Editorial Page
March 28, 2007
In your "Winners and Losers" section (March 16), one comment stood out to me. It questions our government's immigration priority, suggesting that we should deport illegal aliens first who are in prison, then move on to people who pose no threat -- defined as those who have no criminal record.
Whoever made this statement is ignorant of our immigration policies. We already consistently deport aliens after they have served their time. Actually we should insist their home country require them to serve out the remainder of their time or bill their country of origin for the cost of incarceration.
Currently, Homeland Security is focusing with interior enforcement on three classes of illegal aliens beyond those not already incarcerated. One, those who have a previous deportation order and have not complied; two, those who are criminal aliens; and three, the most egregious workplace offenders, where whole businesses are given over to criminal activity.
Along the way, Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes across illegal aliens who have no arrest warrant or have committed no other known crime. They still are obligated to apprehend them, and the American people are wanting this done at least until we get control over this problem.
-- Clark T. Seeley, Woodburn
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Salem-Based Sunwest Faces Suit by Residents
MICHAEL ROSE
Statesman Journal
March 29, 2007
Residents of a Sheridan assisted living facility have hauled Sunwest Management Inc. into court, accusing the Salem senior housing manager of charging for services it doesn’t provide.
The litigation threatens Sunwest with a class-action lawsuit, which could potentially have several thousand plaintiffs. Fifty residential facilities in Oregon operated by Sunwest, including those in Keizer, Stayton, Monmouth, and Woodburn, are named in a lawsuit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
At the heart of the dispute: allegations that Sunwest’s standard admission agreement misled residents about the number of staff available to provide daily care, such as help with medication.
Sunwest understaffed assisted living homes and “made a considered decision to promote profit at the expense of their contractual and legal obligations to residents,” according to the lawsuit.
Sunwest issued a statement calling the lawsuit “frivolous and inaccurate.”
The lawsuit demands that Sunwest stop the alleged unlawful trade practices. It seeks an unspecified amount of restitution, attorney fees, and other relief from the court.
The lawsuit needs to be certified as a class action before it advances.
The cost to live in the Sunwest facility starts at about $1,500 a month, the attorney said.
While residents are sometimes encouraged to pay for more services, the facility doesn’t add more or better trained staff to provide additional care, Stebner said.
In court papers, the plaintiffs’ allege staff ratios described in admission agreements counted all staff members “even those who were not employed to or qualified to act as caregivers.”
Sunwest manages retirement, assisted living and memory-care communities. The senior housing owner and operator has about 180 facilities nationwide. Among the many Sunwest facilities named in the lawsuit suit:
In January, Sunwest settled three lawsuits that accused it of ignoring staffing problems at its Meadowlark Assisted Living facility in Yreka, Calif. The California suits alleged staffing issues contributed to residents suffering serious, and sometimes, fatal injuries from falls. Terms prevented attorneys from discussing details of the settlements.
Stebner, the same attorney who filed the recent lawsuit in Oregon, also represented families in the Meadowlark cases.
mrose@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6657
Statesman Journal
March 29, 2007
Residents of a Sheridan assisted living facility have hauled Sunwest Management Inc. into court, accusing the Salem senior housing manager of charging for services it doesn’t provide.
The litigation threatens Sunwest with a class-action lawsuit, which could potentially have several thousand plaintiffs. Fifty residential facilities in Oregon operated by Sunwest, including those in Keizer, Stayton, Monmouth, and Woodburn, are named in a lawsuit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
At the heart of the dispute: allegations that Sunwest’s standard admission agreement misled residents about the number of staff available to provide daily care, such as help with medication.
Sunwest understaffed assisted living homes and “made a considered decision to promote profit at the expense of their contractual and legal obligations to residents,” according to the lawsuit.
Sunwest issued a statement calling the lawsuit “frivolous and inaccurate.”
The lawsuit demands that Sunwest stop the alleged unlawful trade practices. It seeks an unspecified amount of restitution, attorney fees, and other relief from the court.
The lawsuit needs to be certified as a class action before it advances.
The cost to live in the Sunwest facility starts at about $1,500 a month, the attorney said.
While residents are sometimes encouraged to pay for more services, the facility doesn’t add more or better trained staff to provide additional care, Stebner said.
In court papers, the plaintiffs’ allege staff ratios described in admission agreements counted all staff members “even those who were not employed to or qualified to act as caregivers.”
Sunwest manages retirement, assisted living and memory-care communities. The senior housing owner and operator has about 180 facilities nationwide. Among the many Sunwest facilities named in the lawsuit suit:
In January, Sunwest settled three lawsuits that accused it of ignoring staffing problems at its Meadowlark Assisted Living facility in Yreka, Calif. The California suits alleged staffing issues contributed to residents suffering serious, and sometimes, fatal injuries from falls. Terms prevented attorneys from discussing details of the settlements.
