Monday, November 9, 2009

From a Citizen and Taxpayer

"I suppose I wish to remain anonymous so as not to have to hear replies from various council members as to how they are working diligently to make Eugene a better place. I am 60 years old, a member of the "silent majority" other than when I vote, and have lived in Eugene my entire life. I received my degree from the U of O in the late sixties and have gone from "hippy" to a business owner and tax payer. I don't think certain members of the City council and the major have progressed past the hippy stage or mentality. I do not venture downtown unless it is absolutely necessary, it's far to depressing. I really feel for the entities that try and do business there. Eugene used to be a vital community, but the initial decline began with the "make downtown a mall with a really cool fountain in the middle of the street" years ago. It has declined steadily since then.

Don't the councilors and mayor get out of town and see some of the vital, vibrant, downtowns across the country. We have kids in the Bay Area, they live in a little community by the name of Emeryville. It's basically Oakland, but the community has transformed what was a dirty, crime ridden warehouse neighborhood into what is now vibrant and alive. They do have security and police patrols that keep it safe, but they are empowered with authority to do something about an adverse situation that may arise.

Why can't the City of Eugene do the same. Our problem is like most everything that goes on here, we take the opinion that everyone has the right to "do their own thing" wherever they want, and we certainly cannot take that right away from them.

Well BULL _ _ _ _ ! I have a right to "do my thing" as well, and that is why my business is other than downtown. Trust me I could ramble on forever, but enough said, I have to get back to business, so that I can pay my taxes and watch others "do their own thing" while downtown deteriorates.

Tax payer and PO'd citizen "