Health Options Digest
December 4, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week In Review
"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my home town..." (apologies to Garrison Keillor).
Bob Fenstermacher, Joseph Gonyea II and Rosaria Haugland were appointed to three-year terms on the local PeaceHealth governing board.
It is beyond our limited abilities to make much sense of Triad's ongoing efforts to build a new hospital on the RiverRidge golf course. We trust that in time all will become clear. In the meantime, is there any meaningful role for the public or even for elected officials, or are all of us expected to be happy just to be pawns or bystanders in the big chess game for control of the health care market in Lane County?
Although the number of Americans without health insurance continues to be alarmingly high, the number of children without coverage has actually been declining over the past several years.
Lane County is growing at a moderate rate -- neither boom nor bust.
But how well are we planning for where all the new residents will live, work and shop? The Region 2050 "Design Your Future" public involvement process is now complete. Perhaps we weren't paying enough attention, but it seems to us that the Region 2050 project is occurring with barely any public discussion. Did we miss all the TV and newspaper stories, commentaries and letters to the editor about the future of this Emerald Valley?
In contrast, the Portland Tribune recently launched an ongoing effort to "rethink Portland." The November 11, 2005 issue included a 24-page insert that kicked off the effort and looked at the future of Portland from many different angles. The Tribune will be following up with more coverage in the coming year. And presumably readers of the Tribune will express their views and thereby engage in a large community discussion -- something that those of us in the south end of the Willamette Valley would benefit from.
A community discussion. A regional vision. Haven't we mentioned before that it is a good idea for the community to plan for the region's future? (And if such an effort is successful, it will even include consideration of where the community wants their next hospitals to go, thereby avoiding a rerun of "Musical Hospitals.")
Lane County is preparing to ask voters if they want a new local income tax to pay for public safety. We wish them luck!
Meanwhile, Springfield is moving forward with plans to build a new justice center. But it is still unclear where money will come from to operate a new jail. Similarly, Springfield Fire and Life Safety is facing significant budget shortfalls. With all the new businesses coming to Springfield, you'd think that they would be rolling in money to provide basic public services like jails and ambulances. Maybe Springfield should reconsider its business model of being "open for business" and giving away tax breaks to companies that don't even need them. But we are probably way off base, as most of Springfield's elected officials are business types who know how to run a sound business and must be looking after Springfield's bottom line.
Can anyone explain to us in plain language why someone might want to build a $100+ million Interstate-5 interchange just south of the Willamette River when the Glenwood interchange is no more than a minute away? Has our society become so pressed for time and so flush with cash that we are willing to spend so much money to save so little time?
In fact, taxpayers are so reluctant to pay more for roads -- in particular, through higher gasoline taxes -- that the state is increasingly looking to private developers willing to build new highways at their own expense in exchange for the right to charge tolls on these new roads: toll roads. As just about everything else in life is being "privatized," it was inevitable that someone would think to privatize public highways. So maybe some developer (someone even more enterprising than John Musumeci?) will step forward and offer to build a new $100+ million Interstate-5/Franklin -- in exchange for the right to charge a toll to everyone entering or leaving downtown Eugene or Springfield.
The Lane Transit District board of directors accepted the resignation of general manager Ken Hamm, on the heels of soured relations between management and workers.
The constitutionality of Measure 37 is being argued in written briefs right now. Oral arguments are scheduled for January 10 and then the Oregon Supreme Court will issue a decision as soon thereafter as it wants to. Meanwhile, a heavy cloud of uncertainty hangs over claimants, neighbors, counties and cities alike.
Finally, one of our favorite local writers, Todd Huffman, M.D., asks if intelligent design can design better politicians. We could name one or two politicians we'd like to design better.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Opportunities
Transportation plan awaits public feedback
| The Register-Guard | November 22, 2005 |
SALEM -- Members of the state Transportation Commission are seeking public feedback on a draft plan for updates to the state's transportation system over the next quarter-century.
The plan addresses airports, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, highways, streets and roads, pipelines, ports and waterways, public transportation and railroads.
It also outlines investment priorities for the transportation system, although an analysis of projected income showed a need for greater investment in the current system, in order to keep up with population and economic growth.
The plan may be viewed online at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/ortransplanupdate.shtml
The Oregon Transportation Commission is expected to adopt a final plan next summer.
