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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 1993)
J uly 7, 1993 • T he P ortland O bserver P age A4 News From The Oregon Department Of Veterans’ Affairs Legal Aid Series Nine: Overpayments The welfare bureaucracy is large, its rules can be confusing and sometimes mistakes are made. Even by welfare. If you gel more welfare assistance than you deserve, you have to pay it back. You should know your rights and options before welfare comes after you. Getting public assistance, such as A id to Families with Depen dent Children, to which you arc not entitled is called an overpayment. Getting food stamps you don’ t have coming iscalled overissuance. These are both considered a debt you owe to the State o f Oregon. An overpay ment is figured by subtracting the amount o f benefits you should get from the amount you actually re ceive. Overpayments happen be cause either people on welfare fai 1 to report income or c ire umstances they should have, or the welfare worker sim ply makes a mistake. Whatever the reason, anyone on the grant at the time o f overpayment is respon sible for paying back the extra. I f you’re on ADC, and you gettoomuch.itdoesn’t matter whose fault it was. I t ’s s till considered an overpayment and you have to give it back. A ll o f it. I f you’ re owed backpayments, they’ ll be used to pay o ff the debt. You won’ t have to pay it back at once and there are on your food stamps unless you agree to let them do it. I f the bureau cracy made the error, you may agree to pay o ff the debt in monthly in stallments or let them cut back on your food stamps until the debt is cleared. But they cannot force a reduction in food stamps, or slap you with penalties for not paying back the overissuance. If, however, it was your fault, welfare may cut your monthly food stamps by 10 percent or $10, whichever is more, or in the case o f fraud, by 20 percent or $ 10, w hich ever is more. Any back food stamps owed you can also be used to pay the debt, along with your state tax re funds. Welfare may let you use cash or food coupons io pay o ff debt in three years. I f that’ s not long enough to pay it back, ask welfare to reduce your debt. And if you can’ t afford the payments, ask for a new pay ment plan. Remember, unless you ask for a payment plan, welfare w ill automatically cut your food stamps by 10 to 20 percent. But they cannot use food stamps to pay back ADC overpayment, or use you AD C to pay back food stamp overissuance. Throughout this whole ordeal, wel fare may accuse you o f fraud, and you should know what it means. Fraud is purposely giving false in several ways to do it. The amount o f your w el fare check could be reduced until the debt is paid off. I f your only income comes from welfare, yourcheck w ill be cut by 10 percent. But if you have other income as well, more than 10 percent w ill be taken. Note, how ever, if your overpayment happened beforeOct. 1,1981, your ADC check cannot be cut by 10 percent. Other ways o f repaying ADC is by cutting day care pay ments 10 percent, taking any state income tax refunds you have com ing, or, i f you’ re working, reducing any earned income deductions. This last method could result in getting a smaller we 1 fare check or no check at all. The welfare people can also sue you in court or ask you to sign a “ confession o f judgement.” If this happens, get legal help im m edi ately. It’ s also lime for a lawyer’s help when they threaten to garnish your wages or take your personal property. Talk to someone about your rights, and don ’ t sign anything you don’ t understand or disagree with. Collecting on excess food stamps, overissuance, works d iffe r ently. I f the overissuance was not your fault, welfare cannot cut back fo rm a tion to get benefits you shouldn’t be gelling . If you know ingly give false information or w ith hold information to get A N Y type ol public benefits, you are comm itting fraud. Welfare calls this“ Intenlional Program Violation” (IPV). If your case worker thinks you lied or w ith held information, a welfare investi gator w ill look into your case. W el fare cannot prosecute or ja il you lor fraud. But it ca ncu toff your benefits six months for the first violation, one year for the second and perma nently for the third. Your ADC can not be cut o ff lor overpayments that happened before Nov. 1, 1988. But welfare can also refer your case to the District Attorney for crim inal prosecution. Welfare fraud isaC lass C felony in Oregon. I f convicted, you could face fines, restitution, and in rare cases, jail. So i f you arc accused o f fraud, gel legal help and NAACP And Flagstar Reach $1 Billion Historic Accord To Expand Opportunities For Minorities Flagstar C om panS. Inc. and the The value ofthe Fair Share Agree- National Association for the Advance- ment o f Colored People (NAAC P) incnt is estimated to be $1.01 b illion over the next seven years in direct and signed a far-reaching and compre- hensive Fair Share Agreement to pro- vide greater opportunities for m inori- ties at the company 's restaurant and indirect benefits Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis. Jr., E.