Eugene gas ban petitioners reach signature goal. Well, I’ll be damned. It would appear there ARE a few commonsensers living in Eugene after all – at least 6,853 so far. That’s how many have signed a petition to let the voters decide that banning gas in newly constructed homes in the May election was a bad idea. They’d get a lot more signatures if they’d allow those of us living in the suburbs to vote on such issues. As it is, I don’t remember seeing a chance to vote for the mayor of Eugene on our ballots – a question I’ll pose to whoever serves as their secretary of state and let you know. Ps: in this case, it’s the City Recorder’s office, and when I talked with them, I was told, while she understood my frustration, only people that resided in Eugene proper are allowed to vote for mayor, get a free library card, or sign the petition. If I drove downtown, found a solicitor, and signed the petition, my signature would be thrown out because I didn’t live in the Eugene core area. This was the response I expected, and it mirrors my experience – we’re residents of Eugene when it’s convenient, advantageous, or makes money for the City of Eugene. Otherwise, we’re Lane County residents.