PeaceHealth
Business Beat: PeaceHealth Board
| The Register-Guard | December 1, 2005 |
Bob Fenstermacher, Joseph Gonyea II and Rosaria Haugland have been appointed to three-year terms on the PeaceHealth Oregon Region governing board. Fenstermacher is president and CEO of Liberty Bank and a University of Oregon graduate. Gonyea is CEO and managing partner of Timber Products Co. in Springfield and a graduate of Seattle University. Haugland, who holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Syracuse University, was a co-founder of Molecular Probes and is currently president of the Rosaria P. Haugland Foundation and manager of RAM Property Development. (more...)
Appointments made to PeaceHealth board
| The Springfield News | December 2, 2005 |
Joseph Gonyea II, Bob Fenstermacher and Rosaria Haugland have recently been appointed to three-year terms on the PeaceHealth Oregon Region governing board.
Gonyea is the CEO and managing partner of Timber Products Company in Springfield and a graduate of Seattle University. He has been involved in supporting organizations such as the University of Oregon, YMCA and SMART, a nonprofit program working to increase literacy in children.
Fenstermacher is the president and CEO of LibertyBank and is a University of Oregon graduate. He has been active in various community organizations including the Eugene Chamber, Metro Partnership and United Way.
Haugland, who holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Syracuse University, was a co-founder of Molecular Probes. She is currently the president of the Rosaria P. Haugland Foundation and manager of RAM Property Development. A supporter of local arts, education and social services, she has recently developed the Haugland Building in downtown Eugene, housing Womenspace, Ophelia's Place -- a nonprofit counseling service for adolescent girls -- and Girl Scouts of Western Rivers Council.
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Editorial -- State should butt out of hospitals' siting decisions
| The Springfield News | November 30, 2005 |
McKenzie-Willamette Hospital's selection of a planned new hospital site is not proving wildly popular with the "usual suspects." Perhaps this means they're onto something.
Almost immediately, folks started speculating that the new site, deep in the Willamette-McKenzie river delta up past Home Depot, was a handy port in a bureaucratic storm that Triad Hospitals Inc. feared would lock them out of the Eugene market -- the whole "certificate-of-need review" we've all heard way too much about lately. (more...)
Site Debate Continues
By Ted Taylor
Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
Lane County Commissioner Bill Dwyer last week called for Triad-McKenzie Willamette Medical Center (MWMC) to build a new hospital in Glenwood instead of the newly announced site north of the Eugene city limits. Triad officials have announced that a Glenwood site would be their second choice for a new medical center to compete with PeaceHealth's regional medical center currently under construction in north Springfield.
Dwyer in a prepared statement said many "minefields," such as rezoning, transportation, agricultural land use, metro plan issues, neighborhood and "other thorny barriers could be avoided" with a hospital relocation to Glenwood. (more...)
Slant -- Hospital Siting
| Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
What's particularly frustrating about the whole dragged-out squabble over hospital siting is that there is no real public input and involvement. All citizens can do (if they have the money) is go to court. All local elected officials can do is offer limited financial incentives or try to block or delay land-use approvals. But these siting decisions are vitally important to the public interest. They are key to shaping the future of our metropolitan area; and these decisions can be a matter of life and death. If you are in south or southwest Eugene and have a heart attack, stroke or a life-threatening accident during rush hour, it could take 30 minutes from dialing 911 before you arrive at a major trauma center up north. South Eugene councilor Betty Taylor this week voted against having our city manager pursue of memorandum of understanding with Triad for a north Eugene hospital. So, where do we go from here? It might be unheard of for a state agency such as Oregon Public Health Services to hold public hearings or information sessions on hospital sitings, but this is Eugene. We debate everything, and the turnout for such a meeting would be huge. We are trying to understand the issues surrounding medical facilities, and attempting to have a voice in our future.
Slant -- Hospital in Glenwood?
| Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
The threat of Triad/McKenzie-Willamette building in Glenwood appears to be motivating Eugene's mayor and council to consider an illogical hospital site. But Glenwood is actually closer to downtown than the proposed hospital site at RiverRidge Golf Course. And more and more, Eugene, Springfield and Glenwood are becoming one city. Many UO students live in Springfield, about half of Springfield breadwinners work in Eugene. We share an urban growth boundary. We work on transportation and air quality issues together. Our land-use rules are much more alike than different. We share riparian habitat and parkland. Our political divisions are mellowing. Even our criminals ignore the arbitrary lines on the map. We will likely never merge into Springene or Eugenefield, but it's time to recognize we're all part of a larger community with shared concerns.
