Letters to the editor: Eugene middle housing virtue signaling
Milk it for all it’s worth?
Considering Oregon’s serious drought concerns and our planet’s urgent need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, do we really want more mega-dairies in Oregon? Oregon already has 11 mega-dairies, dairies that, according to new research by Food and Water Watch, are using at least 8.2 million gallons of water a day and are emitting methane that is the CO2 equivalent of driving 318,000 cars a year.
Let’s take a pause. We need a moratorium on new and expanding mega-dairies. This pause will allow Oregon to develop better regulations that protect us all, especially the small farmers and others depending on that water. Massive dairy factory farms are polluters. We should prioritize the well-being of our communities and the needs of smaller, sustainable farms, not these industrial operations.
Twenty years ago, I lived in eastern North Carolina, land of the mega-hog farms with the resultant odors and waste lagoons that frequently flooded into their rivers. The quality of life for those living near these newly introduced mega-farms was significantly reduced.
Let’s be sure we have strong environmental and racial justice regulations in place. Contact your state legislators. Ask for a pause. Let’s use Oregon’s resources wisely.
Pamela Fitzpatrick, Eugene
Vinis and Co. care only about 'virtue signaling'
Mayor Lucy Vinis and councilors Claire Syrett, Jennifer Yeh, Matt Keating and Alan Zelenka recently rammed through the extreme deregulation of single-family zoning standards based on the meme, “It’s Economics 101 – supply and demand.”
By the city giving away millions of dollars in land value to investors through upzoning that increases allowable density, investors will build more dwellings. Regardless of the type and cost of what investors build, housing will be more affordable, even for lower-income households.
The recent article “Falling lumber prices may influence housing market” provides ironic insight into this “magical thinking.” Deacon Lumber CEO Stinson Dean said the U.S. doesn’t have enough lumber to build the 2 million homes the country needs. Lane County Homebuilder’s Pete Barrell said there’s no magic cure; there aren’t going to be a “bunch of lots available” in Eugene.
Based on "Econ 101,” why aren’t Vinis and company advocating for more clear-cut logging to lower the cost of lumber?
Why hasn’t this “supply-and-demand” council majority expanded the urban growth boundary to increase the supply of lots?
The answer is obvious: These officials care more about “virtue signaling” than evidence-based, affordable housing solutions.
Paul Conte, Eugene
Takeout without guilt
“Didn’t we already ban this?!” my mom yells as she unloads a bag of Chinese food in polystyrene boxes. We don’t say it but we’re both thinking about how the minute we’re done using the plastic takeout boxes, they’ll go to the landfill and break down, ending up in our environment, waterways and ultimately our bodies. We might as well dump the plastic in our backyard.
I explain to my mom that it’s just Eugene and a few other Oregon cities that have banned the toxic plastic, but for my family, who works in Eugene but lives outside of city limits, we’re still bombarded by the plastic foam take out containers.
We’re lucky to live in a place filled with people who care about the environment and want to preserve the incredible nature Oregon has to offer, but it’s time our state walks the walk and passes a statewide ban on polystyrene. It’s up to us to create a plastic-free future, and that starts with state officials passing a comprehensive ban. I want to live in a world where my family can get takeout food anywhere and not feel like we’re trashing the environment.
Marcella Buser, Cheshire
Syrett doesn't represent me
A big thank you to whoever started the Claire Syrett recall petition.
Syrett represents Ward 7, where I live, but doesn't represent me. In fact, we are polar opposites on almost every issue.
She initiated the radical amendments to our building codes. I strongly oppose them.
I do not want a triplex or quadplex within five feet of my property line, nor a 37-foot-tall building towering over my yard. I do not want the maximum lot coverage increased for too many reasons to mention. That's another letter.
I am firmly opposed to the MUPTE program. Syrett has voted for all the property tax giveaways. (Do you really believe the riverfront developers or Brian Obie would have walked away from their projects without a tax exemption? And if they did, someone else would have stepped in.) Housing projects are going up all over Eugene without them.
Why the rush to build all this new housing? I thought the councilors were supposed to work for their constituents. Syrett seems to be working for people that don't even live here yet.
Ted Chudy, Eugene
Put the Emeralds near LCC
The Eugene Emeralds, Lane County and the city of Eugene should consider fast tracking a new stadium at a more convenient and appropriate site on vacant and highly accessible property near Lane Community College.
The area is not residential and has little traffic and parking limitations. It would have easy access via I-5 freeway and 30th Avenue, a major arterial road. There would be less objection to noise and traffic from surrounding residents. And the facility might even be shared by the nearby or adjacent LCC for other purposes when not in use by the Ems.
I would be more likely to attend a baseball game at that easy-to-access site than try to fight traffic and find parking at the fairgrounds. Other cities, such as Salem, have placed their stadiums near the freeways with easy access.
So should we.
Dan Cragun, Eugene
Gun laws are a farce
In the United States, we have more than 20,000 gun laws on a state, local and federal level. Many of these laws are rarely enforced for various reasons, plea bargaining being the most notable example.
Federal law requires a 10-year sentence for an ex-felon in possession of a gun. Yet, it is common practice to reduce the charges, or drop them completely, in order to obtain a conviction and a lighter sentence. The very idea that passing more restrictive gun laws, that criminals will most assuredly ignore, is farcical. A gun is an essential tool (much like the carpenter's hammer or a surgeon's scalpel) for those who choose to live outside the law, and they will never be deterred by any gun restrictions.
Meanwhile, if our legislators are intent on wasting their time, they could always have one of those useless gun buy back days.
Raymond Moreno, Eugene
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Letters to the editor: Eugene middle housing virtue signaling
