Document text
Letters to the Editor: The answer to affordable homes Ashland politicians seem to be confused about how to ease the problem of housing affordability in our community. Myself and two neighbors are going into our third year of home ownership thanks to the Ashland Community Land Trust. Using ACLT was the only way I could afford to buy in Ashland. I purchased the structure and signed a 99-year lease on the land locked in at $35 per month. That is the goal of ACLT - to provide housing and a home ownership opportunity to all those who desire it. We need the people of Ashland to express their support for our cause in any way they are able. I vote for 1 percent of our city budget be used to develop real affordable housing. Elias Savides, Ashland The flag-burner didn't help us Well, thank you, Joesph Powell, for telling the world why you burned a flag. To locate lost values? To open issues we've been afraid to discuss? Wonderful. Those of us that think you did it for pure shock and sensationalism will certainly rethink our position. (I wonder what some of those relatives that you're offering as support for your action would think.) All your fine sanctimonious intellectualizing might work for you in your support circle, but you need to be crystal clear about one thing. Your action has been very costly to those of us working to prevent an attack on Iraq and change the attitudes of war supporters. Every person who read about or saw you in action that is a Bush supporter and may have been rethinking their position on this issue, is now further away from any conversion. To change national opinion, we must change the attitude of mainstream folks. That requires open discussions, letters, phone calls, political action. You've just made our job much harder. As the saying goes: With supporters like you, who needs � well, you know. Carl Prufer, Ashland Surprised at new elite status I was pleasantly surprised to learn from Mr. Howser's Guest Forum that I am part of Ashland's elite. All this time, I've been under the impression that the need for continual shelter from all things "too hilly," "too sweaty" and "too chilly" while getting from point A to point B was the epitome of elitist behavior. In fact, I've even sometimes wondered to myself, "What would Darwin have to say about that?" But I digress � I happily accept my newfound place in the upper echelons of daily commuting. Who needs subsidized gasoline in the form of taxpayer-funded corporate tax breaks, or a multibillion-dollar lobby to ensure my total domination of the roadways, when I can just have a few bike lanes to lessen the chance I'll be killed on my way to school? Erin Bolles, Ashland Guest forum: A newcomer's insight into the city, the country By K. Richard Berlet Ashland I am a relative newcomer to the Rogue Valley (Ashland), and it has been most interesting, over the past six months, to become acquainted with the values and culture of an entirely new part of the country. (I moved here from the Chicago area.) I sense these things, not from any scientific survey, but from conversations with the friends I have made here, and from reading the news and editorial sections of the papers. An article today in the Letters section, coupled with the front page item discussing the debate on campgrounds for the homeless, compels me to register a dissenting vote. Morally and theoretically it is difficult to argue with the sympathy expressed for the homeless or the repugnance some express for a pending war. Similarly, who could argue with the concept of a "safety-net" health-care plan for the indigent. But our leaders' jobs cannot stop at defining ideals and creating vision. I would argue, rather, that leaders who satisfy themselves with this Pablum are nothing but demagogues, and we've had more than enough of them in the past 15 or 20 years. Leaders who are doing their jobs must make difficult trade-offs. To suggest that the current administration's foreign policy is either politically or economically motivated is just plain naive. With much more information than probably anyone else in the world has, our leaders have determined that Hussein is a real threat that cannot be "contained" (primarily because of the biological weapons) with more inspections. And I, for one, can't pretend to evaluate the trade-offs required to eliminate that threat. Similarly, our city and state governments must make trade-offs when it comes to the vagrancy issue. New York, under Gulliani, went one way, and San Francisco and Portland went another. New York is a city today that, as a visitor or resident, is so much more hospitable than it was 10 years ago, it is hard to believe. On the other hand, SF is a Mecca for pan-handlers and in Portland, it is difficult to enter a public washroom without a key and a receipt. These, along with the budgetary impact of Oregon's health-care safety net on our school funding, are practical results of our leaders' policies. So, if we want to strive for ideals, let us also be patient and empathetic with the practical concerns our leaders must grapple with every day. That means we have to think beyond our aspirations and take our own share of accountability for consequences. Together, we can help preserve Ashland By Robert McLellan Ashland There have been several mentions of the Ashland Woodlands & Trails Association in the paper recently, and we felt that readers may want to know more about our organization. The AWTA is a private, non-profit group of volunteers committed to preserving, maintaining and providing public access to the city's open space and trails. Our vision is to create a comprehensive system of trails and open space that connects Ashland's neighborhoods and the downtown for the enjoyment of the community. For the past year, we've been steadily working towards this. The City of Jacksonville had a similar vision twelve years ago when a volunteer group saw the need to protect its open space and trails. Since that time the Jacksonville Woodlands Association has created a master trail system worth $10 million that encircles 90 percent of the historic town - all through grants, donations and incredible volunteer support. We are determined to do the same in Ashland. To achieve this goal, we are raising funds through grants and private donations, and we are physically building trails through the tireless participation of a growing group of volunteer members. During the past several months, these volunteers have created several miles of new trails, repaired many existing trails and connected neighborhoods together. In addition to this volunteer base, the National Park Service and the Ashland Parks & Recreation Department have been invaluable partners. NPS has given us technical assistance grants to develop our organization, build partnerships and make essential contacts with grant organizations. The Ashland Parks & Recreation Department has partnered with us to identify trail projects, provide equipment and leadership in building trails, and even co-written a grant with us for funding to extend the Greenway to North Mountain Park. We have a big vision and lofty goals. But with our partnerships with community organizations - and the growing support of the people of Ashland - we can achieve them. We hope you will join us. The AWTA is open to everyone. For more information, call 482-7061. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -