STRONG Salem is for everyone who wants to help and participate in getting Salem, Oregon, to quit chasing Growth Ponzi Scheme plans and instead become a resilient, fiscally responsible place that lives by the wisdom that "Communities exist for the health and enjoyment of those who live in them, not for the convenience of those who drive through them, fly over them, or exploit their real estate for profit."
Mostly we're examining the current round of ConnectOregon, a $42 million expenditure for multi-model transportation projects. Some of what we've found is great: a way to get bikers and pedestrians in Tualatin from one side of I-5 to the other without crossing seven lanes of on and off ramps, for example, is critically needed. But we've also found several projects that squander the public purse, including $7 million in giveaways to help move coal and oil through Oregon. Really? We're GIVING away tax money for this? You can bet we notified the environmental community and the press about this outrage!
ConnectOregon is designed to accomplish important things; we have no doubt about that. But it's supposed to be a loan and grant program, yet there are never any loans. Instead, the program passes out gifts averaging $1.5 million to private businesses, ports, airports, rails and cities, even when loans would be more appropriate. The program certainly "reduces business costs," as David's analysis of the White's Hauling application shows. But, when did "reducing business costs" become a key goal of state government?
Building common-use infrastructure is clearly something government does best. But shouldn't users of that infrastructure pay most of the bill? Road users do [not actually true! but a widely held myth] why not port, train or airport users?
The airport applications are the most outrageous. Most ask to use state taxpayer dollars to match federal taxpayer dollars, with zero from the airport users, who are mostly private businesses and individuals who own planes.
Obviously, money spent on ConnectOregon is money not available for drug treatment, 2nd grade classrooms, state troopers, or tuition grants. Thirty seven projects are up for approval, with a public hearing in Salem on July 17th. We need to be ready to testify.
We're looking for help reading and analyzing these grant applications.
Can a girl get pregnant if she has sex standing up?
Will my boyfriend be able to feel my IUD?
What are dental dams, and why do people use them for sex?
Does everybody shave or trim down there?
If a guy pays for dinner, what does a girl owe him?
If the goal of school is to help kids become healthy, prosperous adults who contribute to thriving communities, then one of the most leveraged classes they can take is sex ed.
Teen pregnancy is both an effect and a cause of poverty. It can erect insurmountable obstacles for a young woman who may dream of a better life. Of girls who give birth while in high school, fewer than half graduate, and only 2 percent complete a college degree by age 30. Two-thirds receive public assistance in the first year after giving birth—and half are living in poverty three years later. The girls hit the hardest are often those already fighting an uphill battle: black and Latina girls born into impoverished families and hardscrabble communities.
Percentage of Teen Mothers Living in Poverty, by Race, Ethnicity. by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (Used with permission.)
Negative impacts of teenage childbearing persist even after accounting for the fact that many teen moms faced challenges before they got pregnant. New media love to tell stories about the exceptions to the rule, the determined young women who fight their way through the obstacles and end up flourishing. Such women provide crucial inspiration for girls who have given birth and need both hope and role models for how to forge ahead.
But the fact is that when girls get pregnant before they're ready, the odds are stacked against them.
Here's another fact: Comprehensive sex education that discusses the range of prevention options is one of the most effective tools we have for reducing unwanted teen pregnancy.
In 2008, researchers at the University of Washington compared teens who had received comprehensive sex ed with those who received abstinence-only education or none at all prior to their first sexual intercourse. They found that the kids who received comprehensive sex ed were 50 percent less likely to report a teen pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education and 60 percent less likely than those who got no sex ed at all. Some parents fear that teaching young people how to prevent pregnancy will make them promiscuous, but data trend in the opposite direction: kids who are taught about pregnancy prevention tend toward later sexual initiation and fewer partners. Sex ed works.
Even so, across the United States, policies and practices are wildly inconsistent, shaped as much by culture and religion as by research. Only 22 states require any form of sexual health education, and only 18 say that such education, if provided, must include information about contraception. As an accommodation to conservative religious sensibilities, 37 states allow parents to excuse their children from any class that addresses sexual health. Worse, in a recent survey by the CDC, 83 percent of girls aged 15–17 said their first formal reproductive health class came after their first sexual contact.
Big Little Brother Brock by Bekah used under CC BY-NC 2.0
The Cascadia region does better than the American South and Southwest when it comes to teen pregnancy and sexual health education, but even here, standards vary widely.
North of the border, the Canadian government publishes a manual called "Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education." These guidelines reference international human rights standards, which include the right to sexuality education, and they inform education policy across the country. A set of questions and answers for parents calls abstinence-only education "inappropriate and ineffective." The Canadian guidelines comprise a "living document," meaning that they are updated and revised as new research becomes available.
