now that the union has voted to strike, the Emerald would like to reaffirm our unconditional support.
The workers did everything they could to avert a strike, enduring mediation after mediation in the outside hope that they could spare Eugene from this commotion. They have shown just how much they truly care about the community they serve, something we cannot say about LTD management. They should be commended for their efforts.
The main issue in the dispute involves health-care coverage: Union employees want to keep the benefits they currently enjoy, while LTD insists it cannot afford to do so. The strike has already caused huge headaches for members of the public dependent on bus service, including University students.
According to an Emerald report ("Eugeneans back LTD drivers at demonstration," ODE, Jan. 14), LTD gets more than a half-million dollars in student fees to provide students with free, unlimited rides. Nearly 3,000 University students and employees use the bus to get to and from campus. We expect LTD will refund student fees for every day that bus service is shut down.
There are a few options for students struggling to get to school. Drivers can park for free at the Autzen Stadium parking lot from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Car-poolers can obtain free permits for certain spots around campus from the Department of Public Safety. University students and employees can also use a Laidlaw bus shuttle that leaves the Lane County Fairgrounds and arrives at Sacred Heart Medical Center. And the Assault Prevention Shuttle will operate as usual.
The ASUO really dropped the ball by refusing to act early and implement proactive measures to help students during the strike, such as helping to organize and publicize carpooling lists.
Despite these problems, we hope the strike will continue for as long as it takes until the workers achieve what they deserve: a fair contract. We've said it once and we will say it again: As a community we must stand in solidarity with the union as it fights for the rights that all workers deserve -- a family wage, health benefits and respect.
Letter -- LTD workers know their worth
By Rodger W. Gamblin, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
It surprised me that some of the people who were most critical of Lane Transit District workers were people who relied on their services the most.
Do we really want bus drivers who don't think they need a good health plan behind the steering wheels of our buses? Bus drivers who know they need to be fit and alert would be a better idea. If mechanics do good work, they're going to want their pay to keep up with the cost of living. Do we really want mechanics who don't think they're worth their pay to be working on LTD buses?
Healthy and financially stable workers are what will, ultimately, keep bus service safe and reliable.
Editorial -- No windfall for LTD: Long strike should lead to tax cut
| The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
The only thing still running at the Lane Transit District is the 0.6 percent payroll tax paid by employers and the self-employed. The tax generates $55,000 a day and is the district's primary source of operating income. Fares generate only a quarter as much. Strictly from a financial point of view, the strike that began Monday is a money-maker for LTD -- the district comes out ahead every time a bus sits idle rather than burning fuel and using a driver's time.
LTD shouldn't profit from the strike. A walkout of significant duration should bring a payroll tax cut. (more...)
Editorial -- LTD should give tax money back during strike
| The Springfield News | March 9, 2005 |
To the surprise of virtually no one, Lane Transit District's bus drivers went on strike Monday morning. This is bad news for almost everyone -- especially the bus-riding public.
But as for LTD itself, well, that's a little bit different. Financially, the bus district actually stands to benefit from the strike.
That's because 80 percent of the cash the bus company needs to run its operation comes from a payroll tax -- so, your boss pays for the bus, and passes the expense on to you in the form of lower wages and higher prices for services.
Only 20 percent of LTD's revenue comes from bus fare.
If the buses aren't running, of course, LTD loses that 20 percent. But its expenses drop too. There's no diesel being burned, no drivers being paid, no mechanical equipment being worn out.
So having its drivers on strike may actually make LTD money. In effect, it gets to continue collecting taxes without having to do anything to earn them.
Unless, that is, LTD chooses not to continue collecting the tax while the drivers are on strike.
And that is just what we urge LTD to do. (more...)
Finn J. John -- Want to do something to help strike-stranded folks?
By Finn J. John
The Springfield News | March 9, 2005 |
So I got this call from Becky Willis Tuesday afternoon, and she wanted to know if The Springfield News was doing anything to help facilitate some kind of transportation for the folks left high and dry by the LTD strike.
