Guest Paul J. Berg Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 ~ From The Portland (Oregon) Tribune - July 17,2007 One year ago, low-income residents whose homes were weatherized through a Multnomah County (Oregon) program told auditors the program saved a home in one case, warmed a baby's bedroom in another and helped one elderly person keep the thermostat at a warmer level. But through an Oregon Legislature error that accidentally drew money from that same program to pay off debt for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, fewer local people will have access to the service next biennium. Call it a legislative boo-boo. In late June, the Legislature's joint Ways and Means Committee made a late-session change that funneled $4.6 million from a tax on utilities to a debt OMSI owed the state. Legislators intended to pay down part of the balance of a $15 million energy loan given to OMSI from taxes paid to Energy Trust of Oregon Inc., a program that promotes energy conservation and renewable energy technology. But in doing so legislators failed to specify that none of the money should come from weatherization programs for low-income homes, which also draw funding from the same source. The effect is the loss of $630,000 from weatherization programs in Multnomah, Washington, Clatsop, Clackamas and Yamhill counties and the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency. State officials say the changes mean 205 fewer homes will be weatherized in those areas in the next biennium. State Representative Mary Nolan, D-Portland, said the effect was unintended. "It was an oversight. We were not intending to take away from low-income housing on this," she said. Officials at Oregon Housing and Community Services, a state department, are joined by the Citizens Utility Board, the League of Oregon Cities and a handful of environmental and energy groups concerned over the tax-money move. "Our hope is to recover these monies by going to the Legislature," said Floyd Smith, agency affairs director for Oregon Housing and Community Services. The Citizens Utility Board, along with 12 other government and environmental groups, also is petitioning Governor Ted Kulongoski for help. The groups are outraged over the mistake, as well as the Legislature's decision to tamper with taxes paid by public utility customers. They said the taxes are not public funds and can't be legally appropriated by the state. "Haste not only makes waste but in this case also hurts low-income Oregonians," said Jeff Bissonnette, organizing director at the Citizens Utility Board. Bissonnette said greater attention to public process by the Legislature would have prevented the oversight of impacts to weatherization programs. Through a series of letters Quote
Guest lein Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 pjberg@webtv.net (Paul J. Berg) wrote in news:14011-469CE049-994 @storefull-3237.bay.webtv.net: > ~ > > From The Portland (Oregon) Tribune - July 17,2007 > > One year ago, low-income residents whose homes were weatherized through > a Multnomah County (Oregon) program told auditors the program saved a > home in one case, warmed a baby's bedroom in another and helped one > elderly person keep the thermostat at a warmer level. > > But through an Oregon Legislature error that accidentally drew money > from that same program to pay off debt for the Oregon Museum of Science > and Industry, fewer local people will have access to the service next > biennium. > > Call it a legislative boo-boo. > > In late June, the Legislature's joint Ways and Means Committee made a > late-session change that funneled $4.6 million from a tax on utilities > to a debt OMSI owed the state. > > Legislators intended to pay down part of the balance of a $15 million > energy loan given to OMSI from taxes paid to Energy Trust of Oregon > Inc., a program that promotes energy conservation and renewable energy > technology. > > But in doing so legislators failed to specify that none of the money > should come from weatherization programs for low-income homes, which > also draw funding from the same source. > > The effect is the loss of $630,000 from weatherization programs in > Multnomah, Washington, Clatsop, Clackamas and Yamhill counties and the > Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency. > > State officials say the changes mean 205 fewer homes will be weatherized > in those areas in the next biennium. > > State Representative Mary Nolan, D-Portland, said the effect was > unintended. > > "It was an oversight. We were not intending to take away from low- income > housing on this," she said. > > Officials at Oregon Housing and Community Services, a state department, > are joined by the Citizens Utility Board, the League of Oregon Cities > and a handful of environmental and energy groups concerned over the > tax-money move. > > "Our hope is to recover these monies by going to the Legislature," said > Floyd Smith, agency affairs director for Oregon Housing and Community > Services. > > The Citizens Utility Board, along with 12 other government and > environmental groups, also is petitioning Governor Ted Kulongoski for > help. > > The groups are outraged over the mistake, as well as the Legislature's > decision to tamper with taxes paid by public utility customers. They > said the taxes are not public funds and can't be legally appropriated by > the state. > > "Haste not only makes waste but in this case also hurts low-income > Oregonians," said Jeff Bissonnette, organizing director at the Citizens > Utility Board. > > Bissonnette said greater attention to public process by the Legislature > would have prevented the oversight of impacts to weatherization > programs. > > Through a series of letters Quote
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