editorial
Two-parent families
need year-round aid
The 1985 Oregon State Legislature passed a measure
designed to provide families in which both parents are
unemployed with welfare benefits on a year-round basis.
Two bills were passed, one allocating $17.1 million to the
program and one providing for federal matching funds of
$27 million, to fund the program. Both bills were signed by
Gov. Vic Atiyeh earlier this summer.
However, during a news conference last Thursday,
Atiyeh surprised legislators by confirming that he was
thinking of reducing the program from year-round
assistance to assistance for only six months per year.
Through the program, which will be implemented in
1986. qualified two-parent families with two dependent
children will be eligible to receive a maximum payment of
$468 per month, medical coverage, and job-finding
assistance. A single parent of two dependent children
receives a maximum payment of $368 per month in addition
to the other services.
If the program is reduced to a six-month program, a two
parent family in which both parents are still unemployed
after the six-month period would have only two options.
They could try to survive without public assistance funds, or
one of the adults could leave so that the remaining parent
could receive assistance provided for a single parent. As
long as a single parent meets eligibility requirements, he/she
can receive public assistance year-round.
Because the state does not currently provide assistance
for unemployed two-parent families, this would leave many
couples in the position that they are in now. Many couples
would have no other choice but to separate. ■
The state does not provide any cash assistance programs '
for adults without children unless they can demonstrate that
they are not eligible for any kind of employment,, due to-in-.
capacitation. for a minimum of 60 days afte* applying.
Therefore, the state’s assistance programs-are primarily
designed to help the children of unemployed parents...But'
when the programs limit assistance to single-parent
families, it is the children who lose the most.' - ;
If parents must separate, the children lose the-guidance
and nurturing of one parent, and a valuable.role-model.'
They also must deal with the stress of having their parents
separate! and the burden of being raised by a parent with in
creased responsibilities. ...
Separation doesn't do the parents any good, either. '
Spouses lose the emotional support they receive from one
another. The spouse that retains custody of the children is
required to surmount the task of raising children without the
help of another adult, and is faced with.the additional prob
lem of finding and paying for childcare while seeking
employment. Parents who cannot afford childcare may. have
to leave even young children home alone.whilethey, search
for a job. ° *
The parent that relenquishes custody must undergo the
pain of being separated from the family, and must find a way
to provide child support. .
The two-parent support program is an effective way to.
deal with the problem of parents having to separate in order
to provide for their children. Cutting the program from a
year-round program to a six-month program will undermine
the entire purpose. Many families will still be faced with
separation. . . . ' . • • ■ .
Atiyeh signed Senate Bill 350. the bill tying'the pro
gram to federal matching funds, again on Friday in a ..
ceremonial signing called for by the program’s supporters.
He declined to comment on his earlier remarks that he was
thinking about reducing the program, however, disclosing
only that he would be deciding "very shortly.”
By signing the bills, Atiyeh has, in effect! already given
his approval of the full-year program. Legislative support of ..
the program has been demonstrated, and the money to fund
the program is availble. Atiyeh is stepping out of bounds by
announcing that he may withhold funds from the program.
We hope that he honors the wishes of legislators and the
people they represent by retaining the full-year program.
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taining fair comment on topics of interest to the
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i/9
HOUNDED RELENTUSSLY ON AfWHEtD BY1« ADMlNlSTBtftoN, SOUTH APRKTA
HAS \wmWN ITS AM6ASSA00R 1bTHE US. "
letters
Victims
Unfortunately, the • Emerald
. failed to adhere to its own
policy of not accepting adver
. tisements which' discriminate
against women and people of
color for the recent adsjODE Ju
ly .25 — Aug. 1) placed on
behalf-of''the restaurant.. China
-Delight. ’ .
' There are many victims of
• this type of journalism,.but the.
greatest victims of these ads are
the’ owners of the' restaurant.
This ' family business of good
. ‘people placed their trust-in an
American - friend's business
sense. They do not read English
and did not understand the con
notation of the advertisement.
The advertisements were sex
ist and racist. Sexist because
they presented women as pro
ducts to. be sold like food and
music.' ‘ •’
The ads perpetuate cultural
.standards which 'encourage
negative attitudes . toward
women as victims of violence.
Racial discrimination is
reflected in the characterization
-.of Chinese women as prostitutes
and is reminiscent of the slave
trade of the early 1900s.
* Just as demeaning is the-use
of Pidgin English to portray.
Asian people. The.use.of this
type of English reinforces .the
myth that’ Asians and Asian-.
Americans.are incapable of cor
v rect use qf. the. language; and
furthermore, it contributes to
the stereotype that, people who
speak. broken English 'are
inferior. .
.Clearly,, responsibility ‘for.
advertisements rests' with. the
Emerald, arid Cannot be shirked
by the. staff Increased staff
. t fa i nin g f e ga rdIng
di'scrimlhatory issues, is
required. .. V •
The Emerald, owes a public
apology ■ for offensive jour
nalism to the restaurant owners.'
It's, readers,, especially to- the
Asian.’ A.sian/Pactfic.'Americah
. community'.,and.to all women
Dianna Kale !
, (BruneiI of Minority
■ Education
. ■ ' . ' Cindi Kim
Asian/Pacific—American
. ° ’ • Student Union
' ' ; T. I.ien Shut!
Rape Crisis Network
Definition
Recently a petition to ban
"classified research" at the pro
posed Riverfront Research" Park
has been circulated . While the
concerns behind this petition
are laudable, the petition itself
. is too vague to determine what
research would be permissible, .
because the'.term "classified" is
never properly defined, and
often confused with "military"
or "weapons.'.’
What does' "classified"
mean? js it "classified by the
U.S. governmental agencies?"
Would proprietary research .
restricted from-publication still'
be permissable? Would research
subject to the ■ lapse of *
'.‘reasonable" time limits Indore
the publication of' results or .
methods he •“classified?" Could
* reasonable ’ ’ .be detejm i ned bn
a field, by field or case by case
' basis? Could research be per
formed by proprietary methods!. .
but its- results be published'
What about "raw.data." which
could not be published for pro
prietary or ethical reasons, but
which' could be. used for
statistical evaluation?. If the
results could be published:
Would the research be
"classified?" •. \
' ■ 5 - :
The real world Is complicated
enough to deserve a well dif
ferentiated treatment.
Molecular biologists, just like
.geologists, are not qualified to
draft a workable ’‘standard of
permissable research ”, !
May I therefore suggest that
those coricerned about
"classified" research enlist the
help of some sympathetic
members of the l.aw School to
draft such a standard. With
such.a document in hand, the
planning commission could
estimate its impact on the suc
cess of the research park and ad
dress the concerns behind the
request to ban "classified
research."
Nikolaus von Hargen
(•eulogy
Oregon daily • •
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