A little history of the growing push back against an out of control, debt ridden government that cannot bring itself to make rational, economically sensible decisions.
Taxpayer Rebellion Expands in Suburbs of Portland Metropolitan Area | Red County.
from Americans For Prosperity Blog…
It’s bad enough that the U.S. spends $3 billion every year on subsidies to prop up American cotton farmers. Such payments enrich agri-businesses at taxpayer expense, hurt consumers while causing cotton prices to rise, and stand in the way of free trade and the free market.
But did you know that the U.S. also spends nearly $150 million of your taxpayer dollars each year to pay off Brazilian cotton farmers? It’s all part of an absurd scheme detailed in our recent blog post: U.S. Pays Off Brazilian Cotton Farmers to Prop Up U.S. Cotton Industry
Special handouts to cotton farmers—both abroad and here at home—are just a few of several examples of wasteful subsidies that should be on the chopping block, and fortunately Congress will get a chance to take a swing at them summer.
Every five years Congress reauthorizes the various farm subsidies paid out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in one giant bill—a grab bag of handouts to big agri-businesses and special interests. Given that the last “Farm Bill” was enacted in 2008, debate over the next one will be heating up on Capitol Hill in the coming months.
Eliminating ill-conceived farm subsidies not only takes the government’s heavy hand out of our economy, but it can also save significant amounts of taxpayer money. One proposal by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) would cut back on these special handouts and save $136 billion over the next decade, all while maintaining a safety net for farmers.
Whether it’s in “green” energy or in agriculture, picking winners and losers has never proven to be a wise use of taxpayer dollars. Keep an eye on Congress as they debate the Farm Bill this year—voices like yours demanding an end to wasteful subsidies could make a huge difference.
PR is a high priority for the government class these days. That’s why that particular department within state government has had such substantial growth. This article does a good job giving us just a taste of what it’s like to spend taxpayer money to convince the taxpayer that more money is needed- always, and under all and any conditions.
The latest bulletin produced by the NW regional offices of HUD (Housing and Urban Development) gives you some idea of the enormous sum of money consumed by this gigantic agency. It’s stunning, actually.
As you read down the list of exciting things they are doing with your money, it’s clear to me that HUD is decidedly focused on finding creative ways to encourage lawsuits against property owners.. and, they spend taxpayer money like it wasn’t their own.
Oh, wait, it’s not.
For example, (scroll down to the heading, “Again“) The author of this monthly celebration nearly explodes with pride, giving HUD credit for building/financing a “green low income housing” project near Seattle involving 86 apartment units. I mean, they have solar collectors that generate up to 10% of the energy needs of the complex. wow.
The cost? Oh, just $32,000,000. Or, just $372,000 per apartment! How can they do so much with so little? Now that I think about it..hold on. Seems to me that $32,000,000 should provide WAY more than 86 apartments- even at $100,000 per unit, that would be 320 apartments. Another example of “public/private” partnership.. where the taxpaying partner puts up the money and the government and private “partner” race off with enormous profits. But then, I’ve never been on the government payroll, so I’m probably not qualified to make such a biased observation of what it costs to provide “low income housing” these days. Still, $372,000 per apartment sure seems steep to me.. especially when I know that my taxes and your taxes are being frivolously used to fund hundreds and maybe thousands of similar projects all over the nation. I know unsustainable when I see it.. and this reeks of “unsustainable”..
Congress claims to have a most difficult time trying to come up with meaningful and effecive ways to “cut” the budget. Are you kidding me? Have we all been transported to “Alice in Wonderland”? Enjoy the read. Your tax dollars are engorging an enormous beast we call government. Isn’t it time we changed our “leadership” before they suck the remaining life blood from our being? Vote in 2012.. and let everyone you know understand that a clash similar to that which is going on in Greece at this moment is not that far fetched here in America if we allow government to continue to destroy America by insane and outrageous spending.
Northwest HUD Lines
OCTOBER 2011
HUD e-Briefs from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington
Mary McBride, Region X Regional Administrator 206/220-5356 Leland Jones, Editor
www.hud.gov/alaska www.hud.gov/idaho www.hud.gov/oregon www.hud.gov/washington
! ! ! NEWS FLASH ! ! !
HUD posts Fair Market Rents for Federal fiscal year 2012 on-line atwww.huduser.org/portal/datasets/fmr.html
AND THE WINNERS ARE. . .
Congrats to the of the 2011 Friends of Housing Awards conferred at the annual Washington Affordable Housing Conference held this year in Spokane — Ray Rieckers who just retired after 33 years with the Spokane Neighborhood Action Program; Elena Bassett, executive director of the Colville Indian Housing Authority; John Campbell, retired architect and founder of the Orcas Island non-profit, Homes for Islanders; Marc Cote of the Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project; Mark Flynn, former director of multifamily housing development at HUD in Seattle and now a private consultant; Betsy Lieberman, the founding executive director of Building Changes; Ray Mooney, the Community Reinvestment Act officer at Spokane-based Sterling Savings; and Arlene Patton, the retired field office director at both HUD Spokane and HUD Boise. The Commission’s Friend of Housing Awards recognize contributions in providing affordable housing to low- and moderate-income residents “Even though, in this economy, livelihoods are threatened and funding for housing and social services are reduced,” commented Kim Herman, the Commission’s executive director, “there is a strong resolve to succeed in our work and our honorees are remarkable in what they have each accomplished.” Ladies and gentlemen, take a bow. You’ve earned it.
