

Eugene
- Eyes off Eugene: Speak Out Thursday Night Against Flock Security Cameras
The Eugene Police Commission is meeting Thursday, July 10 from 5:30 PM til 8:00 PM to discuss policies around the use of Flock Safety license plate reader (ALPR) cameras — a surveillance technology that raises serious concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and government overreach.
📍 Where: Eugene Police Department, 300 Country Club Road (Kilcullen Classroom)
💻 Or Join via Zoom: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/89378585448?pwd=DVwI4YjhDEaIGlbpwQiqlDiAnMBmqo.1
🔐 Webinar ID: 893 7858 5448 | Password: PolComm1
Agenda: https://www.eugene-or.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7008
Policies around license plate readers are scheduled starting at 6:35PM and are allotted 40 Minutes on the Agenda
The EPD claims these cameras are for theft prevention and public safety, but they also collect massive amounts of data on innocent people — and the long-term implications for our community are deeply troubling.
This is a chance to push back and demand transparency, accountability, and a halt to mass surveillance in Eugene. There is a brief time for public comment starting at 7:57 PM — show up, speak out, and let the Police Commission know that Eugene values privacy and civil rights.
41 Question Survey that will be used to determine the City of Eugene's Next Strategic Plan.
- No Kings Since 1776 (2025.07.04 1200 - 1330)www.mobilize.us NO KINGS SINCE 1776 · Mobilize
This a local Indivisible event! Join us for NO KINGS SINCE 1776 on July 4th, from 12pm-1:30pm at 405 E 8th Avenue (across from Whole Foods) in Eugene, OR. Signs, costumes , 3Dcaricatures are encouraged. Be creative. Please no fireworks. This is a family friendly peaceful gathering of folks wanting ...
This a local Indivisible event! Join us for NO KINGS SINCE 1776 on July 4th, from 12pm-1:30pm at 405 E 8th Avenue (across from Whole Foods) in Eugene, OR. Signs, costumes , 3Dcaricatures are encouraged. Be creative. Please no fireworks. This is a family friendly peaceful gathering of folks wanting to push back on fascism. Everyone is welcome.
A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
- 2025.06.22 2PM - Rally against War on Iran
Sunday, June 22, 2 PM No war on Iran! Emergency Rally Eugene - Old Federal Bldg. 7th and Pearl planet versus pentagon - party for socialism and liberation - pacific green party - others
- (2025.06.19) 2nd Annual Juneteenth Gathering
Down at the Farmer's Market Pavillion from 3 - 8p 2025.06.19
- 2025.06.14 - Eugene No Kings Protest
ACES Rally at 11AM at Wayne L Morse Courthouse 50501 March at 12PM from the Courthouse to City Hall / Alton Baker
- www.opb.org Eugene restaurant provides free meals through ‘Pay it Forward’ program
As Eugene faces cuts to local homelessness services, a restaurant near the Whiteaker neighborhood is asking diners to “pay it forward” for hungry people in need.
Cool to see Acorn Community Cafe getting some recognition for their business model. I find the food pretty enjoyable too.
- kval.com Gov. Kotek approves extradition of ex-Eugene Weekly manager accused of embezzlement
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's office says she has directed staff to approve the extradition of a woman accused of ebezzelingAfter further consideration and ref
> The woman, Elisha Young, is the paper's former business manager. She was arrested in Whitehall, Ohio, after a nationwide warrant was sent out for her arrest.
- Critical Mass is back again for April! Friday 4/25, 6:30pm @ Kesey Square in downtown Eugene
EUGENE CRITICAL MASS presents: RIDE N RAVE River Renegade
Critical Mass is a worldwide movement where cyclists gather once a month to bike together in a festive & radically pro-bike environment. We ride through the streets of Eugene & then end the ride with a EDM party w / flow artists, Live DJs, & snacks (BYOB) Ride is family friendly.
E-bikers, Roller-people & skaters are welcome.
Rain/Shine There isn’t bad weather only bad gear :P
We meet at Kesey then ride!
Afterparty starts at 7:45pm at an outdoor location (covered if rain). DM for location or do the ride as it ends at the after-party site.
This month dress up theme is Earth day. Dress up contest! Raffles!