Letter -- Hold Triad to same standards
By Jim Bollig, Eugene
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2005 |
As we see the news unfold regarding Triad's plans for a new hospital on the RiverRidge property, I can't help but wonder how the Eugene City Council will react. I would hope that Councilors David Kelly, Bonny Bettman and Betty Taylor hold Triad to the same standards that they set for PeaceHealth.
These folks were ready to rezone PeaceHealth's property at Crescent Avenue rather than let the company build on the north side of the river. That property was zoned for a hospital; the RiverRidge property is not. I hope the councilors remember, and do not revise, the recent history they were part of in regard to building a new hospital in Eugene.
In addition, there are huge traffic concerns to consider. For all practical purposes, there is only one way in and out of that area. The additional traffic that construction of this magnitude would generate would bring a currently bad traffic situation to its knees. I would expect the City Council to use the same standard, not a double standard, in determining the appropriateness of this site.
Letter -- Flood plain site a poor choice
By Fran Gillespie, Eugene
The Register-Guard | November 29, 2005 |
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center has made a bad choice in the highly congested, flood plain-wetland RiverRidge site.
Initially, McKenzie-Willamette came to town and made a dirt cheap offer to buy Eugene Water & Electric Board's prime riverfront property, which was not for sale. In addition to its difficult, isolated location and being in a flood plain, it would have cost EWEB ratepayers millions of dollars. McKenzie-Willamette later demanded that the city of Eugene produce a downtown location within 30 days.
McKenzie-Willamette is tarnishing its own reputation by these hostile approaches, and it feels like the company owes the city of Eugene an apology. Early arguments for the EWEB site were that the hospital needed to be near existing doctors' offices. What, then, is the logic of the RiverRidge site? If you build it near a remote golf course, they will come?
Memo to McKenzie-Willamette: Please listen to the common-sense input and majority opinion of Eugene residents and officials. We need a hospital in a more central area (beyond the unavailable downtown core) that is not in a flood plain, on land that is currently available south of the Willamette River. Please include ample parking, which was a serious ongoing problem for Sacred Heart.
Of course, McKenzie-Willamette can ignore public input, but the public can ignore this ill-chosen site -- and drive right on by to PeaceHealth's new RiverBend location. McKenzie-Willamette can do better than the remote Delta flood plain site.
Letter -- Illogical Site
By Fran Gillespie, Eugene
Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad hospital has made a bad choice in the highly congested, floodplain/wetland Delta site. Initially, McKenzie-Willamette came to town and made a dirt cheap offer to buy the prime riverfront property of EWEB, which was not for sale. Besides its difficult isolated location, and being in a floodplain, it would have cost EWEB utility ratepayers millions of dollars.
M-W later demanded the city produce a core downtown location within 30 days. M-W is tarnishing its own reputation by these hostile approaches, and it feels like they owe the city of Eugene an apology. Early arguments for choosing the EWEB site were that they needed to be near where doctors are already located.
What then, is the logic, in the Delta site? If you build it near a remote golf course, they will come?
Memo to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital: Please listen to the common sense input and majority opinion of Eugene residents and government: We need a hospital in a more centrally located area ( beyond the unavailable downtown core) that is not in a floodplain, on land that is currently available, to the west of the Willamette River. Please include ample parking, which was a serious ongoing problem for Sacred Heart hospital.
Of course M-W can ignore public input, but the public can ignore their ill-chosen site -- and drive right on by to Sacred Heart's new RiverBend location. McKenzie-Willamette, you can do better than the remote Delta flood plain site. Please! A green pastoral (flood-prone) scenic site is not as important as being able to actually get to the hospital in a timely way in an emergency.
Go to the Delta/Beltline area during rush hour on any given day and tell us (without laughing) that this is in fact a good idea for a hospital location.
Letter -- Let community have its say
By Jeff Harrison, Eugene
The Register-Guard | December 4, 2005 |
Since when did the people of a community turn over their decision-making power to the developers? And when did hospitals become developers?
It certainly seems that our community has done that, considering the decisions being made about our new hospitals. Surely it's obvious to everyone except real-estate developers -- including modern hospital owners -- that the choices made and considered are not based on the good of the community itself. It would be nice to go back to a time when hospitals were primarily care-giving institutions, run by and staffed by people who cared. That's clearly just a dream.