WINNERS TWO
No surprise, there are lots of friends of housing in Oregon, too. At the annual awards gala of the Oregon Opportunity Network in Portland, Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East the Meyer Memorial Trust, Home Forward’s GOALS Program, NEDCO’s partnership with Womenspace, Bienestar’s Resident Services Program, Human Solutions’ Rockwood Building and HDC’s AMPP Program were honored for their contributions to housing and Oregon’s non-profit sector. Real, live human beings also were honored with this year’s Star Players Jane Brown of the Housing Authority of Clackamas County, Ana Gomez of the Farmworker Housing Development Corporation, Merry Hart of Access, Terrill Jarvis of Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East, Lisa Judd of Northwest Housing Alternatives, Kaisa Krafft of St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, Rachel Livernois of Central City Concern, Norma Marin of Hacienda CDC Emma Martinez of Innovative Housing, Daryn Murphy of the Housing Development Center, Cyndi Natalello, Emily Reiman of NEDCO, Vivian Satterfield of Rose CDC, the Sweet 16 Relocation Team at Home Forward, Jorge Tello of Bienestar, Clayre Thompson of REACH CDC, Judy Werner and Tom Murphy of CPAH and Sarah Zahn of Home Forward. Ladies and gentlemen, you should take a bow too. Congrats!
READY OR NOFA
The general section for HUD’s Notice of Funding Availability for fiscal year 2012 – October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012 – has been posted at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=2012gensecNOFA.pdf If you’re planning on applying for HUD funds in 2012, now’s the time to start getting ready.
DESTINATION SALEM
You’re all set October 24th and 25th to head to Salem, right? If not, you should because that’s when and where Oregon Housing & Community Services is holding its Oregon Housing Conference. If you’re “in” housing, It’s well worth the trip, well worth your time, For more, visit www.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=or&record=11232&s…
BRIEF BRIEFS
White House says President Obama has nominated Maurice Jones, currently President of Pilot Media serving Virginia’s Hampton Roads area and, formerly, director of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions program and Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services as HUD’s new Deputy Secretary. . .Washington State Homeownership Resource Center in Shoreline receives $560,000 grant from Washington Housing Finance Commission generated from 2010 settlement with Wells Fargo for bad loans made by Wachovia that will, says KOMO-TV, be used to help Center “provide free housing counseling to distressed homeowners”. .. .. Justice Department files suit against the developers, builders and designers of 2275-unit Gateway Village Apartments in Salem alleging violations of Fair Housing Act for designing and building complex with barriers making it inaccessible to persons with disabilities. . .Low Income Housing Institute celebrates grand opening of Gossett Place – in honor of chair of the King County Council – which provides 63 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans, young people and couples in Seattle’s University District. . .Wenatchee World says City Council in process of donating city-owned property to Hospitality House shelter so that it may go forward with plans to develop more transitional housing. . .Coquille Valley Hospital celebrates completion “right on track,” saysKCBY-TV, of exterior structure of new, $26 million FHA-insured hospital building. . . Peninsula Clarion says North Kenai house being built by Central Peninsula Habitat for Humanity – its 17th home in 18 years – is on schedule for completion April 1st. . .First-ever Housing First Partners Conference seeking by October 15th, proposals for papers to be presented in March in New Orleans athttp://hfpartnersconference.com/CallForPresentations_Final2.pdf. . .HUD charges owner and manager of a Lakewood, Washington trailer park with discriminating on the basis of disability . . .Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services opens NeighborWorks Homeownership Center in Corvallis. . .SafePlace in Olympia one of six organizations nationwide to win $450,000 Justice Department Office of Violence Against Women grant to identify best practices in “reaching more sexual assault survivors and providing comprehensive sexual assault services”. . .”I wouldn’t call it saving my life, but they saved my house which is part of my life,” retired school teacher Linda Owens tells Idaho Press Tribune about the roof repaired by the City of Nampa, one of 20 homes it’s rehabbed this year, “they have really saved my bacon, I tell you.”
DAKOTALE
Northwest HUD Lines, of course, likes to keep it local and focuses on the work of HUD and its partners in the Northwest. This one time, though, we’d like to mention an item in a recent edition of the Bismarck, North Dakota Tribune. The Bismarck City Commission recently voted to give $100,000 of its 2011 HOME funds to help Minot with its shortage of affordable housing during its flood recovery,” reported The Tribune. Notwithstanding the housing needs of Bismarck, Mayor John Warford said it, was a “fantastic” idea. He’s right.
AGAIN!
The Seattle Housing Authority’s done it again, completing on-time and within budget and celebrating the grand opening of yet another HUD HOPE VI Revitalization Project – the $32 million, 86-unit Lake City Court. The 1.8 acre site used to be home to a 16-building public housing complex known as Park Lane Apartments that was beset by the persistent flooding of Thornton Creek. It was demolished by the City of Seattle in 2001. It’s not the first, nor is it the biggest of the authority’s, with Lake City, six HOPE VI projects. But it’s probably the most cutting-edge. Its roof has one of the largest residential solar arrays in the state that, even in not-so-sunny Seattle, is expected to meet 10 percent of the building’s energy needs. It’s got a solar hot water system that will serve at least half of its buildings. Apartments are heated with high-efficiency gas-fired hydronic heat. In fact, Lake City Court is some 30 percent more energy efficient than the typical, newly-constructed apartment complex. And now only the salmon have to navigate the somewhat turbulent waters of Thornton Creek.