With DJs: 8-9pm Trixmvsic ☆ 9-10pm Spun Kitty ☆ 10-11pm Pineal Pulp ☆ 11pm-close Jawly and Blecid B2B
Featuring Fire flow Arts performances by the flowmies
More info & follow us at: https://mstdn.social/@Eugenecriticalmass
4 more music : https://linktr.ee/thespunkitty
- TeslaTakedown Protest this Saturday, March 29 at 11AM at Oakway Center
Not OP, but x-posting from reddit for visibility
...
March 29 is the #TeslaTakedown global day of protest. The goal is 500 protests in one day. If you have felt like you want to DO something but didn't know what, here's something you can do! We will be peacefully exercising our first amendment right to show Eugene what we all think of Tesla, Elon Musk, and DOGE to continue driving Tesla's share price (and Elon Musk's wealth) down.
There are no Tesla showrooms in Eugene but there is a supercharger station at Oakway center. We'll picket at the northeast corner at the intersection of Coburg Rd and Oakway Rd (in front of PF Chang's).
Event link: https://actionnetwork.org/events/tesla-protest-march-29-global-day-of-action
- Critical Mass: Friday, 2/28 @ 6:30pm in Kesey Square
Critical Mass is a worldwide movement where cyclists gather once a month to bike together in a festive and radically pro-bike environment.
We ride through the streets of Eugene and then end the ride with a dance party with flow artists, live DJs, & snacks (alcohol free).
Ride is family-friendly.
E-bikers, roller-bladers, roller-skaters, and skaters are warmly welcomed :)
Rain or shine: there isn’t bad weather only bad gear :P
We meet at Kesey Square then ride through the streets of Eugene. After-party starts at 7:30pm
Indoor area for after party: 810 W. 3rd in the Whit. Music from 7:30pm till late…
More info & follow us at: https://mstdn.social/@Eugenecriticalmass
Also check out the church at Sacred Connections: www.sacredconnections810.com
4 more music & renegades: https://linktr.ee/thespunkitty
- www.registerguard.com Hundreds rally in Eugene as part of nationwide Presidents Day protests
Hundreds gathered in Oregon cities on Presidents Day, voicing opposition to Project 2025, corporate power, and government policies.
- Critical Mass: Friday, 1/31 @ 6:30PM at Kesey Square; PLUS indoor after-party feat. five live DJs!
Also on Reddit here if you'd like to upvote.
Text of flyer for clickable links:
Critical Mass is a worldwide movement where cyclists gather once a month to bike together in a festive and radically pro-bike environment. We ride through the streets of Eugene and then end the ride with a dance party with flow artists, Live DJs, & snacks (alcohol free) Ride is family friendly. E-bikers, Rollerbladers, Rollerskaters and skaters are warmly welcomed :) Rain or Shine: There isn’t bad weather only bad gear :P We meet at Kesey then ride tgrough the streets of Eugene. Afterparty starts at 7:30pm
Indoor Area for after party. 810 W. 3rd in the Whit. Music from 7:30pm till late…
More info & follow us at: https://mstdn.social/@Eugenecriticalmass
Also check out the church at Sacred Connections: www.sacredconnections810.com
4 more music & renegades: https://linktr.ee/thespunkitty
- Effort to pack city council meeting tonight and save library funding
Cuts are coming one way or another due to budget sort falls, but one of the three austerity scenarios would hit the libraries extra hard. Based on what I've heard a $2 million budget cut would certainly lead to fewer librarians, and quite possibly a branch closure as well. The last rounds of cuts are already adding up to somewhere in the $2 million region.
Might be good to pay some extra visits to the library and/or use some of the e-book services in the next few months. Help get the census numbers up a bit.
- E-commerce Unknown – Eugene Weekly
A large fulfillment center is being build next to the airport. Evidence seems to indicate it's amazon
- Restored marquee returns to downtown Eugene’s historic McDonald Theater
I haven't been past the McDonald in a couple years. I'm going to have to make a point to detour that way when I'm next downtown.
- Eugene/Springfield Crime (2024)
This is the 2024 update to last year's Eugene/Springfield crime report.
Numbers are derived from calls published on the EPD and SPD dispatch logs.
Note that not all calls are published (e.g. Suicidal Subject), not all calls result in dispatch of an officer, and not all calls are actionable (i.e. an officer is dispatched, but the person/problem is not found).
Daily crime map available here.
