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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1994)
P age A 7 T he P ortland O bserver • N ovember 30, 1994 Packwood Pushes For Approval Of GATT Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore. joined in a press conference last week with Vice President Al Gore, Sen. Daniel Moynihan, D-N.Y., several congressman and members o f the business community to push for im mediate congressional approval o f the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). “After eight years o f difficult negotiation, the U ruguay Round Agreement, which was negotiated by presidents Reagan and Bush and com pleted by president Clinton, is just two weeks away from being approved by the U.S. Congress,” Packwood said. “The agreement cuts global tar iffs by one third, tackles foreign ag riculture subsidies that have hurt our farm exports for decades, provides greater protection for patents, copy rights and trademarks o f U.S. entre preneurs so they no longer will be ripped o ff by foreign competitors, and opens new markets for U.S. banks, insurance companies, engi neers and accountants which export over $140 billion annually. “Simply stated, this agreemen is good for the United States, and it good for Oregon. Also, for thost who argue that the United States i: giving away its sovereignty, there i: nothing in this agreement that take' away our sovereignty. If worse come to worse, on six months notice wi can get out o f the World T rade Orga nization. So I hope that argumen will be put to rest, and I am going t do everything I can to see that GAT' is passed at the end o f this month “Putting Kids First” Bv K evin W . C oncannon New state laws and increased productivity have dramatically increased child support collections in Oregon. Legislators will consider new proposals to strengthen state enforcement. The poorest people in America are children and single-parent fami lies, their poverty often worsened by the fact that the absent parent is not providing child support. M orethan$580m illion in court- ordered support is owed Oregon chil dren. One begins to understand the challenge when it’s understood that many o f these parents never married and, among children bom to single parents, fewer than 15 percent re ceive child support from the absent parent. The lack o f financial support is often mirrored by an absence o f per sonal, social and emotional support, as well, which are vital to the healthy development o f children. A lthough Congress this year failed to enact welfare reform, which included stepped-up child support enforcement, Oregonians can be as sured that support orders here are being enforced as never before. Even tougher laws will be proposed to legislators. Two new Oregon laws gave us powerful enforcement tools: An occupational licensing law that permits the state to revoke li censes o f people in selected state- licensed jo b s if they are more than $2,500 in arrears. Already, 89 O re g o n ian s (w ho c o lle c tiv e ly ow e $880,000) have agreed to begin pay ments. A new employee reporting law, requiring selected employers to re port new hires within 14 days, result ed in collections o f $1.7 million in nine months. In the past, absent par ents would move from jo b to job, evading child support wage attach ments. These new laws - we will ask them to be expanded to all occupa tions - are bolstering vigorous efforts that more than doubled collections over a five-year period. Besides expanding O regon’s occupational laws, lawmakers are being asked to merge the two state child-support enforcement agencies - they are in the Adult and Family Services Division and Department o f Justice - and to add employees. The idea o f adding employees surprises some people, but they are even more surprised by the payoff: For every $1 spent to enforce child- support orders, $2,36 is returned to the state treasury. We estimate that this proposal would yield $33.3 mil lion in additional support for chil dren - beyond personnel costs - while also returning $4.5 million to the state treasury. People often ask us about the Maine experiment in revoking driv ers’ licenses for nonpayment. We are watching it closely, although the num ber o f revoked licenses is still small. Maine officials say they will also answer the question o f whether the law results in more unlicensed and uninsured motorists. W hatever the means o f collec tion, the message must be this: If you owe support, you owe it both to the child who is your responsibility and to the taxpayer who