INCREDI-BALE
Almost certainly it was one of the first bedtime stories you heard too. These three little pigs build a house of straw. A big, bad and, frankly, pretty bent-out-of-shape wolf shows up, is denied admittance and promptly huffs, then puffs and blows that house down. Times change, though, building technologies and, these days, that big, bad wolf would be no match for straw. Just ask the members of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in Plummer, Idaho. The Tribe has just celebrated the grand opening of The Gathering Place, an three-building,18-unit affordable housing complex funded by built with funds from HUD and the Recovery Act. It was constructed, by the way, using 6,000 bales of straw. But that’s not good news for the big, bad wolf. Pick up a handful of straw and it can almost light as a feather. Try to pick up a bale of the stuff and there’s a chance you’ll throw out your back. That’s because that bale has mass and, stacked on top of each other and covered with stucco, no amount of huffin’ and puffin’ is going to bring that house down. Even better, straw is five times more resistant to heat transfer than brick veneer. With an up to R-50 rating, those who live in these houses of straw will stay warm on the coldest winter’s day and cool on the hottest day of the summer. Outside it might be 95, inside it’ll feel like 68 to 72. “In all of our research straw bales are unsurpassed in terms of energy efficiency,” Garvin Tenold, owner of Pura Vida Homes in Spokane, that helped build The Gathering Place told Down to Earth News. The number 1 benefit of a straw bale wall system is how this thermal mass maintains a constant interior temperature.” The tribal housing authority plans, says The Spokane Journal of Business, to develop more “straw-some” housing at The Gathering Place. If these first 18 live up to their advance billing, it’s sure to find there’s plenty of demand. .
FROM WONDERLAND TO WONDERFUL
The mostly elderly residents of Wonderland Estates, a 109-space mobile home park east of Renton, were pretty sure they were going to have to find a new place to live in 2007. The owner had begun closing it down, planning to re-develop it as single-family or condominium housing. Thanks to a partnership with King County, the King County Housing Authority stepped in and purchased the property. Unfortunately, the site was in the best of shape and the authority has spent the past four years looking for ways to rebuild its infrastructure. It’s taken longer than expected, but it’s now found the way and has announced that a combination of Federal tax credits and state, county and authority resources will allow it to leverage up to $4 million in private equity to finance new water, sewer, electric, al, phone and cable systems, to tear out existing and install new streets and street lights, to replace the storm water drainage system and to refurbish the community center, inside and out., It’s also launching a partnership with the Boeing Employees Credit Union to provide low-interest loan to qualified low-income seniors to buy mobile homes. Work will begin in 2012, says authority board chair Nancy Holland-Young, insuring that “Wonderland continues to be a valuable housing resource for low-income seniors for the next 50 years.”
BRIEF BRIEFS TOO
HUD Secretary Donovan reports that Recovery Act’s Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing Program has prevented or ended the homelessness of 2,741 people in Alaska, 6,125 people in Idaho, 12,292 people in Oregon and 16,542 people in Washington. . . Home Forward – the new name of the Housing Authority of Portland – wins $50,000 grant to provide job training, employment, and contract opportunities for low-income residents in connection with HUD-funded projects . . .Traci Manning, chief operating officer of Central City Concern, named as new head of Portland Housing Bureau. . .Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority wins $50,000 USDA Rural Development grant to “update” 30-year old Kake Elderly Building starting with a brand new roof. . .Bellingham/Whatcom Housing Authority provides public tours of the new, 6,200 square-foot green roof on the Lincoln Square public housing complex whose 90 solar panels, reportsBellingham Herald, will generate 21,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year meeting 3 percent of Lincoln Square’s electricity needs. . .Just a couple of days after Seattle Housing Authority gets word it’s a $10.7 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant for revitalization of Yesler Terrace, Seattle Times reports that about 150 mostly-young volunteers spent a Saturday “pruning, planting” and “painting” the building that houses Yesler Terrace’s Head Start Center. . .Better late than never, congrats to Portland Commissioner Dan Saltzman and The Miracle Club on grand opening of 5-story, 40-unit apartment complex for recovering addicts, funded in part by the Recovery Act. . .”Janice Strong of Strong Appraisals in Wasilla named REALTOR of the year by Alaska Association of REALTORS. . .Around 3,000 people” – a record – “crammed” into the Deschutes County Fair Exposition Center in Redmond, says KTVZ-TV, for 5th annual Project Connect. . .Washington Farmworker Housing Trust issues report study finding, reports KPLU, “increasing numbers of families in Walla Walla County are living in overcrowded conditions”. . .Clark County’s CDBG program wins an Award of Excellence from the Association for County Community and Economic Development for its partnership with Consolidated Diking Improvement District in insuring the safety of levees along the Columbia River. . .HUD’s competitively awards almost $3.8 million in Indian Community Development Block Grant funds to the Native Village of Kwinhagak and the Knik, Coos-Lower Umpqua-Siuslaw, Coquille, Klamath, Lummi Puyallup, Spokane and Swinomish Tribes for housing and economic development projects.