All Calls (except Traffic Stops)
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/49fd89d0-f13f-48c1-a915-5e759fd8d684.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ------------- --------------- 2014 50,042 28,534 2015 51,669 +3.3% 28,772 +0.8% 2016 51,366 -0.6% 29,838 +3.7% 2017 49,580 -3.5% 29,855 +0.1% 2018 45,683 -7.9% 28,736 -3.7% 2019 47,141 +3.2% 27,501 -4.3% 2020 47,078 -0.1% 24,705 -10.2% 2021 47,088 0.0% 24,611 -0.4% 2022 45,046 -4.3% 25,001 +1.6% 2023 44,021 -2.3% 23,055 -7.8% 2024 43,319 -1.6% 22,486 -2.5%
Traffic Stop
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/62f54ee1-19e8-4067-8375-b25747fb98a2.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ -------------- -------------- 2014 17,018 11,401 2015 13,710 -19.4% 10,603 -7.0% 2016 11,894 -13.2% 10,212 -3.7% 2017 10,905 -8.3% 10,932 +7.1% 2018 8,908 -18.3% 9,184 -16.0% 2019 9,834 +10.4% 8,928 -2.8% 2020 12,901 +31.2% 6,253 -30.0% 2021 10,738 -16.8% 5,241 -16.2% 2022 8,748 -18.5% 4,440 -15.3% 2023 9,651 +10.3% 5,737 +29.2% 2024 10,587 +9.7% 6,114 +6.6%
Criminal Trespass
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e174e5d8-ab34-4b8e-808d-2d9ac4996425.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ------------- ------------- 2014 2,821 1,067 2015 3,385 +20.0% 1,201 +12.6% 2016 4,287 +26.6% 1,354 +12.7% 2017 3,827 -10.7% 1,320 -2.5% 2018 4,590 +19.9% 1,332 +0.9% 2019 5,216 +13.6% 1,352 +1.5% 2020 4,885 -6.3% 1,412 +4.4% 2021 5,014 +2.6% 1,536 +8.8% 2022 6,239 +24.4% 1,676 +9.1% 2023 6,553 +5.0% 1,704 +1.7% 2024 6,215 -5.2% 1,600 -6.1%
Shoplifter(s)
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/f588158a-f676-4595-a01d-9a2f05736613.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ------------ ------------- 2014 120 39 2015 121 +0.8% 50 +28.2% 2016 128 +5.8% 81 +62.0% 2017 72 -43.8% 80 -1.2% 2018 68 -5.6% 47 -41.3% 2019 111 +63.2% 29 -38.3% 2020 301 +171.2% 6 -79.3% 2021 375 +24.6% 22 +266.7% 2022 506 +34.9% 18 -18.2% 2023 504 -0.4% 16 -11.1% 2024 723 +43.5% 8 -50.0%
Dispute
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/0e833cec-a7d0-4aa2-b408-715db60598ed.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ------------- ------------- 2014 4,074 1,864 2015 4,250 +4.3% 1,931 +3.6% 2016 4,944 +16.3% 2,054 +6.4% 2017 5,261 +6.4% 1,897 -7.6% 2018 5,337 +1.4% 1,942 +2.4% 2019 6,125 +14.8% 2,136 +10.0% 2020 6,456 +5.4% 2,186 +2.3% 2021 6,526 +1.1% 2,030 -7.1% 2022 6,144 -5.9% 2,059 +1.4% 2023 5,839 -5.0% 1,738 -15.6% 2024 5,667 -2.9% 1,753 +0.9%
Disorderly Subject
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/00d1582c-2295-4ef7-87b8-55c844a35a42.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ------------- ------------- 2014 2,191 673 2015 2,786 +27.2% 742 +10.3% 2016 3,183 +14.2% 757 +2.0% 2017 2,783 -12.6% 662 -12.5% 2018 3,203 +15.1% 716 +8.2% 2019 3,404 +6.3% 676 -5.6% 2020 3,472 +2.0% 911 +34.8% 2021 3,744 +7.8% 1,052 +15.5% 2022 3,053 -18.5% 937 -10.9% 2023 2,814 -7.8% 758 -19.1% 2024 2,386 -15.2% 636 -16.1%
Prowler(s)
