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February 06, 2002
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Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f
(Tlfe |Jo rtlan h (Pbseruer
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National Security is Not Just About Investing in the Military
by
M aki an W right E delman
C hildren ’ s D eeen . se F in d
The C h ild ren ’s Defense
Fund understands and sup
ports the need for hom eland
security. We also understand
the im portance of protecting
the nation from enem ies that
would do us harm. But na
tional security is not just about
investing in the m ilitary; it is
about investing in children and
families.
We want every child and
family in Am erica to be safe
and secure. But too many
fam ilies are threatened by a
terror that comes from losing
a jo b , from not know ing
where the next meal is com
ing from or whether they’ll
have a roof over their head.
The President’s proposals
to fight the recession at home
do not go nearly far enough.
T h ey do not do eno u g h
to help the neediest A m eri
cans.
We applaud his com m it
m ent to education and im
proving Head Start and hope
his budget will reflect his
stated com m itm ent. We ap
plaud the restoration o f food
stam ps for many legal im m i
grants. But there is so much
more he can do to improve
the liv e s o f m any m ore
Am ericans. There are nearly
12 m illion children living in
p o v e rty in A m e ric a. We
worry that num ber will grow
given the econom ic down
turn.
The President’s economic
plan so far has favored the
w ealthiest one- percent of
A m e ric a n s . T h is n a tio n
should not give another tax
break to the wealthy or cor
porate Am erica or make per
m anent existing tax breaks
for the wealthiest individuals
and com panies until there are
no more hungry, homeless,
poor children.
For the annual cost of what
the President has already ap
proved in tax cuts to the top
one percent of taxpayers, we
could pay for child care, Head
Start, and health care for all
o f the children who still need
it— as proposed in the com
prehensive Act to Leave No
C hild Behind (S.940/H .R.
1990).
More and more working
fam ilies are losing their jobs
and showing up in greater
num bers in em ergency food
lines and hom eless shelters
all across this nation. We must
stop making it so difficult for
low-income working families
to be self-sufficient.
President Bush’s budget
should help working families
keep their jobs by providing
childcare and health care. If
he is serious about leaving no
child behind, then his budget
should reflect it. He should
put considerable investm ent
in the Child Care and D evel
opment Block Grant this year
so that two m illion m ore
children in working fam ilies
can have quality, affordable,
safe child care and enter
school ready to learn and
succeed.
If he is serious about leav
ing no child behind, he should
put considerable investment
in the reauthorization of Tem
porary A ssistance for Needy
Families so working families
can get the help they need to
keep ajob and lift themselves
and their fam ilies out o f pov
erty.
It is one thing to say the
words, it is quite another to
do what it takes to really
Leave No Child Behind. We
hope he will make good on
his prom ises.
Avoid Cuts That Hurt America's Most Vulnerable Citizens
Ecum enical M inistries of
Oregon is a statewide asso
ciation o f 17 Christian de
nom inations including Prot
estant, Roman Catholic and
Orthodox bodies working to
gether to improve the lives of
Oregonians through theologi
cal education and dialogue,
public policy advocacy and
com m unity m in istry p ro
grams.
In considering the various
proposals to rebalance the
irre n t state b u d g et, the
ioard calls on state leaders
to avoid program cuts that
hurt O regon’s most vulner
able citizens.
The group is strongly urg
ing state leaders to preserve
the safety net of services
that ensure the well-being
and future of all Oregonians
and believes that a long-term
approach to O regon’s fiscal
and tax policies is critical in
resolving the current budget
deficit.
The board also cautions
against cuts or the use of
one-tim e funds that exacer-
We have the obligation to
act in a way that does not
place short term political
gains over long term needs.
— David I^slie, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.
bate O regon’s recession and
prolong its fiscal and social
problem s. It calls on state
leaders not “to rob Peter to
pay Paul” by cutting educa
The leader of the nation’s oldest
and largest civil rights organiza
tion is helping raise awareness
about the hiv / aids epidemic in
the African Am eric.n community
ers who have also signed on
as National Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day spokesper
sons, including radio show
equity and equality
f„r African Americans hosts Tom Joyner and Con
gresswoman Maxine Waters.
ceo of the naacp has endorsed includes healthcare.