But I sincerely hope it's not just a dream to imagine that the people of a community, our community, can still assert some control over major decisions that will affect us all. I'll certainly keep hoping that we're not really totally at the mercy of local officials who either are developers or are deeply settled in their pockets.
Can't we demand a hospital for the people? Doesn't the community still have a say in these matters?
Health Care
Programs fill gaps in health coverage for America's young
By John Broder
The New York Times | December 4, 2005 |
LOS ANGELES -- The number of American children without health care coverage has been slowly but steadily declining in the past several years even as health care costs continue to rise and fewer employers provide insurance, creating a breach that states have stepped in to fill with new programs and fresh money.
The overall ranks of the uninsured continue to swell, to nearly 46 million Americans at the beginning of this year. But a landmark federal program begun in 1997 to provide health coverage to poor and working-class children and additional measures taken by states across the country have provided health insurance to millions of children who otherwise might go without. (more...)
Nearby Developments
Editorial -- No boom, no bust
| The Register-Guard | November 30, 2005 |
Oregon's population has doubled since 1960, but the growth hasn't been steady, nor has it been evenly distributed. So far in the first decade of the 21st century, however, most of the state, including Lane County, has seen moderate rates of growth. Perhaps Oregon has left behind the boom-and-bust cycle that characterized its earlier growth patterns. (more...)
'Design Your Future' project sets goals
The Region 2050 "Design Your Future" citizen involvement process is complete.
About 1,000 people from throughout the southern Willamette Valley participated, and identified a number of goals, including those for land use and development, education and the environment.
For more information, call 682-4203 or visit the Web site http://www.region2050.org/outreach.html, which shows the project results.
Rethinking Portland: About this project
By Steve Clark, President, The Tribune
The (Portland) Tribune | November 11, 2005 |
Portland has much to be proud of.
For decades, Portland has been viewed across the nation as an icon of livability and progressiveness, a community that introduced the nation to regional planning and prevention of big city sprawl, a steward of the environment and a proponent of diverse transportation systems, including light rail.
But as we take stock of Portland today, and look forward, we are compelled to say there is much that we urgently need to improve upon.
A better Portland should be all about people -- people of all ages, ethnic diversity, financial means and interests. And a better Portland should be all about a sense of regained confidence: confidence in quality and stable schools; confidence in the availability of affordable, diverse housing choices; confidence that population growth can be accommodated without harm; confidence in safe neighborhoods and effective transportation systems; and confidence in a local economy that not only rewards employees and employers, but that also supports the cost of needed public service through appropriate personal and corporate taxes.
Today, the Portland Tribune launches Rethinking Portland, a review of the condition of our city and of the important issues affecting its people, governments, organizations and economy. (more...)
Council approves natural resources plan: Compliance comes with consequences for property owners and builders
| The Springfield News | December 2, 2005 |
The Springfield City Council has approved a natural resources study that could limit development on about 71 acres of industrial, 14 acres of residential, and 12 acres of commercial land.
Adoption of the 450-page study submitted by the planning department will bring the city's development code into compliance with a state land-use goal dealing with protection of wetlands and riparian zones.
But compliance doesn't come without consequences to property owners and builders. (more...)
Green Cities Movement
Is Eugene on the bus?
By Michael Cockram
Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
The Green Cities Movement is an effort by local governments around the globe to deal directly with the environmental problems they face. As national governments, such as our own, stay the course toward environmental disaster, cities are left to deal with the results. (more...)
Student architects redraft downtown Eugene
A studio class combining ideas of landscape and city planning redeveloped the Riverfront District
By Christopher Hagan, News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | December 2, 2005 |
Imagine 25 years from now, coming off what is now the Ferry Street Bridge into downtown Eugene on a tree-lined, median-divided road. Travelers looking to their left will see the completed Wayne L. Morse Federal Courthouse. Straight ahead would be the University's new basketball arena.
That would be the plan if it were up to the students in Architecture 4/585 and Landscape Architecture 4/589, Going Downtown: Eugene Remapped. The students presented their ideas to both city and University architects Thursday in the Tykeson Room of the Eugene Public Library. (more...)
ORI seeks new delay for building
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | December 4, 2005 |
Nothing comes easy for the Oregon Research Institute and its much-anticipated environmentally friendly headquarters in downtown Eugene.
