Health Options Digest
March 20, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week In Review
It's been a (relatively) slow week in the Emerald Valley.
Oddly, there's been no reported news about PeaceHealth. Indeed, PeaceHealth is so off the radar screen that Bob Keefer of the Register-Guard recently reported that the Springfield City Council at its next meeting will consider adopting an outdoor dining permit process -- but failed to mention that they will also consider PeaceHealth's master plan!
But last week the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) amended state transportation rules to "fix" the recent Jaqua court case. State officials explained -- incorrectly -- that PeaceHealth was forced to move to Springfield because Eugene didn't have adequate roads to support an expanded hospital. While the the PeaceHealth hospital will likely move forward regardless, discussions in Salem about the transportation rules have been a weird but significant spin off of the PeaceHealth hospital issue.
McKenzie-Willamette held the first of two public forums last Wednesday. Reactions to their plans to build a hospital on the EWEB site are mixed.
A big sticking point in the recent LTD labor dispute was the rising cost of health care. There has been a long-running discussion about whether to what extent the public should provide health care to the unemployed and poor. We notice a subtle shift in public views towards questioning whether even people who work full-time deserve (full) health care coverage. Of course, health care costs continue to rise far faster than inflation, and are consuming a growing fraction of the Gross Domestic Product. As the current system is unsustainable and affects employers and workers across the country, it is odd that an administration so concerned about business hasn't faced up to this growing crisis.
But at least one Oregon doctor is telling President Bush about problems with rural health care.
The Glenwood Urban Renewal Advisory Committee is finally expected to get more members.
What's going on in Springfield? We expect controversy in Eugene and agreement in Springfield. But there's a brewing hullabaloo in Springfield over a cell phone tax.
And Lane County has the distinction of be rated the worst county in the state in terms of collecting property taxes adequately -- a case of penny wise and pound foolish?
Neighbors in Santa Clara have other ideas about what kinds of parks make sense in their part of town.
Work on streets around the new federal courthouse is about to begin.
But there are different views about how to best "connect to the river" around the new courthouse, under or over the railroad tracks, and possibly to a new McKenzie-Willamette hospital. Look to hear more about problems making the needed transportation connections in this corner of town.
Both the Springfield News and the Bend Bulletin echoed our ambivalence over getting federal "pork" to pay for some needed and some not-so-needed local projects, in particular, transportation projects such as the Interstate-5/Beltline interchange.
Speaking of which, if more people took the Amtrak train -- or the Greyhound bus -- up and down the I-5 corridor, the less traffic we'd have and the less need for taxpayers to pay to expand I-5 interchanges. But Congress is considering pulling the plug on Amtrak, and Greyhound is cutting service on less profitable routes.
Fortunately, there is an endless supply of domestic oil in Alaska, so we don't need to go to war in the Middle East to secure oil reserves there. Moreover, scientists have proven that global warming is a myth, so we need not fear that climate change will lead to droughts in Oregon. (Just kidding! We wanted to see if you were paying attention.)
Of course, the LTD strike is over. But the controversy has brought out a lot of strong views on LTD, on the service they provide, and on who foots the bill.
Lastly, the state legislature is considering dozens of bills in the aftermath of Measure 37. The House just approved House Bill 2549 to allow a property owner to build a single-family home where land use restrictions had blocked such development -- but only if such a dwelling was permissible when the owner acquired it. Look for Measure 37 to subtly and not so subtly shift the balance between the rights of individuals and their responsibilities to their neighbors.
Looking Ahead
On Monday, we expect the Springfield City Council to approve PeaceHealth's master plan for their RiverBend site. Once that occurs, construction on Phase 1 will probably begin within a few months. But CHOICES will continue to work with PeaceHealth on plans for Phase 2 and for making sure that surrounding office buildings and residences are planned appropriately.
Lastly, Lane County is looking for citizens to serve on the Lane County Mental Health Advisory Committee and on the Lane County Planning Commission.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Monday, March 21 -- Springfield City Council
Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield, 726-3700
6:00 pm, Work Session, Jesse Maine Room
* RiverBend Master Plan/Zone Change (PeaceHealth).
7:00 pm, Public Hearing, Council Meeting Room
* RiverBend Master Plan/Zone Change (PeaceHealth).
Tuesday, March 29 -- 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.
Thursday, March 31 -- Task force to hold meeting
| The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
After several weeks of deliberations and reviewing nominations, the River Road/Santa Clara Transition Team has lined up people who will serve on a citizen task force to help prepare a transition plan.
The plan's purpose is to establish a partnership between residents of River Road and Santa Clara, city and county staff and elected officials, and special district providers.
The next meeting is March 31, at 7 p.m. at the Irving Grange, 1011 Irvington. The public is encouraged to attend. To join the transition mailing list, contact Julie Fisch by e-mail: juliefisch@msn.com or phone 689-4802.
Opportunities
Applicants needed for county committees
| The Register-Guard | March 18, 2005 |
The Lane County Board of Commissioners is seeking applications from residents interested in serving on the Lane County Mental Health Advisory Committee.
