Young people can barely afford to live in Eugene. Many Lane Community College and University of Oregon students would love to live in our city, but simply can’t find living-wage jobs after they graduate, and are forced to move. The job market is bleak, and that doesn’t seem to be improving fast. 

I’m running for City Council to fight for policies that will throw a lifeline for people in my generation, for whom careers seem out of reach, especially in light of the growing trend of automation and the displacement of jobs due to the ongoing adoption of artificial intelligence. 

One of the policies I’m most excited about is the Eugene Clean Energy Fund measure, which will be on the ballot this November. The initiative will establish a 2% fee on billion-dollar corporations (think Walmart, Amazon, and other polluting behemoths), and direct the revenue toward projects like energy-efficiency programs and community solar installations, as well as job training programs. 

The measure is just what Eugene needs — a massive investment into our local economy, paid for by the multinational corporations that for too long have been profiting off us without giving back, with provisions to ensure that the work that it funds pays living wages.

A vote for Measure 20-388 is a vote for a more affordable city, where young people like me can find work building the renewable energy infrastructure that will power our city for decades to come. 

Athena Aguiar
Eugene City Council candidate, Ward 5