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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2002)
______________________________ J î n r t l a t x b Q í ) b s m i e r _______________________________________ Apr» 24,2002 Page A4 Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f IH H H IH H H IH H H H H ilH H Ili I l ’e J i o r t l a n b ( O h s c r u e r USPS 959-680 Established 1970 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland. OR 97211 ■ 3 (Tljc:JiInrtlanh (JObseruer E O IT O K C II F I - IN - C H I E F , P U B L I S H E S Charles H. Washington H isis M a h a g e b ess D M a h a g e Mark Washington is t b ib u t io h Gary Ann Taylor A sst . P u b l is h e s The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PARI W ITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. E D 1 T 0 B Joy Ramos C b e a t iv e Michael Leighton I) b i b e c t o b Paul Neufeldt The Portland Observer-Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication-is a member of the National Newspaper Association—Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Repre sentative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver. P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer PO Box 3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR 9 7 2 0 8 Periodical Postage paid in Portland, OR • Subscriptions are $ 6 0 .0 0 per year 5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 1 5 • EMAIL: news@oortlandobserver.com subscriDtion@DOrtlandobseiver.com t f & w t l f f l t o t e e w r . w y LETTER TO Tl IE EDITOR Ballot Puts Quality of Life at Stake The fate of two im portant m easures on traffic and reduce our transportation choices. the M ay ballot could profoundly affect the It is being pushed by developers and special quality o f life of neighborhoods here in north interest groups, including Oregonians In Portland. Action, and is a stealth attempt to encourage M easure 26-29 is a responsible proposal by Metro to guarantee the health and livabil more sprawling developm ent that will be paid for by taxpayers. ity o f our neighborhoods. It will also protect M easure 26-11 also underm ines local some o f O regon’s best farm land without control by requiring M etro to interfere in allowing uncontrolled sprawl and all its nega local zoning decisions. It is a direct attack on tive consequences. 20 years o f innovative work by citizens and M easure 26-29 prohibits M etro from re local governments to protect neighborhoods quiring increased density in existing single and farmland by controlling sprawl. T hat’s family neighborhoods. It requires M etro to why the m ayors of all 24 cities in the metro carefully study large urban growth boundary area oppose M easure 26-11 and support expansion proposals, and notify nearby prop M easure 26-29. erty ow ners if an expansion will increase I urge my fellow residents o f north Port traffic in adjacent neighborhoods, or if their land to reject the destructive M easure 26- taxes will be spent for services like new 11, and to vote “yes” on M easure 26-29 to roads and sewers. protect our neighborhoods, our valuable In contrast, M easure 26-11 will harm our neig h b o rh o o d s and threaten som e o f farmland, and the quality of life that makes this region a special place to call home. O regon’s most productive farm land. This Gayle Killam poorly-w ritten m easure will also increase North Portland Children Need More Than Nice Words M arian W right E delman by W e w elcom e the President and the First L ad y ’s interest in early childhood. W e agree that a strong early foundation is essential for young children to succeed in school. However, reaching this goal requires substantial new re sources as well as strong stan dards for early childhood pro gram s. U n fo rtu n ately , the P resident’s budget proposals do not include a single new d ollar for child care for the next five years and do not allow any additional children to participate in Head Start or Early Head Start. T o d a y ’s proposal contains good rhetoric, but young chil dren need m ore than nice words. The P resid en t’s plan also im plies that m ost fam ilies' need for child care and early education are m et. W e beg to differ. Millions of parents are strug gling to pay for child care and early education. O nly one in seven children eligible for fed eral child care assistance gets it and only three out o f five eligible children can p a rtici pate in Head Start. Unfortunately, the President's budget proposals do not include a single new dollar for child care for the next five years and do not allow any additional children to participate in Head Start or Early Head Start. . — Marian Wright Edelman, Children’s Defense Fund. M illions o f child care pro viders earning unacceptably low wages are also struggling every day to support young children, The average child c a re p ro v id e r e a rn s only $ 16,350 a year and 30 states do not require providers to have any training in child d e velopm ent before they go to w ork in a child care center. Sen. Christopher Dodd and Rep. George M iller have intro duced legislation -th e Act to Leave No Child Behind S.940 and H.R. 1990 - that makes the investments and comprehensi ve improvements in early childhood education programs that young children need. O ur top priority this year is an increase o f $20 billion over five years for the C hild C are and Development Block Grant. T his w ould allow two m illion m ore children to receive child care help and offer new funds to bolster the quality o f care. To truly L eave No C hild B ehind, the P resident should su p p o rt these new in v e st m ents. Marian Wright Edelman is the founder and president o f the Children's Defense Fund. A Missed Chance for Health Care In an alarming survey, fewer and fewer small businesses in Oregon are able to afford health care. When asked if they provided health insurance benefits, only 59 percent of the respondents said yes, down from 70 percent in 1996. According to J.L. W ilson, state director o f the National Federation of Independent Busi ness, the culprit is skyrocketing costs in part due to dem ands state lawmakers place on health TAKE TRI-MET. insurers to include more and more procedures and treat ments. Alm ost 50 percent o f the survey ’ s respondents said they were hit with health insurance cost increases in excess of 20 percent. At least 15 percent experienced increases of more than 30 percent. “The situation is clearly be com ing a crisis,” said W ilson. “ W ith each passing year, we see that an ever-shrinking num ber o f sm all em ployers are Advertise with diversity in able to afford health benefits. W e are talking about a very significant num ber o f people w ho are being priced out o f the m arket.” W ilson blasted Oregon law m akers for failing to pass Sen ate Bill 8 or H ouse Bill 3993 during last year’s session. The m easures w ould have e sta b lished a basic, affordable health plan for sm all businesses to buy, shorn o f m any n on-ur gent, non-em ergency m an dates. f t ù tlX Ò ( 0 ll5 l'X ‘ XlXT call 503.288.00^3 or email: ads@portlandobserver.com Now, a Credit Union for You Come Join With Us Get more out of life Serving all who live, work, worship or attend school in the Portland communities of Arbor Lodge, Boise, Bridgeton, Buckman north of Hawthorne, Cathedral Park, China Town, Concordia west of 33rd Avenue, Concordia University, Downtown Portland, East Columbia. Goose Hollow, Humboldt, Irvington. Kems, King, Northwest Portland, Northwest Industrial Portland, Old Town, Overlook, Pearl District, Piedmont, Portland Community College-Cascade Campus, Portland State University, Portsmouth, Sabin, St. Johns, Sullivan's Gulch, University of Portland. University Park, Vernon, and Woodlawn. G e t t h e r e a n d h a t k w i t h a 6 - h o u r I ri-M et Q u i k l i k . 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