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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1982)
Thursday, January 28, 1982 Eugene, Oregon Oregon daily Volume 83 Number 86 emerald Lawmakers clash on Reagan’s proposals Ronald Reagan ‘States will take full responsibility for aid to families with dependent children and food stamps." Salem — Gov Vic Atiyeh said Wed nesday he basically endorses Pres ident Reagan s plan to shift control over welfare and numerous other federal programs to the states But the Republican governor told a news conference he would not be very enthused about the idea if the states weren't completely freed at the same time from federal red tape in administering programs “Generally, that’s the right direction to go," Atiyeh said of the president’s Tuesday night speech "If the concept is to turn over the programs free and clear, then I applaud it." If Oregon were allowed to be more innovative, Atiyeh said, many pro grams would better serve people of the state But he said he wouldn’t be as happy if the federal government turned over responsibilities but not controls to the states Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers criticized Reagan's proposals “The so-called dream of a New Federalism sounded less like a dream than a dodge," said Senate President Fred Heard, D-Klamath Falls “The president has welshed on his campaign pledge to balance the federal budget," Heard said "Now he’s willing to accept a record-breaking deficit if he can gradually dump it on our state and local governments " State Rep Vera Katz, D-Portland, said she was concerned about the form of federal financial help to states Katz said if federal financial help isn't adequate, "I don't know what our response is going to be. Are the peo ple in the state of Oregon willing to pay for those programs? "The one concern that there is when you have that kind of freedom to run a program is the states' need to understand the responsibility they have to the clients they are there to serve "You will have an uneven system nationwide on services for the group of people who need that kind of governmental assistance." Leo Hegstrom, director of the state Department of Human Resources, estimated that Oregon would have to spend an additional $474 million per biennium if the state took over com plete responsibility for food stamp and welfare programs That would be partly offset, Heg strom said, by a savings to the state of $237 million per biennium if the federal government took over states' share of Medicaid costs. "The bottom line is that unless there are substantial additional feder al funds allocated to the states with this exchange of program respon sibilities, it would not be economically feasible for the state to assume the responsibilities," Hegstrom said in a memo to Atiyeh. Director Robert W Smith of the state Executive Department said he could not assess what affect Reagan s proposals would have on the overall state budget because the president did not provide details s VicAtiyeh "Generally, that’s the right direction to go. If the concept is to turn over the programs free and clear, I applaud it. ’’ Local Democrats fear reborn ‘state rights’ By Ron Hunt Ol tht EmaraU To some Oregonians. Pres Ronald Reagan's State of the Union message was "remar kable " To others it was ques tionable 'Quite a remarkable speech,1' said Doug Green, vice chairer of the University's College Republicans "We support it It's a positive ap proach to the problems facing us ” Reagan's refusal to support tax increases is a good posi tion. Green said If there were no tax cuts, the government would find a way to spend the money anyway, he said "I don't see how the tax cuts can do any harm,” he added Others had questions about the President's approach "It is a very clever strategy in turning the clock back to the days of a great disparity between the states,” said State Rep Margie Hendriksen, D-Eugene Going back to 'state's rights” is a radical change that will put states that do care about social services at a disadvantage, she said The reason the federal government became involved in so many social programs, Hendriksen said, is because many states were doing noth ing: "A lot of people were very ill-fed Competition between the states will skyrocket, she said, as states seek to attract in dustry by lowering standards for air quality and other areas. Only when you have national standards do you avoid com petition between states.” Reagan's plan is "disas trous for Oregon,” especially considering the state's de pressed timber industry, Hen driksen said Oregon would need to totally revise its tax Reagan’s approach has “taken the feder al deficit and trans ferred it to Oregon. ” Ted Kulongoskl structure to survive "more strains on our state govern ment," she added State Sen Ed Fadeley, D Eugene, criticized the Pres ident's acceptance of contin ued deficit spending "Oregon would not have a special ses sion if the federal budget was balanced," he said Reagan blamed deficits on the reces sion but Reagan isn't doing anything to stop the deficits, Fadeley added Reagan's approach, said State Sen Ted Kulongoski, D-Eugene, has "taken the federal deficit and transferred it to Oregon .” But since some programs are better handled by the states, "I can't unequivocally object." Details of Reagan’s plan need to be seen, how ever, because Reagan is "very good with the words" but his implementation is often a problem, Kulongoski added Kulongoski objected to Reagan's idea of turning over the food stamps program to the states. "I worry about the black citizens of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi." The reason for federal invol vement is "some states did not treat their citizens fairly," he added State Rep Peg John, D-Cot tage Grove, said of Reagan’s Emerald photos State of the Union, "Overall it sounded good, but I have some deep, deep concerns about the type of local con trol." Application will be dif ferent than “sounding good," she said Other Eugene area legisla tors — and the chairer of University Democrats — were unavailable for comment. Oregon's two U S senators did comment on Reagan s speech: Sen Mark Hatfield, a repub lican, said, "the president has proposed the most revolution ary shift of the government’s power in half a century," but his success in achieving the program will ultimately hinge on an "economic rebirth" in the coming year "The looming spectre of in creasing federal deficits and high interest rates simply can not be ignored,” Hatfield added Personal tax cuts should be postponed, he said, and a balanced budget must be achieved through "deep cuts in a bloated defense bud get" and in entitlement pro grams. Hatfield's press representa tive, Jack Robertson, said Hatfield agrees that the states could run some programs more efficiently, but only if the federal government gives adequate financial support Hatfield is “not in favor of decentralizing the structure by bankrupting the state,1' Robertson said Sen Bob Packwood, R Oregon, took a similar stand: "I agree we can turn over many of the federal programs to the states as long as there is a dollar-for-dollar match." Oregon will run these pro grams well, he said, and be more sensitive to Oregonians' needs r 0 Margie Hendriksen ! “It is a very clever strategy in turning the clock back to the days of great disparity j between the states. ’’
