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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1982)
Portland Observer, April 1,1982 Page 5 Washington Hotline by Congressman Ron Wyden Q. The Health and Environment Subcommittee on which you sit this week voted out a weakened version o f the Clean A ir Act. How do you feel about the b ill as approved by subcommittee? A . I ’ m very disappointed— and concerned. The b ill passed by the subcom m ittee weakens p o llu tio n control requirements for stationary and m obile sources, allow s emis sions from automobile tailpipes to dou ble, and extends to 1993 the deadline fo r meeting health stan dards. The health implications o f this ac tion are serious— p articu larly for the elderly. Study a fter study has shown the serious health problems that can result from polluted air: d iffic u lt, labored b reathing, in creased susceptibility to respiratory infections, development o f chronic lung disease and/or exacerbation o f existing heart or lung disease. Sen iors, including the 63,502 elderly liv ing in M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty , are among the groups most likely to ex perience these problems. I feel very strongly that we owe it to our senior citizens to m aintain good air quality— and that the only way we can hope to achieve this end is by supporting a strong Clean A ir Act. We hear so much in Washington these days about the bottom line. The human bottom line under the subcommittee's rewrite o f the Clean A ir Act is that the health o f our el derly is being traded to Detroit for a paltry sum. Q. The House Aging Committee, on which you sit, ju s t released a study about fraud and abuse under the Medicaid program. What does that study show nationwide—and herein Oregon? Medicaid. I believe there are answers to both o f these concerns. Rather than turn ing the public against Medicaid, 1 be lieve that exposure and prosecution o f fraud will reassure taxpayers that money spent is spent wisely— and for what it was intended. Furthermore, I believe states can avoid the more costly court actions by pursuing stiffer adm inistrative penalties, such as suspension o f Medicaid providers. The goal in run n in g M ed icaid should be to get the maximum num ber o f health care dollars to people who need the care. U ntil we do that, Medicaid will continue to be a target fo r the budget a x — and the tru ly needy w ill be denied the care they need and deserve. A . According to the study, states have failed to crack down on M ed i caid fraud and abuse, at a cost to U.S. taxpayers o f $2 billion annual ly. It is no coincidence that this total represents approximately the same amount o f money that the Adminis tration has proposed cutting from the Medicaid budget in 1983. Regrettably, Oregon is one o f the biggest offenders. There have been only five convictions o f M edicaid providers in the state since the pro gram began in 1965. The state did not even employ a fu ll-tim e fraud and abuse investigator until 1979. States have a number o f reasons for being lax in investigating fraud and abuse. C o u rt proceedings are expensive and iim c-consum eing. M any fear that exposure o f fraud w ill turn public sentiment against La Prat's From the Boardroom Beautirama by Gladys McCoy, County Commissioner Lustra-Curl andTCB I t ’s budget time once again for M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty — a d iffic u lt tim e, indeed. W ith Federal and State budget cuts remaining unre solved, along with a depressed Slate economy, financial decision making at the local level becomes even more difficult. An assessment o f the general f i nancial con d itio n o f M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty was made by its Fiscal Status Task Force. Rather than make sweeping changes in the C o u n ty's fiscal approach at (his time, the Task Force recommended the continued attempt to make small gains whenever possible while the larger picture is still unsettled. The Task Force focuses m ainly on the recommendations (hat can be imple mented in the 1982-83 budget. It was felt that the measured revenue increases or expenditure reductions was the approach to be taken by the Task Force for making recommen dations. The Task Force issued its report to the C ounty on M arch 12, 1982, making both short-term and long term recommendations. A meeting has been scheduled in District 2 for Thursday, A p ril I , 1982, 5:30 pm, until 7 pm. Neighbors North Office, 7508 N . H e re fo rd , P o rtla n d , O R . The public is invited to participate in a discussion o f the Task Force Report. This discussion will focus on the recom m endations for the C o u n ty . Some o f the short-term recommendations are: restriction on departmental expenditure levels; ef