This election cycle, there is an amazing raft of first-time progressive candidates running for local office, from union president Jennifer Smith running for the City Council Ward 3 seat, to community organizer Athena Aguiar running for the Ward 5 seat, to engineer and climate policy expert Alexi Miller running for our local public utility board.

In response, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce is doing everything possible to stop them from winning, propping up conservative candidates in every race and funneling large sums of money into their campaigns from big polluters, corporate landlords and cutthroat developers.

For instance, the family behind the gravel mining corporation Wildish have already contributed tens of thousands of dollars to chamber-backed candidates. The Giustina, Murphy and Papé families, who made their fortunes clear-cutting Oregon forests, are also spending big to support candidates like John Barofsky.

And while the local chamber and its candidates like to present themselves as moderates, they are anything but. Last year, the chamber led the attack on efforts to protect key social services by undermining the City Council’s fire fee, jeopardizing Eugene’s libraries, animal shelters and other essential programs.

The chamber is now engaged in an all-out attack on a ballot initiative designed to protect Lane County watersheds and those who rely on fresh drinking water (literally everyone). This is not to mention the chamber’s ongoing collaboration with notorious fossil fuel corporation NW Natural to stop climate progress in our city.

Despite their best efforts at misleading the public, it is clear that our local chamber of commerce is selling the same far right, anti-environmental, anti-social safety net snake oil as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Now for the good news: Eugene residents aren’t buying it.

With Donald Trump in the White House working overtime for big business, we need local champions like Jennifer Smith and Alexi Miller — champions who are ready to fight for the working class, for the environment and for our city. This election, vote for people-powered progressives like Smith, Aguiar and Miller, and tell the chamber of commerce and their reactionary politics to get lost.

Madeline Cowen
Eugene