\- ecutivc Director o f the N AAC P. coin- menting on the agreement said. ” 1 am exceedingly pleased that after several months o f negotiation, the NAACP and Flagtstar, along w ith Richardson Sports, have signed a number o f his toric agreements, unprecedented in scope and magnitude. This b illion dollar package w ill set a standard for future relations between the C iv il R ights M ovem ent and corporate America and w ill enhance the struggle o f African-Americans and other ra cial minorities for economic empow erment and racial justice ” “ This historic agreement-one that w ill be a model for other coinpa- m es-is tangible cvidcnccofFlagstar's commitment totreating customers and employees fairly regardless ofthe color food service operations. The agreement, w hich covers 120,000 F la g sta r em ployees at Denny’s Hardee’ s. Quincy's Family Steakhouse, El Polio Loco restaurants and the Canteen contract food, vend ing and recreation services company, includes: * A m inority recruitment and training program designed to increase m inority representation in manage ment to 12 percent and in on-manage ment to 20 percent * Greater franchise opportunities fo r minorities. * A M inority Procurement Pro gram w ith goal for purchasing 12 percent o f total goods and serv ices, including food, manufactured goods, office supplies and services, construc tion and contracting from m inority- owned firms. * A pledge to increase the use o f m inority firm s for professional ser vice such as banking, insurance, ac counting , advertising and legal coun sel. * An ongoing random testing program, coordinated by the NAACP, or nearly 2,000 Flagstar company res taurants designed to ensure that all customers are treated fairly and to quickly identify any discrimination and take corrective action In addition, Flagstar w ill appoint at least one minority member to its board o f directors _ . . . . - ■ « i ___ " o f their skin or their racial heritage," said Jerome J. Richardson. Flagstar Chairman and C hief Executive O ffi cer. As part o f its effort to increase minorities in management and non- management positions, Flagstar w ill start a series o f m inority recruitment and training programs These include a M in ority Traincc Program designed to identify qualified m inority employ ees and place them in the company’ s management training and develop ment programs. A M inority Recruit ment Program w ill work through com munity organizations and educational institution to identify potential new employees.Flagstar w ill develop a Recruitment Action Plan that works been signed in a single day.” Flagstar has also agreed to spend 10 percent o f its radio and print adver • i 1» n i i n n r i t v x ii t ir * / tising budget <a w ith m inority r owned publications and radio stations and m inority producers and managers in the television industry. The company w ill also increase its use o f M inority- owned adv ertising agencies. In a coordinated effort w ith the NAACP. Flagstar w ill randomly visit its nearly 2,000 restaurants to ensure that all customers arc being treated fairly. The program w ill use an objec tive third-party survey firm to evalu ate whether restaurants arc comply ing w ith company policies and proce dures. The survey firm w ill provide regular reports to the NAACP and Flagstar and report critical situations immediately. crunch’ for rental housing develop ment; but other FHA loan guarantees also are being used to encourage lend ers to promote homcownership in our inner cities.” Because construction spending circulates throughout the economy. HUD officials say there w ill be $66 m illion in total first year economic impact from the construction o f these 738 apartment units, as wages get spent and constniction materials and supplies get purchased. According to Brinck. four o f the six projects arc already under con struction; and the other two should be underway w ithin 60 days In a d d itio n to the a lready approved 738 apartments, Brinck said that the credit crunch had created a backlog o f project applications for nearly I 5000 additional Oregon new construction apartments which could genera,'c 960 jobs, another $130 m