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capacity, our City should use the tools available such as enterprise zones and urban renewal districts to <br /> encourage jobs that provide wages and benefits that enable workers to feed clothe and house their fami- <br /> lies and provide them with healthcare. <br /> <br />SocialEquity <br /> <br />Does everyone feel welcome and treated fairly in our community? I do believe that we would like that to be <br />the case, but recent discussions regarding school achievement gaps, availability of mental healthcare <br />services, and racial profiling are examples of inequities felt and lived in Eugene. I watched my son, a <br />Pacific Islander by birth, struggle with each of these. I strongly believe we must find better ways to hear <br />where we are failing and commit ourselves to improvement. We must take action where action has been <br />lacking and measure our success in moving forward. <br /> <br />I want to focus for a moment on the hate literature that has shown up in our community and across this <br />state. We will not put up with it and we will stand as a community strongly against it. Racial and ethnic <br />incidents and attitudes of intolerance are simply not acceptable if we wish to be a community where all <br />people in Eugene feel safe and valued. Incidents of intolerance hurt all of us, whether or not we are part of a <br />targeted group. Our progress in improving the climate for diversity and tolerance can ultimately improve <br />Eugene's regional and national reputation, our ability to recruit and retain quality companies and employees, <br />and the health of our community and strength of our local economy. It will just make us a nicer community <br />for people to live in. <br /> <br />Proposals: In 2005, I will be focusing on the following two issues: <br /> <br />1. External Review Board. I support establishing a Police External Review Board that will help us meet <br /> our city's goal of ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and appropriately by our police officers. <br /> <br />2. Meeting regularly with communities that feel discrimination. It is important that we talk together in <br /> our Human Rights Commission and in small meetings about what is working and what is not. Attention <br /> only at times of crisis is inadequate. I am not going to prescribe who should participate and what those <br /> meetings should cover. That is what I need to hear from these communities. <br /> <br />And now, my thoughts and proposals regarding strengthening our economy: <br /> <br />Putting Real Commitment into Sustainable Economic Practices <br /> <br />Our city does many things well despite our economic challenges. I have spoken of our schools, social <br />services, public engagement, arts and culture. We have a number of excellent City services and I have noted <br />our great natural assets. <br /> <br />Yet, often in recent years I have seen Eugene characterized as a divided and divisive community especially <br />when it comes to business and the environment. I have heard Eugene labeled as a difficult place to do <br />business because of our concern for our environment. <br /> <br />I would like to change that message. We have excellent schools and a beautiful environment and these are <br />key attractions for business investors. Oregon ranks among the top seven states in three broad economic <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 3, 2005 Page 5 <br /> State of the City <br /> <br /> <br />