Education - The number of homeless students rises as Oregon's stronger economy fails to lift poorer families Thursday, September 13, 2007
BETSY HAMMOND The Oregonian Staff (Read full story here...)
Despite a rebounding economy, Oregon schools report a continuing surge in the number of their students who are homeless.
"The latest count of 15,517 homeless children and youth, released Wednesday, is 18 percent higher than a year ago and 37 percent higher than two years ago. Educators say schools are doing a better job of identifying students who lack permanent homes and also doing a better job of helping students in those straits to overcome barriers and stay in school.
More than 200 homeless education specialists around the state work to make sure that students who become homeless get the bus rides, food baskets, utility assistance, encouragement and red-tape-busting that they and their families need to keep them in class.
But they say the rising numbers also reflect a tough reality for Oregon families with children: Housing costs continue to skyrocket while incomes for those at the bottom of the economic spectrum have not. Affordable housing is extremely scarce, they say.
"Despite the economic trends, there are more kids that are new to homelessness now than ever before," says Dona Bolt, Oregon's coordinator of homeless education. Nearly 2,500 of the homeless students lack not only a home, but also a parent or guardian.
Abandoned by parents or having run away from home or foster care, these students "couch surf," staying temporarily with a series of friends and acquaintances.....
...The definition of homeless students is broader than just those young people living in shelters or on the street. It includes any student whose family lacks a sturdy home of their own, including families who have to move in with friends or relatives for economic reasons; families who live in tents, garages or trailers without running water or electricity; and families who live in motels. ..."
Along with homelessness comes poor health as well as an influx of diseases. Health care is a primary issue for people without a home. Health care is a legitimate right for children. Many seem to think it is a privilege that children are not entitled to.
Ballot Measure 50 will provide over 100,000 uninsured children in Oregon with the health care coverage they need and deserve. It will strengthen safety net clinics, rural health care facilities and provide health care for Oregon’ lowest income families.
Ballot Measure 50 is an 84.5¢ tax on packs of cigarettes as well as other cigarette products. The Measure has already don’t the calculations to integrate a potential decrease in smokers over time. It will raise over $150 Million in the first two years and over $200,000 in the following two years.
You can read up more on Ballot Measure 50 and Senate Joint Resolution 4 as well as what it will provide at these links.
On November 6, you will have the opportunity to Vote Yes on Ballot Measure 50.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
More Oregon kids have a school but not a home
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2 comments:
M50 will do absolutely nothing for the issue you mention above.
What will is cracking down completely on the meth epidemic and expand offerings on drug treatment.
You don't even mention substance abuse once. What do you think the incidence of homeless parents and drug abuse is? What about run away children and drug abuse?
From every stat I've ever seen over the last decade usually the correlation between temporary homelessness and drug addiction/abuse is above 95%.
Of course that correlation is also pretty accurate as it relates to homeless people and smoking. So M50 will actually make the homeless poorer as they pay more for cigarettes.
”M50 will do absolutely nothing for the issue you mention above.”
Why do you say it will do nothing? $150 Million over a 2 year period or $200 Million over the following 2 years is nothing?? What do you bring to the table to support your statement?
What will is cracking down completely on the meth epidemic and expand offerings on drug treatment.
They are two completely different subjects. It sounds like you want to say “This apple problem over hear will be resolved once we fix the cat problem over there.” Utter nonsense. Actually, it’s reminiscent of the Iraq war. “Terrorists from Saudi Arabia with an organization based in Afghanistan and Pakistan attacked us… so we’re going to attack Iraq.” Utter nonsense.
TRUE, there is a meth problem.
YES it is an epidemic.
YES some people are homeless because they started on meth, some - but what percentage?
YES we should blast it to smithereens.
NO Meth has nothing to do with this story and Ballot Measure 50.
Again, you are creating a Red Herring counselor. Worse yet an unsubstantiated one.
I read the entire article and there is no mention of meth, no matter what you wish to believe. However, I do agree that we should come down 10 times harder on meth and other illegal drugs in the state.
You don't even mention substance abuse once. What do you think the incidence of homeless parents and drug abuse is? What about run away children and drug abuse?
Not all homelessness is due to drugs or substance abuse, no matter how much you want to demonize poverty, it just isn’t so.
Did you forget about the homeless father-daughter pair in forest park in 2004? No drugs there, no matter how much you want to believe that there is. Ballot Measure 50 would help kids who are victims to their parents incompetence.
Conservatives simply think that by demonizing everyone it will solve all problems. But it doesn’t. The reality is that Ballot Measure 50 will bring healthcare to the kids, who are victims regardless if the parents are using drugs or not. The kids still require health care.
From every stat I've ever seen over the last decade usually the correlation between temporary homelessness and drug addiction/abuse is above 95%.
Prove it. I won’t argue with you about this, I honestly want to see what the stats are and where they came from. (You continue to make statements without ever having provided one single link to back up your statements. Are you presuming that everyone should just take your word on what ever stance you choose?)
And your statement on hurting the homeless by taxing one of their drugs of choice will hurt them is LUDICROUS and not thought out. Here is the reality, with the premise that they are homeless and smoke.
-- Homeless person smokes, begs for money, uses money to buy cigarettes.
-- We tax cigarettes for healthcare to homeless kids, possibly cigarette smoking kids.
-- On one hand you and every other neocon state that Measure 50 is unstable because of the laws of diminishing returns: raise cost, use goes down. Which everyone knows common marketing practices do not work when dealing with an addictive substance.
Drug market prices fluctuate, and use is ever constant if not growing.
By your own logic, price goes up, use goes down, BUT THE KID STILL GETS HEALTHCARE.
You can’t have it both ways counselor.
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