illion in first year economic impact, and nearly $112 m illion in additional tax revenues HUD o ffi cials acknowledge that processing times toget FHA apartment financing can now take as long as a year, double or triple previous processing tunes. They say that, because o f the credit crunch, they have been swamped w ith financing applications for ncarlv 5.000 apartment units, new and existing, in Oregon, Idaho, and southwest Wash ington Also contributing to the delays, HUD staff say, are a loss o f staff and a wave o f 150 mandated existing apart ment refinancing o f 20-ycarold subsi dized projects, designed to keep these projects in low-income use for the next 40 years. HUD Manager Brinck. comment ing on the job creation and economic stimulus, said, “ The President and HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros arc committed to economic recov ery , and we’ re try ing to do our part to help We would like to do more, and do it faster, but we have to deal w ith the realities o f the staff size and workload that we have.” Brinck added that national FHA m u ltifa m ily problems recently re ported had, so far. been avoided lo cally He said that less than 1/10 o f 1 percent o f the more than $350 m illion o f FHA m ultifam ily insurance out standing in the Portland Office had resulted in a claim He also said the sales price o f the one project that resulted in an insurance claim would be more than enough to recover the amount o f the claim FHA apartment loans are made bv private lenders this alone. Multmomah County Legal Aid Ser vice provides legal advice and rep resentation to low-income people livin g in Multnomah County facing welfare problems. Appointments may be made by calling our North/ Northeast Community Law Office (In the Portland Community C ol lege Cascade Campus) at 295-9494. For telephone advice, call the W el fare Rights Hotline at 241-4111. Oregon Department o f Veterans’ A ffairs D irector Jon M angis an nounced that effective 6-29-93, the loan lim it was raised form $80,000 to $135,000on S ta te d loans Governor Roberts signed House B ill 2156 late yesterday approving the Director s authority to set a maximum loan amount using a reasonable formula For 40 some years, the Legislature has specifically adjusted the loan lim it upward “ It is helpful to have the fle xib ility to adapt for real estate costs as they occur; waiting 2 years to re spond to changes in housing costs was not responsive to Oregon s veterans, stated Mangis. O D V A Rate as June 30,1993; 6.7% fixed for a 15-year term, APR=7.06% 7% fixed for a 30-year term, A P R -7.23% Those eligible for home loans are prim arily the Vietnam era veterans, mangis is seeking changes to federal law s which restrict the criteria. Those interested in learning more about the loan program should call: 1-800-828-8801, ext. 2070 in Salem, 373-2070 Prostitution Arrests NE MLK And N. Interstate Avenue Communities To “Map” Out Transit Options What transportation options w ill ___________ __ be available to residents o f the four- through the NAACP. M inority Busi- ountyPortland/Vancouvcrmclropoli- ncssEnterprise Associations. national an area by the turn o f the century? Is civil rights organizations and state here an extension o f the M A X light employment, sen ices to identify new ail system in the future— both south employees. 0 Clackamas County and north to As part o f the Fair Share Agree- 'la rk County? ment. Flagstar has set a goal o f 53 As part o f the South/North Tran- minority-owned restaurants by the t Corridor Study, policy makers, end o f 1997. Flagstar w ill identify ansportation planners, engineers, specific opportunities for m inority nd citizens throughout a 45-mile pro franchises in m inority and non-mi- osed transit corridor, arc working nority neighborhoods and reduce tgether to identify the broad ranged potential barriers for minorities open- ossibilitics. To help the general pub- ing new franchised restaurants. c visualize the portions. Metro, in “ This is a red-letter day for the injunction w ith C-TRAN, the City N A A C P ,” stated Dr. W illia m F. f Vancouver, the City o f Portland. Gibons, Chairman o f the N A A C P ’ s nd eleven other local agencies and Board o f Directors. "These moincn- irisdiction are mapping out possible tous signings w ith Flagstar and ght rail alignments and other high Richardson Sports represent the larg- apacity transit options, such as a cst fair share agreement for African usway, asthc first step in considering American empowerment that has even oth feasibility and community sup HUD/FHANew Apartment Construction Provides $66 Million Economic Boost, Eases Credit Crunch HUD officials said that