Relay For Life®, the American Cancer Society’s signature event, is a fun-filled overnight experience designed to bring together those who have been touched by cancer. At Relay, people from within the community gather to celebrate survivors, remember those lost to cancer, and to fight back against this disease. Relay participants help raise money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society in its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health issue.

The Bus Project team needs your help! Donate today on their team page to give them the encouragement they need to complete the 24 hour relay!

The event starts at noon on Friday and goes until noon on Saturday at LCC.

For more details please check out the Eugene/Springfield Relay for Life homepage.

Stay tuned for photos and results!

As an observer of local politics for the last 15 years, one question seems to persist over the years - why do conservatives do so well in the initiative process, while progressives do quite poorly? Conservative measures have steadily eroded state funding (Measure 5), increased mandatory prison sentences for violent offenders (Measure 11), and restricted zoning measures (Measure 37). Progressives have had more modest successes - Death with Dignity, crime victim’s rights, and hunting restrictions. Indeed, the biggest progressive successes have come in beating back conservative measures, particularly on land use, repeal of Death with Dignity, parental notification, and by restricting payment by signature on petitions. Why haven’t progressives done more to take the initiative on initiatives?

One good reason for conservative success is quite simple - they cheat, deceive and use financial incentives. Bill Sizemore’s electoral shenanigans have made the news for years, but his measures keep making the ballot. They also use deceptive or incomplete information to mislead voters. For instance, Kevin Mannix has billed his current measure as “tough on property crime”, as will certainly be reflected in the ballot title. An honest title might be “Increases Penalties for Property Crimes, Decreases K-12 Educational Budget”, as that is the practical effect of the measure. Prior to 2002, they used pay per signature collectors to circulate initiatives, a method designed to encourage deception by the signature collectors. Fortunately, the voters rejected this method by a 3-1 margin. However, conservative measures continue to receive heavy funding from private interests.

The relatively low numbers of signatures required to get an initiative on the ballot in Oregon means that it’s even quite cost effective for conservative interests to get their way through the process.

The reasons for the more modest successes of progressives are more obscure. Money is an obvious culprit. Corporate pro-smoking interests so dominated the public debate on Measure 50 so much that even some non-smokers thought they would see a tax increase if it passed. Progressive measures have also tended to focus on substantive measures that would require state expenditures, such as public election financing and universal health insurance for children, while conservative measures have focused on popular, low-cost restrictions, such as the gay marriage ban. Progressives have also wasted energy on obviously unpopular measures - losing a Measure 11 repeal effort by almost 3-1, labeling of GMO foods by 2-1, a signature increase for initiatives by 1.5-1, and a prohibition on livestock in waterways by almost 2-1. We don’t do the cause any favors by picking dumb fights.

None of those seem to matter as much as the simple gap in organization. 9 of the 10 measures on the November 2008 ballot will be from conservative groups. All 9 come from only 3 sources - Kevin Mannix, Bill Sizemore and Russ Walker. This comes despite the widespread consensus that this will be a huge year for progressive causes. We’re winning on a broad front, but only playing defense on initiatives.

If we want to reverse the trend, we’re going to have to pull it together. We need a group that will employ full-time staff to organize petition drives. Ad hoc organizing for every campaign eats up tremendous amounts of time and energy. We should be smarter about picking causes that will garner widespread support. Not too many people cry when murderers go to prison for life, but almost everyone support better child welfare programs. We must start sooner and keep a consistent message going throughout the campaign. People shouldn’t hear about our measures for the first time at the polls. Opposition research should be part of the process - people should know who is looking out for their interests and who is trying to buy their vote with advertising dollars. Where were the ads of cackling Phillip Morris execs blowing smoke into the faces of sick children in 2006? Why did it take 10 years for us to publicize the fact the Loren Parks, the primary financial backer for many conservative initiatives, has such, ahem, unusual beliefs about human sexuality? We should fight when conservative causes spread false information. Too often, false claims go unanswered in the media. In sum, we need to get organized and focus our efforts if we’re to turn the tide.

The Bus Project of course doesn’t stick it’s nose into National politics (OK, maybe once in a while on our free time.)

It was a nice surprise to see some Politicorps fellows pictured in a NY Times article on Sunday about far-left liberals positions on the Obama nomination.

Speaking of bus buttons, it was great to see lots of enthusiastic volunteers braving the dust and heat at the Oregon Country fair this year. Led by our own Lynn Moracco and Alison Friedman, the crew registered over 1000 new voters!

Do you find yourself coming to LaneBus.org and saying, “They never update this!” I do it all the time.

Well, whenever this happens to you and you want to whet your political whistle, try some of our new news feeds!

Down the sidebar to the right, you will find current articles from Blog Net News

We even have our own channel set up!