Support for an important
Feb. 7 as Black HIV/AIDS Aware- — Kweisi Mfume, NAACP
health initiative such as Na
ness Day, a nationwide community
president and CEO. \
tional Black HIV/AIDS Aware-
mobilization effort to emphasize t h e -----------------------------------
--------------- ■ ness Day is in keeping with
“state of emergency” the health
the NAACP’s mission of pro
crisis has brought to African Americans.
tecting and enhancing civil rights for African
The objectives of the campaign are to en
Americans and other minorities.
courage individuals to get educated about HIV/
“The fight for equity and equality for African
AIDS, to get tested and to get involved in
Americans includes healthcare,” Mfume says.
advocating for the resources to fight the dis
“The NAACP is committed to mobilizing our
ease.
people to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the
Mfume joins an impressive list of Black lead
Black community.”
and we are supporting him. Join us.
Bernie Giusto, Candidate for Sheriff, thanks the following
for endorsing his candidacy:
Hud Lasher
Multnom ah County District Attorney Mike Schrunk
Homer W illiam s
Senator Ginny Burdick
Pat McCormick
Senator Kate Brown
Fred Bruning
Senator Rick Metzger
Mike Lindberg
State Representative Laurie Monnes Anderson
Ron Sunseri
Multnom ah County Chair Diane Linn
Fred Sanchez
M ultnom ah County Commissioners:
tion to fund human services
or vice versa.
“Unless the state’s fiscal
and tax system is overhauled
for long term stability, the
resources and conservation
will decrease the need for oil,
minimizing the need to drill in
the Arctic National W ildlife
Refuge.
E cum enical M inistries of
O regon believes that the re
ligious p rin cip les of stew
a rd sh ip and ju s tic e calls
people o f faith to preserve
the environm ent and pro
tect this area o f A laska that
is c o n s id e re d s a c re d by
G w inch’ in Indians of north
east A laska and northw est
C anada.
Get Involved to Stop HIV/AIDS
i The fight for
T here ’ s going to be
a new S heriff
in M ultnomah C ounty
Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers
V
state’s most vulnerable citi
zens will continue to be at
risk to cuts in critical ser
vices,” said David Leslie,
executive director. “W e have
the obligation to act in a way
that does not place short term
political gains over long term
needs.”
The board also stated its
opposition to drilling in the
Arctic National W ildlife Ref
uge. It believes that the de
velopm ent o f enhanced en
ergy efficient products; utili
zation of renew able energy
Dick Stagg
Lonnie Roberts
Vern Alm on
Serena Cruz
Roger McDowell
Maria Rojo de Steffey
Richard Dixon
Lisa Naito
David Eichner
Portland C ity Commissioners:
OREGC S
SM0KEFREE
WORKPLACE
Lloyd Culbertson
Jim Francesconi
Kevin M inkoff
Dan Saltzman
Jerry Davis
Portland School Board Member Lolenzo Poe
Debra Yandell
Gresham Mayor Charles Becker
Ray King
Former Gresham Mayor Cussie McRobert
David Hendley
Troutdale Mayor Paul Thalhofer
Pamela Griswold
Metro Councilors for Multnom ah County:
Terry McCall
David Bragdon
L
A NEW LAW EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2 0 0 2
Norm Monroe
Rod Park
Gary Walker
Aldo Rossi
M ultnom ah County Deputy Sheriffs Association
M ulltnom ah CoLnty Correction Officers Association
Portland Fire Fighters Association
Gresham Police Officers Association
AFSCME Local # 88
Northwest Labor Council
Amalgamated Transit Union
II
UNDER OREGON'S
NEW LAW MOST
WORKPLACES ARE
REQUIRED TO BE
SMOKEFREE.
paid for by
Bernie Giusto for Sheriff
experience
♦ c o m m itm e n t ♦
For more information about the law, contact:
www.healthoregon.orft/tobacco or call toll-free 1-866-621-610?
leadership
PO. Box 1815 * Gresham. Oregon 97030
Á
J