AIDS AID
HUD’s awarded the Portland Housing Bureau a $1,365,900grant rant for its Springboard to Stability, Self-Sufficiency and Health (S4H) initiative that will serve some 60 households annually who are living with HIV/AIDS and who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness. Portland’s S4H program was one of seven cross-program initiatives nationwide to be funded by HUD as a Special Project of National Significance under HUD’s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. Projects in Boston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Albany/Rochester and Maine also were selected for the almost $8.9 million in funding. A total of 46 initiatives were considered for the designation and funding. The award winners, said HUD Secretary Donovan, “will be innovating to more effectively and efficiently assist vulnerable households with HIV and serve as models for others to improve health outcomes and reduce risks of homelessness.”
JOB AID
What’s the most pressing issue for residents of public and assisted housing? Like everybody else in the current economic downturn, it’s probably “jobs, jobs and more jobs.” Preparing and connecting those residents to jobs is the major focus of HUD’s Family Self Sufficiency programs. Those efforts got a boost in September as HUD competitively awarded a total of $7,950,974 to 40 public and tribal housing authorities and five privately-owned rental complexes in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington under three programs that will allow them to hire or retain service coordinators to, says HUD Secretary Donovan, “open doors” for public housing residents and recipients of Housing Choice Vouchers to education and employment opportunities. “Like everyone else,” said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator McBride, “these residents dream of being self sufficient and these programs have proven themselves more than capable of helping make that dream come true.”
ED AID
The efforts to revitalize Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood got a big boost in September when the Tacoma Housing Authority was one of just five authorities across the country to win a HUD Capital Fund Education & Training Community Facilities grant. The authority plans to use the $1,881,652 award to build an 8,500 square-feet, two-story early childhood education, adult education and job training center near its Hillsdale Terrace public housing complex. Partners in the project will include Bates Technical College, Tacoma Goodwill and Tacoma Public Schools. “This new center will help Tacoma Housing Authority and its community partners extend our efforts to invest in new construction in the Hilltop neighborhood,” said authority executive director Michael Mirra. “Through the center, THA will advance its emphasis on education for residents of all ages,”
BRIEF BRIEFS THREE
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter names Idaho Falls businessman Jeff Sayer as new director of Idaho Department of Commerce. . .FHA issues new standards, effective September 23rd, for “obtaining, maintaining and utilizing” approved FHA lender status at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=11-34ml.pdf. . .Fawn Sharp, chair of the Quinault Nation, elected president of Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. . . President Obama nominates Spokane Mayor Mary Verner to the board of the national Institute of Building Sciences. . .Pocatello Neighborhood Housing Services hosts “open house” for two, newly-constructed homes on empty lots at the corner of Carter and Arthur that were built only after “10 truck loads” of boulders were removed says Idaho State Journal. . .Makah Tribal Council, Squaxin Island Tribe, Alaska Manufacturing Extension Project, City of Tanana and University of Alaska Anchorage awarded total of $561,000 in USDA Rural Development funds to support small business and job creation opportunities”. . .Anita Yap, most recently the community development director in Damascus, named deputy executive director of Home Forward, Portland’s housing authority. . .WorkSource Columbia Basin in Kennewick nominated, says Tri-City Herald, for 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for its work with veterans. . .Joni Schneider of Heartland Realty in Fairbanks elected president of Alaska Association of REALTORS . .Rick Crager reports that, as of early September, Oregon Housing & Community Service’s has distributed “more than $14 million” in Mortgage Assistance Payments to help to help homeowners who’ve lost their job or become unemployed during the current recession. . .Confederated Tribes of Siletz complete Recovery Act-funded expansion of Neachesna Village in Neotsu, bringing the total number of affordable and “green” – Energy Star appliances, no-tank water heaters – to 28 units. . Housing Assistance Council at www.ruralhome.org/storage/documents/usdaeligibleareastables.pdfsays population increases reported in 2010 Census may cause 500 communities nationwide – including 34 in Northwest – to lose eligibility for USDA Rural Development programs. . .Community Action Team begins accepting applications for seven “self help” houses to be built in Warrenton, says The Astorian, starting this fall. . .Bremerton Housing Authority awards $10,000 grants each to Oasis, YWCA, Max Hale Center, Communitas and Bremerton Central Lions Foundation to, says Kitsap Sun, “support local housing-related projects”. . .Advocates Against Family Violence celebrate grand opening of $3.4 million, 48-unit Hope Plaza in Caldwell for victims of domestic violence.
.
FAC-TASTIC
“Our sub-grantee” housing counseling “agencies,” reported Washington State Housing Finance Commission executive director Kim Herman in June, “assisted 2,210 households in the last 12 months. Out of this number, 2,159” – or 98 percent – “avoided foreclosure.”