ficiency cuts, attrition, program re ductions and consolidation o f func tions should be used as methods o f reducing baseline expenditures; per sonnel costs, in terms o f both sal aries and fringe benefits, must re flect the constrained economic s itu ation the C o un ty faces; in creased e ffo rts to find innovative ways o f providing employee benefits at reduced cost, especially in the area o f health care, should be en couraged; and, that a $2.00 annual library card fee be established for Multnom ah County Residents, and that fees for out-of-county residents be increased to $30 annually. Some o f the lo n g -term recom mendations pertain to the fo llo w ing: issues regarding urban subsidy; voter approval o f a new property tax base fo r M u ltn o m a h C ounty; and, development o f C ounty prop erties for the purpose o f generating revenue for operating expenses and *35°o enhancing the value o f the lan d, namely, the C ounty Farm and the Hoyt Hotel. I f you wish to discuss the Fiscal Task Force’s recommendations or anything else about the County bud get, please feel free to stop by and chat. M ultnom ah County faces in creased demands for services as Ore gon’s economy continues to worsen. Public input is vital to the decision making budgetary process. In addi tion to the above meeting on the Fis cal Task Force Report, the 1982-83 budget hearings begin in A p ril. A ll meetings will be held in Room 602, M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty C ourth o u se. Please request a Budget Hearings schedule fro m the C le rk o f the Board, phone, 248-3277. Your par ticipation at the Task Force meeting gives you a general scope o f the C o u n ty ’ s fin a n c ia l status. It also prepares you to better understand the County’s budget process. Please plan to attend as many o f the meet ings as possible. I w ould like my constituents to be inform ed about the County’s financial capabilities. I urge you to become involved in the budget hearings, share your con cerns, and make recommendations. No A p p o in tm e n t N ecessary Meet our operators: Marsha Brown, Darlene Searchy, Louise Pratcher Specializing in all curls and perms Renbow European hair colors, also cellophanes H ours open Mon-Tues-W ed: 9-7 Fri-Sat; 9-9 5126 N.E. Union Ave. I Portland, Oregon 97211 287-3317 Property tax relief deadline nears (C ontinued fro m page I column 3) grams are available at Assessment and Taxation headquarters. 319 SW Washington, Portland, 97204. H A R R P form s are available at many banks, post offices and O re gon Department of Revenue offices. Applicants for the Property Tax Relief Program should note (hat the Oregon Legislature has reduced the m axim um award fro m $425 to $287.50. The program is designed to pay as much as 30 per cent o f prop er,«' »«•— - but individuals may find the percentage varies based on the taxing district, the proportion o f A and B ballots and bonded indebted ness. Persons with questions about the program may call 248-3221. Some special filing requirements apply to persons who purchased homes after January, 1982, and to persons hold ing a life estate. Applicants should also note that the program remains in effect until the p ro p erty is sold or the owner moves. H om eow ners w ho move their place o f residence must notity the County or face a penalty. The Veterans E xem p tio n P ro gram exempts part o f the value o f the home from taxation if the owner is c ertified disabled. The Senior Citizens Property Tax Deferral Pro gram defers payment o f taxes until the owner dies or sells the property. Persons must be 62 years old by March 1 o f the year filing. There is no personal gross income require ment. In fo rm a tio n fo r these two p ro grams may be obtained at 248-3347. EXODUS ¿Tduca/u'fuiS a r u f ^ t r r /m c e t/ tyeei&e 1639 N .E. A lb erta PORTLAND. OREGON 97211 294-7997 Quadripartite Mental - Fitness In order to enjoy life on this earth and feel fulfilled and satisfied; one must re spect and protect the following four dimensions o f life support factors. To abuse, or to loose, or not to have a good quantity or quality of these factors one becomes destined to live under conditions o f misery and w ill feel the lack o f self-fulfillment. These important Dimensions are: "U o (1) The Dimension o f mental and physical HEA LTH . (2) The Dimension o f FRIENDS and friendly relationships with others. (3) The Dimension o f a place to live called HOME, the place in which you have an absolute right to be. (4) The Dimension o f MONEY, or some form of a medium of exchange, something that you own other than yourself. Knowing and understanding these Dimensions so as to respect and protect them with Wisdom is in part what Q U A D R IP A R T IT E M E N T A L - FITNESS IS A LL ABOUT. I t