After years of planning, missed deadlines and difficulty in landing financing, ORI has asked the city of Eugene for yet another delay related to its proposed office building at West 10th Avenue and Charnelton Street, near the public library. (more...)
Construction begins soon at Valley River theater site
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | November 29, 2005 |
Construction of a 15-screen, 3,182-seat movie theater at Valley River Center in Eugene will begin early next year. (more...)
Expansion on track for two area hotels
By Joe Mosley
The Register-Guard | December 2, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Local hotel developer Richard Boyles is moving forward with plans for building a pair of new hotels in 2007, but that doesn't mean his growing company will be idle next year.
Boyles' Sycan Development will refurbish and expand two of its existing hotel properties: the Holiday Inn Express at 3480 Hutton St. in Springfield's Gateway area, and the Residence Inn by Marriott at 25 Club Road in Eugene. Completion of both is expected by early 2007. (more...)
Cindy Ingram -- Westmoreland a lifeline for many
By Cindy Ingram
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2005 |
When news broke that the University of Oregon's Westmoreland Family Housing was going to close down, my friend left this message "Cindy, why are they doing this to us? This is only affecting nontraditional and international students. Can they do this? This is discrimination!" (more...)
Housing sales decline in October, signaling cooling in market
| The Associated Press | November 29, 2005 |
WASHINGTON -- Sales of existing homes fell a bigger-than-expected 2.7 percent in October, a fresh sign that the red-hot housing market is cooling. The decline would have been worse without increased demand from displaced hurricane victims. (more...)
Public Facilities and Services
Editorial -- Lane County's challenge
| The Register-Guard | November 29, 2005 |
"What we got here is a failure to communicate."
Actor Strother Martin spoke those words in the movie "Cool Hand Luke." In doing so, he also gave an apt description of Lane County's relationship with a citizen group that the board of commissioners last year asked to study the county's chronic fiscal problems. (more...)
County to refer income tax to voters
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | November 30, 2005 |
It's no longer a question of whether Lane County residents will be asked to vote for higher taxes for public safety -- just when.
Following months of meetings with elected officials from all corners of the county, the county Board of Commissioners agreed Tuesday to ask voters to approve a package of personal income and business income taxes to pay for more public safety services.
The board didn't set a rate, but discussed a personal income tax of 1.28 percent and a business income tax of 1 percent. A measure could go to the ballot next May, or the following fall.
Although there was no vote Tuesday on the taxes, Commissioner Faye Stewart, who coordinated the discussion, interpreted his colleagues' comments as consensus. (more...)
County clears income tax for May ballot
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | December 1, 2005 |
The Lane County commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved putting a new income tax before voters in May, to raise $73 million annually for a public safety system they say is failing.
Highlights from the meeting: Rough estimates indicate a tax rate of 1.3 percent to 1.4 percent on personal income and business profits. Property tax relief would flow not just to homeowners but renters, too.
And a potentially volatile caveat: the possibility that property tax relief that the county gives could later be eaten up by other local taxing entities -- thus eroding one selling point for the income tax measure. (more...)
Editorial -- Beating the odds
| The Register-Guard | December 1, 2005 |
If bookies set odds on government tax measures, Lane County's proposed income tax to pay for public safety would probably be given the same chances of winning voter approval as, say, the Fiesta Bowl picking the University of Oregon over Notre Dame.
But stranger things happen at the polls and in football stadiums. After all, who would have bet last summer that the Ducks would go 10-1? And who would have guessed that Lane County commissioners would reach agreement on a plan to pay for desperately needed police and crime prevention services? (more...)
Justice Center ground may be broken in '06: Still no answer to the major question, though -- will a new city jail be part of the facility?
By Stacy D. Stumbo
The Springfield News | November 30, 2005 |
An architect has been secured, a space plan has been adopted and groundbreaking on a $28.7 million Springfield Justice Center is only about a year away.
The Springfield City Council Monday accepted a $2.1 million contract with an architecture firm selected to oversee design of the voter-endorsed center.
Eugene-based Robertson Sherwood Architects was top pick out of seven proposals to design the center, which will house the police department, city prosecutor, municipal court and -- if funds are found to staff it -- jail. (more...)
City looks for ways to fix fire funding problems: Department faces shortfall covering ambulances soon
By Stacy D. Stumbo
The Springfield News | December 2, 2005 |
A committee's recommendations for offsetting a potential $1 million Springfield Fire and Life Safety budgetary shortfall won't be as easy as pulling a Band-Aid off -- and might be even more painful.