In 2011, a collaborative project called the Future of Sexual Education produced a similar document, a set of National Sexual Health Education Standards for the United States. The project brought together national experts, led by Advocates for Youth, the Answer Program at Rutgers University, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. Their goals (condensed and paraphrased here) were ambitious:
The resulting document has not been endorsed or adopted yet by the federal government. Even so, the ripple effects have been exciting. Last year, following the National Sexual Health Education Standards, the Chicago school system—the third largest in the country—approved a new policy that sex ed should be offered in kindergarten through 12th grade. The curriculum will focus on anatomy and personal safety starting in kindergarten, and sexual health topics from fifth grade on. In May, the sixth-largest district, Broward County, Florida (which also has the country's highest AIDS rate), used the standards to inform a transition from abstinence only to comprehensive sex ed. Student advocates armed with data and expert opinion led the way.
Teacher at chalkboard by Cybrarian used under CC BY-NC 2.0
Even with a solid curriculum in place, some teachers are reluctant participants in sex ed, and their students get shortchanged. A Seattle project aims to correct that.
Neighborcare Health is the largest provider of primary care for low-income people in King County, so their staff witness firsthand the challenges faced by young parents. In addition, they manage clinics in three of Seattle's high schools. Last year Neighborcare hired a full-time reproductive health educator whose job includes fostering conversation in health and science classes, responding to parent inquiries, and providing information to high school students about all aspects of sexual development and health, including new long-acting reversible contraceptives that are now considered top tier for teens.
Janet Cady, medical director of Neighborcare's school-based clinics, says that young people who talk with the educator then spread what they learn: "Male and female students have engaged with the health educator individually and in group settings. In turn, these youth have expanded accurate health information among their peers and, in many cases, within their families."
Some health advocates are taking youth-friendly messages about sex and pregnancy prevention to the web or the airwaves. Others are working to bring web content and media into the classroom. MTV's series 16 and Pregnant is back by popular demand, along with downloadable discussion guides from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Bedsider.org, a funny, smart, award-winning contraception go-to website for youth, gets rave reviews from college and high school students.
StayTeen offers age-appropriate information for middle-schoolers, while Hooking Up and Staying Hooked provides candid, playful advice for boys within a framework of mutual respect and safety. SexEtc. has content by teens for teens and features what the site's editors think are the best sex ed videos on the web.
Savvy educators realize that one of the best ways to reach teens is via other empowered, knowledgeable teens. "I took five different friends to get Mirenas [a type of IUD] at Planned Parenthood in my senior year," says Jenna, age 19. Jenna had learned about the contraceptive on her own, from a friend. But programs like Planned Parenthood's Teen Council provide interested girls with training and support so that peers can turn to them as trusted information sources. Teen Council is selective, and girls who get accepted receive 50 or more hours of training about sexual health in the company of—you got it—like-minded peers. They make presentations in their schools and community settings, opening the door for less formal conversations with schoolmates and friends. The program started in King County, Washington, and has spread to eight states.
With abstinence-only education thoroughly discredited, evidence-based curricula, candid teen-friendly media, empowered peer counselors, and clinic-school partnerships may be the shape of things to come. Since 1995, May has been designated as National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. This May, youth advocates launched a campaign to pass legislation called the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act. Their tools include Washington, D.C., savvy and grassroots organizing (you can sign a petition here), and their goal is to get the National Sexual Health Education Standards turned into law. And funded.
In the meantime, those local, district-level upgrades are touching lives. The Chicago and Broward County school systems together will provide real sexual health information to over 650,000 young people each year. One student in Broward County, Keyanna Suarez, crowed about the change in her district: "There's not gonna be a taboo about anything. Everyone's gonna be able to open up, ask questions, and get the info they need to make these decisions because some parents aren't giving them education at home."
Next up on the request list from students: honest conversations about sexual pleasure.
Review: Documentary "Ivory Tower" is a Sobering Look at the Cost of Higher Education(via Indie Wire)
"Ivory Tower" is compelling viewing, particularly if you feel close to the crisis. Authors, current and former students, faculty and business people share their thoughts on the state of the system, with some sobering statistics that punctuate the more personal moments. The film traces the evolution of higher education: from being something for the elite to a basic human right, and back again as costs continue to rise.
Christian Science MonitorAn Italian small town began to transition toward becoming sustainable in food and energy 20 years ago to better its community and economy. Since then, 108 organic farms supply 98 percent of the town's produce, meat, and dairy.
Original Article: http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Bite/2014/0617/Italian-town-sees-sustainable-efforts-benefit-community-economy
By 2030, the state will need to put nearly $6 billion into replacing infrastructure, the audit found. By 2040, repairs and replacements will together cost nearly $7 billion.
Oregon does not have that kind of money for infrastructure projects.
The federal gas tax has not been raised since 1993, and average fuel economy has increased by 22 percent over the past decade. Congress has passed legislation to temporarily supplement that lost revenue, and Oregon has passed three bonding packages in 2001, 2003 and 2009. (The most recent package included an increase to Oregon's gas tax.)
Today, bonds make up 40 percent of ODOT's $1.9 billion budget and pay for dozens of projects, which has increased the department's workload at the same time it has been forced to cut staff.
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