Report criticizes lottery’s class expenses
The auditor criticized the
Oregon Lottery Commission
for reimbursing employees
for college courses
Ken Paulman
City/State Politics Reporter
It’s only rock ’n’ roll — but the
state auditor doesn’t like it.
A report from the auditor criticized
the Oregon Lottery Commission for,
among other things, reimbursing em
ployees for college courses the audi
tor deemed questionable. Lottery
Commission officials are defending
the classes as necessary steps toward
a college degree.
The courses specifically men
tioned in the report are “Fundamen
tals of Acting” and “Introduction to
Rock Music,” each of which was tak
en by a different employee of the
Lottery Commission.
Chuck Hibner, deputy director of
the Audits Division for the Secretary
of State’s office, said the purpose of
the report was to identify ways for
the Lottery Commission to cut ex
penditures. In addition to the college
courses, the audit also questioned
expenditures for travel, meals and
other training.
Lee Moore, deputy director for the
Lottery Commission, said employ
ees can be reimbursed for education
expenses as long as they are pursu
ing degrees related to some aspect of
the commission’s operations, such
as business administration or com
puter science.
The primary goal of the program
is to retain an educated work force,
Moore said.
“Once a person gets a degree, they
owe us two years,” he said. Moore
added that workers who leave before
the two-year period has ended must
reimburse the commission for edu
cation expenses.
Moore said both of the employees
in question were enrolled in degree
programs at Chemeketa Communi
ty College in Salem. The acting class
was an elective for a student working
toward an associate’s degree in busi
ness, and the rock history course
was for a student pursuing an associ
ate’s degree in marketing.
Both courses help fulfill liberal
arts requirements for Associate of
Arts degree programs at Chemeketa.
Hibner said it is not uncommon
for state agencies to finance college
courses for employees, but the
courses must be directly related to
the employees’ job duties. Because
the Lottery Commission is funded
by lottery ticket sales instead of tax
revenues, it is not subject to the
same expenditure restrictions as
other state agencies.
Nonetheless, Secretary of State
Bill Bradbury said the Lottery
Commission should cut expenses
for the benefit of programs that are
funded by lottery proceeds.
“Every dollar that the lottery
spends on administrative expenses
costs public schools in Oregon 63
cents, costs economic development
programs 21 cents, costs state parks
and salmon recovery programs 15
cents and costs gambling treatment
programs a penny,” Bradbury said in
a prepared statement.
Moore said the degree program is
cost effective in the long run because
retaining educated workers is vital
for the commission.
“Education is an investment that
we make in people,” he said.
Contact the senior news reporter
at kenpaulman@dailyemerald.com.
Grant
continued from page 1
Dishion said he and colleagues
Frances Gardner, of the University
of Oxford in England, and Daniel
Shaw, of the University of Pitts
burgh, established the idea. Melvin
Wilson, of the University of Virginia,
also contributed to the process.
The idea first arose from discus
sions at a 1999 conference in
Barcelona, Spain, called the Annual
Meeting of the International Society
for Research in Child and Adoles
cent Psychopathology.
Dishion became interested in
helping prevent risky behavior in
children when he was a student.
“When I was an undergraduate
in (the University of California at)
Santa Barbara, I worked as a child
care worker,” Dishion said. “1 no
ticed that some of the children we
were serving had behavioral prob
lems that interfered with their
health and happiness.”
Project researchers have now
developed an effective method of
parenting for the study that is
adaptable case by case for each of
r
the children and their families.
“We have a strength-based inter
vention program, so rather than
concentrating on defects, we em
phasize strength,” Dishion said.
At heart, the method involves
three key ingredients.
The researchers help parents an
ticipate situations that could lead to
bad behavior, emphasize nonphysi
cal discipline and focus on develop
ing a good parent-child relationship.
"We'd like to say
it's never too early
and it's never too late
to help kids."
Jeff Sprague
co-director,
Institute on Violence and
Destructive Behavior
“We focus on a set of skills we
call family management skills that
involve using proactive strategies
for encouraging positive behavior,”
he said.
Dishion said the panel of scien
tists chose his grant application be
cause of its solid science and focus
on toddlers.
Many say problems that lead to
substance abuse begin at a young age.
“We’d like to say it’s never too
early and it’s never too late to help
kids,” said Jeff Sprague, co-director
of the Institute on Violence and De
structive Behavior.
Sprague said children develop
habits in their formative years,
which may lead to problems when
they are older.
Other researchers concur.
“There are certain red flag things
that will get (the parent) in trouble
later in life,” said Hill Walker, co-di
rector of the Institute on Violence
and Destructive Behavior.
Walker said warning signs are
high-level aggression, severe
tantrums and strongly oppositional,
defiant behavior.
“The more practice vulnerable
children have in behavior problems,
the more difficult they are to
change,” he said.
Contact the reporter
atjilliandaley@dailyemerald.com.
Author & Artist Jan Eliot
Reading & Book Signing
Thursday, November 21
7:00 p.m. • Free
UO Bookstore
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
BOOKSTORE
More information online at uobookstore.com
g'lsill
Mak McCambridge Emerald
Terri Theobald puts a fiery novelty contact in her eye.
Eyes
continued from page 7
tested for quality or sterilization.
Mathers said the lenses might contain
more pigment or be larger than regu
lar contacts, which could reduce tear
flow and the amount of oxygen trans
mitted to the eye — possibly leading
to infection or corneal ulcers. Left un
treated, infections could lead to
blindness, a high price to pay for fash
ion’s sake.
“In a matter of days, that infection
can go from something that’s a little
uncomfortable to a hole in your
eye,” Mathers said.
Mathers said consumers who
aren’t informed about eye health of
ten trade their lenses as well.
“That is a huge problem,” he said.
“You’re trading your bacteria.”
This can spread viruses, such as
“pink eye” and viral conjunctivitis.
“This is highly transmissible and
very distressing,” Mathers added.
Roline said all this can be avoided
by following a few simple guidelines.
“The big deal is to understand
that (the lens) is a medical device
and has the potential to do harm if it
is not fitted well or maintained prop
erly,” he said.
These guidelines include visiting a
doctor for fitting — whether the pa
tient needs a vision-improving pre
scription or just wants the contacts
as an accessory — as well as learn
ing to insert and disinfect the con
tacts correctly.
Whether they want to support
their favorite sports teams with
logo lenses or attract attention with
extra-sparkly eyes this holiday sea
son, students should visit an eye
care professional.
“When worn appropriately, (nov
elty lenses) are reasonable to use,
and they are just as safe as other
contact lenses,” Mathers said.
Contact the Pulse editor
atjacquelynlewis@dailyemerald.com.
C>3
1 he Fertility Center of Oregon has
J helped many couples achieve
pregnancy since 1978. We are in need
of Egg Donors to help infertile women.
Procedures are done in a pleasant local
environment over a period of only six
weeks, and donors are compensated
$2500 for their time. If you are a
healthy woman age 21-31 and are
interested, call 683-1559 or visit our
website at www.WomensCare.com.