Mayor Sid Leiken appointed the 16-member "Blue Ribbon Committee on Springfield Fire and Life Safety" in October to find ways to preserve services. (more...)
Transportation
Editorial -- Thinking about I-5
| The Register-Guard | November 29, 2005 |
Looking at the sketches of how a full interchange between Interstate 5 and Franklin Boulevard might be configured, it becomes clear why a cloverleaf wasn't included when the freeway was built. The Willamette River, the railroad tracks, Judkins Point and the existing Glenwood interchange all create engineering and environmental challenges.
Still, now is the time to think about whether those challenges can be surmounted, and whether surmounting them would be worthwhile. (more...)
New Oregon roads might take their toll
| The Associated Press | November 29, 2005 |
PORTLAND -- Oregon is talking with Australian toll road giant Macquarie Infrastructure Group about a bypass around Dundee and Newberg, an expansion of Interstate 205 and a highway to serve the newly incorporated city of Damascus.
With pressure on Oregon's highway infrastructure increasing and a reluctance of residents to pay more taxes, the state is considering toll roads as an option. (more...)
Letter -- Build the West Eugene Parkway
By Clark Guffey, Eugene
The Register-Guard | December 1, 2005 |
Rob Zako (guest viewpoint, Nov. 14) offers nothing but excuses, not reasons, for blocking the West Eugene Parkway.
First, any additional roadway would relieve traffic.
Second, harming wetlands is nonsense. I have seen too many weed-choked parcels labeled wetlands to believe that farce. And why would creating wetlands elsewhere not be accept- able?
Third, the cost has risen primarily because people like Zako have their feet in the aisle.
Several weeks ago, I received a survey in the mail regarding Eugene transportation. I inadvertently recycled the survey. I have received three inquires by phone asking if I received the survey. Each time, after assuring the caller that I was a homeowner, the caller promised to send out a copy of the survey. I couldn't help myself and closed each phone call with the admonition, "Build the parkway."
To date, I have not received the survey. Do you suppose there is a little bias in not mailing me the survey?
I can only say, "Build the damn parkway."
Letter -- Familiar Scene
By Ruth Duemler, Eugene
Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
Let's see, do we call it strong-arm tactics, blackmail, or is it more like the Mafia trying to force the city councilors to back down on their courageous stand against the west Eugene freeway? I've lived in Mafia-controlled areas of our country and it looks very similar.
This $200 million freeway boondoggle that would ruin our $20 million investment in our nationally recognized West Eugene Wetlands has been pushed to gain dollars for a small number of developers. It would not solve any traffic problem in west Eugene, but it would add up to a lot of cement and new housing on poor soil.
After recent published accounts of the wetland otters, and we already know about the beavers and foxes, how could we want to do away with their habitat? This is in addition to endangered species of plant life and butterflies found only in this wetland.
Also, how can we talk of doing away with the flood protection for Eugene provided by the absorption power of our wetlands? Didn't we see what happened to New Orleans? Don't we understand that our wetlands are unique and important for a multitude of reasons?
Thank you, Kitty Piercy, Bonny Bettman, David Kelly, Betty Taylor and Andrea Ortiz.
Letter -- Find real west Eugene solution
By Nancy Ellen Locke, Eugene
The Register-Guard | December 3, 2005 |
If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
These days a lot of elected officials are part of the problem. They seem to believe in simply throwing public money at a problem -- for example, $169 million for the West Eugene Parkway. These "tax-and-spend conservatives" shouldn't be so free with taxpayer money.
West 11th Avenue experiences heavy traffic during peak travel times because -- news flash -- a lot of people want to get to the new Wal-Mart Superstore, Target, Fred Meyer and the hundreds of other businesses there. Building some kind of expensive highway through wetlands will do close to squat to stop people from driving to the Wal-Mart.
I support Mayor Kitty Piercy, who wants a real solution for west Eugene that is better, faster and cheaper.
Other elected officials had better get on board and fast to help develop a solution. Otherwise they are just part of the problem.
Fed Up With Hamm
LTD drivers blame transit troubles on their boss.
