NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Task force recommends how to cut Oregon’s pension deficit
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
“The governor’s pawn shop politics won’t fix PERS.”
— Knute Buehler, Republican candidate for governor
SALEM — A task force
delivered its final report
Friday to Gov. Kate Brown
on options to shrink the
state’s bloated pension-fund
deficit by $5 billion over the
next five years.
Two of the suggestions
— including privatizing the
state’s public universities —
didn’t thrill the Democratic
governor.
Brown’s main Republican
rival in next year’s guberna-
torial race, Knute Buehler,
threw cold water on another
option: raising taxes on beer
and wine.
Brown
thanked
the
seven members of her task
force for their research and
commitment to identify
ways for Oregon to keep
its promise to retirees. She
had convened the task force
to identify opportunities to
pay up to a quarter of the
Public Employee Retirement
System’s, or PERS, unfunded
liability.
At the end of 2016, it was
estimated that PERS lacked
25 percent of the funds
needed to pay the projected
benefits employees have
already earned, the task force
report said.
That deficit has ballooned
to at least $25.3 billion,
according to a calculation
released in September. It is a
huge problem bedeviling state
lawmakers and other officials
who aim to balance the state’s
budget without depriving
retired and current public
sector employees — including
those who work for the state,
counties, cities and school
districts — of their promised
pensions.
The task force examined
state assets, one-time revenue
streams, and assets of other
public employers that could
be sold, bonded against or
otherwise leveraged in order
to cut the pension system’s
unfunded actuarial liability.
They urged the governor
and other state officials to
weigh the benefits and costs
of acting on the options
“against the expected down-
sides of inaction.”
One option looked at
several state-controlled enti-
ties that maintain substantial
amounts of cash and short-
term investments to cushion
against financial downsides,
and said the money could be
pooled, with some transferred
to PERS to reduce the deficit.
Woman who bilked retiree
out of $3M gets prison
BRIEFLY
Missing hunter found
alive in Mount Hood
National Forest
PORTLAND (AP) — A hunter
has been found alive southeast of
Portland after leaving his group
and failing to return.
The Clackamas County
Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday
that Nicholas Benim was located
by U.S. Forest Service personnel
west of Hideaway Lake in the
Mount Hood National Forest.
The hunter left his group
Sunday afternoon and was due
back a few hours later.
The sheriff’s office says the
34-year-old Molalla man was
reportedly in OK condition and
was being taken to meet family
and friends.
Autopsy provides
clues in death of teen
at bus stop
CENTRAL POINT (AP) —
An autopsy is narrowing the focus
in the search for the person who
hit and killed a 13-year-old girl
who was waiting for the school
bus at the end of her driveway in
rural southwestern Oregon.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s
Department said Wednesday that
Meadow Boyd was likely struck by
something extending from a passing
vehicle, such as a side mirror,
mounted rack, trailer or cargo.
Authorities say the driver
would have known they struck
something but might not have
realized it was a person.
It was dark and there were
garbage bins at the end of the
driveway.
Meadow was found lying
alongside the 5100-block of
East Evans Creek Road, north of
Rogue River, by a passer-by.
pink bunny costume.
Sgt. Chris Burley says the
stabbing happened shortly after
5 a.m. Wednesday in Old Town
Chinatown. He says the victim was
approached and then attacked by a
costumed man he didn’t know.
Officers searched for a
suspect, but could not find
anyone matching the description.
An ambulance took the victim
to the hospital after officers
provided first aid.
Medford may
expand bad behavior
‘exclusion zone’
MEDFORD (AP) — Medford
may expand a new “exclusion
zone” that bars people engaging
in certain behaviors from entering
the city’s downtown core.
The Mail Tribune reported
Wednesday that the exclusion zone
in the downtown area appears to
have created problems with public
drunkenness, graffiti and public
urination elsewhere in the city. The
law was passed in April.
Jackson County Administrator
Danny Jordan sent a letter Sept.
27 asking the city to expand the
boundaries of the zone to include
the Jackson County Courthouse
and other county buildings.
Homeless advocates say
the law unfairly criminalizes
homelessness and an expansion
of the zone could impact people
using a warming shelter.
The City Council will consider
the new boundary request at a
meeting Thursday.
BEND(AP) — A lawsuit
alleges Deschutes County
prosecutors couldn’t file charges
in an alleged rape because either
the hospital or the Bend Police
Department lost blood and urine
samples that would have been
evidence of a crime.