Stebner, the same attorney who filed the recent lawsuit in Oregon, also represented families in the Meadowlark cases.
mrose@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6657
Some Speak Against New Measure 37 Compromise
PETER WONG
Statesman Journal
March 31, 2007
When it comes to the Legislature's latest plan to fix flaws in Oregon's land-use compensation law, both sides in the controversy over a proposed subdivision in the hills south of Salem are agreed.
They don't like it.
The plan -- which two lawmakers and a deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ted Kulongoski disclosed Thursday night -- would clear the way for smaller developments but limit or bar big ones.
The law, which voters passed as Measure 37 in 2004, requires government either to pay landowners or waive rules when those rules result in reduced property values. Thousands of claims were filed before a Dec. 5 deadline, and landowners can go to court to seek compensation if governments cannot resolve them within six months.
The latest plan still has to be put in the form of a bill by the committee before it goes to votes in each chamber.
It would clear the way for pre-1994 landowners to proceed with houses on up to three sites, a maximum of three on one open site, and guarantee most claimants at least one site.
Some landowners could develop up to 10 sites, and a maximum of 30 homes, if they can demonstrate their property-value losses, adjusted for previous tax breaks.
"Actually, I think it's worse than the governor's original proposal in some ways," Hines said. "We are not real happy with the idea of 10 sites being allowed because it's still going to create a ring of subdivisions around us.
Under either option, development would be limited or barred on high-value farmland and in areas with limited groundwater supplies.
High-value farmland is defined under a 1993 law by soil quality and agricultural production. Macpherson said it's intended to protect Oregon's best farmland in the Willamette and Hood River valleys, including vineyards and orchards.
Laack said those conditions in the latest plan amount to a pretext for government to do nothing for landowners filing claims.
pwong@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6745
Statesman Journal
March 31, 2007
When it comes to the Legislature's latest plan to fix flaws in Oregon's land-use compensation law, both sides in the controversy over a proposed subdivision in the hills south of Salem are agreed.
They don't like it.
The plan -- which two lawmakers and a deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ted Kulongoski disclosed Thursday night -- would clear the way for smaller developments but limit or bar big ones.
The law, which voters passed as Measure 37 in 2004, requires government either to pay landowners or waive rules when those rules result in reduced property values. Thousands of claims were filed before a Dec. 5 deadline, and landowners can go to court to seek compensation if governments cannot resolve them within six months.
The latest plan still has to be put in the form of a bill by the committee before it goes to votes in each chamber.
It would clear the way for pre-1994 landowners to proceed with houses on up to three sites, a maximum of three on one open site, and guarantee most claimants at least one site.
Some landowners could develop up to 10 sites, and a maximum of 30 homes, if they can demonstrate their property-value losses, adjusted for previous tax breaks.
"Actually, I think it's worse than the governor's original proposal in some ways," Hines said. "We are not real happy with the idea of 10 sites being allowed because it's still going to create a ring of subdivisions around us.
Under either option, development would be limited or barred on high-value farmland and in areas with limited groundwater supplies.
High-value farmland is defined under a 1993 law by soil quality and agricultural production. Macpherson said it's intended to protect Oregon's best farmland in the Willamette and Hood River valleys, including vineyards and orchards.
Laack said those conditions in the latest plan amount to a pretext for government to do nothing for landowners filing claims.
pwong@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6745
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Summary of News Events this Week by Mark Young
Most Recommended Stories
Sun. March 18, 2007
1. Powwow brings past to present
2. Oregon needs U.S. to reform immigration
3. Winthrop could present major challenge for Ducks
4. 781 vehicles were stolen in Salem in 2006
5. Robinson: What Barack Obama has to tell us
6. Libby verdict part of partisan witch hunt, 'process crime'
To view these articles link onto the Statesman Journal link provided in this Blog.
The issue of deporting foreign-born criminals should be a priority for the U.S. immigration service. With the number of criminal immigrants in the Oregon penal system between 6 and 8 percent of the total prison population this burden on the taxpaying citizens of Oregon is unwarranted. The financial resources spent on detaining these individuals could be better spent elsewhere! However, caution should be used that innocent immigrants are not caught up in this action. As stated in this article U.S. born citizens are more likely to commit crimes than foreign born citizens by a wide margin. The goods and services that migrant workers provide
to Oregon and the U.S. in general, are enormous and help to keep our economy working. Too often immigrants are not given the proper credit for their contributions to our society. It is the cultural diversity of America that remains as one of our strongest heritages.
Sociology 348:
Two urban issues that I will cover this semester are urban/suburban planning and socially excluded groups. In particular, how federal and state policies affect a cities development(eminent domain, zoning, etc.)by controlling any future construction. As to socially excluded groups, I will report on how these groups (homeless, ethnic minorities, disaffected youth, etc.) are affected by legislation and various economic factors(employment, immigration status, etc.) within our society.