Committee responsibility includes serving on subcommittees and requires two to four daytime meetings per month. The board advises on matters relating to mental health, developmental disabilities, and alcohol and drug abuse in Lane County by reviewing major policies of the community mental health program.
The deadline to apply is April 22. To request an application, call 682-4203. For more information, call Rob Rockstroh at 682-4035.
The county also seeks applications from residents interested in serving on the Lane County Planning Commission. The commission makes recommendations to the commissioners regarding comprehensive plan issues and amendments. Applicants must be residents of Lane County west of the east boundary of the Mapleton School District. To request an application by mail, please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and mark your request to the attention of Ethel at the address listed below. The deadline to apply is April 15. For information, call 682-4203.
Applications for both groups are available in the Board of Commissioners' Office located on the Plaza Level of the Public Service Building, 125 E. Eighth Avenue in Eugene.
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Eugene Leaders Travel To Arizona
Northwest Medical Center at Oro Valley, in Arizona, has 96 beds, and came with a price tag of $85 million dollars. It was built by Triad hospitals and, on Monday, it was on display for a group of Eugene city leaders. (more...)
Hospital Forum
EUGENE -- McKenzie Willamette has its eyes on a river-front property in Eugene, currently the EWEB site, as the location for its new hospital.
But before they finalize site plans, hospital officials held a "Let's Talk About It" meeting Wednesday night to get public input. The meeting was in response to Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy's challenge to the hospital to make their case for the development. (more...)
Dozens of residents weigh in on hospital relocation plans
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | March 17, 2005 |
Despite Wednesday's 180-degree turn in the weather, dozens of area residents sloshed through showers and puddles to weigh in on McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center's hopes of building a new hospital somewhere in the Eugene area, preferably right where the meeting took place -- on the Eugene Water & Electric Board premises.
Mulling over maps and charts or chatting with hospital officials, some supported the idea, while others expressed skepticism that the EWEB property -- the front-runner among a dozen that McKenzie-Willamette has considered during the past three years -- would serve either the community or the hospital well. (more...)
McKenzie-Willamette goes to people for input
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 18, 2005 |
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center is tapping the community for ideas.
With maps of proposed hospital sites lining the walls and information about the potential move arrayed on a table in the center, people filed in and out of an open house Wednesday, submitting ideas and asking questions.
The open house was held at Eugene Water & Electric Board's headquarters and a second open house is planned at the same location from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 29.
The open house brought out those with concerns, those in support and others just seeking more information about the hospital's plans to relocate in Eugene. (more...)
Wendell Austin -- Springfield and its medical facilities are our treasure
By Wendell Austin
The Springfield News | March 18, 2005 |
A word to the wise and wonderful people of Springfield: Nearly 50 years ago, my wife and I and our infant daughter moved to Springfield to continue my teaching profession. Little did we know what a wonderful decision that was.
My barber encouraged me to become a member of the Jaycees, to learn more about our new community home and be involved.
My school principal encouraged me and allowed me to join a small group of community leaders to meet weekly over powdered-egg breakfasts in an attempt to raise funds for a new Springfield hospital -- later named McKenzie-Willamette. (more...)
Health Care
Justin Francese -- Workers in solidarity can keep health benefits
By Justin Francese
The Register-Guard | March 18, 2005 |
Lisa Hamilton sees a lot of uninsured young people. As the benefits administrator for our graduate employees union, she sees all the new hires who sign up for health coverage. (more...)
Health Care Costs
DOWNTOWN EUGENE -- Some concerned citizens hope lawmakers can pull in the reigns when it comes to skyrocketing health care costs. Several groups organized a forum Friday night in Downtown Eugene to raise awareness about some new legislation.
The five Senate bills aim to regulate health care costs. But State Senator Bill Morrisette says he doesn't think the bills will make it through the Republican controlled house. He says the governor is backing the idea of making the prescription bill an initiative so voters can push it through, and help create a bulk purchasing plan for people without insurance. (more...)
Oregon doctor to address Bush
| The Associated Press | March 15, 2005 |
KLAMATH FALLS -- A Lakeview doctor being honored by Republicans says he plans to tell President Bush that he can find a model for rural health care in Oregon.
Dr. Bob Bomengen was scheduled to meet with Bush tonight, when Bomengen will be honored in Washington, D.C., by the National Republican Congressional Committee as its choice for physician of the year in 2004. (more...)
Canada's health care: free, first-rate, frightfully slow
By Beth Duff-Brown
The Associated Press | March 20, 2005 |
TORONTO -- A letter from the Moncton Hospital to a New Bruns-wick heart patient in need of an electrocardiogram said the appointment would be in three months. It added: "If the person named on this computer-generated letter is deceased, please accept our sincere apologies.''
The patient wasn't dead, according to the doctor who showed the letter to The Associated Press. But there are many Canadians who claim that the long wait for the test and the frigid formality of the letter are indicative of a health system badly in need of emergency care. (more...)
Nearby Developments
Committee's almost in session
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | March 19, 2005 |
The Glenwood Urban Renewal Advisory Committee, authorized last year to help plan the urban renewal district that voters authorized in November, is finally getting some members -- three months after the city first asked for volunteers.
