Six of the eight Eugene city councilors signed a letter Wednesday opposing U.S. military action in Iraq, joining Madison, Wis., Santa Fe, N.M., Seattle and other cities nationwide in making a statement against the prospect of war. Ward 6 Councilor Pat Farr, who was absent from Wednesday’s meeting, and Ward 5 Councilor Gary Papé, who drafted his own letter, were the only two who did not sign. The letter will be sent to President Bush, Oregon’s two U.S. senators and Rep. Peter DeFazio.
Apparently, the councilors were unable to agree on the wording of the letter, so two versions were drafted. Papé’s version — which was also signed by Ward 8 Councilor Nancy Nathanson and Ward 4 Councilor Gary Rayor — omits a paragraph stating a need to spend tax dollars on schools, health care and housing instead of military action.
Councilor David Kelly, who represents Ward 3 and the University area, said the Council is making the statement because of the potential effect on Eugene.
“A war like this would have tremendous local impact,” he said.
Kelly acknowledged that a single letter from the council will probably have a negligible effect on U.S. foreign policy. When other cities around the country make a similar statement, however, the impact can become much greater, he added.
“It’s the cumulative effect rather than the individual effect,” he said.
A loose coalition of citizens, including a number of University students and faculty members, petitioned the council at the Nov. 12 meeting to pass a resolution opposing war.
Levi Strom, a senior majoring in sociology and political science, was one of the students at the meeting. Strom, co-founder of Students for Peace, said it is important for the council to speak on behalf of people in the community.
“By not taking an action, they are essentially giving tacit support for the war,” he said.
Strom said the council’s action would mirror positions taken by other cities, and the combined effect will be significant.
“Those things start to add up,” he said.
At the meeting, the council weighed the option of passing a resolution, drafting a letter, or both. The council opted for a letter because it could be undertaken immediately, whereas a resolution wouldn’t be passed until later in the month.
Ward 2 Councilor Betty Taylor said she would still like to see more.
“What I want is a resolution because I think that’s a stronger expression of our opinion,” she said.
Nathanson, however, opposed the idea of a resolution. Nathanson said the letter is appropriate because it represents the opinions of individual council members, whereas a resolution makes the statement that the entire city is unified in its opinion.
“I don’t believe it’s appropriate for cities to adopt resolutions in general,” she said.
Mayor Jim Torrey expressed similar sentiments at the Nov. 12 council meeting. Torrey was out of town Wednesday, and it wasn’t known whether he intended to sign the letter.