Page 2
The INDEPENDENT, March 20, 2004
The
INDEPENDENT
Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published on the
first and third Thursdays of each month, by Public Opinion
Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, as
a free newspaper. Publishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen. Editor,
Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410, e-mail:
noni@vernonia.com Display Advertising, Clark McGaugh,
e-mail: clark@vernonia.com Classified Advertising, Rebec-
ca McGaugh, e-mail: rebecca@vernonia.com
Opinion
Cutbacks in rent aid
will harm low income
families of all ages
Let’s start with some uncomfortable numbers:
• Nearly 35 million Americans live below the
poverty line. (U.S. Census Bureau)
• About 12 million families last year worried that
they did not have enough money for food. In
nearly 3.8 million families someone in the house-
hold skipped meals because the family could not
afford them. (USDA)
Health care and housing are necessities priced out
of the reach of many families, particularly the working
poor, so why is the Bush administration focused on
cutting back a program that reduces the number of
homeless families in this country?
With record budget deficits assisted by tax cuts for
the rich, this administration is trying to make up some
of the difference by cutting desperately needed pro-
grams aimed at the poor. One targeted program is
Section 8, the federal rent-subsidy program intended
to help prevent low-income families from becoming
homeless.
According to the Northwest Housing Authority
(NOHA), rental assistance for 20 Columbia County
families was terminated on May 1, with another 47
families (including 18 disabled) will be cut off on June
1. May 1 was also the termination date for 40 Clatsop
County families and 46 families in Tillamook County.
How does the Bush budget proposal affect NOHA’s
tri-county jurisdiction from 2005-2009? In 2005 an ad-
ditional 130 families would be terminated, plus 313
more by 2009.
Oregon is number one among the states with high
hunger rates. Reducing rent subsidies, as NOHA has
had to do in order to stretch available funds, will make
it harder to feed families and, without rent subsidies,
more families will become homeless.
In the next issue, The INDEPENDENT will talk with
some of the “targeted budget cuts.” These are real
people whose needs are minimal when balanced
against tax cuts for the super rich.
Police develop programs to help youth
Police Chief Matthew Work-
man introduced three programs
to Vernonia City Council, May
17, that will be operated by the
police department in the next
few months. All the programs
are directed toward youth.
One will provide safety ma-
terials regarding bicycle use,
drug and alcohol awareness,
etc., to youth. The materials will
be delivered via the schools.
Another program, called “Vil-
lage Kids,” will provide locally
made quilts for children during
times of trauma or distress. Of-
ficers already hand out teddy
bears, but feel the quilts will be
a more lasting reminder of
comfort.
The last program, Parent
Aid, is designed to help parents
confronted by the possibility
that their kids may be using
drugs. This program will allow
the police department to pro-
vide confidential, voluntary
urine tests without charge.
City Administrator Mike
Sykes reminded Council that
the budget process starts May
24 at 6:30 p.m., followed at
7:30 by a Public Hearing on va-
cating an alleyway adjacent to
the old city hall. There will be
another budget meeting on
June 1, and a meeting regard-
ing a proposed sign ordinance
has been scheduled for June 7.
These meetings will all be at
city hall.
In other business Council:
• Approved the use of a stor-
age trailer by Vernonia Cares.
• Reviewed information from
the Business Marketing meet-
ing that was held May 13.
• Heard an overview of Ur-
ban Renewal District usage
and agreed to set a special
meeting to learn more.
Letters
Postal workers help Thank you for votes
to keep 9-1-1 healthy
Stamp Out Hunger
To the Editor:
Through the efforts of the
Letter Carriers Food Drive on
May 8, the Vernonia postal em-
ployees picked up 694 pounds
of canned food. This total num-
ber of pounds exceeded last
year’s total by 35 pounds! Spe-
cial thanks to Peter O’Leary
and Kate Laird who coordinat-
ed and delivered the food to
Vernonia Cares.
Thank you, letter carriers
and people of Vernonia. Your
generosity shows, once again,
that Vernonia Cares.
Sandy Welch, Director
Vernonia Cares Food Bank
To the Editor:
Thank you, Columbia Coun-
ty voters, for making the sys-
tem work; for your overwhelm-
ing support of the 9-1-1 levy re-
newal, and, most spectacularly,
for returning those ballots to
surpass the 50 percent turnout
requirement. We are elated!
And thank you for your faith
that we will continue to do our
utmost to provide the best serv-
ice possible.
On behalf of Columbia 911
staff, directors and volunteers,
THANK YOU!
Kathy Denckla
Vernonia-Mist Director
Columbia 911