Now if you want to step outside the state and see what is going on, you can click on the BUZZ link at the top right of the menu and see some feeds from news sources around the globe.

These would be my 2nd and 3rd choices for you to do. My first choice would be to write your own article and submit it for consideration!!

What is 350?

Yes, it is my IQ, good answer!

350 is also the number leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide–measured in “Parts Per Million” in our atmosphere. 350 PPM–it’s the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.

Visit http://350.org/ for more info.

Thanks to Blue Oregon, where I poached this from

The Supreme Court took a major swipe at crime victim’s rights recently. In Giles v. California, the Supreme Court held that a crime victim’s report of a prior incident of assault by her husband could not be used against him in a subsequent trial of him for her murder a short time later. The decision struck down a California rule that provided that prior statements made to the police could be used against a defendant if the defendant’s conduct had caused the victim to be unavailable for trial.

This is a common occurrence in domestic violence cases, where defendants often terrorize their victims before trial (or, in extreme cases, even kill them) to prevent them from testifying. Contrary to common sense, the Court held that the prosecutor had to prove that the defendant’s actions were INTENDED to cause the victim to “not be available to testify” not merely that they actually caused the victim to be unavailable. In essence, the decision forces the prosecutor to go into the defendant’s head and see what his intent was when terrorizing the victim.

I have no objection to the general rule requiring the prosecutor to present the witnesses for cross-examination by the defendant in his criminal trial. The right to confront witnesses lies at the heart of the American justice system. However, when the defendant causes the absence of the victim by his conduct, he forfeits that right. In fact, that’s the name of the doctrine - forfeiture by wrongdoing. The ultimate expression of this utter contempt for the law occurs when a defendant kills the victim of an earlier crime.

This decision beggars the imagination. How could a man accused of assaulting his wife have had any other intent than to prevent her from pressing charges when he killed her? What’s his defense of that conduct supposed to be? “Oh, I knew that she had reported me to the police for a violent crime, but that’s not why I killed her. I just did it on a lark.”

The decision essentially overturns Oregon’s policy of allowing the statements of a dead or missing victim solely on the basis of the defendant’s having caused the absence, without the requirement to show that the defendant intended to cause the absence. For instance, I once showed that the defendant had threatened the victim with the kidnapping of their children while trial was pending. The defendant never came out and said “If you testify, you will never see your child again,” but, under the circumstances, what else could, “You will never see your child again” mean?

This absurd decision shows just how far “strict constructionist” judges will stray from reality. Judges should not legislate from the bench, but they should interpret the law based on the facts of our society as it exists. It demonstrates a way of thinking that does not acknowledge any interpretation of the language of the Constitution in light of the facts of modern society. It puts domestic violence victims at a much increased risk of death at the hands of their intimate partners and undermines the rule of law in our society. For us, it shows us the importance of electing leaders who will appoint and confirm judges willing to interpret the law in the light of our present society, not in the light of a white male landowner dominated agrarian society where women were treated as the property of their husbands.

At Davis’s tonight at 7-9pm (ie Thurs, June 26), we will have the 232nd annual celebration of America with one brewhaha. Come celebrate your patriotism by discussing how to make our city a little better. The topic: safety in the city.

We’ll be touching on tasers and guns, bad apples and trees, crime and punishment, prevention and meth, mental health problems and theft, too few resources and not enough time. And we’ll talk about the job that a modern day police officer does, the difficulties they encounter, the feelings they get from the community, and the dangerous and sometimes thankless job they must do every day.

No topic is off limits, especially the topic on how we are treating one another, even those we strongly disagree with.

(Davis’s is on the corner of Olive and Broadway)

On Friday, June 27 the Track and Field Olympic Trials will begin in little ol’ Eugene, Oregon.

What does this mean for voter reg?…

…The population of Eugene will double during the 9 days of the Trials and there will be thousands of people that need to be registered to vote!

We have hundreds of cards that are begging to be filled out and we need YOU to help us out!

Sign up for a shift or two on ANY DAY during the Trials and register our new friends to vote.

Ask for Lynn or Alison at the glorious Lane Bus office: 541.344.9999
Or email us here yo.
OR… hit up our event page on facebook.

Shifts will be available on the following days:

Friday, June 27 2-4
Saturday, June 28 12-4
Sunday, June 29 12-4

George Carlin died yesterday at 71 from a heart attack. He didn’t have any faith in our political system and made that fact very well known. To him, it was too corrupt to even participate. Sometimes I get that too. If he were ever to take a stand, I am quite sure he would have stood on the side of what the Bus Project believes in. Getting past the angry and often vulgar delivery, Carlin always spoke his mind, which is something I think we all can take a lesson from.

Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete…

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember, to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

-George Carlin