The Bulletin reports the
lawsuit filed this week asks
for more than $1.6 million in
damages against St. Charles
Bend and the police.
The lawsuit alleges the
plaintiff was at a 2015
Halloween party with her
husband and some friends when
someone slipped an unidentified
date rape drug into her drink.
The lawsuit alleges she was
sexually assaulted by a man who
had been hired to help with event
security.
Bend City Attorney Mary
Winters says the case will be
handled by the city’s insurance
company.
PORTLAND (AP) —
Portland police say a man is
expected to survive after getting
stabbed by someone dressed in a
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TODAY
FRIDAY
Cloudy with a
couple of showers
A little morning
rain; cloudy
57° 37°
46° 29°
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Mostly cloudy with
a little rain
Cloudy and cold;
ice at night
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
45° 32°
43° 29°
37° 23°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
49° 29°
60° 36°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
55°
56°
76° (1901)
52°
36°
12° (1935)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.00"
0.04"
13.70"
10.34"
10.03"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
61°
58°
72° (1988)
55°
35°
8° (2003)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.00"
0.03"
7.80"
7.33"
7.31"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Full
Last
Nov 3
Nov 10
New
Nov 18
44° 29°
41° 23°
Seattle
50/38
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
47° 34°
7:36 a.m.
5:40 p.m.
5:21 p.m.
5:27 a.m.
First
Nov 26
Today
MONDAY
Mostly cloudy and
chilly
Spokane
Wenatchee
47/31
50/29
Tacoma
Moses
49/34
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 53/33
49/34
50/37
50/34
55/31
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
50/38
58/40 Lewiston
60/37
Astoria
53/38
51/37
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
53/39
Pendleton 49/34
The Dalles 60/36
57/37
56/37
La Grande
Salem
52/35
55/39
Albany
Corvallis 54/40
54/37
John Day
51/38
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
54/39
53/38
50/32
Caldwell
Burns
55/42
49/30
Corrections
REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
51
53
50
54
49
49
53
55
60
51
55
52
49
59
54
56
54
61
57
53
53
55
47
48
53
58
55
Lo
37
33
32
46
30
34
38
36
36
38
34
35
33
41
42
43
39
37
37
39
29
39
31
33
40
40
31
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sh
c
sh
r
sh
sh
sh
c
sh
sh
c
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r
c
r
sh
sh
r
sh
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Hi
49
45
41
51
42
42
49
44
49
43
47
44
40
49
51
53
52
50
46
50
44
51
39
40
49
47
47
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Lo
36
72
52
44
53
21
45
53
52
61
58
W
s
s
s
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
c
s
pc
Lo
32
22
21
39
16
24
34
28
29
31
28
27
25
32
38
39
31
28
29
37
17
35
22
24
37
31
25
W
sh
r
sh
r
sn
r
r
sh
r
sh
sh
r
r
r
sh
r
sh
r
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sh
sh
sh
c
r
sh
r
r
Fri.
Hi
54
79
65
56
78
35
61
68
59
81
68
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
55/34
Boardman
Pendleton
Lo
28
68
53
49
53
30
48
49
37
60
58
W
s
c
s
pc
pc
c
pc
pc
pc
pc
r
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Periods of rain today; arriv-
ing during the afternoon in the south.
Eastern and Central Oregon: A couple of
showers today, except dry in the south;
cooler near the Cascades.
Western Washington: Occasional rain today
and tonight. A couple of showers tomorrow.
Eastern Washington: Showers around to-
day; some sleet in the morning, then snow
and sleet in the mountains.
Cascades: Periods of rain today; arriving
during the afternoon in the south.
Northern California: Cloudy today; rain and
drizzle, except dry in the interior mountains.
Today
Friday
SW 7-14
SW 6-12
NNE 6-12
N 4-8
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
0
1
1
1
1
NEWS
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Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
WINDS
Medford
59/41
Classified & Legal Advertising
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NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Fri.
WORLD CITIES
Hi
67
84
66
56
77
34
58
67
66
72
68
and money laundering and is sched-
uled to be sentenced in two weeks.
Prosecutors are recommending that
he serve nearly five years in prison.
Van met the victim, identified in
court papers as R.W., while running
a landscaping business in the suburbs
south of Denver. The customer
moved from Colorado to
Oregon after retirement.