The City Council is expected to appoint Steve Roth and John Oldham to positions on the nine-member committee on Monday, and on March 28 the Springfield Economic Development Agency will make the final five appointments. Lane County has appointed the first two representatives, Allan Kolb and Joan Armstead. (more...)
Cell phone tax goes to voters
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | March 15, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Faced with a taxpayer revolt against a cell phone tax it approved last year, the City Council on Monday voted unanimously to refer the tax to a popular vote in May.
Unanimity proved elusive, though, when the council passed a second motion, dedicating the extra $750,000 a year that the new tax is expected to generate to public safety and to operating the city's proposed jail. (more...)
Council opts to go ahead with tax vote: But members decide not to tie it formally to the city's jail plan
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 16, 2005 |
The fate of Springfield's utility tax will be up to the voters.
Springfield City Councilors decided unanimously to refer a utility tax to voters this May. But a second motion clarifying how the funds would be used proved a more difficult decision. (more...)
Editorial -- Council's decision guarantees voters will reject new tax
| The Springfield News | March 16, 2005 |
The Springfield City Council made a critical error Monday night, one that will cost the city a modest sum of money if they don't correct it. We're really hoping they will do so, although we're not sure how they can at this point.
It's not a lot of money, by government standards. Five or ten grand is all. But we don't want to see it wasted.
And wasted it will be if the city goes ahead with its plans to spend it on an election campaign to defend the proposed utility tax. (more...)
A $10 million boondoggle?: Police, fire departments' new computer system comes in for criticism from cops, other users
By Stacy D. Stumbo
The Springfield News | March 16, 2005 |
Local police and fire agencies spent $10 million to upgrade their computer systems -- but they may have bought nothing but trouble.
Multimillion dollar high-tech gadgetry designed to improve communication among Lane County's public safety agencies may be hindering it instead. (more...)
Tax collections worst in state
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 17, 2005 |
When it comes to collecting property taxes, Lane County is the worst county in the state.
The state Department of Revenue delivered the sobering news at the commissioners' meeting Wednesday, but noted that planned hires should right the ship in two to three years. (more...)
Tax backlog costs county millions: Layoffs left assessor's staff unable to keep up with work
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 18, 2005 |
The Oregon Department of Revenue is stepping in to help remedy a processing backlog in Lane County's department of assessment and taxation, which should put a stop to $4.2 million in annual tax revenue losses to the county's taxing districts.
Bottom line -- more staff is needed to address the growing backlog. (more...)
Editorial -- County cuts to tax department pound-foolish
| The Springfield News | March 18, 2005 |
Let's just suppose you owned a small manufacturing business. But business is looking meager, and you're about to be forced to make cuts -- and lay off one employee.
Should you lay off an officer worker, a production worker or an outside salesperson?
A tough decision. But faced with this choice, only a total moron would lay off the salesperson. Why? Because that's the person who brings in cash! If you lay off that person, you save $30,000 and lose $250,000 worth of business. It's the business equivalent of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
With that in mind, it's really hard to understand how Lane County got itself into its current situation, as outlined in the front-page article in today's The Springfield News. (more...)
Santa Clara group poses own park plan
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 15, 2005 |
Hoping to pack more political punch, opponents of a city plan to put a big park and an even bigger housing development in Santa Clara have some alternatives they want Eugene officials to consider.
Instead of the city's plan for a large, regional park and a housing and business subdivision on the city's north edge, these residents favor several smaller parks throughout the area, including converting the former Santa Clara Elementary School into a community center.
They don't want the big housing and business complex at all. (more...)
Transportation
Street work soon to pave ways around courthouse
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 20, 2005 |
Work on the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse has been under way since last summer. Soon it will be time for work on the streets around the big building to start.
The city has picked Eugene Sand & Gravel to do the first phase of street construction, which could start in April or May. The firm submitted a low bid of $1.17 million to get the job.
The project will kick off the creation of a new network of streets around the $70 million courthouse. (more...)
Dennis "Whitey" Lueck -- What to do with railroad? Cover it up
By Dennis "Whitey'' Lueck
The Register-Guard | March 20, 2005 |
Curiously missing from the ongoing discussion about the new federal courthouse, Eugene's desired "return to the river," and downtown livability in general is what might be called the underground option. Instead of always having to work around the busy railroad corridor in our midst, why don't we put the tracks underground? (more...)
Editorial -- A walkable city: But pedestrians could use improvements
| The Register-Guard | March 17, 2005 |
Eugene has been declared one of the nation's best places for walking -- No. 8 among the country's 200 biggest cities, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association. The ranking is welcome recognition of the fact that the amenities that are so famously prized by runners serve walkers as well. These amenities are shared by Springfield and other local communities, so the penumbra of Eugene's ranking extends beyond the city limits. (more...)
Editorial -- We're all to blame for pork problem
| The Bend Bulletin | March 16, 2005 |
A bill containing millions of dollars for Central Oregon transportation projects cleared the U.S. House of Representatives last week. We'll certainly drive on the roads this money will build, and we might even try one of the public transit vans it will buy, so we're glad the legislation passed.
