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THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014
Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878
Tenmile Lakes algae conundrum “We’ve been at this for four years, with nothing to show for it.” Vaughn Rains, Lakeside property owner
By Michael Clapp, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Interstate 5 passes near the South Waterfront in Portland.With states bracing for the possible end of the Highway Trust Fund, some are looking to Oregon’s evolving pay-per-mile program as a possible model for funding the nation’s highways.
Report: Oregon highway funding a model for nation BY LIZZY DUFFY Oregon Public Broadcasting PORTLAND — With states bracing for the possible end of the Highway Trust Fund, some are looking to Oregon’s evolving pay-per-mile program as a possible model for funding the nation’s highways. The Highway Trust is funded by the federal gas tax, which hasn’t changed since 1993. The fund is drying up in large part because it hasn’t kept pace with inflation. In Oregon specifically, there are a number of problems with transportation funding, including falling federal and state revenues, construction cost increases and more fuel-efficient cars on the road. There are some short-term solutions, like adjusting the gas tax for inflation, or finding ways to make construction costs cheaper, but The Atlantic’s CityLab reports that Oregon’s per-mile charging program may be a model that other states could replicate. You may have heard about the program last year when the Legislature passed Senate Bill 810, aka the “Road Usage Charge Program,” which allows the Oregon Department of Transportation to set up a new system that will track a driver’s mileage. Drivers then pay taxes on the distance they travel, at about 1.5 cents per mile. Annually, you’d pay about $210 if you’re traveling 14,000 miles a year. CityLab’s Eric Jaffe notes that while the current system is “fundamentally broken,” the Oregon system’s beauty is its “flexibility:” First is the way people pay. As Oregon learned over time, some people are scared to have government track all the mileage they drive. Fair enough. So the state offers five levels of mileage-based payment options, from a simple odometer reading to precise GPS monitoring via smartphones. There are benefits to the more invasive option — namely, the GPS knows when you’re on private roads, which means you aren’t
By Lou Sennick, The World
Strands of small algae float in a plastic cup filled with water Tuesday.The water was drawn from South Tenmile Lake at the county’s park and boat ramp. As the summer heats up the water, the algae will get larger and there is a strong chance of toxic algae blooms in the lakes.
No consensus Tenmile Lakes work group struggles to agree on blue-green algae fix BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
LAKESIDE — Tenmile Lakes’ bluegreen algae problem-solving team still can’t agree on a solution. A lack of consensus has plagued the Tenmile Lakes work group for years since blue-green algae began blooming in the lake. “We’ve been at this for four years, with nothing to show for it,” Lakeside property owner Vaughn Rains said at
the work group’s Wednesday meeting. The majority want to create a special water improvement district to funnel tax dollars toward a solution. But the group missed the May deadline to put a district on the November ballot. Now, they need to decide whether to put it to a vote in May or November next year, or find another avenue that could solve the toxic problem. “I think it’s really important that we have a district because the lake needs to be helped in more than just one
way,” work group member Tim Bishop said. “We were making very good progress until it came to boundaries.” That’s when the group hit a wall: They couldn’t agree whether the district should include only property owners surrounding the lake or whether local businesses that benefit from the lake, the entire city of Lakeside and/or surrounding agricultural and timber land should cough up SEE ALGAE | A8
SEE HIGHWAYS | A8
Improper payments by federal agencies top $100B BY STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
Police reports . . . . A2 What’s Up. . . . . . . . A3 South Coast. . . . . . A3 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . A4
The federal government pays out billions of dollars each year in payments to people not entitled to receive them. Programs most subject to improper payments in 2013: Medicare (Fee for service)
$36 billion $36 billion
Earned Income Tax Credit
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The Associated Press
Gen.John Campbell speaks March 18 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.The Army acknowledged this week that Campbell misspoke. He also omitted some key facts as he sought to defend a $4 billion system that critics say has not worked as promised.
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Medicaid Medicare Advantage (Part C)
12
Unemployment Insurance
6
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
4
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
3
Social Security
2
School lunch program
2
Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D)
2
Pell grants
1
Public housing/ Rental assistance
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Totals since 2004 (fiscal years) $150 billion 2013: $106 billion
BY KEN DILANIAN The Associated Press
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WASHINGTON — When Gen. John Campbell, the Army’s vice chief of staff, appeared last year at a budget hearing on Capitol Hill, he cited his son’s experiences as a soldier in Afghanistan to answer a senator’s tough questions about a troubled intelligence technology system. This week, after an inquiry by
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SOURCE: White House Office of Management and Budget
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Top Army brass defend troubled intelligence system
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Other programs
AP
Utah appeals gay Edgar Harris, North Bend marriage ruling IMPROPER PAYMENTS North Bend 070914: Graphic Chad Davenport, Utah attorney general shows topTankersley, programs improper payments; William Goldfor Beach
announces the state will 2c x 5 inches;| with BC-Improper Payments; Obituaries A5 appeal circuit court ruling. KSV; ETA 3 a.m.
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Editor’s Note: It is mandatory to include all sources that accompany this graphic when repurposing or editing it for publication
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SEE PAYMENTS | A8
Billions in improper payments
NATION
WASHINGTON — Tax credits for families that don’t qualify. Medicare payments for treatments that might not be necessary. Unemployment benefits for people who are secretly working. Federal agencies reported making $100 billion in payments last year to people who may not have been entitled to receive them. Congressional investigators say the figure could be even higher. “The amounts here are absolutely staggering,” said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. “It’s over $100 billion each of the last five years. That’s a staggering half a trillion dollars in improper payments.” Mica chairs the House Oversight government operations subcommittee, which held a hearing on improper payments Wednesday. Each year, federal agencies are required to estimate the amount of improper payments they issue. They include overpayments, underpayments, payments to the wrong recipient and payments that were made without proper documentation. Some improper payments are the result of fraud, while others are unintentional, caused by clerical errors or mistakes in awarding benefits without proper verification. In 2013, federal agencies made
DEATHS
The Associated Press
The Associated Press, the Army acknowledged that Campbell misspoke about his son’s unit, omitting some key facts as he sought to defend a $4 billion system that critics say has not worked as promised. Campbell faces another Senate hearing Thursday morning, this one on his nomination to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He may get
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SEE INTELLIGENCE | A8