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.
EXODUS
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PORTLAND. OREGON 97211
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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.
I
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