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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Decision on large-scale art piece draws criticism from many quarters in Ashland ... Guest Opinion: 'Gather' is appropriate and worthy ... We Regret to Inform You: Ashland flier took his bomber into the heart of Germany ... Decision on large-scale art piece draws criticism from many quarters in Ashland ... Guest Opinion: 'Gather' is appropriate and worthy ... We Regret to Inform You: Ashland flier took his bomber into the heart of Germany ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Sept. 17 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 17, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 17, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Then they attack you ... Froma Harrop’s recent editorial “Bernie’s problem with blacks — and others” is a cause for celebration but not in the way Harrop intends. It brings to mind Gandhi’s famous quote: “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they attack you. Then you win.” Sanders was, until recently, ignored by the likes of Harrop. When he did receive coverage it was as a condescending laugh line that he could not possibly win. Now that he is leading in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire and beginning to get mainstream media coverage, the predictable attacks begin. Harrop accuses Sanders of guilt by association because he is endorsed by Cornel West, an African-American academic and outspoken critic of the Obama administration’s coziness with Wall Street. While admitting Sanders’ record on civil rights is “close to impeccable,” her accusation that he participated in the era’s “white flight” to places like Vermont is unsubstantiated. I suggest that people who choose to focus exclusively on the color of one’s skin rather than understanding the intersection of racial justice and economic justice, as Dr. King came to realize, are contributing to our system of race and wealth inequality. Harrop goes on to accuse Sanders of inhabiting “a self-righteous cocoon that has made him an ineffective and marginal figure in the Senate,” saying that “moderates bristle at his moralizing and refusal to make compromises required to pass needed legislation.” If so, then the steadfast Sanders is the best moral spokesman for the 99 percent of us that have been marginalized and ill-served by our so-called “moderate” legislators and their corporate cronies. Harrop’s incendiary statements are particularly ironic because she is a former president of the National Conference of Editorial Writers (now the Association of Opinion Journalists), which runs — are you ready for this? — a “Civility Project” whose mission is to “raise the standard of public discourse.” Nowhere in her column do you find any reference to Sanders’ platform, which includes detailed information on common cause issues: income and wealth inequality, getting big money out of politics, job creation, racial justice, women’s rights, fair and humane immigration policy, war as a last option, real family values, a living wage, climate change and the environment, and reforming Wall Street. ( https://berniesanders.com/issues/ ) Andy Seles Ashland Overhaul the process The process of how new public spaces are created in Ashland is in dire need of a major overhaul. At present, many public works projects originate from staff recommendations in the Planning Department and work themselves through various commissions in a manner that is often obscured from broader public awareness until a prototype plan is presented to the public for the first time at a public meeting. By the time the public gets a first glimpse of a planned public works project, it is typically already well-formed and in a semi-finalized stage. It then becomes an uphill battle for the public to argue with the city for significant modifications to these preconceived plans. This scenario was taken to an extreme in the creation of our Plaza: Its architectural renderings, in nearly completed form, were first shown to the public on June 21, 2012, after being hastily prepared in less than 60 days by the hired firm, with virtually no public input in the process. If you look closely at those original renderings and compare them to what is seen on the Plaza today, you will see no significant changes were made to them, except of course for the gray pavers, and a lot less greenery on the ground. All through the process, public input was marginalized or ignored; only cursory questions were ever asked of the public about the Plaza design. The resulting Plaza has been highly unsatisfactory and controversial for the majority of those here who have voiced an opinion. Clearly, Ashland’s public works creation process is deeply flawed, and is in need of major revision. The public does not deserve to be shocked and dismayed by Ashland’s present and future public works projects, it needs to love the look and feel of what is being created. It’s our town, and our funds that are being used to build these projects. Our public works design and build process should be restructured so the city is required to actively solicit much broader public input, scrutiny and control at the very outset of each new project. Doing so will help ensure greater public satisfaction with the creation and outcome of future public works projects. David Sherr Ashland DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 17, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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