Lavish stadium spending sparks protests, tear gas and rubber bullets

Last updated on 08/20/2021

6/17/2013:

Protesters showed up by the thousands … evolved into a broader movement by groups and individuals irate over a range of issues including … lavish new stadium projects.

Whoops, never mind, that’s in Brazil. Here in Eugene everyone’s cool with Phil Knight’s plan to spend $5 million on new landscaping at Autzen. It’s tax deductible of course, since nothing supports UO’s academic mission like a prettier football stadium. Meaning the rest of us taxpayers will foot half the bill for this gift, just as we did for Knight Arena. Or the government can just cut back on spending for things like Pell grants.