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/11cba36f-bc4a-4e04-ae6d-640af28dfb8e.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ----------- ------------- 2014 183 96 2015 222 +21.3% 113 +17.7% 2016 206 -7.2% 92 -18.6% 2017 199 -3.4% 93 +1.1% 2018 240 +20.6% 92 -1.1% 2019 233 -2.9% 84 -8.7% 2020 394 +69.1% 80 -4.8% 2021 664 +68.5% 84 +5.0% 2022 667 +0.5% 115 +36.9% 2023 695 +4.2% 98 -14.8% 2024 559 -19.6% 83 -15.3%
Illegal Burning
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/650a505d-d258-4755-9fcf-e80d2517376c.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ------------- ------------- 2014 88 8 2015 110 +25.0% 11 +37.5% 2016 91 -17.3% 9 -18.2% 2017 139 +52.7% 5 -44.4% 2018 156 +12.2% 7 +40.0% 2019 247 +58.3% 12 +71.4% 2020 482 +95.1% 21 +75.0% 2021 443 -8.1% 14 -33.3% 2022 626 +41.3% 39 +178.6% 2023 876 +39.9% 50 +28.2% 2024 1,303 +48.7% 77 +54.0%
Person Stop
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/8ab3accb-1982-4ec6-9922-33ed013f890a.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ ------------- ------------- 2014 9,511 2,489 2015 8,314 -12.6% 2,157 -13.3% 2016 6,766 -18.6% 2,139 -0.8% 2017 6,168 -8.8% 2,145 +0.3% 2018 3,200 -48.1% 2,064 -3.8% 2019 3,384 +5.8% 1,537 -25.5% 2020 2,796 -17.4% 909 -40.9% 2021 1,604 -42.6% 468 -48.5% 2022 1,461 -8.9% 351 -25.0% 2023 1,012 -30.7% 633 +80.3% 2024 1,060 +4.7% 776 +22.6%
Illegal Camping
[!](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/26e0b4cc-0bb3-4b70-92c8-44c0d8702d53.png)
Year Eugene Springfield ------ -------------- ------------- 2014 753 143 2015 826 +9.7% 172 +20.3% 2016 1,149 +39.1% 243 +41.3% 2017 1,180 +2.7% 277 +14.0% 2018 908 -23.1% 352 +27.1% 2019 708 -22.0% 448 +27.3% 2020 347 -51.0% 368 -17.9% 2021 97 -72.0% 438 +19.0% 2022 690 +611.3% 588 +34.2% 2023 717 +3.9% 245 -58.3% 2024 396 -44.8% 139 -43.3%
Year 2024 Summary (top 40 incidents, Eugene & Springfield combined)
% Count Incident Type ------- -------- --------------- 20.24 16,701 Traffic Stop 9.47 7,815 Criminal Trespass 8.99 7,420 Dispute 3.66 3,022 Disorderly Subject 3.51 2,898 Suspicious Condition(s) 3.44 2,835 Theft 2.29 1,893 Traffic Hazard 2.23 1,836 Person Stop 1.84 1,519 Warrant Service 1.67 1,380 Illegal Burning 1.66 1,371 Burglary 1.60 1,320 Alarm 1.60 1,316 Suspicious Subject(s) 1.53 1,266 Motor Vehicle Unknown 1.46 1,207 Criminal Mischief 1.32 1,093 Driving While Suspended 1.32 1,091 Disabled Vehicle(s) 1.22 1,009 Abandoned Vehicle 1.21 1,000 Theft from Vehicle 1.18 973 Loud Noise 1.16 957 Unauthorized Use of Vehicle 1.14 942 Assist Outside Agency 1.03 853 Hit & Run 1.00 824 Found Property 0.94 773 Reckless Driving 0.94 773 Unknown Problem 0.89 731 Shoplifter(s) 0.88 725 ATL Drunk Driver 0.86 712 Assault 0.80 664 Dog(s) at Large 0.78 645 Motor Vehicle No Injury 0.78 642 Prowler(s) 0.72 595 Missing Person(s) 0.65 535 Illegal Camping 0.58 481 Suspicious Vehicle(s) 0.54 447 Subpoena Service 0.49 408 Shot(s) Fired 0.45 370 Disorderly Juvenile(s) 0.45 369 DUII 0.40 327 Subject Screaming
- www.oregonlive.com Excessive force, negligence claims can proceed in case stemming from 2020 death of man in Lane County custody
Landon Payne's manner of death was ruled "undetermined." Emails between Lane County medical examiner Dr. Daniel Davis and the county’s district attorney indicated Davis’ original intent was to classify Landon Payne's death as “homicide,” the judge wrote.