WORTH A READ
Shamira Moore’s wanted to find a way out of an abusive relationship. Thanks to the Yakima YWCA’s transitional housing program, she’s finally found it. “It’s just a safe place,” the mother of five told Karma Dickinson of KNDO-TV, “the safest place I can be right now.” Without it, she noted, he’d “have weaseled his way back into my life.” Strong stuff and worth a read at http://www.kndo.com/story/15319878/domestic-violence-surviror-trans…
QUOTE TO NOTE
“There’s an assumption that housing counselors are only looking at cases from the homeowner’s perspective. Financial advocates are very aware that the bank needs to make its money and that we cannot save every house that comes through our doors. We do make it about the numbers. And we can give people an advocate who understands their circumstances, but we also give them a perspective that if the loan doesn’t make sense to us it’s not going to make sense to the bank.” – A comment by Yvonne Fengler, a housing counselor with Consumer Credit Counseling of the Tri-Cities in the June 2011 edition of My View by Kim Herman, executive director of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission which includes a series of thoughtful, even provocative interviews with 12 of the “players” who helped make Washington state’s Foreclosure Fairness Act which become law, effect July 23rd. Read it athttp://www.wshfc.org/newsletter/index.htm#trenches
NOTES TO NOTE
HUD sets October 20th deadline to apply for Energy Innovation funds as part of multifamily pilot program. . .HUD sets October 28th deadline to apply for Continuum of Care funds to support homeless programs. . .Idaho Housing & Finance Association sets October 31st deadline for public comment on its statewide Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing. . . Home Depot Foundation sets October 31st deadline to apply for Community Impact Grants of up to $5,000 to support “using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community,” especially those that identify projects for veterans, seniors, and/or the disabled ”. . .Sustainable Building Industry Council sets November 15th deadline to submit entries in 2011 national Beyond Green High-Performance Building Awards competition. . .Alaska Department of Commerce sets December 2nd deadline for incorporated cities or boroughs outside of Anchorage to apply for CDBG grants of up to $850,000. . .Housing Assistance Council sets December 12th as deadline to apply for Rural Senior Housing Funds to “support activities that will build, preserve or advocate” for housing for the elderly in rural areas. . ,Department of Energy sets December 14th deadline to apply for CONNECT grants to “support energy technology conferences, workshops, and other events”. . .Corporation for National & Community Service sets December 21st to file letter of intent and January 18th to app.ly for up to $50,000 in American Tribal Planning grants to build capacity to recruit and manage volunteers, completing community assessments and developing new systems in technology, performance management and training.
DON’T FHA-GET!
New, lower FHA loan limits took effect in more than 600 “high cost” counties across the country effective Monday, October 1st as required by the Housing & Economic Recovery Act of 2008. For the new limits in your area, please see https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/hicostlook.cfm
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT. . .
. . .the September 19th HUD Webcast on the how-to’s and what-for’s of applying for HUD Multifamily Energy Innovation Funds – applications due October 20th – the Webcast is available on-line athttp://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/multimedia/videos . B.Y.O.P. rule in effect
COMING UP
HUD Anchorage offers workshop on completing Indian Housing Plan and Annual Performance Review documents, October 4th to 6th to 4th, Anchorage. Visitwww.hud.gov/local/shared/working/r10/akonap/calendar/event.cfm?reco…
HUD offers a Webinar on the In’s and Out’s of Selling HUD Homes, October 6th. Visitwww.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=or&record=11832&s…
Innovative Changes offers Financial Household Resiliency Workshop on Budgeting & Saving, October 8th, Portland. Visit http://www.innovativechanges.org/
HUD Seattle offers workshop on Procurement for NAHASDA-Funded Purchasing, Contracting and Other Activities, October 12th to 14th, Seattle. Visitwww.hud.gov/local/shared/working/r10/nwonap/calendar/event.cfm?reco…
NeighborWorks & Chase host “crash course” on Credit Counseling for Maximum Results, October 11th to 13th, Seattle. Visit www.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=wa&record=11839&s…
Oregon Housing & Community Services hosts Charrette to help local Oregon communities develop their 10-year plans to end and prevent homelessness, October 11th & 12th, Redmond. Visitwww.ohcs.oregon.gov/OHCS/pdfs/public_notices/09-13-11_10yearPlan_Wo…
Oregon Affordable Housing Management Association hosts Rural Development Section 515 Boot Camp, October 13th & 14th Salem. Visit www.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=or&record=11704&s…
Innovative Changes offers Financial Household Resiliency Workshop on Hands-On Baking, October 15th, Portland. Visit http://www.innovativechanges.org/
Inman News hosts Agent Reboot on making use of cutting-edge technology in real estate agents, October 18th, Boise. Visit www.agentreboot.com
Idaho Energy & Green Building Conference, October 19th to 21st, Boise. Visitwww.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=id&record=11641&s…
Annual Conference of Alaska Federation of Natives, October 20th to 22nd, Anchorage. Visitwww.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=ak&record=11617&s…
Washington State Senior Citizens Fall Conference, October 21st, Tacoma. Visithttp://www.waseniorlobby.org
Oregon Housing & Community Services hosts 2011 Oregon Housing Conference, October 24th & 25th, Salem. Visit www.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=or&record=11232&s…
Annual conference of National Community Land Trust, October 24th to 27th, Seattle. Visitwww.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=ak&record=11830&s…
2011 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, October 25th to 27th, Vancouver, B.C. Visitwww.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=ak&record=11639&s…
Annual conference of National Congress of American Indians, October 30th to November 4th, Portland. Visit www.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=ak&record=11831&s…
HUD Seattle offers workshop on NAHASDA Essentials, November 1st to 3rd, Seattle. Visitwww.hud.gov/local/shared/working/r10/nwonap/calendar/event.cfm?reco…
Annual conference of Alaska Municipal League, November 7th to 11th, Fairbanks. Visitwww.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=ak&record=11165&s…
HUD Anchorage offers workshop on NAHASDA Essentials, November 8th to 10th, Anchorage. Visitwww.hud.gov/local/shared/working/r10/nwonap/calendar/event.cfm?reco…
Oregon Asset Building Conference, November 9th & 10th, Silverton.www.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=ak&record=11165&s…
HUD Northwest hosts free, Fair Housing Basics Webinar, November 17th. Visitwww.hud.gov/apps/calendar/event.cfm?state=or&record=11846&s…
Multnomah County Employee Salary Information
go to: oregoncapitolnews.com
Ever wondered how much Multnomah County officials make? Oregon Capitol News now provides a searchable database of worker salary information for Multnomah County.
