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Smith: Human services could see significant cuts
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Smith, R-Heppner, told the more than 30 people present that a difficult legislative session is coming up due to the tough economic times that have reduced the state’s income by $1.4 billion of the $14 billion general fund budget. The Legislature convened this morning. Smith encouraged people to share their concerns with him and state Sen. David Nelson, R-Pendleton. Smith advised people to share those concerns by coming to Salem to testify — that they could use the equipment in the office there, and he would assist them.“That office is your office,” he said. He commended Ben Boswell of Lostine and Marc Stauffer of Enterprise for having done an excellent job of testifying in the past. If unable to testify in person, he asked people to write or call. Also there is a poly-com at the OSU Extension Office in Enterprise and other locations that can be used as a two-way television broadcast to testify. “Don’t give up on the power of one,” Smith said. The upcoming budget reduction will equate to about a 17 percent reduction in services, Smith said. Small business and agriculture are already struggling and unemployment is running at 10 percent in District 57. It encompasses Wallowa, Union, Umatilla and Morrow counties. Unemployment in the rest of the state is running at 8 percent, he said. The governor is holding education harmless in the upcoming budget, so it looks like human services may be cut significantly, Smith said. Yet, the demand for services in those areas is rising in these tough economic times, he acknowledged. Smith spent some time explaining the political system in Salem with some examples that cause economic problems. He explained that two-thirds of the state budget is controlled by the Constitution and the federal government, leaving Salem with control of the remaining third. Fifty-seven percent of that goes to education. Smith also noted that the last redistricting diluted the power of rural Oregon. Issues that Smith sees in the upcoming legislative session include: • The governor’s Transportation Improvement Act, which will create public works projects. It is to be funded by an increased gas tax and a doubling of vehicle registration fees. • Connect Oregon to help eliminate bottlenecks in moving freight. • A mileage tax through a GPS monitoring system. “That’s creepy,” Anne Gill of Joseph said. Smith said that’s exactly what he’s going to tell them at Salem. People have been encouraged to ride mass transit and drive less, and now that they are, the state has lost income. That should have been seen in the beginning, Smith said. • Land use: The current plan is one-size-fits-all. Smith would like to see a regional approach. • Measure 57, mandatory sentencing: No funding stream was created for this $300 million item. • Ethics reform: Smith is all for the quarterly report to be filed by politicians like himself, but he thinks that it is a personal intrusion to require that of local volunteers. That criminalizes honest, hard-working folks, he said. • Renewable energy: Smith sees at least 1,000 more wind turbines being built. In that process it is important to protect private property rights, yet maintain the natural beauty of the countryside and maintain a rural way of life. Jerry Perren of Enterprise said that a lot of money has been wasted in alternative energy — that it should be cost-effective first. Smith agreed with several human services representatives in attendance that an ounce of prevention is a lot cheaper than a pound of cure. An example he used was investing in schools versus prisons. Amy Johnson of Building Healthy Families noted that prevention dollars are leveraged 2.5 to 1. Perren added that when services are cut they are cut at the bottom where the service is delivered rather than at the top. Smith agreed, saying that $350 million of the education budget is in Salem. Smith can be contacted when the Legislature is in session at 900 Court St. NE, H-482, Salem 97301. Or at 503-986-1457 and This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