By Kera Abraham
Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
The turning point might have been when the managers of Lane Transit District cut 14 percent of its service hours, forcing bus drivers to move more passengers in less time. Or when LTD unveiled its $7 million Springfield station, only to reveal that it didn't contain a break room for drivers. Or when the district stopped hosting its annual employee banquet, a tradition for 25 years; or during the build-up to the first worker strike in LTD's 35-year history, which threw the county into a transit crisis for a week last March.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when LTD's drivers got fed up with their general manager, Ken Hamm, but now a vast majority of them want him fired. They say that under his leadership, LTD's service has gotten worse and relations between drivers and managers have soured. "Employee morale at LTD is at an all-time low," said Dave Barton, an LTD driver who has been spearheading the push to fire Hamm. "We are just outraged and we want him gone." (more...)
LTD board accepts resignation of embattled general manager
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | December 3, 2005 |
The board of the Lane Transit District accepted the resignation of its general manager Friday, capping a tumultuous period during which workers increasingly challenged his leadership and clashed with management over work contracts and how the district is run.
Ken Hamm, in his sixth year at the agency's helm, said last month that he had no intention of leaving LTD despite widespread criticism by workers. But he submitted a letter Friday offering to resign no later than March 3. The board accepted it unanimously. (more...)
Slant -- Bend's Rapid Growth
| Eugene Weekly | December 1, 2005 |
Big story in last Sunday's real estate section of The New York Times asked this question about Bend: "Can a city grow quickly and stay simple?" Projecting that the population of 65,000 will double in 10 years, the writer repeatedly pointed out that this high-desert city, sixth fastest growing in the country, has no public transportation system. If you've been snarled in Bend traffic lately, you're probably wondering, like we are, how long it will take those folks to support a transit district. Judging by the comments in the article, it could be a very long time.
Tailpipe standards given go-ahead
| The Associated Press | November 30, 2005 |
SALEM -- Gov. Ted Kulongoski, undeterred by a lawsuit, has told the state Department of Environmental Quality to write California-type tailpipe standards that would apply to 2009 model year cars and light trucks. (more...)
Measure 37
County puts brakes to Measure 37
By David Bates
The (McMinnville) News-Register | November 29, 2005 |
It's looking like Yamhill County is going to give itself a break from the steady flow of Measure 37 claims its been getting for the last 11 months.
Officials said Monday they plan to cut the flow to the county board of commissioners by asking claimants to wait until the Oregon Supreme Court rules on the property compensation measure sometime next year. (more...)
Portland tackles two Measure 37 claims
Land use -- The City Council rejects one owner's request, agrees with another to change city growth plan
By Anna Griffin
The Oregonian | December 1, 2005 |
Measure 37 might be going away soon, but in the interim the Portland City Council seems determined to find out just how complicated the land-use law can be.
In two cases Wednesday, the mayor and city commissioners voted unanimously: First, they denied a West Hills man's claim for greater development rights because he didn't own the land when new environmental restrictions were placed on it. Second, they agreed to change the city's long-term plan to allow higher-density development on a Southwest Portland resident's property -- though the man still must go through a zoning change to subdivide it.
Neither claim was an easy or straightforward decision. (more...)
Measure 37: Divide and Construct? Land-use claims reshape Washington County
By AmyJo Brown
The Beaverton Valley Times | December 1, 2005 |
This is one of five major articles in the Nov. 30 Forest Grove News-Times and the Dec. 1 Beaverton Valley Times and the Times newspapers about the impact Measure 37 could have on Washington County.
Janet Schmeltzer wants to build just one house on the 80-plus acres of vacant land she and her husband own near Sherwood.
In Hillsboro, Harvey Kempema wants to build eight houses, three for his kids and five to sell.
Herman Vandehey wants to build dozens of houses -- he's not sure exactly how many -- on the 93.4 acres he owns near Banks.
Measure 37 was supposed to let all three of the Washington County residents and hundreds of others like them follow their dreams.
The law, approved by voters a year ago, allows property owners to use their land as it was zoned when they bought it or to be compensated for the value of what they are prohibited from doing.
Those dreams, as well as the law, are in legal limbo. The question of Measure 37's legality awaits a decision by the Oregon Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear arguments on Jan. 10.
Stakes in the case are high in Washington County, according to an analysis by the Times newspapers.
A review of all 404 of the Measure 37 claims filed here -- the most in any jurisdiction in the state, with the possible exception of Clackamas County -- shows that a large part of the landscape could be altered if Measure 37 is upheld. (more...)
Planners postpone Coos Country Club decision
By Carl Mickelson
The (Coos Bay) World | December 2, 2005 |
COQUILLE -- Potential developers of 52 new vacation homes proposed for the Coos Country Club squared off against opponents Thursday night during a lengthy hearing before the Coos County Planning Commission.