All Multnomah County employee salary information is supplied by Multnomah County as public record. This information is current as of June 27th, 2010 when we obtained it from the County.
Department — All — Community Justice Community Services County Human Services County Management DCHS DDIPS DCJ-JSD Custody Support Services District Attorney’s Office Emergency Management Health Human Services Library Library-Access Services-Midland Library-Gregory Heights Library-Woodstock Mental Health and Addiction Services Non-Departmental School and Community Partnership Sheriff’s Office Position — All — A&T ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT A&T COLLECTION SPECIALIST A&T DATA VERIFICATION OPERATOR A&T DATA VERIFICATION OPR SENIOR A&T TECHNICIAN 1 A&T TECHNICIAN 2 AA/EEO OFFICER ACCESS SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR ADDICTION SPECIALIST ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST/SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATIVE SERV OFFICER ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST/NR ALARM ORDINANCE COORDINATOR ALARM TECHNICIAN ANIMAL CARE AIDE ANIMAL CARE TECHNICIAN ANIMAL CONTROL AIDE ANIMAL CONTROL DISPATCHER ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER ANIMAL HEALTH TECHNICIAN ARBORIST/VEGETATION SPECIALIST ASST COUNTY ATTORNEY 1 ASST COUNTY ATTORNEY 2 ASST COUNTY ATTORNEY/SENIOR BACKGROUND INVESTIGATOR BASIC SKILLS EDUCATOR BODY AND FENDER TECHNICIAN BRIDGE MAINTENANCE MECHANIC BRIDGE MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR BRIDGE OPERATOR BUDGET ANALYST BUDGET ANALYST/PRINCIPAL BUDGET ANALYST/SENIOR BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM SPECIALIST BUSINESS ANALYST BUSINESS ANALYST/SENIOR CAPTAIN CARPENTER CASE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT CASE MANAGER 1 CASE MANAGER 2 CASE MANAGER/SENIOR CATALOGING ADMINISTRATOR CHAPLAIN CHIEF APPRAISER CHIEF DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER CIVIL DEPUTY CIVIL DEPUTY/SENIOR CLERICAL UNIT SUPERVISOR CLINIC MEDICAL ASSISTANT CLINICAL COORDINATOR COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE COMMUNITY HEALTH SPECIALIST 1 COMMUNITY HEALTH SPECIALIST 2 COMMUNITY INFORMATION SPEC COMMUNITY JUSTICE MANAGER COMMUNITY WORKS LEADER CONTRACT SPECIALIST CONTRACT SPECIALIST SENIOR CONTRACT TECHNICIAN COOK CORRECTIONS COUNSELOR CORRECTIONS HEARINGS OFFICER CORRECTIONS OFFICER CORRECTIONS SERGEANT CORRECTIONS TECHNICIAN COUNTY ATTORNEY COUNTY AUDITOR COUNTY CHAIR COUNTY COMMISSIONER COUNTY SURVEYOR COUNTY WEB MANAGER CREATIVE MEDIA COORDINATOR D A INVESTIGATOR D A INVESTIGATOR/CHIEF DATA ANALYST DATA ANALYST SR DATA TECHNICIAN DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR/SENIOR DENTAL ASSISTANT DENTAL ASSISTANT/EFDA DENTAL DIRECTOR/CLINICAL DENTAL HYGIENIST DENTIST DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR 1 DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR 2 DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEY DEPUTY DIRECTOR DEPUTY DIST ATTY/FIRST ASST DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY 1 DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY 2 DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY 3 DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY 4 DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY/CHIEF DEPUTY HEALTH OFFICER DEPUTY MEDICAL EXAMINER DEPUTY PUBLIC GUARDIAN DEPUTY SHERIFF DEVELOPMENT ANALYST DEVELOPMENT ANALYST/SENIOR DISEASE INTERVENTION SPECIALIST DISTRICT ATTORNEY DRIVER ELECTIONS MANAGER ELECTRICIAN ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN/CHIEF ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST EMS MEDICAL DIRECTOR ENGINEER 1(INTERN) ENGINEER 2 ENGINEER 3 ENGINEERING SERVICES MANAGER 2 ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN 1 ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN 2 ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN 3 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST SR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SUPERVISOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TRAINEE EQUIPMENT/PROPERTY TECHNICIAN FAC MAINT DISPATCH/SCHEDULER FACILITIES DEV & SERVICES MGR FACILITIES SPECIALIST 1 FACILITIES SPECIALIST 2 FACILITIES SPECIALIST 3 FACILITY SECURITY OFFICER FAMILY INTERVENTION SPECIALIST FINANCE MANAGER FINANCE SPECIALIST 1 FINANCE SPECIALIST 2 FINANCE SPECIALIST/SENIOR FINANCE SUPERVISOR FINANCE TECHNICIAN FLEET MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR FLEET MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN 2 FLEET MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN 3 FOOD SERVICE WORKER GIS CARTOGRAPHER GIS CARTOGRAPHER SR GRAPHIC DESIGNER HEALTH ASSISTANT 1 HEALTH ASSISTANT 2 HEALTH EDUCATOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNICIAN HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNICIAN/SENIOR HEALTH OFFICER HEALTH SERVICES DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATO HEALTH SERVICES