Mostly. (more...)
Editorial -- Might as well face it, we're addicted to pork
| The Springfield News | March 18, 2005 |
When we got the word from our Congressman and neighbor, Peter DeFazio, about all the federal money that's about to pour into the Springfield-Eugene area, well, we felt a little dirty -- and maybe just a bit hypocritical.
Why? Well, because the federal government is so totally out of control. It dumps billions of dollars of pork into things that we really don't need, to make certain special individuals happy or to purchase blocs of voters, during times when the national debt is about to leave the atmosphere.
And there's not a blasted thing you or any other regular taxpayer can do about it. Because the federal government is only accountable to you through people you elect to represent you. And although those folks go to Washington with the best intentions, lots of them succumb to the sharks there. To be blunt, there are people in Washington whose job it is to buy your elected representatives off -- in essence, to steal your franchise and put it to work for Mondo Widget Corporation, the National Federation of Squirrel Farmers, or whoever it is that signs their checks. They're good at what they do, and they're frequently successful. (more...)
One Track Minds
Who's being railroaded now?
By Joseph A. Lieberman
Eugene Weekly | March 17, 2005 |
The passengers aboard Amtrak's Coastal Starlight were getting antsy, and rightly so. The train had pulled into Oakland three hours late the night before, and by the time we'd left Klamath Falls, another five hours had been added. We would finally arrive in Eugene a stunning 12 hours behind schedule. (more...)
Amtrak funding effort fails in Senate
| The Associated Press | March 17, 2005 |
WASHINGTON -- An effort in the Senate to increase federal subsidies for the Amtrak system failed Wednesday. (more...)
Greyhound scales back coastal service
By Peter Rice
WesCom News Service | March 18, 2005 |
The golden age of long, intercity bus routes stretching far into rural America is over. Greyhound Lines Inc., once the only public transport link to hundreds of small and very small towns, is scaling back its entire business, focusing on shorter, faster trips with fewer stops.
Last year's cuts, which eliminated the coastal route that served Brookings, and this April's cuts, which will cancel service at 150 western towns including Crescent City, are both part of that strategy. (more...)
Lane Transit District: Views
Letter -- Dignity of workers preserved
By Michael K. Regan, Springfield
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
Yes! The buses will be running again today! I commend Mayor Kitty Piercy, Art Johnson, Jack Roberts and Margaret Hallock for their hard work Thursday, Friday and Saturday that helped end this strike. I'm also grateful to the Lane Transit District Board members who got involved in negotiations on Thursday.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 deserves appreciation, first for postponing any labor action for 35 days and allowing the citizens' committee the time it needed to investigate the situation and try to find a way to solve a very complex set of problems, and second for making the compromises necessary to settle. LTD management deserves praise for concluding negotiations and allowing an agreement to be reached. I would also like to express appreciation to each member of the citizens' committee for the time they took out of their busy, productive lives during the last six weeks of meetings.
Yes, this bus rider from Thurston is very glad to see the process of government finally function and work to preserve dignity and respect of the drivers and mechanics -- and also of the many riders who rely on the the labor of LTD workers for transportation.
Just because we don't all have good health care shouldn't mean that those who have it should lose it.
Letter -- LTD drivers aren't getting rich
By Paul Hobbs, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
This is regarding Mike Brooks' March 7 letter concerning the demands of the Lane Transit District drivers. Brooks stated that "no one in the private sector gets even half the salary paid to an LTD driver."
A 90-second Google search yielded the following: The salary range for a bus operator at the termination of the last contract was $13.83 to $18.45 an hour. That's decent money for these parts, but I don't think we've got to worry about a class of LTD Rockefellers cornering the real estate market. If Brooks has literally been working for half of that salary range for any length of time, then he's being exploited, pure and simple.
On my way to work I see people driving $60,000 SUVs all over the place -- and you can bet that they don't all work for the government. There are people making money in this town.
Brooks should stand up for his rights! Perhaps he needs to consider organizing a union in his workplace. All I know is that the best way for working people to prosper in the long term is not to drag other workers down, but to support them.
Letter -- Good time to explore cycling
By Sue Wolling, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
The Lane Transit District bus strike forced transit riders to find a new means of transportation. It was a good opportunity for all of us to think about our transportation choices.
LTD buses are an important part of our local transportation system -- but, as the very name LTD suggests, that transportation is "limited." You can go only where the buses are going, when the buses are going there.
To escape these limitations, most people use automobiles. Cars can take you wherever you want to go, whenever you want to go there -- unless a lot of other people are trying to get there at the same time, in which case everyone sits stuck in traffic.
For truly unlimited transportation, a bicycle is hard to beat. A bicyclist can travel anywhere at any time, and ride right up to the door of the destination. Moreover, since bicyclists generally travel in bike lanes, quiet neighborhood streets or off-street paths, heavy traffic has little effect on their travel time.
The LTD strike temporarily eliminated bus service, and the construction work on Interstate 105 that will begin in April is sure to clog up automobile travel. With the arrival of longer days and warm weather, it's a great time to try traveling by bicycle.
