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appropriately accounted for. He alleged that MUPTE shifted property tax burdens from well-to-do property owners to other property owners, many of whom are insolvent or on the verge of insolvency. He noted there were 236 property owners who were three years delinquent and vulnerable to property loss. He asked councilors if they had spoken to any of these residents in their respective wards. Mr. Wolfe asked if the revenues lost through tax exemption had been fully considered. He cited an Oregon State document in which it was stated that tax exemption costs equal tax revenues. He wondered how much exemptions explained the tax-payers' revolt against bond measures. He asked if future tax-related elections would be lost due to "public reaction to gifts from the poor to the rich." He suggested staff should be required to present the council with an economic impact statement with each tax influencing measure under consideration. He opined the proposed MUPTE ordinance would shift the burdensome taxes to the poor from the richer for the purposes of accelerating development that would take place more slowly without subsidy. Chris Kluth, 2830 Friendly Street, provided a copy of a letter from his parents who were out of town. He related that his father, currently doing contracting work for the military in Europe, felt City employees had lied to him regarding the reclassification of the neighborhood streets to collectors. Marcella G. Moore, 2812 Friendly Street, asked the council to vote against the recommendation to designate Storey Boulevard, Friendly Street, and Crest Drive as collectors. She predicted people would be hit by cars and die. She said she and her husband had lived at their current residence for more than 20 years and enjoyed both the urban feeling and the rural feeling of Friendly Street. She asserted that the intersection of 28th Avenue and Friendly Street was already dangerous. She thought repaving the streets and adding sidewalks would give pedestrians a false sense of security. Cathryn Tredway, 2820 Friendly Street, opposed the reclassification of her neighborhood streets. She called it a "tax disguised as an improvement." She averred it would not improve the quality of her life and would cause a significant financial hardship. She predicted the safety of her family and neighbors would be compromised by the increased speed and privacy would be lost by sidewalk placement in her yard. She felt taxpayers would be better served by patching potholes, installing more stop signs, directing traffic to existing arterials, and enforcement of the speed limit. Robert Kris Millegan, 39830 McKenzie Highway, Springfield, said he was organizer and coordinator of a Eugene event that was part of a world-wide event that sought to legalize marijuana. He stated there had been a march and rally each year for the last four years, but this time he intended to organize a rally. He objected to the 25-person permit requirement and asked under what authority the City of Eugene could supercede the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. He also questioned the right of the City to arrest, charge, incarcerate, and cause financial loss to a person for possession of marijuana. He called marijuana a "gift from nature's God." He asserted that cannabis possession statutes were "void admissio." He noted that the prohibition of alcohol had required a constitutional amendment. He said his civil rights were inalienable and he had a religious right to use marijuana in accordance with his spiritual- ity. He provided his testimony in writing. Jim Hale, 1715 Linnea Avenue, asked if the City had an alternative site planned for the hospital, should the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) site not work out. He also asked if there was an alternative plan for the EWEB site, should the hospital choose not to locate there. He requested the City Council to ask EWEB to move on with its plans to relocate to western Eugene. He asserted that Eugene no longer MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 12, 2004 Page 5 Regular Meeting