Prosecutors said Van
and Phan sought loans
from R.W., saying the
landscaping business was
struggling to stay afloat. At
one point, Van presented
his financial problems as
so dire he was contem-
plating suicide.
Moreover, the pair said
Van needed more money
because he was going through a
divorce and had legal troubles. They
promised to pay him back with
interest.
Prosecutors said they made
some interest payments to keep the
scheme going. Mostly, however, the
money vanished in a long run of bad
gambling luck.
The judge is requiring Phan and
Van to pay back $2.9 million, plus
interest. All parties agreed it will be
virtually impossible for the money to
be repaid.
The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets
any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-
0818.
ADVERTISING
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541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com
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— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
PORTLAND (AP) — A
manicurist who helped trick an
Oregon retiree out of $3 million was
sentenced Wednesday to 21 months
in federal prison.
Thy Mihn Phan and her boyfriend
led the victim to believe the money
collected during a three-year scheme
was to help with legal
issues and a landscaping
business. Instead, they
blew almost every penny
while enjoying a high-
roller lifestyle at Las Vegas
casinos, including Aria,
Bellagio, Caesars Palace
and MGM Grand.
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Scott Bradford said the
victim lost everything he Phan
saved for retirement.
“They didn’t just steal the victim’s
money,” Bradford told U.S. District
Judge Anna Brown. “They stole his
dignity, they stole his happiness.”
Phan, who pleaded guilty to
conspiracy in April, got help at her
sentencing from a translator who
speaks Vietnamese. Her attorney,
David Audet, sought a sentence of
probation, but the judge said the
“extraordinary” amount of money
that was stolen made that impossible.
Phan’s co-defendant, Hiep Cong
Van, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy
Lawsuit: Blood, urine
samples misplaced
in sex assault
Man dressed as a
pink bunny stabs man
public universities.
The report noted that
Oregon’s excise taxes on
beer and wine are $0.08
and $0.67 per gallon
respectively, have not
changed since 1977 and
are among the lowest in the
nation. It said increasing
them to national average
rates of $0.35 and $1.03
respectively would raise
$61 million per biennium.
Brown directed her staff
to research the proposed
the idea of pooling
excess capital across state
controlled entities, and to
examine creating an incen-
tive fund to partially match
employers who further
contribute to unfunded
liabilities.
“This ‘risk capital’ is
rarely needed and may, in
fact, never be drawn down.”
the report said of the entities’
excess funds.
In a statement, Buehler’s
campaign derided that
option as “raiding the state’s
emergency funds.”
“The governor’s pawn
shop politics won’t fix
PERS,” Buehler said.
Another option the task
force mooted would be for
the state to transfer some
of the surplus capital of
Oregon’s hybrid workers’
compensation system to
PERS, or to sell the workers
comp system. Brown said
she had “serious concerns”
about that latter option, as
well as one to sell Oregon’s
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Rain showers will occur from the northwest Gulf coast to northern
New England and the lower Great Lakes. Some snow will fall on parts of Minnesota and
Montana. Rain and snow will affect the Northwest.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 92° in Horseshoe Bay, Texas
Low 13° in Bodie State Park, Calif.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
69
74
73
74
36
77
55
68
80
74
55
67
93
64
62
78
29
38
87
85
65
81
62
76
81
68
Lo
44
58
61
53
27
64
43
58
57
56
38
54
62
35
44
54
26
20
76
70
50
59
38
55
61
57
W
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c
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c
pc
c
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sh
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Fri.
Hi
71
78
74
75
38
77
53
71
81
67
49
55
89
66
52
80
35
35
88
84
59
82
57
73
78
70
Lo
48
60
52
45
26
62
35
46
58
47
42
40
65
46
38
56
23
28
76
68
43
59
48
56
61
57
Today
W
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s
pc
c
c
c
c
s
c
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c
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
71
80
84
52
44
75
83
71
80
55
75
82
62
70
76
38
64
66
73
69
70
67
50
82
76
68
Lo
60
66
71
37
28
63
66
60
50
32
58
61
53
56
54
24
41
52
49
54
60
57
38
55
59
46
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Fri.
Hi
68
78
84
47
41
76
82
72
68
51
74
82
67
73
80
46
56
61
62
65
70
64
45
84
77
57
Lo
52
64
72
43
33
59
64
49
51
39
48
62
37
43
56
30
42
49
53
50
60
53
34
59
52
45
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
sh
t
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