You might remember Becky, if you're a regular reader. She's the lady that, late last year, got her driver's license at age 45. She'd been plagued since childhood by random seizures, which kept her out of the driver's seat -- you don't want somebody having an epileptic episode at the wheel -- until a medical advance cured her disorder.
But for years, Becky was transit-dependent, and news of this bus strike really hit her hard. (more...)
Bob Welch -- Would you get in a car with this man?
By Bob Welch, Columnist
The Register-Guard | March 10, 2005 |
As the LTD strike shifted from first to second gear, I found myself thinking: What can I do to help?
My sympathies in this union-vs.-management struggle lie deepest with those paying the price -- without having a say: the bus riders whose link to jobs, schools and groceries is suddenly gone, severed because two parties can't find a compromise.
So I decided on this: I'd play taxi for a morning to those who need rides. Have car, will shuttle. (more...)
Slant -- LTD Strike
| Eugene Weekly | March 10, 2005 |
Both sides in the LTD strike have agreed to return to mediation Thursday morning and we hope some resolution is reached to get the buses rolling again, though it seems unlikely as both sides are digging in and LTD is even threatening to withdraw its latest offer. We are pleased to see discussion in the media about LTD losing some of its funding if this strike continues. As it stands now, LTD gains financially from the strike while employees suffer. But of course it's about more than money. The strikers need assurance that their concerns are being addressed, and nothing speaks louder than money. We hear transit union officials in Portland and elsewhere are weighing in, or at least watching this dispute to see how it might affect their next contract bargaining. Organized labor is under attack nationwide, and unions are fighting not just to maintain their power, but also to survive. Kulongoski's keeping his distance from this strike, but is that wise? He has the expertise and clout to effectively intervene, and perhaps he should since he appoints LTD board members. And he was elected with strong support from labor -- support he could lose in the next election if this struggling union goes down in flames while he fiddles.
Slant -- LTD Health Costs
| Eugene Weekly | March 10, 2005 |
Local Activist Hope Marston Wrote To The Ltd Board This Week Reminding Them (And Us) That If It Weren't For The Skyrocketing Costs Of Medical Care, We Likely Wouldn't Be Having This Labor Strife. The powerful health care industry in our nation has no incentives to keep prices down. The Bush administration, Congress and Oregon Legislature are giving the industry everything it wants. It will take a revolution from the grassroots up to end this profiteering and make health care affordable and accessible to everyone. The idea of single-payer health insurance is still alive, and we expect to see another measure on the Oregon ballot, probably in 2006.
Letter -- No Service, No Pass
By Christine Gherardi, Springfield
Eugene Weekly | March 10, 2005 |
Since LTD drivers are being forced into a strike, we have no need to purchase bus passes for March.
That will include employer group bus passes. Seems to me that group passes are an implied bargain between LTD and the employers -- guaranteeing service for those employees. Am I wrong?
I am encouraging all members of our communities to stand on the sidewalks in support of our bus drivers starting March 7. A show of support in numbers will be a strong message. Thank you!
Letter -- Ripple Effect
By Vernon Bell, Springfield
Eugene Weekly | March 10, 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 LTD. Do you think this might help other workers in the area? I do.
We are quick to say, "They are getting too much." 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. LTD 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 riders, turn to bikes for alternative transport
By Sam Fox, Corvallis
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 10, 2005 |
In reading your cover story about the LTD strike, I noticed that no attention was paid to the wide variety of biking options available to campus students. Eugene has an extensive network of bike lanes and pathways, and is an extremely accessible town by bicycle. It is mostly flat, laid out in a grid of streets and peopled with bike-friendly drivers. So take advantage of the nonexistent winter, support local bike shops and explore Eugene by bike. It's almost free, is a great form of outside exercise and is good for the spirit as well. Enjoy the early spring and bike Eugene!