MANAGER/SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST 1 HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST 2 HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST/SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER 1 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER 2 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER/SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN HUMAN SERVICES INVESTIGATOR HVAC ASSISTANT HVAC ENGINEER ICS DIRECTOR INFORMATION SPECIALIST 1 INFORMATION SPECIALIST 2 INFORMATION SPECIALIST 3 INVENTORY/STORES SPECIALIST I INVENTORY/STORES SPECIALIST II INVENTORY/STORES SPECIALIST III INVESTIGATIVE TECHNICIAN IT BUSINESS CONSULTANT/SR IT MANAGER 1 IT MANAGER 2 IT MANAGER/SENIOR IT PROJECT MANAGER 1 IT PROJECT MANAGER 2 IT SECURITY MANAGER IT SUPERVISOR JUVENILE COUNSELOR JUVENILE CUSTODY SERVICES SPEC LEGAL ASSISTANT 1 LEGAL ASSISTANT 2 LEGAL ASSISTANT 2/NR LEGAL ASSISTANT SR/NR LEGAL ASSISTANT/SENIOR LEGISLATIVE/ADMIN SECRETARY LIBRARIAN LIBRARY ADMINISTRATOR/BRANCH LIBRARY ADMINISTRATOR/CENTRAL LIBRARY ASSISTANT LIBRARY CLERK LIBRARY MANAGER/BRANCH LIBRARY MANAGER/SENIOR LIBRARY OUTREACH SPECIALIST LIBRARY PAGE LIBRARY SUPERVISOR LICENSED COMM PRACTICAL NURSE LIEUTENANT LIEUTENANT/CORRECTIONS LIGHTING TECHNICIAN LOCKSMITH LOGISTICS EVIDENCE TECH MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST 1 MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST 2 MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST APPRENTICE MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST/SENIOR MAINTENANCE WORKER MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT MANAGEMENT AUDITOR/SENIOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY COUNSELOR MCSO CORRECTIONS PROGRAM ADMIN MCSO RECORDS SUPERVISOR MCSO RECORDS TECHNICIAN MCSO VOLUNTEER PROGRAM COORDINATOR MEDICAL DIRECTOR MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST MEDICATION AIDE/CNA MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR MOTOR POOL ATTENDANT NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR/SENIOR NUISANCE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER NURSE PRACTITIONER NUTRITION ASSISTANT NUTRITION SERVICES MANAGER NUTRITIONIST NUTRITIONIST SUPERVISOR OFFICE ASSISTANT 2 OFFICE ASSISTANT/SENIOR OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATOR OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR PATHOLOGIST ASSISTANT PAYROLL SPECIALIST PHARMACIST PHARMACY SERVICES DIRECTOR PHARMACY TECHNICIAN PHYSICIAN PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PLANNER PLANNER/PRINCIPAL PLANNER/SENIOR PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR PRINTING SPECIALIST PROBATION/PAROLE OFFICER PROCUREMENT ANALYST PROCUREMENT ANALYST/SR PROCUREMENT ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR PROGRAM COMMUNICATIONS & WEB SPEC PROGRAM COMMUNICATIONS & WEB SPEC/SR PROGRAM COORDINATOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT SPEC PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT SPEC/SR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TECH PROGRAM MANAGER 1 PROGRAM MANAGER 2 PROGRAM MANAGER/SENIOR PROGRAM SUPERVISOR PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT MANAGER – REPRESENTED PROPERTY APPRAISER 1 PROPERTY APPRAISER REAL 2 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST/SENIOR PSYCHIATRIST PUBLIC AFFAIRS COORDINATOR PUBLIC HEALTH ECOLOGIST PUBLIC HEALTH VECTOR SPECIALIST PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR RECORDS ADMINISTRATION ASST RECORDS ADMINISTRATOR RECORDS TECHNICIAN RESEARCH SCIENTIST RESEARCH/EVALUATION ANALYST 1 RESEARCH/EVALUATION ANALYST 2 RESEARCH/EVALUATION ANALYST/SENIOR RESEARCH/EVALUATION ANALYST/SENIOR NR RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMITS SPECIALIST ROAD OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR SERGEANT SEWING SPECIALIST SHERIFF SIGN FABRICATOR SOCIAL WORKER STAFF ASSISTANT STRIPER OPERATOR SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AGENT SURVEY SUPERVISOR SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR/SENIOR TAX EXEMPTION SPECIALIST TAX SUPR/ADMIN OFFICER TAX SUPR/BUDGET ANALYST TEAM DEVELOPER/LIBRARY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SPECIALIST TRANSPORTATION PROJECT SPECIALIST VETERANS SERVICES OFFICER VETERINARIAN VICTIM ADVOCATE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR WEATHERIZATION INSPECTOR X-RAY TECHNICIAN First Name Last Name Annual Compensation — All — $0 – $10,000 $10,000 – $20,000 $20,000 – $30,000 $30,000 – $40,000 $40,000 – $50,000 $50,000 – $60,000 $60,000 – $70,000 $70,000 – $80,000 $80,000 – $90,000 $90,000 – $100,000 $100,000+
Date Requested: 6/22/10 Estimated cost: $123.06 Date Obtained: 6/28/10 Actual Cost: $123.06 Status: Obtained Fee waiver: Not requested
As you can see, government workers are barely getting by! Go ahead and go through the pages and pages of COUNTY workers who are living hand to mouth existence. Of course they need a pay raise!!