Try experiencing the unlimited transportation that bicycling can provide. For information about how to travel safely and efficiently by bicycle, contact the Eugene Bicycle Coalition at bicycle@efn.org.
Letter -- Support drivers, not managers
By Jim Elias, Springfield
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
After reading the letters commenting on the Lane Transit District strike, I was a bit dismayed at the number of writers who are pro-management.
When I was a young man back in the 1960s and '70s, every year when I filed my taxes there was a little increase in wages and a corresponding increase in the amount of taxes I paid. Paying even a tiny part of my health coverage was unheard of. The company took care of everything. This was the American way.
Then came 1980 and the entrance of the Reagan era, and for the first time in my life I found that despite being a member of the most powerful labor union in the country, I faced a substantial cut in wages and a wage freeze for nearly three years. We never caught up, even in the eight prosperous years of the Clinton administration.
Rather than throwing more money at more and bigger LTD projects, these plans could have been eliminated to the betterment of the employees. Do we really need bus rapid transit? Do buses really need to be replaced so often? In most cases, as done in the private sector, vehicles can be rebuilt and repaired for a much longer time without replacement.
We need to support our neighbors who drive these buses, not the managers of this publicly owned entity, who seem to think that all they have to do is belly up the the public trough and scoop up the cash.
Letter -- Drivers should mind their health
By Steve Scarich, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
Last Wednesday, I was walking by the Lane Transit District workers' picket line at the River Road Transfer Station. I noticed that some of the picketers were smoking.
Then I realized that all eight of them were smoking! I made the mistake of commenting to them that their smoking probably increased their health care costs, and I received a very unfriendly reply.
I did some quick research and found that, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in 1999, the cost to an employer of the average smoker was estimated to be $1,760 in lost productivity. In addition, the employee incurred an additional $1,623 in excess medical care expenditures.
These figures stunned me, and then I realized that these numbers have some relationship to the recent LTD strike. Obviously, all LTD workers do not smoke. But, if you estimate that 100 LTD workers smoke and apply an inflation-adjusted cost-per-employee total of $4,000 in smoking-related costs, you come up with a figure of $400,000. I believe that was more than the negotiating gulf between the two sides.
They could have negotiated this either positively, by financially rewarding those employees who don't smoke, or negatively, by forcing the smokers to pay a higher portion of their health care and insurance costs. The LTD board would have been happy, because it acted in a financially responsible fashion and encouraged healthy lifestyle choices. The union would have been happy, because its members would be healthier and back at work.
Letter -- Put public first in public transit
By Lorraine Montgomery, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
I was one of those many Lane Community College students affected by the Lane Transit District bus strike. In reading Bob Keefer's March 9 article, I had to ask, "What about the riders?"
The article quoted an economics consultant saying that this dispute was difficult to resolve because the corporate world is pushing employees to assume more financial risk for themselves. OK, that tells me what the company may feel about its employees, but what about those they were supposed to be serving? Isn't public transportation about the public?
The ridership that LTD was supposed to serve was not an issue, because LTD was better off by not running the buses since its revenue remained nearly the same. How can that be? Aren't the federal and state grants and the local payroll tax given to LTD for public transportation?
When the buses did not run, the district was not providing the service those grants and taxes are funding. LTD should not collect a grant or tax for the service of public transportation when it is not providing that service.
I understand both employer and employees had issues, but in my opinion, if the riders weren't the biggest factor, then why do we have a public transportation system at all?
Letter -- LTD board to blame for strike
By Lana M. Blair, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
I've heard more than one derogatory comment about the Lane Transit District employees "not caring" about their passengers when the strike began.
Well, I guess I'm confused about how "caring" for the transportation needs of passengers should have taken precedence over the drivers' ability to support and meet the health care needs of their own families.
I don't see how anyone could resent employees who do good work and are upset when their employer not only fails to reward their work, but takes action to decrease the compensation and benefits package that makes it worth doing the work in the first place!
The LTD board was at fault for this strike. I'd like to know how the board's collective conscience could justify taking such a hard line with the employees on strike with the compensation and benefit package of General Manager Ken Hamm.
And how is it that Hamm's administrative work for the bus system is so important that he's compensated better than the person who is in charge of both the police and fire departments for the city? Explain that, and then also explain why he is considered more valuable than the rest of the LTD employees. You know, the ones who care if the buses are in good repair, run on time and are driven safely.
For crying out loud -- LTD should take care of its people.
Erin Miller -- When buses don't run, teen's left to walk
By Erin Miller, 20Below News Team
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
I'm not trying to whine too much, but there was a distinct lack of productive free time in my schedule last week because of the Lane Transit District strike. (more...)
Editorial -- A welcome settlement: LTD, union avoid a protracted walkout
| The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
It didn't take long for the Lane Transit District and Local 757 of the Amalgamated Transit Union to realize that both sides were losing in the strike that began a week ago. A settlement was going to be reached sooner or later, and time wasn't on either party's side -- giving both labor and management a strong incentive to engage in the marathon negotiations that led to an agreement over the weekend. (more...)
