J u n e 6 , 2001 Page A 4 ÿ ta rU a n fc (ß b s e r u e r as Opinion ( J u r t la u íi 9 * CTTtje ^ o r tla n ò (©bseruer USPS 959-680 E s ta b lis h e d 1 9 7 0 STAFF E d it o r P C in h ie f , u b l is h e r Charles H. W ashington E d it o r Larry J. Jackson, Sr. B M u s in e s s anager Gary Ann Taylor A sst . P ublisher Michael Leighton C E opy d it o r Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f t o l ' V urtlani) (fibaeruer Oregon Must Blaze Trail for Mental Health Services O ver 10 years ago, m y son was diagnosed with a brain disorder A Navy veteran, who served during the Persian G u lf era, his experiences have given me a crash course in the frustrations and difficulties in navigat ing O regon’s mental health system. And after serving as a m ember o fth e G overnor’s Mental Health Alignment W orkgroup, this is what I know: O regon’s mental health system is fragmented and lacks space and ap propriate levelsofcare for our citizens with mental health disorders. Our jails are used as mental health facilities. Personnel who work in the mental health system are inadequately trained and supported. A nd the public errone ously believes that a person with men tal health disorders pose a threat to public safety. The num ber o f Oregonians with mental health disorders has risen 17 percent since 1990. There are 124,000 uninsured or publicly insured O rego nians who have a serious brain disor der, like my son. S e n . Avel Gordly grows, the insurance industry contin ues to decrease coverage o f mental health disorders, and m ental health medication. M any an O regon family Twenty-four per ‘ 1 W O U L D N O T W IS H O N can tell you horror sto ries o f u sin g c e n t o f th e se A N Y O N E T H E P A IN F U L A N D their life savings, people are not re N IG H T M A R IS H S T R U G G L E S ceiv in g th e se r M Y S O N , M Y FA M IL Y A N D I putting a second, th ird , o r e v e n vices they need, H A V E H A D T O E N D U R E AS fourth m ortgage and an additional WE W ADED T H R O U G H on their home, ju st 23 percent are not O regon ’ s M en ta l to pay for access receiving needed H ealth system ’ to m ental health medications. Y et - S e n . A vel G ordly services forachild, our budget to sup p a re n t o r o th e r port treatment and family member. They do so because m edications for the uninsured has they love their child, and they do not grown very little, if at all, in the past qualify for Medicaid, and because their decade. insurance does not cover serious men In addition, w hile the num ber o f tal health disorders. You and I would persons with m ental health disorders do the same thing. This is Oregon. We can do better than this, and w e must. Two bills working their way through the Oregon Legisla ture will go a long way towards improving the plight ofOrego- nians living with mental health disordeis. House Bill 3017 will ensure that all Oregonians have access to a basic level o f healthcare services that in cludes access to m ental health services on an equal basis with physical health services. The bill does so by using the Or egon Health Plan list to arrive at a basic health benefits pack age for al 1 Oregonians publicly or privately insured. House Bill 3024 provides forplans ofhow a local mental health authority will ensure the delivery of, and be account able for, clinically appropriate services in continuum o f care based on con sumer needs o f both children and adults. W e need 24-hour crisis ser vices. Com munities need secure and non-secure extended psychiatric care to help stabilize people and get them appropriate medications, ensuring a quality oflife. W e need dual diagnosis services and day treatment. W e need a civil com mitm ent process that pro tects the dignity and rights o f loved ones in crisis, yet permits placem ent in a secure psychiatric setting. A nd we need well-trained, culturally com pe tent professionals to w ork in all o f those settings. Creating a com m unity-based m en tal health system, with access to a range oflevels ofcare, m ust be a prior ity. I would not w ish on anyone the painful and nightm arish struggles my son, my family and I have had to en dure as we w aded through O regon’s M ental H ealth system. L et’s continue THE LARGEST, MOST COMPLETE RETAIL FABRIC STORE IN THE WEST J u n e 5 th rou gh J u n e 19, 2001 MAILER SALE! Everything in the store SPECIAL SALE 2 DAYS ONLY - JUNE 15 & 16 / ■ z \% I O F F All Fabric extended hours Saturday open til 9pm Joy Ramos Law Would Make Amends for 1921 Race Riot C r e a t iv e D ir e c t o r Robert Parker 4 7 4 7 NE M a rtin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Portland, OR 9 7 2 1 1 5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 3 3 Fax 5 0 3 - 2 8 8 -0 0 1 5 e-mail new s9portlandobserver.com subacdpdoneportiandobaervBrxxjm ads9portlandobserver.com O klahom a law m akers have ap proved legislation aim ed at m aking som e am ends for a 1921 race riot that left as m any as 300 A frican A m eri cans dead and destroyed dozens o f thriving businesses. T he Tulsa R ace R iot R econcilia tion A ct establishes a scholarship fund, w ith priority consideration for the descendents o f those w ho sur vived the tw o-day m assacre, but it does not offer