February 8, 2012
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Wednesday February 8, 2012 |
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Who Are We?
Concerned people who believe many decisions made by the Eugene City Council are not
in the community's long-term best interests. We stand together to call attention to those
decisions and their impact on our community's quality of life.
We disclosed our identities on July 25: Ed Anderson, Liz Cawood, Dave Hilles, Otto Glausi, Chuck McGlade, Bob Mylenek, Susan Selig and Jennifer Solomon. For information about why each person decided to get involved, as well as an overview of civic involvement, click on the name.
On August 10, The Gang of 9 announced that one of its founding members, John Musumeci, resigned due to the demands of his business. In a news release issued by The Gang, John said. "Being part of The Gang of 9 has been very rewarding. I'm very encouraged to hear the dialog and discussion that our cartoons and website generated."
We Believe
My involvement was sparked by the willful disregard the City Council has expressed for the voters, especially through the derailing of the West Eugene Parkway. I was intrigued about the power of using gentle satire to point out the deficiencies in decision-making by the Council. I perceive our local elected officials make decisions that are unfair to a majority of the city's population. For me, the situation borders on being undemocratic.
Civic Involvement Since Coming to Eugene in 1944:
I've been shocked at how little most people know about what's happening within the city of Eugene. That is until a city decision or policy impacts them. There's a relatively small group of people who follow local politics and give their input. People who go to public meetings see the same people. The media don't have enough time or space to fully cover local government actions.
How could people become more aware of what's happening? As we talked, someone pointed out that political cartoons help to frame national issues but are rarely used on a local level. The cartoons became the vehicle to raise issues and provoke dialogue. The website became a way to provide information to anyone who was interested in knowing more about city issues and how to contact councilors.
Now, more people are talking about the city's government, planning to attend meetings and give their input. The Gang wanted to spark discussion and involvement in local decision-making. That's happened!
I have followed the political scene in all levels of government and have come to the realization that the most important political arena is the most local and in this case it is city government. Over the years I have been impressed with both the activity and non-activity of our city government. Some councils have conducted the business of running our government in an admirable way whereas, of late, there seems to be a deterioration of the quality of government. We, as citizens, deserve better. Without citing any specific areas of concern, and there are many, I have come to the conclusion that if we sit on our hands and do nothing, nothing positive will happen. If the general public doesn't know what is going on in city hall, then we are by tacit omission accepting the actions of our government.
I agreed to be one of the Gang of 9 and support the effort through our cartoons to spark awareness and interest of our fellow citizenry. I hoped our elected officials would come to understand that there are a number of people that want them to do a better job of running the great city of Eugene.
Civic Involvement in Eugene Since 1971
I am a past president and past board member of the Eugene Rotary Club, a former board member of the Eugene Symphony Association, a former board member of the Eugene Chamber of Commerce, a former Regional Vice President of the Petroleum Marketers Association, a former board member of Forests Today and Forever.
Both my wife Jean and I actively support many organizations here in Eugene. To name a few: The Relief Nursery, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Eugene Symphony, the Eugene Ballet, the Eugene Opera. We are members of the Arnold Bennett Hall Society at the University of Oregon and both support our own universities' foundations. We are members of the Sister Theodore Marie Society at Sacred Heart Hospital, are active church members and support many other educational and special interest organizations.
After careful consideration, I became affiliated with The Gang of 9 for many reasons. First, I was born and raised in Eugene. I am active in the community and am now raising my own family here. I have a vested interest in Eugene's future.
Second, I feel the political cartoons are a method to stimulate discussion and interest in the local politics that affect the growth of our community and the surrounding areas. The Gang of 9 cartoons stimulated more public discussion than one or several people could do by going to a Council meeting and speaking themselves for three minutes. It's already been proven that some members of the Council have a total disregard for the wishes of the people of Eugene (West Eugene Parkway).
Studies of the Willamette Valley indicate substantial growth within the next 50 years. A community needs to prepare for growth or face the consequences of inaction. A simple no-growth plan and "road-block" attitude displayed by certain council members will simply not work. A community must have a plan to balance growth and prosperity, while preserving the quality of life that we all enjoy.
My hope was that The Gang of 9 and the cartoons would raise awareness in the voters of past and current issues facing our city. Be it for or against, the awareness alone had led to more discussion surrounding the decisions being made by the City Council. The cartoons have succeeded in bringing local political issues to the people.
Civic Involvement (Born in Eugene).