Letter -- Absence of buses was a relief
By Glenn McMullen, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 15, 2005 |
It was so nice to drive down Coburg Road in the afternoon and not be stuck in traffic. Reason: No buses. No red triangles flashing just as I got to the bumper of the bus as it pulled out in front of me.
I wish the Lane Transit District had never gone back to work.
Editorial -- What role do we want LTD to play for community?
| The Springfield News | March 16, 2005 |
With apologies to Randy Jackson from "American Idol," we have to give mad props to Lane Transit District and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 for resolving their dispute so quickly (right, dog pound? Hoo! Hoo!)
Still, it wasn't exactly painless. We haven't been able to find anyone who was actually fired from his or her job due to the lack of bus service, but one guy had to blow off several promising job interviews, and a bunch of students missed important days of class. The fact is, lots of people in our town rely on LTD, and going without the service really hurt them.
Which leads to the real challenge facing LTD, the one that survives the successful resolution of the strike:
What do we want our bus service to do for us? (more...)
Slant -- Wayne Morse, LTD
| Eugene Weekly | March 17, 2005 |
Nice timing that the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza and statue were dedicated in Eugene this week. The crusty Oregon senator would have been proud of his follower Margaret Hallock, who orchestrated the end of the LTD/ATU bus strike last weekend. She's the director of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics on the UO campus. Margaret first worked with the citizens committee out of ESSN/Jobs with Justice that brought about postponement of the strike for 30 days. Chaired by Joan Pierson and Curt Bylund, that committee included James Mattiace, John Van Landingham, Bob Baldwin, Debbie Oresik, Gavin Light, Michael Regan, Ross McConnell, Jeanine Malito, Sebastian Zwicknagl, Wanda Gledhill, and Claire Syrett. After the buses stopped rolling, Hallock coalesced a second community group to work with the professional mediator and both sides to overcome the small differences that separated them. That group was Mayor Kitty Piercy, David Piercy, Jack Roberts, Art Johnson and Hallock. Morse spent a good part of his life resolving labor disputes. He, like Hallock, would have been happy to see the LTD buses in the streets Monday morning.
Letter -- Shift gears on transit
By Pamela Driscoll, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 17, 2005 |
I couldn't disagree more with Tim Duy's March 13 guest viewpoint.
I believe the direction we should be going is to make mass transit more widely available and free. The future is in mass transit. It is simply unsustainable to have more and more cars clogging the streets and polluting the air. Oil production is finite and the population is growing, so it only stands to reason we have to shift gears on how we move around.
I would love to see all-electric buses or, better yet, buses that run on hydrogen as they do in Mesa, Ariz., from renewable energy sources. The buses should run seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with even more routes. Where would we get this money? A gas tax.
Yes, make gas cost $8 a gallon, if that is what it takes. The people who don't want to ride the buses don't have to.
As far as the average travel time on the bus being 48 minutes, that time could be very productive. I remember reading of a women who wrote a novel only when on the subway, and her novel made it to The New York Times best-seller list. Walking to the bus stop could also help the obesity epidemic in our country. The times are a-changin', and getting out of our cars is inevitable.
Letter -- How to solve a transit strike
By Arthur Mokin, Leaburg
The Register-Guard | March 17, 2005 |
In 1945 I was in Tokyo with the U.S. Army of occupation. While I was there, the workers of the Tokyo rapid transit system struck, causing untold hardship to tens of thousands of riders who had no other means of transportation (all other vehicular options had been destroyed in the war).
With their exquisite sense of community, labor and management arrived at an interim solution: The workers would operate the trains but at no salary, while management agreed to collect no fares. The people were the clear winners.
The economic pressure on labor and management was so intense that settlement was reached in very short order.
LTD should heed service
By Roger Tedford, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 19, 2005 |
I am compelled to add my own voice to those who hold the Lane Transit District board accountable for the recent labor dispute, but not because it tried to rein in employee health care cost. Rather, the board's mistake was in planting the seed for this dispute long ago by not acting sooner to create a medical plan that was in line with the private sector.
This gave the union a false sense of entitlement and allowed it to rationalize the strike because of the "takeaway" in benefits. I view it more as the board trying to correct the fiduciary breach that it allowed to develop in the first place.
To make matters worse, the board is tying the growth in employee costs to the growth in tax receipts. Sounds smart, but since when is the charter of the LTD board to raise all the tax revenue it can get and spend it on increased employee costs? What about the concept of actually matching service to demand, and just maybe reducing costs and the tax rate?
The purpose of LTD is to provide low-cost effective public service, not maximize employee compensation and benefits. Other public agencies would do well to take heed of this apparent subtlety as well. It's as if we've all been hit by a bus and are now being dragged behind it. If only we had the union's medical plan to fix the long-term injuries that we will surely sustain. (more...)
Letter -- Businesses deserve credit
By Mike Parsons, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 20, 2005 |
Whew! It's over!
In fact, the Lane Transit District, in a goodwill gesture, said that bus rides will be free through today. Maybe now we will see more than four or five riders on board, and credits and discounts will be issued to those holding bus passes.