recent JD/FHA financing approval for the nstruction o f 738 apartments in the rtland metro area w ill create 479 »sand $12 5 m illion in wages, spur 6 m illio n in economic impact, and aduce $5.7 m illion in tax revenues [Note: The Federal Housing Ad- nistration (FHA) is part o f the U S ¡partment o f Housing and Urban jvelopment (HUD) [. The 738 new apartments, in six x n tly approved rental projects in 5 Portland metro area, w ill be fi- need using the FHA M ultifam ily ortgage Insurance program, sim ilar the FHA Single Family Mortgage surancc program used by more than ,000 Oregon homebuyers to pur- ase homes in the last two y ears. According to Portland Manager ck Brinck, the FHA apartment fi- ncing approvals illustrate F H A ’s le in improv ing the flow o f credit to s housing sector and in helping :al economies to grow Brinck said. Over the last 60 ars, FHA loan guarantees have lycdakcy role in encouraging lend- 5 to make money available for both n ta l h o u sin g and fo r imcowncrship In this case. FHA arantecs help build apartments and Mte jobs during a severe credit learn your rights. In any overpayment case, whether or not you’ re accused o f lraud, you must get a 10-day written notice before welfare is cut o il or benefits are reduced. The notice must ex plain how the overpayment was fig ured. Your welfare worker must explain the situation, and how the debt w il 1 be collcc ted. You can refuse to talk to welfare workers or inves ligators about the overpayment It s your right. I f you do talk, anything you say can be used against you. You must also be given a hearing, il you ask for il. I f you don’ t think there is an overpayment, or that welfare is charging too much, or disagree with collection methods, then ask for a hearing. You have 45 days to ask if ADC,General Assistance or medic aid is involved, 90 days for lood stamps. I f you ask lor a hearing within 10 days o f getting your no tice, your benefits won’t be slopped orcut, in mosteases, until adccision comes out o f the hearing. I f you’re being investigated, you can have the hearing postponed until you know whether you face crim inal prosecu tion or Intentional Program V iola tion. In any case, don’t go through North Precinct Officers arrested 11 women and 1 man on prostitution related charges during an undercover mission where, male plainclothes of port. ficers posed as johns, to make the Members o f the press are invited arrest The mission was conducted to preview some o f the hundreds o f from Thursday evening, July 1 till the feet o f mapping developed for a scries early morning hours o f Friday, July 2, o f regional workshops which have 1993. The one man arrested, was pos been taking place throughout the ing as a female prostitute The arrests South/North Corridor. The two map were made along NE M artin Luther segments being reviewed w ill cover K ing Jr. Blvd (M L K ) and N. Interstate the area from the Columbia River Avenue. Crossing (Jantzen Beach’ Downtown Sim ilar missions are expected to Vancouver), north to 179th Street and be conducted jn the future. SR 500 to Vancouver M all. Eighteen The Oregon maps w ill be display ed and transpor tation planners, engineers and com Thunderbolts Are munity involvement specialists w ill Looking For Players be on hand to explain and answer The Oregon Thunderbolts are questions about the Study and the gearing up for their fifth consecutive various alignment possibilities Please championship season and are cur jo in us. rently looking for Offensive Linemen Date: July 8, 1993 and Linebackers (preferably w ith col Time: l:3 o to 3 :p m lege experience). Place: Fort Vancouver High I f you arc interested in try ing out, School cafcteria/auditorium , 5700 contact the Thunderbolts at 579-3151. East 18th Street, Vancouver, W A PORTLAND OBSERVER "fhe Eyes and Ears ol the Community Office; (503)200-0033 Fax«: (503)200-0015 Washington Lottery Results Wednesday, June 30, 1993 • 02-05-13-17-25-45 Saturday, June 30. 1993 • 07-08-19-27-28-40 STUDENT SUMMER SPECIAL ■m r, i “ c O u P ON - 1 - . . , MTS’ SUMMtHol’EClAL I 1 Racquetball New Hardwood Maple Floors months / 1 Lifecycle Fleet 1 Aerobics Studio 1 StarT rac Treadm ills 1 Professional Instructors 1 Super Circuit Training 1 Fitness Testing/B ody Com position 1 Cardiovascular Conditioning • Child Care • N utritionist • Full Juice Bar • Wolff Tanning Physical Therapy • Indoor Swimming Pool • Jacuzzi, Steam & Sauna • Stair Climber Equipm ent • Next Generation' N autilus • Com plete Conditioning Equipm ent _ Daily Rates A vailable ~ 7& OPEN 24 HOURS WEEKDAYS — 8AM-8PM SAT. & SUN. Town Plaza • 5411E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver • 696-9841