Sun. March 18, 2007
1. Powwow brings past to present
2. Oregon needs U.S. to reform immigration
3. Winthrop could present major challenge for Ducks
4. 781 vehicles were stolen in Salem in 2006
5. Robinson: What Barack Obama has to tell us
6. Libby verdict part of partisan witch hunt, 'process crime'
To view these articles link onto the Statesman Journal link provided in this Blog.
The issue of deporting foreign-born criminals should be a priority for the U.S. immigration service. With the number of criminal immigrants in the Oregon penal system between 6 and 8 percent of the total prison population this burden on the taxpaying citizens of Oregon is unwarranted. The financial resources spent on detaining these individuals could be better spent elsewhere! However, caution should be used that innocent immigrants are not caught up in this action. As stated in this article U.S. born citizens are more likely to commit crimes than foreign born citizens by a wide margin. The goods and services that migrant workers provide
to Oregon and the U.S. in general, are enormous and help to keep our economy working. Too often immigrants are not given the proper credit for their contributions to our society. It is the cultural diversity of America that remains as one of our strongest heritages.
Sociology 348:
Two urban issues that I will cover this semester are urban/suburban planning and socially excluded groups. In particular, how federal and state policies affect a cities development(eminent domain, zoning, etc.)by controlling any future construction. As to socially excluded groups, I will report on how these groups (homeless, ethnic minorities, disaffected youth, etc.) are affected by legislation and various economic factors(employment, immigration status, etc.) within our society.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Deportation Efforts Snare More Noncriminals
THELMA GUERRERO
Statesman Journal
March 15, 2007
Rogelio Corona-Cuevas, a Mexican national, killed two members of a family in a 2003 drunken-driving collision north of Salem. Despite the illegal immigrant's five-year-long record of drunken driving and probation violations, he was never sent back to his home country.
Carlos Bernard Dennis, a Jamaican, broke into a Salem apartment, robbed the home and cut the occupant with a knife. The undocumented immigrant previously had been detained for driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident. He slipped through the cracks, however, remaining in the United States and committing another crime.
Deporting foreign-born criminals is supposed to be a priority for the U.S. immigration system, second only to national security.
However, a review of recent data shows that some criminal aliens have remained in the United States even after they have completed their sentences, while taxpayer money is used to nab people who are in the country illegally but who have no criminal record.
In the past 10 years, the number of criminal aliens doing time in Oregon prisons has fluctuated between 6 percent and 8 percent of the total prison population.
The numbers do not sit well with critics who say that keeping foreign-born criminals locked up in the state's prisons burdens taxpayers with the millions of dollars it costs to house them.
Some people want the heat turned up on the federal government to deport these inmates as soon as they walk out of prison doors.
Border-control advocates say that would help reduce the number of people who enter the country illegally and would curb the number of repeat offenders.
"It would send the message that this kind of behavior is not acceptable," said Salem resident Ken Evans, a government-relations specialist and former lobbyist.
Immigrant-rights advocates counter by pointing out that U.S.-born people commit more crimes than immigrants.
A 2006 Harvard University study supports their position, concluding that immigrants, both legal and illegal, are 45 percent less likely than Americans to commit crimes.
Paying for inmates
On Jan. 1, the total inmate population in the state's 13 prisons was 13,292, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Foreign-born aliens accounted for 1,007, or about 8 percent, of the total prison population. Eighty percent of those were Mexican citizens. Some are repeat offenders.
Last year, the corrections department charged the federal government $32.5 million, the state's cost to house 1,722 foreign-born criminals lodged in state prisons between July 2004 and June 2005.
As of this week, Oregon's 2006 federal reimbursement had not been received or determined, DOC officials said.
Through its State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP, the federal government reimburses state and local governments the cost to keep undocumented criminals locked up. But federal reimbursement often comes up short, leaving states and counties to foot the full bill.
A recent report by the U.S. Department of Justice found that states with high immigrant populations typically receive only 25 percent of the cost to house criminal aliens in prisons. States with smaller immigrant populations such as Oregon receive less than that amount.
Evans offered a possible solution to the problem.
"We should have the inmates' countries of origin pay for their incarceration," he said.
Oregon rules
Oregon state law prohibits law enforcement officials from checking the immigration status of a person arrested for a crime, resulting in law enforcement officials' not turning over suspected illegal immigrants to immigration agents.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Corrections has the task of holding criminal aliens in prison.
That helps ensure "that the appropriate punishment given by an Oregon judge to individuals deemed as criminal aliens is served to completion," said DOC director Max Williams.
Statesman Journal
March 15, 2007
Rogelio Corona-Cuevas, a Mexican national, killed two members of a family in a 2003 drunken-driving collision north of Salem. Despite the illegal immigrant's five-year-long record of drunken driving and probation violations, he was never sent back to his home country.