But what about the businesses in Lane County that foot the bill for the entire system? They don't get a credit for LTD's employees walking off the job and LTD's inability to provide services for the week. So, what LTD is saying is "Lane County businesses, the payroll taxes that your business pays, we are going to keep, but the users of your system are going to get free rides for a week!"
My small business -- only eight employees -- paid $2,880 in LTD taxes in 2004, and we can barely afford health insurance for our employees. It's only fair that we get at least the same credits -- 2 percent off our tax bill. (There isn't a bus stop within a quarter-mile of our business.)
What right does the Lane Transit District have providing free rides?
Letter -- LTD blew tax refund
By Bob Dillon, Springfield
The Register-Guard | March 20, 2005 |
During the Lane Transit District strike I was wondering, against all odds, if I would get a refund on my taxes since no service was provided.
Not to worry. LTD management chose to blow it by offering free bus service for a week! Any argument that this freebie would help offset the riders' extra costs for alternative transportation during the strike is idiotic excuse-making. I don't get a break in costs if something goes wrong with my transportation.
Nothing less could be expected from these empire builders with the needlessly overbuilt facilities in Eugene, Glenwood and Springfield. Just your typical government agency that never saw a buck it couldn't instantly waste. That's one of the reasons I never vote "yes" on any bond measures for any government body.
Lane Transit District: News
It's Over; Bus Driver's Union Approves LTD Contract
It's finally over.
The Amalgamated Transit Union and the Lane Transit District have reached an agreement.
It was a weekend of success for both sides.
This afternoon members of the ATU voted on the new contract.
185 voted yes... only six voted no.
So almost a week to the day the strike started... an agreement was finalized.
The announcement came late Saturday night... after hours of negotiating. (more...)
LTD Strike Ends
| The Associated Press | March 14, 2005 |
EUGENE -- Bus drivers on strike for one week voted Sunday to ratify a tentative agreement for a new three-year contract with transportation officials in Eugene. (more...)
LTD Strike Over
EUGENE -- The buses are up and running again. LTD bus drivers went back on their routes early this morning after a week long strike.
Officials with lane transit district say immediately following a union vote to accept the contract Sunday, mechanics and drivers got to work getting the busses ready to roll. A week of pickets and no bus service was long enough for drivers and riders. (more...)
Safe on the Bus
EUGENE -- After seven long days off the road, Lane Transit busses started shuttling people around town Monday. (more...)
LTD and Bus Drivers Reach Agreement
The seven-day bus strike is officially over.
The Lane Transit District and bus driver's union ... reached an agreement over the weekend.
The plan isn't easy to understand unless you're directly effected by it.
So we went to a couple of the negotiators to find out what this agreement really means.
For three days the state mediator and a team of helpers worked to keep both sides talking. (more...)
LTD, union prepare to get on road again
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 14, 2005 |
Lane Transit District buses were to start rolling at 4 a.m. today for the first time in a week, after union workers approved a contract Sunday that ended a strike and 10 months of hard negotiations.
Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 voted 185-6 at the Hilton Eugene to approve a three-year contract after agreement was reached on health care insurance, workplace rules and wages. The LTD Board will approve the contract today, spokesman Andy Vobora said. (more...)
ATU, LTD reconcile; bus service resumes
Union members approved the contract offer 185-6, ending the strike that began March 7
By Meghann Cuniff
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 14, 2005 |
Lane Transit District is back in business.
After more than 25 total hours of mediation marathons during the past four days, members of the union representing more than three-fourths of the district's employees approved LTD's latest contract offer 185-6 on Sunday.
Amalgamated Transit Union Division 757's approval of the contract concludes nearly 11 months of contract negotiations and puts an end to a county-wide driver strike that left LTD buses immobile since March 7.
LTD mechanics went back to work Sunday night to get the buses ready to resume service today. (more...)
Sides ride out successful talks
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 15, 2005 |
It took 10 months of talks and a weeklong strike, but Lane Transit District and its workers' union finally found something this week they could agree on: a new contract.
The sticking point was health care insurance, and the sides found middle ground only after each side yielded just inches on elements as precise as they are critical. On Monday, with buses rolling for the first time in a week, the sides were satisfied but neither was claiming absolute victory. (more...)
Monday morning goes without a hitch
| The Register-Guard | March 15, 2005 |
Lane Transit District buses hit the streets Monday for the first time in a week, one day after the union ended a strike by approving a new contract. (more...)
For bus riders, life back to normal: Resolve of LTD, union melts after a few days of strike; negotiations quickly yield a deal
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 16, 2005 |
The fleet is back on the street.
Lane Transit District buses are once again mingling with traffic after a one-week separation that left many county residents without transportation. Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 and the district compromised on a three-year contract after 10 months of negotiations, leading to the strike's end and the revving of engines Monday morning. (more...)
Other News
Alfresco dining permits among items on council's plate
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | March 19, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Last summer, the staff memo to the City Council begins, some downtown restaurants were putting tables and chairs on the sidewalks outside "without obtaining the required permits."
That could have been because the city doesn't issue permits for sidewalk cafˇs.
