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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2013)
2 street roots March 15, 2013 We are all part of Portland’s safety net Getting real on the dental healthcare front We need to get real about dental healthcare in Portland and around the state. We see these problems every single week at Street Roots. It’s mostly emergency circumstances that require a visit to the emergency room (ER). In many cases, individuals simply try to deal with the pain and agony. Last year, the Pew Charitable T rust’s Dental Campaign compiled a report on the cost to states as people go to the emergency room with dental health care problems, shifting the expense on Medicaid and other public programs. Their report estim ates that preventable dental conditions were the primary reason for 830,590 ER visits by Americans in 2009 — a 16 percent increase from 2006. In 2010, according to the report, the num ber of dental- related emergency visits We have the opportunity to by Oregon’s Medicaid do great things on the enrollees was 31 healthcare front in our percent higher than just community. The decisions two years before. That we make today will have a translates into tens of lasting impact for millions of dollars in generations to come. emergency room charges. According to a 2010 study by the Oregon D epartm ent of Human Services, 20 percent of children had significant tooth decay in seven or more of their teeth. And a 2006 report by the same departm ent found that 16,000 school hours are lost in Oregon due to dental pain in students and emergency visits to the dentist. The statistics about the consequences for Oregonians with bad dental care go on and on. Street Roots has advocated for more than a decade through our news he city is faced with having to ensure that basic serves for the safety net continue at a time of great need. The city faces a $25 million dollar budget gap. The feds continue to cut services for the elderly and people experiencing poverty. The services that are By Israel Bayer on the chopping block at the city are many — ranging from winter shelter and men’s shelter to rent assistance. That’s not all; the list goes on and on with important services that provide a critical role in holding together an already vulnerable system — needle exchange, information and referral programs, etc., etc. The question that always comes back to our group from local officials and bureaucrats is, “What would you prioritize and what would you cut if you had a choice?” Is shelter more important than rent assistance? Does minority home ownership matter more than outreach workers for the mentally ill? Would you cut the Rose City Resource Guide or foreclosure programs? We believe none of these important programs should be cut, period. The city should work towards saving nearly $2 million dollars in life saving services for our community. Since the recession, we’ve seen a rise in poverty on an overwhelming scale. We’ve watched while local, state and federal budgets have decreased funds for these T Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach him at israel @streetroots. org or follow him on Twitter @israelbayer. programs year after year. Scores of people have died on our streets, literally. An already vulnerable system hangs in the balance. It’s during times like these that new and creative ways of thinking about creating resources emerge. Local businesses, the faith based community and non profits find new and innovative ways of delivering services and information. Elected officials have the opportunity to lead and to support the larger community at a time when more and more people have a growing mistrust of how government plays a role in the everyday lives of its citizens. We know that providing resources for these programs will not only save the taxpayers money and avoid costly system failures down the road, but that it also the right thing to do. We need Street Roots readers more than ever to make their voices heard. We are launching a campaign in partnership with a wide range of service providers and local citizens to help ensure that basic services are funded. The campaign is called We Are the Safety Net. You will find ways to get involved through Street Roots and social media and by visiting www.wearethesafetynet.org. We hope you will take the time to contact city officials to voice your concern. We’re hoping your will talk to your family and friends and find creative ways to support the We Are The Safety Net through social media. We’re hoping you will let your voices be heard. pages about th e n eed for a m ore ro b u st d en tal strateg y in our region and state. We’re headed in the right direction. With the opening of the Multnomah County dental clinic in Old Town we’re one step closer to being able to get at the root of the problem. We know that with the changing healthcare environment that we’ll have more opportunities in the future to serve a range of individuals that don’t currently have access. Putting fluoride in the water to treat tooth decay and to support dental health is a no-brainer. The idea that we shouldn’t put fluoride in our water is simply ridiculous. We don’t believe for one second that the City of Portland and a broad base of community health organizations would work against the public’s best interest when it comes to putting fluoride in our water. Having the evidence to support the fluoride issue doesn’t hurt either. We have the opportunity to do great things on the healthcare front in our community. The decisions we make today will have a lasting impact for generations to come. T here’s no better time than the present. Street Roots believes a more healthy community and is a more just community. We’re getting there little by little. B Y IS R A E L B A Y E R A 66year-old elderly woman sleeps in a doorway in downtown Portland. She told Street Roots she has been homeless for nearly three months. Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson I chairman), Heather Stadick (Treasurer), Eddy Barbosa (Secretary), Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander Volunteers on Fridays, and is available exclusively through our street vendors or by subscription. We are proud members of the North American Street Newspaper Association and the International Network of Street Papers. IIB fi Street Roots 211 NW Davis St. Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 Fax; 503-227-3117 www.streetroots.org www.news.streetroots.org Kara Dimitruk, Jesuit Volunteer AmeriCorps Member kara@streetroots.org Grant Writer Sarah Cloud Development Assistant Cynthia Kiehl Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Robert Britt, Sue Zalokar Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina Wright, Christopher Onstott Stay connected with us online through Facebook and Twitter Mary Pacios, Jan Bayer, Ann Ereline, Vinnie Kinsella, Sharron Thompson, Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Art Garcia, Joe Thick, Erin Fenner, Stacey Heath, Taurin Skinner- Macginnis, Amber Bielman, Bethany Hague, Michelle Holbert, John Lisifka, Rowen Cañóles THE ( XVi’E ii ST.VVKH í W '.,l.WI- Í gSMZSSO Street Roots Rose City Resource Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a comprehensive booklet of services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. To inquire about getting an order of the Rose City Resource for distribution, please write to pdxrosecityresource@gmail.com. Resources are also available online at www.rosecityresource.org. goes directly to the vendor who sold you the paper Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.