On the other hand, I’m wondering why a monopoly labor force is granted monopoly union status? The people who decide upon “wage scale” are compensated by.. the same source.. the taxpayer. So who is watching the hen house? It’s possible the system is a bit… biased? IF any one of these government employees were to compete in the private sector with their skill set, I wonder what that would look like? I’m sure there are people with excellent skills who love their “public service” employment- that is not so difficult to understand. At the same time, is the taxpayer paying far more than what they should? I think it’s a legitimate question that should be examined in light of the examples we are seeing all across the nation when it comes to government employee unions.
This is just ONE example of government abuse of the taxpayer- over time, the government class has created a special “carve out” financed on the backs of the private sector. Enough is enough. The cost and regulatory overkill attributable to Government in America is suffocating private sector jobs. We’re killing off the true source of funding for this piggish government.. following the very same spending, borrowing and excessive taxation policies that brought down the Roman empire.. and other once great societies that have allowed massive public spending and debt to crush the entire society.
Financial advisor Dave Ramsey put forth an interesting scenario recently on his nationally syndicated radio call-in program. Taking a hypothetical phone call from John Q. Public and his wife, We the People, in one brief illustration Ramsey demonstrated that no one in Washington, D.C., is really serious about cutting spending.
Ramsey has a way of boiling large numbers down to their essence and showing us the absurdity of our debt crisis. In his radio example, his callers — “John” and “We” — are earning $58,000 a year. However, they are spending $75,000 a year. More importantly, they have credit card debt totaling $327,000. In fact, $10,000 of the family’s income goes just to pay interest on those credit cards.
“Now, what would you expect my advice to this couple to be?” Ramsey asked his radio audience. He then proceeded to say that if he followed the current model of “cuts” being proposed in Washington, his recommendation would be that they reduce their annual expenditures by a mere $3,000 — all the way down to $72,000.
Ramsey has calculated that these numbers are in exact proportion to the actions of our federal government in dealing with our deficit. However, instead of terms like “billions” and “trillions,” to which no one can relate, Ramsey has reduced the numbers to one we can all comprehend. Anyone with a brain can figure out that a family making $58,000 and spending $75,000, with $327,000 in credit card debt, is headed for bankruptcy — or worse.
This, most people would agree, is the classic definition of insanity. And yet, many Americans go merrily along pretending that somehow the reason for our debt is the war in Iraq, or the war in Afghanistan, or tax breaks for the rich or whatever other cliché entrenched Washington politicians want to throw out during election years. The truth is that we could eliminate every federal program in Washington and we still could not pay for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security at the current levels — and still provide for the defense of the country. The truth is that this nation cannot pay its bills, and like John Q. Public and his wife, We the People, we are in for a rude awakening when those bills come due.
It has become obvious over the last two years that Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress have no intention of being serious about the realities of our federal spending. Letting them set our national priorities is — in the words of satirist P.J. O’Rourke — tantamount to giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
It is tempting to believe that John Boehner and his House Republicans are any more serious than the Democrats about making the tough decisions to keep this nation from falling into a financial pit from which we can never escape; but all one has to do is look at their proposals to know they are not the least bit serious. They are as addicted to spending as Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, who ran our spending levels up to the point where we are now spending $1.5 trillion more than we are taking in this year. Meanwhile, Boehner and company want us to cheer about $6 billion in cuts?
We cannot continue in serious times with unserious people representing us in Washington. They have taken the United States of America from the greatest, strongest, most prosperous country on the face of the earth and turned it into a debtor nation. They have taken us from a shining city on a hill to a banana republic.
As Dave Ramsey concluded in his lesson to his listening audience, it is the 9,000-pound elephant sitting on our foot in the living room.
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Doug Patton describes himself as a recovering political speechwriter who agrees with himself much more often than not. Now working as a freelance writer, his weekly columns of sage political analysis are published the world over by legions of discerning bloggers, courageous webmasters and open-minded newspaper editors. Astute supporters and inane detractors alike are encouraged to e-mail him with their pithy comments at dougpatton@cox.net.
Do you think Congress is really serious about reduced spending? If you think they are serious, please explain your conclusion.
Washington has been taken over by fiscal idiots. These are people who are either ignorant beyond imagine, care nothing for America or the future of America, or hope to destroy freedom and impose a new Statist regime to control, dominate, and enslave America under some form of Tyranny. This article should be required reading for every American.
Debt? What Debt?
The Washington Post babbled again today about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush. Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this HORSE MANURE
So once more, a short civics lesson.
Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party.
Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for FY 2008 and FY 2009 as well as FY 2010 and FY 2011.
In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.
For FY 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets.
And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009. Let’s remember what the deficits looked like during that period: (below)
If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the FY 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.
If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.
In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is “I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th“.
Clackamas Point of View 