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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Past Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview October 17, 2006 Letters To The Editor Letter Submissions Letters should be e-mailed in text-only format to [email protected] . Please include your address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached for confirmation. Letters are limited to 250 words. At Length submissions are limited to 400 words. Submissions may be edited for length, content and clarity. The Tidings gives priority to letters on local and regional topics of current interest. It seeks to encourage thoughtful, well-reasoned leters and to discourage personal attacks, repetitive messages and personal disputes. Form letters are not published in the Tidings, nor are letters identified as having been published in other publications. Support for Eric Navickas I'm supporting Eric Navickas for Ashland City Council. Navickas has a long history as an active participant in city government. He has been a regular at city council and planning commission meetings for years. He does his homework and is consistently prepared and informed. Navickas advocated for changes to the "big box" ordinance protecting the character of our downtown. He has become an expert in local land use laws and planning regulations. Navickas also has a strong environmental record and has worked for environmentally sensitive fuel reduction programs in the watershed. Navickas' leadership and vision will encourage the cultural and economic diversity Ashland needs to be a healthy community. The record is clear that Eric Navickas has the courage of his convictions and is committed to his principles. Eric Navickas has earned a seat at the table as an elected city council member. Margaret Copeland Ashland Support for Joe Charter Join me in voting for Joe Charter to fill the seat of Ashland municipal judge. His experience as justice of the peace, circuit court judge pro tem, and his great part in "Judgment At Nuremberg" give him the broad range of experience and compassion to serve us well. Will Statter Ashland Support for Kate Jackson The Tidings did Ashlanders a favor to alert us that the Pacific Green Party is running a slate again for city council. In this town, where the city, parks and school elected boards are non-partisan, it is unusual for candidates to seek the endorsement of political parties. That is not to say that politically engaged Ashlanders do not know what party any particular councilor might be; most candidates are open about that when asked. But the whole point of non-partisan offices is to choose the people who have a track record of knowing how to formulate policy that will benefit all the various interests in the town. It is a little disingenuous of the Green Party co-chairs to declare they are not running slates when they are active in these campaigns themselves, but it is good that they are forthright about their interest in finding ideologically friendly candidates. On the other hand, no one is better qualified or informed on environmental issues that affect the town than incumbent Councilor Kate Jackson, and yet the Green endorsement went to someone who is a Green. John Stromberg is on the planning commission, and is working to persuade his colleagues to rationalize the procedures under which they work. I hope he will continue there and finish the job he has so ably started. And I urge Ashlanders to endorse Kate as one of the most efficient, hard-working and effective councilors we have. Nan Trout Ashland Support for John Stromberg Let's face it. It's been a rough time for Ashland. We've seen dissension among and between citizens and elected and appointed officials. We've witnessed staff turnover, and waited as vacancies went unfilled. We've lived through disagreement on key issues. And we've watched budgets and debt levels escalate. I suggest we all take a deep breath, and give our attention to an ethical, experienced and committed candidate for city council — John Stromberg. Here's what John has to say about where we're headed: "The key issue is community. Who is going to pull this town together? I think the mayor and city council should lead the way, by example, and I want to be part of the process. Government must earn citizens' trust to function effectively, and that starts with a city council that is fair in applying the law, open in its decision-making and inclusive of our entire community." John's vision is backed by the kind of experience that can only help. He has more than 25 years as a management/organizational consultant. He's worked with community non-profits, local government and small business start-ups. Currently, John is a City of Ashland Planning Commissioner and on the Downtown Plan Committee. He co-sponsored the 'infill' citizen forums. For more on the issues, visit John's website at www.johnstromberg.com . Also email John with your questions and concerns at [email protected]. Imagine John Stromberg serving on Ashland's City Council. Sounds like a plan to me. Susan DuMond Ashland Support for Greg Lemhouse I am the treasurer for committee to elect Greg Lemhouse for city council. He does not bring an agenda or narrow political view to the race. Greg is putting Ashland first. He is not interested in building voting blocks, but rather he wants to work with all city councilors. He only wants