Community and Civic Groups: Kidsports Board of Directors, Oregon Trail Council Boy Scouts Board of Directors, President of the Eugene Family YMCA, member of Eugene and Springfield Chambers of Commerce and Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Partnership.
Charitable activities and donations: Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Cancer Society, Scar Jasper Mountain, Special Olympics of Oregon, Lane Shelter Care, Children's Miracle Network, Easter Seal, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Oregon Children's Choir, Salvation Army, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, McKenzie Mat Men, Marist High School Foundation, Northwest Christian College, O'Hara Catholic School, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Eugene Symphony, 4-H.
A significant concern for me has been the adversarial approach the council has taken towards Sacred Heart expansion plans. The mission of the hospital, mirrored in my business, is to provide quality care regardless of ability to pay. In my experience, this community is unique in this regard. Rather than supporting the successes of local health care, the council is attempting to change existing zoning regulations to thwart hospital plans. Although I do not believe the downtown site is appropriate for a hospital, I do support the goals of a core downtown and of limiting urban sprawl. For these goals to be successful there must be close cooperation with the business community and a spirit of compromise on both sides.
Jobs are vital to support any vibrant downtown. Job prospects appear to be contracting. Is it any wonder that many of Eugene's talented youth leave the area? As a parent, what are the future local prospects for my children? Where will the tax dollars come from to support city projects and infrastructure? I equate my affiliation with the "Gang of 9" as a form of community service. If this has been a catalyst for reflection and discussion of local issues and operations, then it has been successful.
I practice medicine as a radiologist at Sacred Heart Medical Center. My family has contributed both time and money to local schools and the arts as well as to our church. My business actively participates in United Way and has financially supported Peace Health Foundation projects.
From the moment I viewed some of the cartoons, I knew this project would work to get people discussing important issues that affect us all. It would also give the public a venue to discuss their feelings & beliefs and demonstrate a way to get involved.
Though I may not agree with all of the cartoons I agree with their results. We have accomplished our goal of generating a lot of discussion about issues facing our community. It doesn't matter whether a person is for or against an issue. It's the dialog that's important. I encourage the 1,600 citizens who have joined our gang and the ones that will join in the future to stay in touch with our website to keep abreast of the issued that affect us all. And then get involved Š let your voice be heard.
At this point, I believe we are no longer the gang of 9, but the gang of 1,600 and counting.
Civic Involvement since coming to Eugene in 1997:
I am a visual artist and a businesswoman. For some time, my husband and I have been concerned that our city government did not seem to be following a course that truly represented the desires of the average Eugenean. We are concerned for those families who work hard and struggle to keep ahead. We see the families who strive to put their children through college, only to find there are no jobs here for those educated with such scrimping and savings. They often settle for less than they dreamed or they must move away. This forces us to lose some of our best and brightest.
We hear the complaints of all the small businesses that make this community a viable place to live. We puzzle over diminished parking and obstacles to traffic, when the largest age group may find year-round cycling difficult. We have also felt that irresponsible statements and/or direction were sometimes made by the City Council. We see Police and Fire Departments, which seem to get more criticism than support. We are FOR whatever stands between Anarchy and us.
We have worked hard all of our lives. Our children are grown and independent. We now have the luxury of being able to take stands and voice opinions without fear of losing our jobs or of endangering our children. Many families in Eugene do not have this privilege. We joined The Gang of 9 because someone had to take a stance for those who could not.
Civic Involvement Since Coming to Eugene in 1986
My husband and I have been active in the following:
I am a past president of the University of Oregon Museum of Art and served on the board for six years. I helped start the Friends of the Museum Artists' Workshops, the Gourmet Group's Garden Tours, and helped negotiate a new charter for the Museum and a stronger relationship with the University.
We have contributed our time, energy, artwork and/or significant monetary donations to:
I was invited to join the Gang of 9 knowing only the concept, not who the other members were. The concept was new, different, and as we now know, highly effective. If the rest of the members were on board based on the same understanding then I figured it would be a group to which I would want to contribute. And I was right. The members are committed to our community and have a vision for the future and livability of Eugene. These are also people who in some way or another have played an integral role in Eugene's rich history.
I am proud of what we have accomplished. One of our goals was to elevate awareness of City Council issues and decisions. We've done that. Most council decisions are reported in the media on a case by case basis, as if each is somehow not related to any other. It takes time and effort to view them in an historical and sequential perspective, but in doing so one can see that many of the decisions are not in the community's long-term best interests. I think that putting these questions to the citizens in this cartoon format has prompted people to ask more questions and demand more accountability.
Community Involvement (Born in Eugene):
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