1) What is the role of the state? Mary Wood, Prof of Environmental Law at the Univ of Oregon, Eugene, wrote “Nature’s Trust” and posits that the state should protect nature for coming generations as nature’s trust. Haven’t we had enough of the predatory state?
2) What is qualitative growth? The 3- or 4-day work week and a Marshall Plan for journalism could give people better long-term health & more time sovereignty. Nature would be able to breathe again and the chaos of grid lock and road rage would fade away! Be post-materialists! Man does not live by bread alone!
3) What is fair taxation? Tax havens, the tax avoidance industry, micro-second betting, stock buybacks and insider trading are all market destabilizing and make fair taxation impossible. Trillions are lost when profits are shifted to tax havens or spent in stock buybacks.
4) What is respect of nature? Nature shouldn’t be a free good, external or sink. “Of itself, the earth brings forth first the blade, then the ear & then the full grain in the ear,” said the revolutionary Jesus. Without humility, there is no sense of wonder, said Kierkegaard.
Eugene should have a streetcar like the Portland streetcar on Franklin and Willamette. A streetcar would make all the difference and connect neighborhoods. There are streetcars in Sante Fe and Little Rock. Eugene is a great university town. Do people wrongly think they are too small for a streetcar?
