WWW . THESKANNER . COM
F EBRUARY 15, 2012
P ORTLAND , O REGON
V OLUME XXXIV, N O . 7
25
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C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW
TriMet
Budget
Cuts
HAVING FUN
Agency wants public
comment on drastic
service changes
By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
PHOTO COURTESY ON-THE-MOVE
T
riMet has a plan to cut $17 million
from its budget, through raising fares,
eliminating fareless square, and
requiring new tickets for return journeys, no
matter how short the trip. The plan includes
changes to the LIFT service, fewer MAX
and bus trips and eliminating fareless
square.
General Manager, Neil McFarlane says to
cover its projected budget shortfall, the
agency must cut costs. But TriMet will
change its plan, depending on what riders
say. The proposals must be finalized by
April. So now is the time to let TriMet
know what you think.
“Every one of our proposals ends up
changing dramatically depending on what
we hear from our customers,” McFarlane
told The Skanner News. “A lot of the
changes are at a very micro level. That’s
why it is really important that people look at
this and give us feedback.”
About 80 people turned out to an open
budget hearing, Feb. 9, at the Immigrant and
Refugee Community Organization in East
Portland, to offer their views. The meeting
was just one in a series of Budget Hearings
that McFarlane hopes will bring riders out
to express their views on the budget.
Johnell Bell, TriMet’s director of equity
and diversity said the proposal to make all
tickets one-way only provoked most con-
cern at the meeting. Currently 4.5 percent
of rides are round trips using a transfer.
Those riders would need to buy two tickets.
“A lot of folks certainly support the elim-
ination of the free rail zone,” Bell said.
“And there is general support of the flat
fare, specifically the all-day pass.”
Under the proposal, adults would pay
$2:50 for a single ticket and $5 to travel all
day. Youth would pay $1:65 for a single
ticket and $3:30 for a day pass. The honored
citizen rate would be $1 single and $2 all-
Advocates say that, compared to majority families, families of color have greater difficulty in accessing and utilizing
social services and are less likely to receive innovative or best-practice services such as a family support system and
employment support.
Getting Out, Making Friends
Socializing Colorfully serves special needs people of color
Bruce Poinsette
Of The Skanner News
O
n-the-Move Communi-
ty
Integration
is
holding monthly gath-
erings for its Socializing
Colorfully Group, the only
group of its kind that directly
serves people of color with
developmental disabilities.
“People of color with devel-
opmental disabilities tend to
think they’re the only ones,”
says Deborah Waggoner of
On-the-Move. “We decided to
bring in a program where they
can meet each other, learn
about each other’s culture and
make friends.”
Advocates say that, com-
pared to majority families,
families of color have greater
difficulty in accessing and uti-
lizing social services and are
less likely to receive innova-
tive or best-practice services
such as a family support sys-
tem and employment support.
Research shows that barriers
to these services come from
issues related to poverty,
racism and lack of culturally
relevant programs.
Socializing Colorfully cur-
rently serves about 15 clients.
Base funding for the pro-
gram comes from grants from
Meyer Memorial Trust and SE
Uplift. All of the money for the
program comes from dona-
tions and grants.
It is part of the larger work
On-the-Move does with peo-
ple
with
developmental
disabilities.
The group, which was
founded in June 2007, is a
licensed provider organization,
which allows it to take on con-
tracts for services. It also gets
money for day to day services
through the Oregon Brokerage
System.
Molly Mayo, executive
director of On-the-Move,
defines developmental disabil-
ity as a diagnosis that allows
people to receive services that
help them deal with day to day
needs.
“It’s a combination of cogni-
tive and adaptive behavior,”
See SOCIAL on page 3
See TRIMET on page 3
INDEX
Senate Backs Kitzhaber Health Overhaul
News ...................2,3,6
State report says plan could save $3.1 billion over five years
Opinion ..................4,5
By Jonathan J. Cooper
The Associated Press
A & E .................7,8,10
Food..........................9
Bids/Classifieds ........11
SALEM, Ore.— Turning back a Republi-
can effort to limit liability in medical
malpractice cases, the Oregon Senate on
Tuesday advanced Gov. John Kitzhaber’s
proposal to redesign Oregon’s health care
system beginning with the Oregon Health
Plan.
The Senate was the steepest hill for
Kitzhaber’s initiative, and approval there on
a 17-13 vote smooths its path into law. The
measure next goes to the House, where it is
likely to have more support.
The measure would overhaul the health
care system to improve coordination of care
and reduce hospital stays — an approach
that proponents say would lead to healthier
patients and lower costs. It’s an attempt to
control health care costs that are growing
faster than state revenue and threaten to
limit funding available for schools, police
and other government priorities.
A state-funded report says the plan would
save at least $3.1 billion over five years.
``This bill transforms for the better the
way our state delivers care for those in
See HEALTH on page 3