Letter -- Traffic sure is slick without those buses
By C.A. Greer, Springfield
The Springfield News | March 11, 2005 |
I trust anyone driving has noticed the easier flow of traffic. With LTD down it sure cuts down on congestion. Maybe those looking for others to pay 80% of their travel costs now know. The shoe is on their foot.
If LTD was less non-user-funded, it would not be such a sore point. Any taxpayer-funded agency is a burden. However, LTD is overboard. It is not, as they say, that other bus companies cost this much. Two wrongs do not make it right.
Letter -- Unions help raise wages for all of us
By Christine Gherardi, Springfield
The Springfield News | March 11, 2005 |
History shows an interesting rise in wages and respectful treatment of employees with the advent of UNIONS. Employers were more willing to pay reasonable wages in order to keep unions out of their shops and businesses. Therefore, wouldn't it be logical to assume that when you support the unions, you support your own income -- whether you are a union member or not?
Torpedo the unions and you blast your way clear back to the stone age.
Slave wages and slavemaster techniques are still alive and prospering at the employees' expense. It is the union that keeps this type of employment purgatory from most of our working lives, just by the fact that it exists.
Support your own rights to fair wages and the unions' rights to exist, because indirectly you are the recipients of their labors.
Letter -- LTD board should be elected
By Joan K. Mariner, Veneta
The Register-Guard | March 12, 2005 |
Those who support the Lane Transit District Board as it refuses to respond to the concerns of bus drivers are not considering the integral part these men and women play in forming a well-used public transportation system.
These drivers are substantial contributors to the quality of the lives of many who depend on them for rides around our county. I have observed bus drivers reacting with respect to mentally handicapped, inebriated, elderly and adolescent riders, just to name a few of the challenges they face daily.
People are treated with dignity no matter what face they present to the world. For some people, that respect may be the only time in their day that someone responds to them in that way.
The level of safe, professional service these drivers provide to our community cannot be overstated. They merit much more than they are paid, and I am glad that they are holding out for adequate health benefits.
Perhaps members of the LTD board should be elected rather than appointed, since they spend our tax money. If they were elected, they might be more in touch with the real concerns of the citizens who are served by public transportation.
Tim Duy -- Lane County could do better than a bus system
By Tim Duy
The Register-Guard | March 13, 2005 |
Clearly, many have suffered inconvenience or worse because of the Lane Transit District strike, but there may be a silver lining in the cloud -- the opportunity to review transportation options in Lane County. Consider the possibility that the transit system, as designed, is not efficiently serving the public or those most dependent on public transportation.
The truth of the matter is that Eugene-Springfield is a car city. Much of the region developed in the era of the automobile. Despite the Urban Growth Boundary, the population remains largely spread out. There isn't the type of dense development that is conducive to efficient public transit.
In fact, according to the 2000 Census, only 4,934 people in Lane County commute to work by bus. Most of the rest of us, 128,013 to be exact, commute to work by automobile. (more...)
Lane Transit District: News
LTD strike freezes bus service across county
In a 188-9 vote, bus drivers rejected LTD's offer after months of negotiations
By Meghann Cuniff, Senior News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 7, 2005 |
Bus service across Lane County was paralyzed Sunday night when Amalgamated Transit Union Division 757 voted against Lane Transit District's latest contract offer 188-9 by secret ballot and declared a strike effective 12:01 a.m. today. (more...)
LTD strike is a go, union says, so the buses won't
By Jim Feehan
The Register-Guard | March 7, 2005 |
WEB EDITOR'S NOTE: The posted version of this story was edited March 7, 2005, to include a correction.
The Lane Transit District, its employees and Eugene-Springfield residents veered into unknown territory today: It's the first day of the first strike in LTD's 35-year history.
Amalgamated Transit Union employees voted 188 to 9 on Sunday night to go on strike, effective at 12:01 a.m. today. It's unclear how bus commuters and the public at large will react to the unprecedented action, and how the dispute might be settled.