"Payne, 36, died after he was handcuffed, shot with a stun gun and then held down with deputies’ knees on his back outside the jail, despite his pleas that he could not breathe, according to court documents."
"The judge ruled that the deputies involved are not entitled to qualified immunity at this stage in the case, finding that the deputies “knew or should have known” that placing pressure on Payne’s back or neck could result in asphyxia."
"Griesel “muted his body cam” audio while talking with medics, in violation of Eugene police policy"
Fuck the police. Thank god for this judge, it's incredibly rare to see qualified immunity revoked. AFAICT none of these officers faced any form of discipline for this.
Help end qualified immunity - aaqi.org
- 8 months ago, some of our elected reps voted to ban TikTok, which is set to come into effect soon. Here's how they voted.
Senate:
Merkley (D) No, Wyden (D), Yes (BOTH represent Eugene)
House:
Republicans: Bentz: Yes, Chavez-DeRemer: Yes
Democrats: Blumenauer: Yes, Bonamici: No, Hoyle: No, Salinas : Yes (HOYLE represents Eugene)
Not sure which rep is yours? Find out in one click https://myreps.datamade.us/
President:
Biden (D) - Voted Yes by signing the bill/not vetoing
My personal take (please put your own thoughts in the comments): I don't use TikTok, I think it's trash. The TikTok ban was initially Trump's idea, while he was president, but he couldn't get congress to pass it. But when Biden and dems gained power, they passed it, with a provision set so that the ban doesn't actually come into effect until the start of Trump's turn, where he can cancel it and look like a hero to fans of TikTok and free speech more generally. The democrats handed Trump an absolute win on this for no good reason.
The TikTok ban is one of the biggest attacks on free speech I have seen in my lifetime. The government should not be able to dictate how you get your news, period. It's your right to read, view, and speak what you want, even advocating for the overthrow of the government, that's why we have the first amendment. You should be able to buy a book or watch a movie, regardless of what country that speech was produced in. Our right to free speech protects all our other rights, this is an incredibly dangerous precedent. And it won't help them get the youth vote they so desperately need to win elections.
Banning TikTok isn't fighting China, it's becoming China. It's using the same "foreign interference" and "protect the children" line used by despots globally from Xi to Putin as they ban newspapers, websites, and anybody critical of their regime. "But China does it" isn't the great defense people seem to think it is, we don't want to do the same things China does. China is an autocracy.
We can lose our right to abortion or privacy and use free speech to get it back. If we lose our right to free speech, there's no other right that works the same except possibly the second amendment. The road to tyranny is paved by the loss of individual liberties.
The last thing I want is for the incoming administration to have a nice, legal pathway to clamp down on speech which is critical of them, and platforms which allow that speech. And dems just rolled out the carpet for them on this. Thank you to Val Hoyle for defending our right to free speech and voting against the majority of her party, that is principle! She has generally been very good on speech-related bills which I am thankful for even if I don't agree with her on everything.
Source for votes:
Senate: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll/_call/_votes/vote1182/vote/_118/_2/_00154.htm#state
- Pilots told to maneuver around AUPs in West Eugenewww.newsweek.com Pilots told to "maneuver" around Oregon 'UFO' in leaked cabin audio
Two pilots reported seeing unidentified red, circular lights and objects moving erratically at various high altitudes.
- Franz Strike Ends With Mixed Feelings
> Brad Currier, a 20-year employee of the bakery and BCTGM union representative, says they’ll be in the same place they are now when Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) International Union Local 114 is negotiating their next contract in three years. > > “We’re expecting things to get worse, not better, over the next three years,” Currier says.
> “They’re coming into work on the scheduled shift, and then they’re told that their shift has been canceled, and that they need to come in the next day, which is their scheduled day off,” Gettman says. “This happens to them all the time, so they have zero work-life balance.”
- The Garage is Closing – Eugene Weekly
Sam Bond's is closing after almost 30 years. I feel like this is one of the most iconic closures since Max's.
- www.opb.org Beloved Eugene jokebook author ‘Frog’ dies at 76, close friend says
David Henry Miller, better known as “Frog,” has been a Eugene fixture around the University of Oregon campus, Saturday Market, the Oregon Country Fair and other local festivals.