otherwise might support your child through public assistance. By doing so, Oregonians will be authentically “Putting Kids First” and making individual investments that will pay dividends for decades. Kevin W. Concannon is direc tor o f the Oregon Department o f Human Resources, the state’s health and human services agency. NOVEMBER IS ADOPTION MONTH Adoption agencies are celebrat ing National Adoption Month in No vember with special activities to bring attention to the need for permanent homes for over half a million chil dren nationally. G ive Us T his D ay, Inc. o f Portland and N ew berg is one o f the agencies in O regon c e rtifie d to p la c e c h ild re n in a d o p tiv e hom es. It is the only A frican- A m e ric a n a d o p tio n se rv ic e in O reg o n and one o f only 10 in the n ation c e rtifie d to place A frican- A m erican ch ild ren . Churches and businesses are be ing asked to support the effort. There are hundreds o f children in Oregon Southeast Precinct Command Change Volunteers Needed As Senior Companions M ariane H eisler, c u rre n tly the C ap tain in ch arg e o f the Fam ily S e rv ic e s D ivision, will be p rom oted to C o m m an d er, and w ill tra n sfe r to the B u re a u ’s S o u th e a st P recin ct on T h u rsd ay N o v e m ber 17th. D avid B utzer, who has been the P re c in c t C o m m an d er sin ce July o f 1992, w ill take over com m and o f the F am ily S ervice D ivision. T here w ill be a p rom otion cerem ony at 10:30 am T h u rsd a y on the 14th flo o r o f the Ju stice C enter. If you are 60 or older, on limited income ($767 or less) and would benefit from a meaningful experience, consider the Senior Companion Program. S en io r C o m p a n io n s are matched with at-risk adults in Mult nomah County private hom es where they may be providing home care after a hospital stay, monitor ing activities o f daily living on behalf o f their clients or provide information and referral. The rewards are numerous and include up to a $200 tax-free al lowance, daily meal, transporta tion costs, paid time off and sick leave. If you or someone you know is interested in devoting 20 hours per week in helping others, call Metropolitan Family Service a non-profit, equal opportunity em ployer at 249-8215 and learn more about the Senior Companion Pro gram or about other programs o f the agency. ENROLL MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU Tap mioTHt source oi * Consumer v Information Center consumer information Department Source CATALOG Send your name Pueblo. Colorado 810Ö9 • and address to * > A • Experienced staff • Nutritious lunch/snacks • RN • Diversity among children &. staff • Creative Movement Class 8 7 2 -2 4 0 0 Providence Child Center • 830 N.E. 47th Avenue . * • LISCENSED IN OREGON SINCE 1975 Singles & Seniors, I can help you! ADVERTISE IN “1st Class Gaurantee” A-ZEBRA Lmb call (503) 288-0033 EL r m l s rcaltoa George A. Hendrix MBA, GRI, Broker J.L.S. Lawn Service The Bee Company, Inc. GROCERIES AT WHOLESALE PRICES 800 N. KILLINGSWORTH (503) 283-3171 Bad’s SWViCB Speedy Service Friendly Call For Quote heating oils Best Cash Prices 104 NE Russel Portland, OR 97212 282-5111'' Q ■ac.-str' Realty Inc. 300 NE Multnomah, Suite #16 Portland, Oregon 97232 (503) 230-1390 • (Res.) 287-6837 Q u e stio n s a b o u t n \* . RECYCLING? ? W e h ave ANSWERS. (and free refrigerator m agnets!) Painter Metro Recycling Information 249-1719 or 778-9360 M ETRO Family Owned and Operated in N. Portland tor over 38 YEARS! FALL Ages 214 to 6 M o n d ay - Friday • 7 a.m . - 6 p.m . The largest paper money ever issued was the one kwan note of the Chinese Ming dynasty issue of 1368 to 1399. It measured nine by 13 inches. Estimates FOR P rovidence M ontessori S chool OObscrucr “By shopping the Bee Co. before your regular superm arket, you are putting money in your pocket! We may not have everything you are looking for, but what you do find you will sav e a minimum of at least 20% OFF regular prices! Canned and packaged, Frozen Food, Deli, Detergent and Pet Food, and much much more! That is why it pays to STOP Here First! We are open Mon-Sat. 9:00-5:30 p.m. Food Stam ps Welcome!” NOW NEW! M o rn in g H a lf'd a y M ontessori Class (Ebe office: 503-335-0263 pager: 503-940-7721 who do not have parents or whose parents are unable to care for their children. Give Us This Day has proven that youth can be stabilized and helped with supportive family ser vices. The organization needs re sources to increase its capacity to help youth 4712NE 66th Ave Portland OR 97218 234-3000
