Portland Observer, April 8,1 9 6 2 Page 5
Washington Hotline
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by Congressman Ron Wyden
This week the Washing ton Post
and A B C N ew i releaied a poll
which (hows that older Americans
are running scared.
According to that poll, a majority
o f the elderly believe they currently
have a better life than many o f their
predecessors: that access to ade
quate housing and necessary medi
cal care is no longer a serious prob
lem for many elderly.
But, the poll showed, the elderly
still believe that the government is
not doing enough for the elderly—
and they fear it m ight be ready to
take away what com forts they do
have.
A central theme in the worry was
Social Security. According to poll
results, a majority o f the elderly fear
Social Security benefits w ill be re
duced. And they don't believe any
one will pick up where the govern
ment leaves o ff.
Those fears are not without their
basis in fact. The most recent report
from the Social Security System's
trustees shows that the program
needs responsible re fo rm — and
now.
A cco rd in g to that re p o rt, the
long-range prospects for the old age
and disability funds is fairly bright
— at least until the turn o f the cen
tury when the Baby Boom genera
tio n begins to re tire . T h e short-
range prospects are less cheery. In
fact, according to the report, under
current economic conditions the old
age and disability funds could begin
to run dry as early as the end o f next
year— with the Medicare fund fac
ing a similar situation by 1986-1991.
The Medicare fund, unlike the old-
age and disability funds, is unlikely
to bounce back on its own, the re
port showed.
These continuing problems point
up the need for responsible reform
o f all three funds. The emphasis on
responsible is not incidental.
By madly rushing to drastically
slash benefits or hike taxes, we do
nothing to solve the system's real
problems— and a whole lot to add to
the fears o f the elderly.
W h at is called for is a carefully
thought-out plan that w ill not cut
earned benefits o f today's retirees,
but will still provide the system with
the b u ffer it needs to make it over
the hump. We also must enact some
long-range reform s to ensure the
s ta b ility o f the system when the
Baby Boom generation begins to put
pressure on it once again. F or ex
am ple, one o f the long-range re
forms 1 have suggested is to conso-
lodate some o f the “ social p ro
g ra m *’ com ponents o f Social Se
curity w ithin other agencies— thus
avoiding duplication and unneces
sary cost.
Although Medicare appears to be
in better immediate financial shape
than the other two funds, it will ulti
m ately be in the most serious
trouble i f comprehensive reform s
are not forthcoming. T h at is why I
have proposed legislation to totally
revamp the way Medicare pays hos
pitals and other health care pack
ages up front, instead o f just hand
ing the providers a blank check to
nil in after the fact.
PDC offers low-cost homes
To qualify for purchase o f one o f
the houses, in d ivid u als must fa ll
w ithin the D evelopm ent C om m is
sion's income limitations on family
size and gross monthly income. For
example, a single person who has a
gross monthly income o f $1373 will
qualify, while a two-person family
must make no more than $1800 and
a fa m ily o f four no more than
$2250.
T o id e n tify p o te n tial buyers,
P D C maintains a list o f interested
purchasers and when a house be
comes available, all qualified buyers
are notified. I f the purchaser fits the
income guidelines and wants to add
ON OUR PROPOSED
Call us. Write us. C om e to a public hearing.
We want your comments on our proposed
new wholesale power rates
We re Bonneville Power Administration We
wholesale power In Washington. Oregon.
Idcbo. western Montana, an d parts of
California. N ev a d a . Utah an d W yoming
Our rates will have to g o up beginning October 1.
1982 There are several reasons Major ones are
The increasing cost of financing three Washington
Public Power Supply System projects Inflation.
Energy conservation programs an d resource
acquisitions under the Regional Power Act Rising
operating an d maintenance costs
We at Bonneville don't set the rates that you. the
consumer, p ay for electricity But what w e charge
your local utility is a factor in the rates you p a y
That's why we want your views on our rate
proposal
Submit oral or written comments a t a public
hearing (see schedule)
Or. send written comments to our Public
Involvement Coordinator. PO. Box 12999. Portland.
Oregon 97212
The Portland Development Com
mission is curren tly p ro vidin g an
o p p ortu n ity for P o rtla n d ’s lower
and m oderate income residents to
purchase houses with below market
rate financing. C urrently, 3 houses
are fo r sale by the Developm ent
Com m ission through its Recycled
Housing Program.
Begun in 1978, and made possible
by a $600,000 grant from the U .S.
Department o f Housing and Urban
Development, the Commission pur
chases abandoned and vacant
houses in inner-city neighborhoods
for rehabilitation and resale to low
and moderate income families. Pro
ceeds from the sales o f these homes
are returned to the Recyle Housing
Fund that allows for purchase and
reh ab ilita tio n o f other houses. So
far, P D C has provided 18 families
with homcownership opportunities.
Over h a lf o f the people who have
b e n ifitte d from the program are
minority.