to build consensus and a sustainable community with a shared vision and attainable goals. Greg is not a partisan but is passionate about what's best for Ashland. He is a reasoned thinker and careful planner, quick to learn and quick to listen. Special, narrow interests do not fuel the fire in his belly. He is intent on fostering and nurturing all that's good about our community and has no interest in blame or focusing on the negative. Greg Lemhouse is exactly what's needed for Ashland. The time for his careful, hopeful and mature leadership is now. Join me in voting for Ashland by voting for Greg Lemhouse. Valri Williams Ashland Support for Lisa Greif Lisa Greif is the best candidate for Jackson County Circuit Court judge. I have known Lisa as a colleague and friend for over five years. She always acts with integrity and goes above and beyond the call of duty in both her personal and professional life. The person elected to the open judicial position will handle primarily criminal cases and Lisa has eight years of experience practicing criminal law. As a testament to her integrity and professionalism, Lisa is not only endorsed by fellow criminal defense attorneys, but she is also supported by 11 Jackson County prosecutors and four Jackson County Circuit Court judges. In addition to being an excellent attorney, Lisa is also actively involved in improving her community. For example, Lisa is a member of the Medford Rogue Rotary Club and she serves on the State Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. For a full description of Lisa's experience and accomplishments please go to www.lisagreif.com . Lisa will be a fair judge and she will make the judicial system in Jackson County more efficient and effective. Glenda R. Sloan Medford 'Anybody but Jack Walker' Measure 37 gave us great unpredictability in rural areas. Yet County Commissioner Jack Walker added to that unpredictability by voting to create up to 2,590 new 10-acre parcels thus adding potentially 26,000 additional daily vehicle trips to traffic counts. His action also served to encourage the destruction of wildlife habitat, farmland, forestland and open space while greatly increasing county service costs. County Commissioners need to represent the interests of all who live in the county, not just those who clamor to hack up the countryside. Yet Mr. Walker doesn't see things that way. Partisanship at the county level is immaterial because the primary issues are livability and government fiscal responsibility. Yet we gain in neither area with Jack Walker. Fortunately, he has two opponents, Independent and Republican leaning, Diane Davidson, and Democrat Tom Winmill. Thus, the recommendation for this particular Commissioner race for the good of all County residents has to be "Anybody But Jack." Brent Thompson Ashland Current Comments: Ms. Trout: Remind me again how someone with environmental credentials continues to support an unnecessary invasive ski expansion into our watershed? If Jackson's credentials as a soil scientist are sound, and I believe they are, why would she continue to land on the wrong side of this issue? A good councilor learns to set aside personal bias and represent constituents -- now is Kate Jackson's opportunity to distance herself from the MAA debacle that has torn Ashland apart. Can you hear me, Kate? Red Dog - Ashland, Oregon - October 17th, 1:11 PM John Stromberg having worked for the RAND Corp. would seem to make him a strange bedfellow (politicallly speaking) with his campaign treasurer, Tracy Harding (formerly Tracy Bungay of nation-wide flag-hating fame.) The RAND Corp. background doesn't seem to square with the politics of Eric Navickas of America-as-the-Great-Satan fame either, yet he shares the same campaign treasurer as Stromberg. Please clarify because I might be interested. Hugo Chavez - Caracas, Venezuela - October 17th, 1:59 PM "Red Dog"; I went to the doctor today. He told me I don't have Leukemia. How could a Dr. w/ good crendtials land on the WRONG side? To hell with the tests and results by other dr's- I'll sue him until he can't practice medicine. I need Dr to claim my disease because that will help my cause! I need to die soon to help ZPG, Ozone, global warming. The doctor must be biased and aligned w/? I will only hire doctors that tell me what I want to hear 100%, he needs distance himself from my debacle. Raymond - Ashland - October 17th, 2:24 PM I too would love to hear how Rand Corp experience qualifies Mr. Stromberg to be a city councilor. And despite Ms. Dumond's claims to the contrary, and based on his limited (yet borderline disasterous) experience on the Ashland PC, I find it quite difficult to 'imagine John Stromberg serving on City Council" as being anything good for Ashland's ills. enough - ashland, or - October 17th, 2:26 PM I'm glad even a suppporter of the incumbent recognizes that John Stromberg has performed ably on the Planning Commission. There is no reason he won't bring the same able performance to the City Council. More than enough - Ashland, Or - October 17th, 3:43 PM I did not state, nor do I believe, that John Stromberg has performed 'ably' on the planning commission. He is diligent, I'll grant you, and seems to care, but his lack of background and understanding of basic planning principals or Ashland's development are major deficits. Unfortunately that lack of understanding has not dissuaded him