News and Updates
June 3, 2009: Oregon seniors’ Independence Project in jeopardy [Oregonian]
SALEM — Oregon was among the first states in the nation to help older people remain in their own homes rather than go to more expensive nursing homes.
That was 35 years ago. Today, advocates and seniors who rely on Oregon Project Independence spend the final weeks of every legislative session worried about whether the dollars can be found to keep the program alive. With state government facing a $4 billion budget hole, the anxiety is higher than ever.
June 2, 2009: ‘Keep Oregon Working’ shows faces behind service cuts [KATU Channel 2]
May 31, 2009: Budget cuts spill from Capitol into homes [Associated Press]
Childcare cuts for working families would lead to thousands of jobs–impacting care providers, the parents who depend on the program to enable them to keep their jobs, and the children who depend on safe, stable care.
May 26, 2009: Care providers at risk [Statesman Journal]
…Hardest hit in the budget are education, human services and public safety.
And social-service advocates say that the hidden job losses — created by big cuts in state payments to private child-care providers and people who provide in-home care to seniors and disabled residents — will fall especially hard on Marion County.
May 17, 2009: Talk of budget hole draws a crowd [Register Guard]
Education, human services and public safety comprise 90 percent of Oregon’s budget, so lawmakers have some difficult decisions to make regarding the state’s projected $4.2 billion shortfall for the 2009-11 biennium.
About 50 concerned people congregated at the Eugene City Council Chamber on Saturday to lobby for the programs they felt needed to be saved. People campaigned for a number of programs, including calls to protect educational funding, reform the prison system and alter the tax system.
May 15, 2009: State budget falls $3.8 billion short [Salem Statesman Journal]
There will be less to spend for what Oregonians say they want. That means more cuts to state services and education are likely…
May 15, 2009: Forecast: Oregon short $3.6 billion in 2009-11 for public services [Oregonian]
Oregon will be short roughly $3.6 billion for schools, social services and other public needs in 2009-11, according to the latest state revenue forecast numbers released this morning.
May 13, 2009: Human Services says it needs $258 million more to meet rising caseloads [Oregonian]
Increased demand for state-provided health care, food stamps and cash assistance has prompted the Oregon Department of Human Services to tell state leaders it may need an additional $258 million in its 2009-2011 budget. That’s on top of $4.23 billion state tax dollars the agency budgeted to maintain current services.
May 12, 2009: New teachers work, worry [Register Guard]
With a budget crisis looming and talks of cutting school days, slashing teaching jobs and boosting class sizes, concerns among teachers are mounting.
May 5, 2009: Nothing is safe from budget ax — even welfare [ Oregonian]
The Oregonian looks at the devastating impact of cutting services that help get low-income parents back to work.
April 28, 2009: Phoenix-Talent schools to cut 45 from work force [Medford Mail-Tribune]
In just one example of how the economic crisis is impacting Oregon’s communities, the Phoenix-Talent School District lays off 45 employees–that’s more than 16 percent of the district’s staff.
April 27, 2009: Oregon Senate bill could bring ‘massive cuts’ in education [The Oregonian]
Lawmakers consider a bill that would gut vital school programs, cut money for textbooks, and shorten the school year.
April 24, 2009: Coming subtractions in Washington offer a sobering preview for Oregon [The Oregonian]
Education budget cuts hit our neighbor to the north, but it could be much worse for Oregon, leading to massive layoffs, larger classes, and shorter school years.
April 24, 2009: The state Ways and Means Committee holds a budget hearing in Salem [Salem Statesman-Journal]
Workers and residents in Salem fill multiple hearing rooms in Salem to tell legislators about their priorities: preserving jobs, investing in schools, and protecting the vulnerable.
April 16, 2009: Meanwhile, Across the Tracks [Portland Mercury]
Lawmakers break bad budget news in Gresham; come together to find a balanced solution.
April 14, 2009: Lawmakers deliver sobering news [Gresham Outlook]
The Keep Oregon Working forum provided an eye-opening look at the real human cost of the economic crisis and brought legislators and residents together.
March 18, 2009: Nursing homes to hire 300 employees [Register Guard]
The Eugene Register Guard reports on how investing in vital services not only protects Oregon’s vulnerable, but creates good jobs when they’re needed most.
March 17, 2009: Real people hang in balance when state budget cuts hit human services [Sandy Post]
The Sandy Postexamines the human impact of deep service cuts to the human services that many Oregonians depend on for their health and safety.