Union workers could be heard occasionally chanting and cheering as they met for about 90 minutes behind closed doors at the Hilton Eugene.
Bus driver and bargaining team member Carol Allred emerged saying she was pleased with the vote but worried for the bus-riding public. (more...)
LTD Strike: Day One
Outside LTD's headquarters, bus drivers and mechanics stand at a bus stop, a place usually reserved for their customers.
On the picket lines with them: retired union members supporting their old friends. Bill Hill, a retired LTD driver says, "The company's blowing money trying to build an empire here and they don't want to pay anybody anything."
In Eugene, drivers show support for the workers, camped out at the empty downtown station. Not everyone is pleased with the picketers' decision to go on strike. One customer told the drivers to get back to work. He questioned how much the drivers make, "A lot of people are making minimum wage these days, and I think the average bus driver must be making $15 an hour or more," he said.
Additional LTD security officers are supposed to handle confrontations during the strike. "As community members start joining those lines, they don't understand the rules around picketing and what's legal and what isn't, so that's why there's a higher level of security," explains Andy Vobora, LTD Spokesperson.
Union workers receive a hundred dollars a week in strike pay. To collect, they have to come to a station and sign in five times a week. (more...)
Union bus drivers picket, march
With both sides unwilling to budge, Monday's rally may be the beginning of a long process
By Meghann Cuniff, Senior News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 8, 2005 |
Bus-free streets and stations lined with picketers marked the first day of a county-wide Lane Transit District driver strike Monday, as the Amalgamated Transit Union Division 757 protested LTD's handling of ongoing contract negotiations. This is the first driver strike in LTD history.
There's no telling how long the strike will last, but a mediation session has been scheduled for Thursday at the Hilton Eugene Hotel.
Both ATU and LTD representatives said they have pushed as far as they can go and it is up to the other side to settle the 10-month dispute. "We'll be there to talk, but we are not in a position to stretch any further than where we were in mediation (last Friday)," LTD Service Planning and Marketing Manager Andy Vobora said. (more...)
Riders start scrambling
By Mark Baker and Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
It wasn't Christmas. It wasn't Thanksgiving. It wasn't snowing.
Except for one of those three reasons, Lane Transit District buses have been rolling down Eugene, Springfield and county roadways since Nov. 23, 1970 -- some 12,455 days without a stop.
Not Monday.
Not with LTD union members striking for the first time in the district's history. (more...)
LTD, union are feeling different pressures
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
CORRECTION (ran 3/09/05): The Web site for Lane Community College is http://www.lanecc.edu. A story on Page A1 on Sunday about the potential Lane Transit District strike listed an incorrect Web site. Also, in a story on Page A1 on Tuesday regarding the strike, a statement was incorrectly attributed to LTD General Manager Ken Hamm. Hamm did not say that bus drivers in many other parts of the country probably are members of unions.
Lane Transit District and union workers face pressure to resolve the strike that started Monday, but that pressure comes in different forms.
The pressure on workers is largely monetary, in the form of the paychecks they will start missing two weeks from now.
LTD Board President Gerry Gaydos and LTD General Manager Ken Hamm, meanwhile, face pressure from local leaders, politicians and -- given their legal charter to provide mass transportation in the community -- perhaps even themselves. (more...)
Analysis: Battles over health insurance, wages keep sides from settling
By Christian Wihtol
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
Confused about whose side to take in the LTD strike?
That's not surprising. As in many labor disputes, the details are convoluted.
But the big picture is fairly clear: Health care insurance costs are ballooning, for LTD and for employers nationwide. The agency is shifting some of that increase onto employees by going to a new plan that requires workers to cover co-pays, out-of-pocket deductibles and other expenses -- costs they've never faced before.
The workers are unhappy enough to strike, something they've never done in 35 years. (more...)