The developers, Tony Favreau of Eugene and Greg Mulkey of Coos Bay, went before the commission seeking approval for a permit that would authorize a planned unit development off of Coos-Sumner Lane.
The developers offered a revised proposal, scaling back their original plans to 52 lots -- from 81 -- a move they argue will help them get around local ordinances put in place in 1994 that stymied the development.
At that time, the Coos County Board of Commissioners placed conditions on the property, including limiting the number of dwellings north of the club's property on Coos-Sumner Road and requiring that no wells be drilled there because of a scarce drinking water supply.
Those restrictions killed the development.
Enter Measure 37. (more...)
Ashland sues county over Measure 37
By Damian Mann
The (Medford) Mail Tribune | December 2, 2005 |
The city of Ashland has filed a lawsuit against Jackson County that if successful, could potentially overturn all local Measure 37 claims approved so far.
Filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, the suit calls into question the validity of any approved claims after a Marion County Circuit Court declared Measure 37 unconstitutional in October.
Ashland is specifically challenging a proposal to build a welcome center, grocery store and restaurant on an 18.40-acre property on South Valley View Road, just off the west side of Interstate 5.
While the legal challenge specifies only this particular property, it could set a precedent for the 84 other approved claims in the county. (more...)
Firestorm over Measure 37 clouds judge's long-held dream
By Julie Sullivan
The Oregonian | December 4, 2005 |
Since Judge Mary Mertens James scrapped Measure 37 in October, angry Oregonians have rallied to yank her from the bench, have assailed her at parties and have, on at least one occasion, announced that they'd rather shoot her than recall her.
The fury has swelled beyond Marion County, clogging Web sites and drawing cash from conservatives fed up with the courts and property owners angry over land-use regulations. All of which confounds James, who didn't even consider the Measure 37 challenge a worrisome case. (more...)
Other News
Todd Huffman, M.D. -- If Intelligent Design is real, can we apply it to politicians?
By Todd Huffman, M.D.
The Springfield News | November 30, 2005 |
These are heady days in the world of science. Rapid advances in robotics, computers and nanotechnology all promise less work and better living. Genetic engineers tell us we can expect designer children and designer pets within the decade. And, perhaps best of all, science may soon offer the hope of designer politicians.
Can you imagine? No more having to choose between Evil and his twin Lesser. No more will politicians be ruled by narrow ideology and short-term self-interest. No more will, as Henry Kissinger once observed, ninety percent of politicians give the other ten percent a bad name. Those days will be over. A new age is dawning. (more...)
Milt Cunningham -- Public land is being stolen and handed over to developers
By Milt Cunningham
The Springfield News | December 2, 2005 |
I guess it's all about power -- power and politics. Oh, and toss in a truckload of chutzpah, and most of all, a super-landfill full of greed. But for Money's sake, don't mention ownership, not real ownership. Or decency. Of course, this time I'm talking about public lands, the beauty and wonder that belong to you and me.
I wonder how many of us are aware that the House of Representatives has voted to give away for a token price huge tracts of public land, even including large sections of our national parks, deserts and forests, to real estate moguls for destruction into spas, ski resorts, hotels, and retirement communities. Any time we hear of construction, it's called development, but when it destroys the beautiful and natural, it's not development -- it's destruction, and when it's on our land, yours and mine, it's theft. Bigtime theft.
And the destruction is permanent. Once our most magnificent property is in private ownership, bulldozed and paved over, these wild places are gone forever. If something like a waterfall should be preserved by the corporate owner, it will be for the wonder and pleasure of only their paying customers. (more...)
I-5 citations still big part of Coburg funds
By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard | November 30, 2005 |
COBURG -- Eight months after Coburg officials promised to cut back on speed traps along Interstate 5, the city is again on track to collect a large part of its $1.7 million budget from traffic citations. (more...)
People
Cynthia Pappas tapped as interim city manager: The assistant manager and former candidate for top job will serve for about 6 months
| The Springfield News | November 30, 2005 |
Although Springfield Assistant City Manager Cynthia Pappas was passed over to take Springfield's top job permanently, the City Council voted to appoint her to fill the job temporarily Monday night.
She will take the seat Dec. 6 -- retiring City Manager Mike Kelly's last day on the job. (more...)