Measures 66 and 67: Protect the hardest-hit Oregonians
By Guest Columnist
December 21, 2009, 8:00AM
John Mullin
It’s official: Oregon now ranks second in the nation for hunger. Food stamp use in our state has skyrocketed 36 percent over the past year. Today, 650,000 Oregonians—one in six—rely on food stamps. Just in the Portland metro area, for example, 231,911 people are currently enrolled in the program because they have nowhere else to turn. The reason behind the rapid rise in hunger is clear: Oregon has been hit hard by the economic crisis, and the effects are rippling through our communities. That’s why we must carefully consider Measures 66 and 67, which are designed to protect Oregonians who have been hardest hit by the recession from being hurt again by drastic cuts to essential services.
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