Stop pretending to be a traffic engineer and targeting councilors, and just drive less | Letters

Buckle up that chin strap

On March 14, the Eugene City Council approved five traffic corridors (Highway 99, River Road, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard via downtown, Coburg Road and 30th Avenue to LCC) to improve transportation options and increase safety.

Most of us don’t like change, but we’ve all had our taste of the future in the past two-to-three years and we don’t like it. Why can’t it be 2019 again? Well, we all know that ain’t gonna happen. So, strap on your bike helmet, get your bus pass and a new pair of walking shoes.

Yes, we’re getting away from fossil fuels. That means all of us need to do our part to partially get around or entirely without a car. I know the bus isn’t great, but that’s only because enough of you haven’t ridden it and complained to LTD. I know, you’d rather pretend to be a traffic engineer and petition to recall a city councilor for doing the right thing. The bottom line is you need to drive less. Just ask any kid, as the future belongs to them, not you.

Richard Hughes, Eugene

MovingAhead: Eugene, LTD approve key step forward in MovingAhead, but it's 'not an approved, done deal'

Things to think about at the ballot box

Let's begin with the parking structure at Seventh and Willamette that is always free to park on Saturdays for those enjoying the Saturday Market. No more? Really?

Move on to the new pavilion that was built for the farmers to sell fruits/veggies. Wasn't this built for farmers so they could sell their crops year-round?

And let's talk about the pathetic Riverwalk Celebration that was put together for people to spend more money and most of it is not on the river?

All of this going on and the New York Times says that the city of Eugene has the most homeless people of any city in the United States! Why don't we have a plan to fix this major problem? People don't stroll downtown and enjoy restaurants and other business due to the unhoused lounging all over the sidewalks.

Whose idea is this to squander money for much of nothing? Are these the ideas of the inadequate city counselors? Next time you vote, think about all of these situations.

Marlene Pearson, Eugene

Flag now represents deep divisions

I served under the flag for 22 years in the Air Force. It meant quite a bit to us, but we didn’t make a fetish of it. In recent years, we have seen it flown day and night, rain or shine, at many homes and businesses. It was considered disrespectful to do that.

Now, it is often flown alongside the Confederate battle flag, the Trump flag or various anti-government symbols (and sometimes by nonpolitical pot distributors). That is free speech, but it is so sad that the flag has been usurped by anti-government and anti-establishment cultists, some of whom are openly advocating a civil war.

According to the Pledge of Allegiance, as I learned it, the republic for which it stands is one nation, indivisible. It's pretty divided, as it stands now and getting worse.

Wrapping one's self in the flag is said to be the “last refuge of a scoundrel,” but it is also the refuge of today’s anti-democratic far right. The number of flags we see flying nowadays, and where we see them flying, has nothing to do with the patriotism I know. It has to do with the deep divisions that may bring us down. Lionel Youst, Coos Bay

SCOTUS v. environment

Recently, I have been seeing a lot of “[obscenity] SCOTUS” T-shirts being worn around town, many with rather clever graphics. I agree with the sentiment. The one (of many) bad decision that has been especially grinding my gears this week is to limit the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the environment.

Clearly, other routes must be taken to prevent climate disaster (and frequent heat waves like the one we are experiencing). If the EPA can’t do it, then Congress should take charge and put a price on carbon pollution, returning the money to citizens. I particularly like this strategy because it would make me feel like I was getting some of the money back that oil companies are gouging out of my savings with their artificially inflated gas prices.

More importantly, it would also drastically reduce global warming. A provision like this can and should be included in the current budget reconciliation bill. Taking action like that would make this Congress one for the history books – turning the tide on a catastrophe and taking the side of the majority of Americans in fighting against it.

Ben Rubin, Eugene

We need to stop accepting and rewarding bad behavior

I am a 56-year-old white man. I know my experiences are different than others but mine are similar to many. I had my issues, running a bit wild when younger and got into trouble like many younger people but the amount of disrespect nowadays is an absolute disgrace!

We are so blessed to have men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us, allow us to live great lives and what is their reward? They get yelled at, cursed, spit on and God forbid they make the slightest mistake.

They make split-second life-altering decisions and then get second guessed and have people in a comfortable office examine the situation micro second by micro-second and then too often judge them for political gains.

I know there are some bad cops in the world, but I’m sure that percentage is far less than we’re told. Most are only interested in helping people, regardless of skin color.

They deal with the worst of people and people on their worst day and expect to be perfect. Let's look in the mirror and wait for perfection ourselves before demanding it of others.

Let’s give them the respect they deserve once again.

Jerry Weise, Springfield

How about a walk-up box office?

Now that the World Athletic Championships are over, to great success I will add, lending an international flair to our little city, might I make a suggestion?

For the next mega-event in town, please have a walk-up box office in town during regular business hours selling "regular" tickets. Not all of us are as smart as our smartphones.

Jane Dods, Eugene

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Letters to the Editor: Biking in Eugene, Oregon22, and deep divisions