Cabs strain to bridge the mobility gap
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
CORRECTION (ran 3/10/05): A caption under a photo on Page D1 of Tuesday's Register-Guard incorrectly stated that the subject of the photograph is a frequent rider of Lane Transit District buses. Diana Uren mostly uses medical transportation provided by state Senior & Disabled Services. She infrequently uses RideSource vans operated by LTD, but says she cannot ride LTD buses for medical reasons. RideSource service continues during the LTD strike.
Taxi drivers struggled to keep up with demand on Monday as a strike by Lane Transit District drivers left regular bus riders without their usual transportation. (more...)
Businesses suffer little from strike
By Tim Christie, Sherri Buri McDonald and Scott Maben
The Register-Guard | March 8, 2005 |
Many Eugene employers reported only scant impact Monday from the Lane Transit District strike, on either their workforce or their customers.
Some companies, with plenty of notice that a strike loomed, had detailed contingency plans for getting bus-dependent employees to and from work. (more...)
Community searches for transportation
By Adam Cherry, News reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 9, 2005 |
Members of the University community scrambled to find alternative means of transportation Tuesday, as the Lane Transit District strike rolled into its second day.
Bus drivers voted to strike Sunday following 10 contentious months of contract negotiations between Amalgamated Transit Union District 757, which represents the drivers, and LTD. The strike has completely suspended bus services in Lane County.
LTD surveys indicate that more than 10 percent of University students ride the bus on a daily basis. (more...)
Strike on; bus service off: Drivers leave the seat and take up pickets; transit-dependent bus riders feel the pinch
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 9, 2005 |
For the first time in Lane Transit District's 35-year history of serving the county, riders won't be late for the bus. The buses are not coming.
Bus stops, once busy places, remain empty and silent this week, following Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 members' decision to strike.
Union members voted 188-9 to strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday. (more...)
Talks hold slim hope in transit walkout
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 9, 2005 |
The strike by union workers at Lane Transit District enters its third day today, with picketers preparing for the long haul and neither the union nor management expressing hope for contract talks scheduled for Thursday.
Workers picketed at Ferry Street Bridge in Eugene on Tuesday, adding that high-traffic spot to picket lines at the Lane Events Center, the River Road, Thurston, Springfield and downtown Eugene stations, and the headquarters in Glenwood, union members said.
Union and management have been at odds for 10 months over a new contract, with the rising cost of health care insurance a main sticking point. (more...)
LTD strike cuts off many from remote LCC campus
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 9, 2005 |
It's the week before finals at Lane Community College, and students face a particularly nasty pop quiz: How to get to school if you usually take the bus. (more...)
Life Without LTD
Since the LTD strike began Monday, the number of disabled people calling RideSource for transporation increased 10%. Glen Adams, of RideSource, explains, "We've been asking some drivers to work overtime, that seems to be okay, but our ridership is building, so we're worried we may have to turn down some trips in the future." (more...)
LTD's senior driver joins colleagues on picket line
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | March 10, 2005 |
Lane Transit District driver No. 1 was on the picket line Wednesday evening instead of behind the wheel of a bus.
John Perry, LTD's senior driver with 35 years on the job, was one of about five dozen striking LTD employees who congregated next to the Ferry Street Bridge with picket signs, whistles and banners during the evening rush hour, creating a festive atmosphere among motorists who honked and waved their support in the third day of Eugene's first transit strike. (more...)
Lane transit district strike negotiations
By Nicole Barker, Erik R. Bishoff and Lauren Wimer, Photographers
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 11, 2005 |
Left: Passing commuters honk their horns and yell their support to LTD drivers Chuck Palmer, left, and Carl Faddis, right, as a group of over 50 strikers chant "fewer buses, more traffic!" at the Ferry Street bridge.
Left: Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, center, joined professional mediator Wendy Greenwald, right, and representatives from Lane Transit District and Amalgamated Transit Union Division 757 Thursday in an all-day mediation that started at 9 a.m. and lasted late into the night. Piercy served as a room-to-room messenger and negotiation facilitator along with Greenwald and other community leaders during the mediation session.