from voicing his opinion and it is exactly that degree of over-confidence which scares the bejeezus out of me. enough - ashland, or - October 17th, 5:01 PM If Greg Lemhouse is passionate about Ashland, why have we never heard from him on issues important to the town? My Home Town - Ashland, OR - October 17th, 5:31 PM Oh yeah. Eric Navickas (alias Red Dog) will make a great city councilor. Completely unbiased. NOT! He is, as we speak, protesting with a bunch of his horde outside the city council. Frankly I'm embarrassed for Ashland to have him running for office. He's an "active participant" all right - his juvenile antics - including protesting nude are an insult to the citizens of Ashland. Vote for Lemhouse! He will at least LISTEN POLITELY to each side. Something Mr. Navickas never even considers NOT Navickas - Ashland, OR - October 17th, 7:46 PM I wasn't quoting you, enough. If you'd read Ms. Trout's letter, you'd have seen that I was quoting her for the proposition that John Stromberg has performed ably on the Planning Commission. I believe she is correct on that score. Much more than enough - Ashland, OR - October 17th, 8:14 PM Much more etc,...sorry. I think since the time somebody cribbed "enough" I tend to assume that variations on the theme are directed at me. My bad. (you keep adding modifiers to 'enough' though, and you'll run out of room :) enough - ashland, or - October 17th, 8:38 PM No enough, its not always about YOU ! Navickas versus Lemhouse? Ashland's Watershed Watchdog versus Medford's "Reservoir Dawg". Easy choice - pick Eric. enuff - ashland, or - October 18th, 6:24 AM enuff, much more and the rest of you...did I ever say its all about me? Did I choose to poke at your signature? You only reinforce the validity of my points by being so challenged that you must imitate mine. I wonder if this is sort of 'new way of thinking' and promblem-solving you purport will result from a Green party victory> Seemss like its just the childness foot-stamping in public that I have characterized it as being? Is not! Is too! enough - ashland, or - October 18th, 6:51 AM Again, I refute the assertion by Mr. NOT Navickas, which he has made on other comments sections and which I respectfully asked him not to repeat, that Red Dog is Eric. Why would Eric, or any candidate really, make direct comments here? They're busy canvassing, phoning and appearing at meetings. If NOT Navickas continues to make this false claim, I will ask the Tidings for NOT's email and will contact him. So, please, again, out of respect, Mr. NOT Navickas, stop making false claims!!!!!! Red Dog - Ashland, Oregon - October 18th, 7:17 AM For clarification in regard to a post by Red Dog, the Tidings does not, and will not, release any information it has pertaining to the identity (email or otherwise) of those who post on our responders and forums. Those making such grandiose statements are doing so for the impact it has on discussion forums and those participating in them. Individuals may elect to reveal their own identities, but the Tidings remains committed to ensuring those who desire to post anonymously may do so without fear Tidings Moderator - Ashland, OR - October 18th, 7:41 AM Mr. Moderator: This policy, while understandable, does nothing to protect me or others from false claims. What are you doing to protect me from this false claim? Why don't you simply tell Mr. NOT Navickas that Red Dog is not Eric? Red Dog - Ashland, Oregon - October 18th, 8:13 AM Nick frost Gets my vote Because he listens and while some canidates are relying on newspaper editorials to win there election you can find nick going door to door on his bike trying to talk to people face to face Brother James - ashland - October 18th, 8:43 AM Maybe Red Dog could come up with a new pseudonym if it's such a problem. robin - ashland, or - October 18th, 8:54 AM once again (drone drone drone) I will point out that on the Tidings' underutilized Forum site you have a name and a password that protects the use of "Red Dog" or "enough" or whatever, at least assuring that whomever is posting under those names is at minimum always the same person. That plus immediate response (w/o waiting fro the AT to post comments) makes Forum a far better venue for most of this discussion. Or would, if people would use it. enough - ashland, or - October 18th, 8:59 AM There is much the city council has done well but there is much either undone or not even on the agenda. Important issues such as fiscal conservatism in spending, smaller government, reduction of the number of council appointed committees and boards, reducing property taxes and fees, selling off council owned businesses and unneeded land, repealing the big box ordinance, support for our police force, law and order, a cheaper water supply, active support for business and private property rights. Doug Forsyth - Ashland - October 18th, 12:38 PM I am with Doug. I support private property rights. Let us give it back to the original owners. Whoops, we already killed them off. Let us repeal the big box ordinace too so we can all have granite-street mansions like Doug...oh wait, that was Sid DeBoar...Doug's mansion is somewhere else. Law and order for ashland is so necessary because this town is out of control. I can see why you are not running Doug. OUT OF TOUCH. know your enemy - ashland - October 19th, 7:14 AM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.