Summer youth program loses money under Hales budget cuts
PORTLAND, Ore. – In an effort to balance the city's budget Mayor Charlie Hales is taking a big chunk out of funding for youth employment and internships.
He is cutting $395,000 for summer youth and grant programs. He also plans to save another $600,000 by cutting his staff from 25 down to 14 employees. But that only trims less than a million of the $25 million shortfall the city faces.
John Charles, with the Cascade Policy Institute, a nonprofit, public policy research organization, said the cuts are a good first step.
"I'm positive about both the mayor hiring a smaller staff than his predecessor and cutting some programs," he said. "Those are two small steps in a long march that has to be ahead of us to introduce some fiscal discipline for the city."
Charles said the city still needs to address two of its biggest expenditures: urban renewal and the rising costs of Portland police and fire pension and disability funds.
Parkrose High School senior Tria Mcferson said Thursday her life would be different if one of the programs on the chopping block hadn’t existed.
Earlier this month, Mcferson learned she'd get to sit near President Barack Obama at his inauguration and was honored with the trip because of her hard work as an intern through the Summer Youth Connect program.
Mcferson credits the program for her success.
Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith chose to take Mcferson with her to Washington, D.C. out of 50 interns last summer. She picked Mcferson because she shined in her job and even organized meetings with other interns each week.
"We got in those groups and shared our personal and our job experiences and everyone got along, and we just met every Friday. We all just talked," Mcferson said.
Mcferson just flew home this week from Washington, D.C. and is back at school where she said it feels a little different.
"More people started to talk to me now. (I) got a little famous," she said.
Mcferson said sat outside the Capitol just behind the band.
"It was really cool to see him (the president) and his family. So that was kind of heart racing," she said.
Summer Youth Connect Program didn't fund those presidential seats. They were a gift from U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer's office. But Mcferson’s airfare and hotel were paid for by a local nonprofit that supports the program and is now losing city funding.
"It was motivation for us to know we could get up every morning and be able to go somewhere and do something with ourselves instead of always sitting in the house, or always watching TV or always being at a friend's house or something," Mcferson said.
Mcferson graduates this year. She's focused on college now, but while she was at the Capitol she took the time to talk to officials at the Department of Labor, telling them why the program works and that summer jobs for teens should be promoted in cities all over the country.
"I felt like I was representing people that's just like me," she said.
Commissioner Smith said Thursday that Multnomah County is still committed to Summer Youth Connect and plans to continue to offer paid summer internships. She said she will talk to the mayor and hopes he'll reconsider the funding cuts.
People are going to take these cuts hard, but there needs to be an understanding that finances are not available for all "needs" to be met. First  and foremost, all the parts of the city's budget need to be "spring-cleaned" and the fluff needs to go. Once everything is properly assessed, then the gradual increase of the programs can happen again.Â
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This happened with my own personal budget. People need to relate to this better than "woe is me - I don't have this anymore." It's a reality. Time to get very real on the money that goes in and out of government. It has to start somewhere, and once that clean up is done, things can get better.Â
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Yeah - it sucks. It always sucks for those that it hits. But if not you, than who?
Just a few observations:
11 employees accounting for 600K (and I assume that's a yearly savings?) means most of them were fairly low salary staff when you factor in benefits and taxes. I'd guess there are still some 3 figure salary positions that could go.
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I don't know what the stats were on the job program outcomes, but if they were good (and she certainly seems like someone who will make something of herself) it was very shortsighted to cut the program.
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Non profits and elected officials have no business using tax money for trips to DC. She should have raised the money herself. Community fundraising would be a good experience for her resume - look where it got Obama.
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Does Obama ever do anything for white youth or feature any white entertainers?
 @ormom kelly clarkson and james taylor?
Free airfare to DC and hotel paid by "a local nonprofit that supports the program and is now losing city funding" to attend the inauguration and watch Beyonce lip-sink you say.  Can someone please explain how this is promoting employment??  And Mrs. Smith, I can only hope you were one of the 14 that were released.  If you need a summer intern to "organize(d) meetings with other interns each week" then it just confirms the need to cut this waste and the one's who are promoting it.  And so sorry Tria if you can't think of anything else to do than "instead of always sitting in the house, or always watching TV".  These folks are the exact reason city/state/federal governments are broke.  Just sit around and wait for a handout.
Parents should be responsible for what their kids do in the summer, not the government.Â
They can't afford it when they're on welfare. Go figure.
I laugh at all of you, I took an early retirement with a "Golden Parachute" a year ago and I don't care anymore.