The end of an era in Eugene. :'(
- Please go vote. Everyone's voice counts. Here is an official page where you can find out where your nearest vote drop box is, in Oregon.sos.oregon.gov Oregon Secretary of State
The Oregon Secretary of State works to maximize voter participation, is a watchdog for public spending, makes it easier to do business in Oregon, and preserves and promotes Oregon history.
- Hey, Eugene! Ballots go out TODAY!
Hey everyone, just a quick PSA: Oregon ballots are in the mail as of today. (Oct. 16th, 2024).
Go to https://oregonvotes.gov/MyVote to find out when yours will be in the mail!
Go to https://oregonvotes.gov/Counties if you have any issues or concerns to bring up with your county elections office!
VOTE!
- www.forbes.com 25 Best Places To Enjoy Your Retirement In 2024: Eugene And Other Top Spots
Find the best places to retire in the United States. The top 25 retirement spots for leisure activities: golf, hiking, boating, theater, music and restaurants.
Just spotted that we made this list on Forbes last week. We're famous!
- Klamath rewilding video
YouTube Video
Click to view this content.
YouTube recommended a video about the Klamath river being rewilded after the removal of all the dams. I thought it was pretty cool to see the progress so far.
- Egyptian Walking Onions for sale!
If anyone is interested, I have Egyptian walking onion bulbs for sale https://eugene.craigslist.org/grd/d/eugene-beautiful-egyptian-walking-onion/7785624808.html
These are my absolute favorite garden superstars-- a PERENNIAL ONION that is versatile and thrives in our area. You can harvest the topsets to use like onions or garlic, use the stems like chives/green onions, or harvest the whole bulbs like a yellow onion. I'm selling my fall harvest of topsets for less than half the price you get 'em for at Territorial
- Is it just me or do a LOT of cats seem to go missing in Eugene?
Is it just me or do a LOT of cats seem to go missing in Eugene? ==========
I just feel bad for all the poor cats 🥺
- Ugh, the smoke
I hate the fact that it's almost fall now, and we're seeing temperatures around 100 degrees fahrenheit and smoke from first fires. In September.
- There's thunder!
Just a heads up, there's a severe thunderstorm alert right now:
https://g.co/kgs/7NQdqAJ
- Highly recommend iZombie (comic book set in Eugene)
Many of you are probably familiar with the CW series iZombie, which is set in Seattle. But less people are aware of the comic book that inspired the series, which is set right here in Eugene.
I instantly fell in love with this comic for many reasons: the art. The characters. The world-building. But my favorite part is that the artists have clearly done their homework: they use actual locations in Eugene (Shelton McMurphy House, Yah-Po-Ah Terrace, the university, etc.) Not only that, but there are constant references to urban legends across the state, like the Portland Shanghai Tunnels and the Devils Lake monster in Lincoln City.
If you haven't read this comic, I'd highly recommend it. It's not every day Eugene, Oregon is the setting for an epic urban fantasy series. And it's not every day that such locations are depicted so accurately.
- Want to actually lower rent in Eugene? Here's how.
Rent in Eugene is high for one simple reason: it's a highly desirable place to live and the people who want to live here are all competing to rent the same units. There is more demand than supply, by a lot. Period. We have under-built for decades despite consistent net migration into our city. Landlords can charge the rent they do because somebody will pay it. The only way to get lower average rents is to reverse migration into Eugene or increase the housing supply.
Why have we under-built for decades? Because city council is an elected position. Homeowners vote, tenants tend to not vote. And to make this worse, homeowners benefit from this supply & demand mismatch because it causes their property values to go up. Politicians don't listen to blocks of voters who don't vote. Eugene homeowners, the neighborhood associations, etc have all lobbied successfully for "single family only" zoning and kept development out. City Council members also tend to be homeowners because at 15K a year you basically need a second source of income to even scrape by on that salary. Tenants and homeowners have opposite goals when it comes to land value.
So tenants, if you care about rent prices, make sure you vote, and make sure your city councilors hear from you that you want more units. If you don't like the options you get at the ballot box in general elections or think there aren't enough, vote in the primaries where your vote will have an even greater impact since you'll be choosing who other people get to vote for. All you need to do in order to vote in the primaries is select a party and your ballot will be mailed to you automatically. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes, can be done online, and you can change parties whenever you want. Selecting a party doesn't mean you have to vote for that party, only that you get the chance to vote in their primary. And vote YES on Ranked Choice Voting which is a measure that will be up for vote in the November election.