reparations for riot survivors. “W e are in am ode ofhealing,” said state Sen. M axine H om er, one o f the b ill’s sponsors. “W e w ant to bring som e closure to the past, but w e also w ant to m ake sure that the past isn ’t forgotten.” T he act now aw aits the approval o f Gov. Frank Keating. The legislation follows the release o f a report by a com m ission appointed by the governor to exam ine the race riot, w hich exploded on the night o f M ay 31,1921. A n A frican A m erican nam ed D ick R ow land had been arrested earlier in the day and charged w ith sexually assaulting a young w hite female el evator operator. By evening, rum ors that Row land w ould be lynched had draw n an ugly w hite crow d to the courthouse. M ean while, A frican-A m erican veterans o f W orld W ar I had arm ed them selves, Oregon’s traditionofblazing new trails by leading the w ay on services for the m entally ill. W e must work to pass HB 3017 and HB 3024. It is the right thing to do for all Oregonians. determ ined to protect R ow land from the grow ing mob. H om er, w ho w as bom in T ulsa in 1933, believes the bill serves to create an accurate historical record o f “a very dark tim e.” “T o bring this up from u nder the carpet and get it w ritten and in d ocu m ented form m eans it w ill be in our textbooks. It w illb e ap a rto fh isto ry ,” she said. But the m easure has som e im pas sioned detractors, as w ell. T he bill passed the state Senate by a vote o f 32-13. The 13 “no” votes w ere cast by Republican senators, w h o contend the language o f bill paints all w hite people “as thugs,” said state Sen. Limited to stock on hand! KKRH DIPOI K it PON $1.99 i Butterick Patterns [ . l im it 6 p e r coupon * Valid 6 H -O 1 ■ 6 , 1-7 01 • 4 days only | O utdoor W arehouse • Now Open Daily 10- *1 • s2 • *3 • ' 4 per yard Minimum Cut 1 yard All merchandise as-is. All sales (mal BE SURE TO CHECK OUR STORE FOR “MANAGER’S SPECIALS” * Discounts do not apply to previously discounted or marked down items 6 5 0 1 thru 6/19/01 it) RETAIL HOI RS: r ('■ § / / STA R K street ★ M ()\ -FRI. 9:00am-9:00pin SATURDAY 9:00anv" 00pm si \DYY IDOOam-“ :00pm WHOLESALE HOI R5. MOY-FRI 9:00anv9:00pm SAI I RI)AY9:OO.im-’ :OOpm SLMJAY 10:00am-’ :00pm RETAIL - WHOLESALE 7 0 0 S.E. 1 2 2 n d Ave. P o rtla n d , OR (5 0 3 ) 2 5 2 -9 5 3 0 Visit our website at www.fabricdepot com 1-800-392-3376 P ostmaster : Send address changes to P o rtla n d O b se rve r PO B ox 3 1 3 7 P o rtla n d , OR 9 7 2 0 8 Periodical Postage paid in Portland, OR Subscriptions are $60.00 per year D E A D L IN E S FOR ALL S U B M IT T E D M E T E R IA L S : A R T IC L E S : SAFEW AY F O O D & DRUG Attention SENIORS N E W FO R SK NIORS O NLY... M o n d a y by 5 p . m . ADS: Safeway Senior Shuttle Service! I LSI In tro d ix in g a great n ew service for o u r n eighborhood senior citizens FREE grocery shopping shuttle j service' to yo u r nearb y Ainsworth & M L K Blvd Safeway Food & Drug I an d Renaissance M arket. T W IC E a ' M o n th ' O n o r aro u n d th e 3rd and 15th o f each m o n th This Service is FREE to seniors age 6 0 and over ArweSmon GnxWrMkw ond mfcne M U W OTMrtMffnW on if» iM W or any iwe J F rid ay by noon The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned ifaccom- panied by a sel f addressed envelope. All created design display ads be come the sole property o f the new s paper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage with out the written consent ofthe general manager, unless the client has pur chased the com position o f such ad. © 1996 THE PO R T LA N D O B SERVER A L L R IG H T S R E SER V E D ,R E P R O D U C T IO N IN iV H O L E O R IN P A R T W IT H O U T ’ LRMLSS IO M S P R O H IB Í TED. The Portland O bserver-Oregon’s OldestM'ulticultural Publication—is a nem ber o f die National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and l i e N ational Advertising Represen- ative A m algam ated Publishers, inc, Jew York, NY, and The West Coast Hack Publishers Association- Serv- ag Portland and Vancouver L O O M FO R O U R S P tC IA L R A I TR A N SPO R TA TIO N TROLLCY S IR V IC I S C H t D U L I PLYPR AT YO U R M L R RLVD SAPPWAY ond R C N A IS S A N C f M A R R P T FOR C O M PLPTP DPTAILSf Boneless Skinless Fryer Breasts Manor House. Individually Quick Frozen. Sold in 4-lb. Bags only, $6.76 ea. save up to $1.30 ib. Safeway L a rg e S w e e t C a n ta lo u p e Club Price Grown in California. SAVE up to 49< Ib. Ib. Safeway Club Price FOOD A DRUG ftfWCfMI RfRFRICfin CHfMWfR Of connu RCf OfORffiOfl For M o r e In f o r m a t io n C o il 503 5 7 2 0012 Available at Safeway: Visit Safeways Web site at www safeway.com Safeway Large AAEggs Braeburn Apples Dozen. Limit 2. (Indudes One Free) Washington Grown. SAVE up to $1.69 on 2 SAVE up to 52< Ib. BUYONCGCTONI PRICES EFFECTIVE JUNE 2001 Sun I M on j Tue Ib. Wed 0 K M tU S n Safeway Club Price Safeway Club Price n A pure» ■» ihn at tit nddtP * y«ur toed Sataww nom N m rnponab» tar al or prtonsl wren VW re w r* # » nRe ta œnwt 9 pnrwd erren On Buy Or» Get O e Free brtb wm» be purrtwicd The tawer « r e « twn free c 2001 S*w av Srores tat N o w th e savings a re in th e C a rd ! ALL LIMITS ARK PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY1 t