Left: Organizer for Service Employees International Union Local 503 Wayne Moore carries a stack of signs Thursday afternoon.
Strike sides talk late into night
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 11, 2005 |
Lane Transit District and its union met all of Thursday and continued well into the night working to find accord in their 10-month battle over a new work contract.
As talks continued at 11:40 p.m., a union representative was hopeful. (more...)
Strike and Negotiations Continue
Negotiations between Lane Transit District and the bus drivers union lasted until 2:30 Friday morning.
No agreement was reached -- however the state mediator says progress was made.
Buses remain parked on Friday and drivers continue to strike.
The mediation talks started early thursday morning -- the two sides spent 17-hours behind closed doors before they called it quits for the night.
"They're Working at it and hopeful making progress," said Wendy Greenwald, state mediator.
Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy was at the meeting... along with Jack Roberts with Lane Metro Partnership.
If LTD and the union can find a compromise the bus strike could end as early as next week.
Mediation talks will continue on Friday.
LTD Mediation Continues
EUGENE -- After more than 17 hours at the bargaining table, Lane Transit officials and union members ended their latest round of contract talks, with plans to return to negotiations Friday morning.
Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, attorney Art Johnson and former state labor commissioner Jack Roberts have all joined the mediation. Union officials say health benefits remain at the top of a long list of issues that still need to be resolved. (more...)
LTD talks end Friday, Will resume Saturday, 3/12
Contract negotiations between Lane Transit District and the bus workers union ended at 6:15 PM on Friday, March 11th. Talks will resume at 7:30 PM on Saturday, March 12th.
No contract agreement was reached Friday, but the mediator says the support of community leaders such as Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, and former labor commissioner Jack Roberts, has had a positive impact on the negotiations.
Carol Allred with the Amalgamated Transit Union could not comment about the talks Friday, but she did say picketers will be out striking on Saturday morning.
No settlement yet in LTD strike
| The Register-Guard | March 12, 2005 |
The Lane Transit District and the union representing two-thirds of its employees will head back to the bargaining table today in an effort to end a strike that has idled the bus system since Monday.
Negotiators from LTD and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 met for more than 20 hours in talks Thursday and Friday before stopping Friday evening.
The sides were originally going to continue talks on Monday, but the timetable was moved up late Friday to this weekend.
LTD, union agree to keep talks rolling today
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 12, 2005 |
After more than 20 hours of talks Thursday and Friday, Lane Transit District and its union return to the table today in hopes of signing a contract that would end a bus strike entering its sixth day.
The sides were to next meet for negotiations Monday but late Friday moved the talks up to today.
Also Friday, a move by a pair of bus riders to put LTD service cutbacks up to a public vote was rejected by the county. (more...)
LTD Tentative Agreement Reached
Representatives of Lane Transit District and the bus workers' union reached a tentative contract agreement late Saturday night.
Both parties exited Saturday's discussions, optimistic about recent negotiations. Representatives from both sides signed off on the tentative deal.
The terms of the tentative agreement have not yet been announced.
Members of the bus workers' union will gather Sunday afternoon at 1:00 to officially vote on the tentative deal.
Once the union formally approves the contract, LTD workers might return to work as early as Monday morning.
Tentative Agreement for LTD
EUGENE -- Labor peace is just around the corner between Lane Transit District and the bus drivers' union.
The good news comes after both sides met at the Eugene Conference Center Saturday night. Officials reported very good progress in the talks for a new contract. LTD spokesman Andy Vobora says he's glad they can come to an agreement.
Officials from the Amalgamated Transit Union announced that a tentative agreement between the two sides has been worked out after the latest bargaining session Saturday evening, which means workers may be back at work on Monday.
Eugene mayor Kitty Piercy and other local leaders were again involved as outside mediators.
