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
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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.
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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.
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