______________________________ J î n r t l a t x b Q í ) b s m i e r _______________________________________ Apr» 24,2002
Page A4
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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
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Established 1970
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(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
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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
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