The in itia l idea for the program
came from a request from commu
nity groups, such as A lb in a F air
Share, to develop a program which
would eliminate the blighting influ
ence o f vacant, unmaintained hous
ing units. T w o m ajor needs o f the
community are addressed: first, re
turnin g vacant and abandoned
housing back to the C ity ’s housing
stock and second, p ro vidin g low
and m oderate incom e persons
h o m e o w n e rs h ip o p p o r tu n itie s
through creative fin an cin g o f the
house. The concept o f the revolving
fund assures the continuation of the
Recycled Housing Program.
WANT
YOUR
VIEW S...
All comments received before the close of
hearings will b e considered
HEARING SCHEDULE
Registration 7 p.m.. hearings 7 30 p m.
Portland, Oregon - Monday. April 12
BPA Auditorium
1002 N.E. Holladay Street
Eugene. Oregon - Tuesday, April 13
Eugene Hifton. Wilder Room
66 E. Sixth Street
Boise. Idaho - Wednesday. April 14
Hall of Mirrors. East Conference Room
700 W State Street
Missoula. M ontana - Thursday. April 15
For more information, write to our Public
Involvement Coordinator or call toll tree in
Oregon. 1 -000-452-8429 m other Northwest states.
1 800-54 Z 6048
Holiday Inn. Grizzly Den
Highway 10 W a n d E Mullen Road
Remember. What you say count».
Spokane. Washington - Wednesday, April 21
Richland. Washington - Tuesday, April 20
Federal Building Auditorium
825 Jadwin Avenue
R am oda Inn - Airport
Seattle. Washington - Thursday. April 22
Seattle Center. Shaw Room
First Avenue N. an d Republican Street
his name to the list, he should con
tact the Commission, whose staff is
available to help in all aspects o f the
purchase, from arranging financing
to loan processing.
The Commission has recently se
cured $ 9 0 0,0 0 0 o f below -m arket
rate financing for prospective pur-
houses are $320 to $380 and include
taxes and insurance.
The houses for sale have either 2
or 3 bedrooms and all have new wall
to w all carpeting. T w o o f the
houses, each with 2 bedrooms, have
Victorian-like exteriors, with ornate
attic windows. Four o f the houses
Pause with Pepsi............
............. and step into history.
B lanche Kelso Bruce
(1841-1898)
chasers through the State o f O re
gon’s Single Family Mortgage Pur
chase Program (S F M P P ), allowing
for the flexible financing. Designed
to aid the firs t-tim e home buyer
with a moderate income, the finan
cing package fo r purchasing a re
cycled house would be a 5 per cent
down payment, a first mortgage at
the S F M P P 9 Vi I t interest rate (30
year term) and a $15,000 rehabilita
tion loan from the PD C at 3 per cent
interest rate (20 year term).
Currently for sale are 5 houses, all
in N o rth or N ortheast P o rtla n d ,
that range from $37,000 to $44,500.
Typical monthly payments on these
Garden cultivators or tro w e ls ................................................................... 81.25
Leather work gloves...................................................................................... 2.96
Flower gardening books..................................................................................... 1 -96
Fresh From The Garden Cookbook................................................................... 1 35
Cream-corn extractor....................................................................................... 80
Sunglasses .................................................................................................... 3 00
A lw a y s S o m e th in g N e w A t A B argain Price
Open 7 days a w eek, 9 30 am-6 pm
424 S.E. Grand • 239-9098
feature brand new kitchens, com
plete with new cabinets and fixtures.
All the houses have been recently re
habilitated and are ready for occu
pancy. though some interior finish
ing may be required by the p u r
chaser.
Interested purchasers should con
tact the Development Commission
and fill out financial data to deter
mine qualification. Interested per
sons may call 248-4800 to get their
name on the list; individuals that
would like to see a house may call
248-4967.
U .S . S E N A T O R
FR O M M IS S IS S IP P I.
B o rn in s la v e ry in
F ra m v ille , V a ., he es
caped to fre e d o m d u r
in g th e C iv il W a r. He
a tte n d e d O b e rlin C o l
le ge a n d b e c a m e a
M ississip p i p la n te r a f
te r th e C iv il W a r. He
th e n fo llo w e d a p o liti
cal c a re e r, b e c o m in g
S e rg e a n t-a t- A r m s to
th e M is s is s ip p i S ta te
Senate in 1870, and as
sessor, s h e riff and tax
c o lle c to r o f B o liv a r
C o u n ty , M is s ., u n til
1872. F rom 1875 to
1881 he w a s a U .S .
S e n a to r, and m e m b e r
o f Senate C o m m itte e s
on P e n s io n s , E d u c a
tio n , L a b o r M a n u fa c
tu re rs , and Im p r o v e
m ent o f the M ississippi
R iver and its t r ib u
taries. He w a s tru s te e
o f H o w a rd U n iv e rs ity
fo r m a n y y e a rs , and
w a s th e fir s t B la ck to
be a p p o in te d R egister
o f th e T re a s u ry (in
1881).
TakeHie
Pepsi Challenge.
Let your taste decide.
I