What about private equity? Blackrock? "Price-fixing software"?
I know it's popular to point the finger at private equity, AirBnb, or price-fixing software or whoever, but they are drops in the bucket compared to the massive supply and demand mismatch we have. And many urban areas in America have. Price fixing software won't enable you to charge more for rent than the market will allow, because another landlord without said price fixing software will just rent at a more reasonable price and get the tenant while your unit sits vacant and burns a hole in your pocket.
What about rent control?
Rent control will just advantage people in existing units while disadvantaging anybody who moves here from elsewhere or even from in-town. It also gives your landlord great incentive to constructively evict you and means whenever you move, your rent will take a very steep hike. It just polarizes the rental market. The total amount of rent being paid stays roughly the same, it's just no longer equally distributed among the entire renting population. Rent control doesn't work. Yes, it freezes rents for some segments of the population, but it prejudices in favor of whoever happens to be in a unit right this very moment and never moves and screws over everybody else w higher rent, especially those trying to get off the street!
What about expanding the Urban Growth Boundary?
This would make more cheap land available for development at the expense of nature being harder to access and farther away. We can build up without building out. I'm not in favor of expanding the UGB personally, but it would probably help.
But I hate all these new luxury condos!
K be mad then, but it's more supply. Now people who can afford luxury condos will rent them instead of out-bidding you for other units.
But the condos are all empty?!?
As a tenant, you want vacant units. Vacant units mean landlords have to live with the threat of their units not being rented, which means they will lower prices to make sure they stay occupied. Vacant units mean more negotiating power for tenants which turns up in things like pet-friendly complexes. Every market has inefficiencies and vacant units, this is normal. Trust me, those vacant units are costing them money. If they remain vacant long enough, the price will drop. That only happens if they actually remain vacant though, which our supply & demand mismatch won't actually let happen sustainably.
What about banning corporations from owning homes?
The legal structure of an entity owning a property doesn't matter, they can't actually set prices, the market does. Just like you can't buy a $1 million house and sell it for $2 million tomorrow, neither can blackrock. If they are sitting on property, they are losing money, but that's only true if the real estate market doesn't going up because we keep refusing to build more real estate. You need corporations to build apartment complexes, they require tens of million dollars to build, which means you need investors, which means you need a legal structure for investment to occur through safely. Most single home landlords are also LLCs.
What about forcing developers to make "affordable" units?
How do you make low and medium income housing? You build new, luxury housing and wait 20 years. This is similar to rent control where it just shifts around the rent to different parts of the market. Additionally, doing this makes this place less attractive to developers. Developers want to build units that are actually going to make them money, the more red tape and regulations, the more money they waste fighting or complying with them. And it's not just the developer's decision: they have to answer to investors. Investors don't want to invest in things which don't make money. Apartment complexes cost tens of millions of dollars, you need people to invest to make that happen, so you need to make investment attractive. Investors have the luxury of investing wherever they want. Unless Eugene is "investable", they will go elsewhere and you get no units.
- No Parking For Pride – Eugene Weekly
> These lots will sit empty while 12,000-plus people try to attend the event,” Eugene Pride President Brooks McLain writes in an emailed statement to Eugene Weekly. “Parking is being blocked starting before our festival begins.”0
> Pride’s parking needs are “superseded” by an August 10 Ween concert at the Cuthbert Amphitheater, which is owned and operated by Kesey Enterprises, according to a press release from Pride organizers.
> Per a 2006 concession agreement — a contract — between Kesey Enterprises and the city of Eugene, the private entertainment company has first right of refusal for parking around Cuthbert between May 1 and Oct. 31 annually.
- Oregon Country Fair starts tomorrow!
If you're attending, you can read the Peach Pit online here. I'm not going to be able to make it this year, but hope Eugeneans who can have a great time.
And stay hydrated! It's still going to be beastly hot out!
- kval.com Police bust massive Lego theft ring at Brick Builders in Eugene
A search warrant was served at the Brick Builders store in Eugene by the Springfield Police after a 3-month investigation revealing thousands of stolen Legos.