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.