@RandyH See what that "golden parachute" gets you? Cynicism, bitterness, anger, so much for YOUR golden years. People like you are why we live in a society where it's me, me, me. If the Lord chooses to inflict upon you things like bunions, gout, gastrointestinal issues....the rest of us will likely understand.Â
 @RandyH The next thing we know, you'll be running for governor of California and advising John McCain.
Don't worry, Oregon politicians can just soak the rich to make up for the shortfall. Â Oh, wait a second, I forgot that all of the rich moved out of state to escape Oregon's high capital gains tax. Â Never mind then!
@UtterReality Where does Phil Knight live now?
 @Mechanic  @UtterReality He has homes all over the world...
Yes time to cut the fat...........More cuts please........
Pardon my ignorance.... Internship=Free Labor, right? So one could assume that he could replace the staff cuts with interns.
 @MlwkieRage Mayor Sammy's dream come true!!Â
People scream and holler for the government to start controlling it's spending. Then when they do, the media blasts them as being terrible for what they cut the funds from. I say bravo Mr. Mayor!
"""""""He is cutting $395,000 for summer youth and grant programs. He also plans to save another $600,000 by cutting his staff from 25 down to 14 employees. But that only trims less than a million of the $25 million shortfall the city faces.""""
Seems like a reasonable 1st step.... almost cutting his staff in half thats great..... don't see that too often.Â
Seeing the youth and grant programs aren't essential city services seems reasonable for them to be on the chopping block. of course this is all small potatos compared to the PPD and FPD pensions as it will be interesting to see how successful Choo Choo Charlie is at taking on the unions......
Bottom line...... county/city/state govts can't print money so they are forced to live within their means.  $25,000,000 budget hole is bound to affect some people..... I had to really tighten my financial belt the last few years and the reality is looks like the city of Portland has to do the same.
Oh well, it is called a 'Balanced Budget' that Sam had no concept of. I guess I will stay on my side of the river and you folks stay on yours as all the 'freebies' go ba-bye! Oh, and wait until you see your next pay-check and just wait until Kitzgrabber gets done with all ya' all - he has an agenda and that = higher taxes to keep his social hand-outs going...
Get money from those that have the money. do not defund an educational program that is part of a long term plan to better Oregon in the future. Close some loop-holes. I have heard of people that hid his/her  $250,000 boat in Mexico to avoid paying taxes on the boat, close that loop-hole.
 @Lori Norman From what I read this was a summer job program for kids, and not really an "education" program. I don't remember the city getting me summer work (Or anyone else for that matter.) It's another stab at keeping the kids away from gangs that doesn't work. End the whole gang task force, and let them kill each other off. That should save your town a bunch of money.
 @Lori Norman And how do you propose all the sniveling stuff you propose? And when that money runs out where will go from there? You are living in Omama Land and our dollar continues to sink in value all over the world - gosh, what a surprise to you isn't it??
Yup! We need more bike paths and other nonsense projects! By the way, the young lady in the accompanying photo looks like she is well on the way to getting on the OSP. Â
@jpk Hey, Porky (that IS what the "P" stands fron, right?) the more of us there are on the bike paths, the more room there is for you lardbuckets on the road. In addition, bike paths are cheaper than roads, and we don't wear them out. (We don't wear out your precious roads, either.)
 @Mechanic   Not true, but that is OK because your heart is in the right place, SIR...
 @jpk What is the OSP?
@LongTimeLocal @jpk I believe that is the Oregon State Police.
This is not a good first step... As a former camp counselor at a summer youth program, I can assure you that without these programs we will see a rise in adolescent crime during the summers.
 @kindercaregoat Ya' think? Is that not the outcome of a 'Balanced Budget' and schools always come last in spite of the gubner's last speech??
Shocking. It's all about the kids until it comes down to either cutting spending on useless programs, or funding a program that actually helps kids. Great choice! Another reason to stop wondering why there are so many failed products of our education system. Simply pathetic
 @Mike Hey.. Sorry.. Let's save your program.. So there is no more money.. What do you think we should cut.. I'm all ears.. the floor is yours.. Let's hear it !
 @dougrpdx How about we stop wasting money on stupid street projects that make downtown even harder to navigate and actually act like we practice what we preach about kids and education. And just for the record, I dont have a program to save. I am just a tax payer that is sick and tired of seeing programs like these cut, but nobody wants to even touch the bloated retirement and perks of public employees even though their benefits are completely out of line with the private sector.
 @Mike Welcome to Omamanomics where it is all about tax more so we can spend more on social programs that do not include our children in spite of all the damn rhetoric we hear - just my humble opinion...