Rest easy, diners: The City Council is prepared to address this oversight at its meeting Monday, when it will vote on an ordinance creating an outdoor cafˇ permit for restaurants in the downtown district. (more...)
Coburg OKs vote to increase police funds
By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard | March 16, 2005 |
COBURG -- City voters will be asked in May to approve a local option levy to maintain the round-the-clock police coverage favored by 84 percent of residents in a recent survey.
Facing a continuing gap between revenue and expenses because of several years of overspending, the City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday night to refer the four-year levy to voters. The step would come too late to generate additional revenue for the 2004-05 fiscal year, however, leaving councilors to cut two City Hall jobs immediately through June 30. (more...)
Eugene's ex-mayor to put children first as Kidsports director
By Susan Palmer
The Register-Guard | March 15, 2005 |
Former Mayor Jim Torrey will bring his considerable management skills to Kidsports beginning in April, the nonprofit organization announced on Monday.
Torrey, whose two terms as Eugene mayor ended in January, has agreed to become executive director as Kidsports expands its mission in an effort to reach more children. (more...)
Torrey handed job at KidSports
| The Springfield News | March 16, 2005 |
KidSports has named former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey the organization's new executive director, effective April 1. Torrey will act as executive director for 14 months and will work to advance a set of specific objectives designed to help the organization respond to the changing needs of the youth in our community. (more...)
Editorial -- Kidsports lands all-star: Former mayor accepts job as director
| The Register-Guard | March 16, 2005 |
Every once in the rarest of whiles, the sports universe produces a perfect alignment of the planets of person and place. Think Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees. Think Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics. Think Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. And think Jim Torrey and Kidsports. (more...)
Measure 37
House Okays Right-To-Build Law
SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Landowners could build houses on their property if they could have done so when they bought the land -- but later had their plans blocked by government regulations.
That's according to a bill approved by a 39-20 vote Wednesday by the House. The measure now goes to the Senate. (more...)
Lawmakers move to ease restrictions on land use
By David Steves
The Register-Guard | March 17, 2005 |
SALEM -- The Legislature on Wednesday took its biggest step so far in responding to the voter-passed Measure 37 land use initiative.
The House approved a bill allowing property owners to build a single-family home where land use restrictions had blocked such development. The measure, House Bill 2549, applies only to land where such a dwelling was permissible when the owner acquired it, but later became off-limits.
Much of the Legislature's work on land use this session has been characterized as an attempt to fine-tune ambiguities in Measure 37. Passed in November, it requires governments either to compensate property owners whose land value has declined because of restrictive regulations or to waive the rules.
But the sponsor of HB 2549, Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, said his bill wasn't part of the Measure 37 rewrite but a stand-alone bill to ensure that the will of voters is carried out, even if the Legislature or the courts thwart the initiative's full enactment. (more...)
House OKs farmland building
Supporters say the bill will make land-use policy more flexible, but opponents think it further confuses Measure 37 issues
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | March 17, 2005 |
SALEM -- Hundreds of Oregonians could build houses on agricultural land without becoming farmers under legislation approved Wednesday by the state House of Representatives.
House Bill 2549 would fast-track construction for many property owners who have filed claims under Measure 37, Oregon's new property rights law.
The bill, which passed 39-20, allows owners to put one home on their land if they could have done so when they bought the land. It mostly affects people who purchased farmland before new restrictions were adopted in 1994, but never built a house.
Debate on the bill underscored a divide about how to address public frustration with Oregon's nationally known planning system -- especially now that Measure 37 has put its future up for grabs. (more...)
House passes land-use proposal
It would let more people build homes on their property
By Steve Law
The (Salem) Statesman Journal | March 17, 2005 |
Bob Leipper of Troutdale bought 24 acres of land in 1985 expecting to build a home someday.
A decade later, before he got around to it, a change in state land-use regulations barred him from building the home.
Many people say it's stories such as that that prompted Oregonians to turn against the state land-use system and vote for Measure 37 in the fall.
The initiative requires state and local governments to either compensate property owners when regulations reduce their property value or to forgo enforcement of the regulations.
Although political and legal fights keep the ballot measure in somewhat of a limbo, the Oregon House of Representatives passed a more modest proposal Wednesday to aid people such as Leipper. Supporters say it will take some of the steam out of people's disaffection with Oregon's land-use system and will enable some people to bypass filing costly Measure 37 claims.
House Bill 2549-A, which passed by a 39-20 margin, would allow people to build a home if they were legally allowed to do so when they originally bought the land. (more...)
Ex-legislator will weigh Measure 37 claims
Lane Shetterly, land conservation agency director, will have the last word on most proposals
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | March 19, 2005 |
SALEM -- A state administrator will have the final say on most state requests to waive Oregon planning rules under Measure 37.
The Land Conservation and Development Commission voted Thursday to make its department director, former legislator Lane Shetterly, the arbiter of hundreds of cases spawned by the state's new property rights law. Shetterly said notice of department recommendations will be sent to claimants' neighbors and interested community groups before he signs off on a decision, as laid out in more general state guidelines. (more...)