LTD officials met on Saturday to go over the details of the tentative deal, but so far, terms have not been announced.
Transit union officials say drivers and mechanics will meet at 1:00 on Sunday to vote on the tentative deal.
LTD, union agree on pact
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | March 13, 2005 |
With a little luck, Lane Transit District buses will be running again Monday morning, ending a week-long strike by drivers and other LTD employees represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757.
Negotiators for the transit district and the union announced at 10:30 p.m. Saturday that they had reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract.
The deal won't be final until union members take a ratification vote today. A meeting has been set for 1 p.m. at the Hilton Eugene. (more...)
LTD route meetings delayed
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 11, 2005 |
A public hearing on proposed Lane Transit District service changes will not be held Monday night as planned.
Due to LTD board schedule conflicts and the strike, which has halted bus services throughout the county since Monday, district officials have called off the public hearing. Instead, open houses will be held next week in neighborhoods targeted for service cuts.
LTD board members will make their final decision on proposed service changes Tuesday, March 29 rather than next Wednesday as planned. (more...)
Other News
Republican meeting draws Leiken, plus some debate
By Charles Beggs
The Associated Press | March 7, 2005 |
SEASIDE -- Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken comes from a long Democratic heritage and was elected mayor five years ago as a Democrat.
Leiken is the namesake of his grandfather, an influential Democratic Oregon House member in the 1960s from Douglas County.
So why did the mayor show up at the Republican Dorchester Conference in this beach town over the weekend? He came to tell them why he had changed his political colors, switching to the GOP and then getting re-elected in 2004.
Though the mayor's job officially is nonpartisan, Leiken said his party change nonetheless drew plenty of attention. (more...)
Coburg police cuts may be the ticket, consultants say
By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard | March 13, 2005 |
COBURG -- The city has not hit bottom yet but may have to eliminate its 24/7 police service -- including one of its two controversial Interstate 5 motorcycle patrol positions -- before June 30 to avoid a deficit. (more...)
Bob Welch -- Lewis & Clark, groovin' on a sunny day
By Bob Welch, Columnist
The Register-Guard | March 13, 2005 |
In the winter of 1805-06, Lewis and Clark recorded only a dozen rain-free days at Fort Clatsop near Astoria.
"Some rain all day at intervales," read one spell-wrecked entry of that first Oregon winter. "We are all wet and disagreeable."
Another read: "Winds violent. Trees falling in every derection, whorl winds, with gusts of rain Hail & Thunder."
Given our record-breaking dry, mild and sun-splashed winter, I've imagined how Meriwether Lewis' journal might have read had the expedition's weather been like the stuff we're experiencing: (more...)
Measure 37: Views
Letter -- What's Next?
By Erin Ganahl, Eugene
Eugene Weekly | March 3, 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 first approved the least problematic applications, but what's next?
Many Oregonians live here and love their state because of 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 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 which stretches for miles and is an eyesore. No one wants Oregon to resemble a California suburb.
The passage and potential abuse of Measure 37 presents this potential. 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 from us.
Don Stuart -- Development in rural areas costs taxpayers
By Don Stuart
The Register-Guard | March 9, 2005 |
The Feb. 17 guest viewpoint by Bonnie Smith mistakenly argues that land use protections cause the inefficient sprawling development that well-planned growth alleviates. Managing urban development does not cause sprawl; it actually curbs sprawl -- and that saves taxpayers money by reducing the cost of community services.
Our land use laws reflect Oregonians' community values and sense of stewardship -- not, as Smith wrote, a conspiracy "engineered to control people." Certainly, Oregon's productive farmland would face far greater threats if we chose to "abolish Senate Bill 100, Oregon's basic land use law" as Smith would like. (more...)
Measure 37: News
Expert: Measure 37 Won't End Smart Growth
By Rob Manning
Oregon Public Broadcasting | March 4, 2005 |
PORTLAND -- A national expert says Measure 37 will not stop smart growth in Oregon. David Goldberg is a national leader in the movement to limit urban sprawl and increase density in city neighborhoods.
