|
CLEARING THE AIR
We feel a need to "clear the air" for your readers regarding Oregon Trout's Land Rover raffle (Rogue of the Week, WW, Feb. 25, 1998). Unfortunately, it is not too difficult to imagine how your reporter became misguided. The TV commercials to which you refer (the ones with some yaahoo tearing through precious meadows, forest or desert in their 4-wheel drive) are all too familiar--but they're just not reflective of Land Rover or its customers. Beyond its sophomoric hyperbole, your article ignored a very basic journalistic standard--the one that calls for getting all the facts before you print the story. For example, Oregon Trout approached Land Rover Portland for the vehicle, not the other way around. We presume that they selected us because Land Rover is the perfect vehicle for the active/outdoor lifestyle of their members. If your reporter had done additional research, he or she would have discovered that Land Rover Portland is an industry model for its enlightened business practices--including the environmentally conscious way it operates. From practicing basic energy conservation down to distilling used engine coolant to pure water and glycol (which is then used to reformulate new coolant), we constantly strive to do no harm to our environment. Had the reporter made even one phone call, he or she would have discovered that Land Rover was a founding member of the Tread Lightly! educational program, which teaches environmentally sound 4-wheel driving ethics and technique. On a quarterly basis, Land Rover Portland invites its customers to participate in controlled-environment Wheels events where we actively practice and teach those principles. We could have explained to your writer how Land Rover really isn't even part of the fad you find so abhorrent. The company has built nothing but Land Rovers for 50 years--that's about 40 years before anyone coined the term "sport/utility vehicle." The company is structured to market a very small number of vehicles throughout the world, compared to the giant North American SUV market category, of which you represented us to be "typical." Our vehicles themselves are engineered dramatically differently than all those SUVs you love to hate. This results in not only an excellent long-term investment for Land Rover owners, but also far less long-term environmental impact. We're also perplexed about the "heinous" nature of the leather seats. Apparently your writer wishes that all cars be equipped with plastic seats (whether in the form of vinyl or nylon fabric), which have a far worse environmental impact than does natural leather. And surely you must realize that the cows which provide our Connally hides come from England, not Oregon open range lands, and have never even met a salmon, let alone killed one. Finally, if WW finds the activities of Oregon Trout and Land Rover to be so roguish, why did your publication donate free space to promote this fund-raiser (same issue, page 6)? And why do your advertising representatives so aggressively solicit us for placement of our Land Rover advertisements? Perhaps this week, the Rogue of the Week should be WW and its reporting staff--for slipshod reporting at the expense of a wonderful cause (Oregon Trout) and a high-quality, environmentally conscious local business (Land Rover Portland). In the meantime, if any of your readers still have doubts or questions about the unique Land Rover products or lifestyle, we invite them to come in for a visit. Dan Muggli Centre Manager, Land Rover Portland
Northeast Grand Avenue
ELECTRIC FOUR-WHEELIN'?
I was seriously disappointed that Oregon Trout was named Rogue of the Week for the heinous crime of political incorrectness [WW, Feb. 25, 1998]. I was also dismayed that they felt the need to respond to you at all. They did nothing wrong. Maybe you should try taking your electric Saturn through 20 miles of backroads, or better yet, try taking a bus. Daniel T. Cain, Southwest 1st Avenue
A WINNING LOSER
Regardless of where Willamette Week wants to place Alice Dale on its Scoreboard (News Buzz, Feb. 11), countless Oregonians are "Winners" because she is at the head of the Oregon Public Employees Union. Women, working families and professionals, children, the elderly are all better off because of Alice Dale and OPEU. Too few groups and individuals in public life today stick to the path they know to be the right one when the going gets rough. OPEU and Alice Dale do, apparently at some cost. Bentley Gilbert, Dorchester Drive, Salem Editor's note: Gilbert, a former OPEU spokesman, now runs a public affairs consulting service.
ROUND AND ROUND
I was intrigued by your article "Not in My Back Yard" (WW, Feb. 18, 1998). Now let me get this straight: In the '60s and '70s a bunch of young idealists--believers in "democracy" and the "power of the People"--[who] started working against the recalcitrant old farts in City Hall--with their preconceived notions of where the city should be going--by becoming active in their neighborhoods and resisting things like the Mount Hood Freeway "in their backyards" are upset now that they are the recalcitrant old farts in City Hall with their own preconceived notions of where the city should be going and a different crop of "the People" are exercising "democracy" by resisting the new old farts' pet projects like light rail "in THEIR back yards." Hmmmm. Roberta Krause, Southeast Gladstone Street |