Goldberg says the 2004 initiative forcing governments to waive or pay for land use regulations may be a blessing in disguise. He sees the measure as a message to Oregon planners to avoid using rigid rules where possible. (more...)
Land Use Update
| Eugene Weekly | March 10, 2005 |
Senate Bill 897 introduced in the Legislature would make statewide land use planning goals "advisory" instead of mandatory. These goals are considered the "backbone of Oregon's land use planning system," according to a statement from 1000 Friends of Oregon. "This is a major rollback to Oregon's land use planning system that protects farmland, preserves neighborhoods, and improves the livability of Oregon." The bill, opposed by 1000 Friends and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, has been referred to the Senate Environmental and Land Use Committee. No hearing has been scheduled.
The Oregon House is expected to vote on two Senate bills this week that 1000 Friends says are an "overt attack on our basic land protections." SB 2458 and SB 2549 respectively allow residential development and commercial and industrial development on productive farm land.
Bills in the Legislature can be read and tracked at http://www.leg.state.or.us
Land-use bill to serve as response to Measure 37
Plan would give property owners the right to build
By Charles E. Beggs
The Associated Press | March 12, 2005 |
A major land-use bill due for a vote Monday in the House would let landowners build a home on their property if they could have done so when they bought the land -- even if regulations barring construction since have been adopted.
The bill is the most significant land-use proposal considered by lawmakers since voters in November passed Measure 37, a property-compensation law.
Backers say the bill fits the intent of, while skirting, the ballot measure. Critics of the bill say legislators need to iron out kinks in Measure 37 in a thorough manner and not by piecemeal revisions.
The law requires governments to either compensate property owners whose land value has declined because of restrictive regulations or to waive the rules.
Elon Hasson of 1000 Friends of Oregon, the state's main land-use watchdog, said there are ambiguities and other problems in the ballot measure that need a comprehensive solution.
"Measure 37 did not give license to the Legislature to have a free-for-all," he said. (more...)
Farming family files $37 million Measure 37 claim against county
By Chris Barker
The (Bend) Bulletin | March 12, 2005 |
A Cloverdale family is seeking $37 million from Deschutes County or the right to develop 227 homes on 1,135 acres of farmland -- a Measure 37 claim that some say is among the largest filed in Oregon. (more...)
Measure 37 questions loom over gorge
Possible development hinges on whether the new law applies to protections currently in effect in the federal scenic area
By Matthew Preusch
The Oregonian | March 12, 2005 |
HOOD RIVER -- For almost 20 years, strict rules have governed everything from where a house can go to whether someone can cut down a tree in the Columbia River Gorge, the country's only federally designated scenic area.
But Measure 37 may have opened up a loophole big enough to push a housing development through. (more...)
Barbs fly over funding Measure 37 claims
By David Bates
The (McMinnville) News-Register | March 3, 2005 |
A hearing held Wednesday by Yamhill County commissioners was billed as an opportunity for the public to suggest ways local government might come up with enough cash to compensate property owners under Measure 37.
Several people did just that. Others used it as an occasion to trade barbs with people on the other side of the political aisle.
Among them was McMinnville resident David Terry, who launched his testimony by admonishing Measure 37 opponents, "I'd like to inform them that they lost and we won." (more...)
County runs into first cloudy claim
By David Bates
The (McMinnville) News-Register | March 10, 2005 |
Yamhill County Commissioners this week encountered the first local Measure 37 claim that was not a sure thing.
Following a brief discussion, the board on Wednesday remanded the case back to Yamhill County Planning Director Mike Brandt for further consideration, based on additional consultation with the applicants to give them a chance to make their case.
James E. and Susan K. Stiverson want to partition 3.8 acres into two lots and build a dwelling on one of them. The question isn't whether they own the property, but how long they've owned it. (more...)