Carlos Bernard Dennis, a Jamaican, broke into a Salem apartment, robbed the home and cut the occupant with a knife. The undocumented immigrant previously had been detained for driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident. He slipped through the cracks, however, remaining in the United States and committing another crime.
Deporting foreign-born criminals is supposed to be a priority for the U.S. immigration system, second only to national security.
However, a review of recent data shows that some criminal aliens have remained in the United States even after they have completed their sentences, while taxpayer money is used to nab people who are in the country illegally but who have no criminal record.
In the past 10 years, the number of criminal aliens doing time in Oregon prisons has fluctuated between 6 percent and 8 percent of the total prison population.
The numbers do not sit well with critics who say that keeping foreign-born criminals locked up in the state's prisons burdens taxpayers with the millions of dollars it costs to house them.
Some people want the heat turned up on the federal government to deport these inmates as soon as they walk out of prison doors.
Border-control advocates say that would help reduce the number of people who enter the country illegally and would curb the number of repeat offenders.
"It would send the message that this kind of behavior is not acceptable," said Salem resident Ken Evans, a government-relations specialist and former lobbyist.
Immigrant-rights advocates counter by pointing out that U.S.-born people commit more crimes than immigrants.
A 2006 Harvard University study supports their position, concluding that immigrants, both legal and illegal, are 45 percent less likely than Americans to commit crimes.
Paying for inmates
On Jan. 1, the total inmate population in the state's 13 prisons was 13,292, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Foreign-born aliens accounted for 1,007, or about 8 percent, of the total prison population. Eighty percent of those were Mexican citizens. Some are repeat offenders.
Last year, the corrections department charged the federal government $32.5 million, the state's cost to house 1,722 foreign-born criminals lodged in state prisons between July 2004 and June 2005.
As of this week, Oregon's 2006 federal reimbursement had not been received or determined, DOC officials said.
Through its State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP, the federal government reimburses state and local governments the cost to keep undocumented criminals locked up. But federal reimbursement often comes up short, leaving states and counties to foot the full bill.
A recent report by the U.S. Department of Justice found that states with high immigrant populations typically receive only 25 percent of the cost to house criminal aliens in prisons. States with smaller immigrant populations such as Oregon receive less than that amount.
Evans offered a possible solution to the problem.
"We should have the inmates' countries of origin pay for their incarceration," he said.
Oregon rules
Oregon state law prohibits law enforcement officials from checking the immigration status of a person arrested for a crime, resulting in law enforcement officials' not turning over suspected illegal immigrants to immigration agents.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Corrections has the task of holding criminal aliens in prison.
That helps ensure "that the appropriate punishment given by an Oregon judge to individuals deemed as criminal aliens is served to completion," said DOC director Max Williams.
Developer, Neighbors Appeal Land-Use Ruling
BETH CASPER
Statesman Journal
March 17, 2007
Property owners with approval -- under one of the first Measure 37 claims in Marion County -- to build on 217 acres in the hills south of Salem won't break ground anytime soon.
Both the owners and neighbors near the proposed subdivision have appealed the county planning commission's decision, which reduced the number of lots from 43 to 28.
LeRoy Laack, one of the property owners, said he is frustrated with the interference by government -- partly because the delay is costly. He said the process has cost thousands of dollars.
"I am very much opposed to too much regulation from any municipality," he said. "The thing that has made America a great country is people have a say in what they do."
Neighbors around the proposed development worry mainly about the new wells affecting existing groundwater supplies. They also are frustrated by the county's decision because they have spent close to $20,000 fighting the development.
"It seems to me the cost should be on the developers," neighbor Laurel Hines said. "They should have to explore the resources before they allow the new use."
The new development is on land zoned exclusively for farm use. But Laack and another one of the four owners qualified for the development under Measure 37, which requires local governments to pay for value reductions caused by land-use regulations or waive the regulations.
After three packed hearings, the county planning commissioners approved the subdivision as long as the landowner reconfigured the parcels so that there are no more than 28 lots of at least five acres each, and one 80-acre lot. The owners originally proposed 43 lots.
Owners also have to review the area's available groundwater. A review is a less intense effort because it considers existing wellwater data and does not require scientists to collect new data.
bcasper@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 589-6994
Statesman Journal
March 17, 2007
Property owners with approval -- under one of the first Measure 37 claims in Marion County -- to build on 217 acres in the hills south of Salem won't break ground anytime soon.
Both the owners and neighbors near the proposed subdivision have appealed the county planning commission's decision, which reduced the number of lots from 43 to 28.
LeRoy Laack, one of the property owners, said he is frustrated with the interference by government -- partly because the delay is costly. He said the process has cost thousands of dollars.
"I am very much opposed to too much regulation from any municipality," he said. "The thing that has made America a great country is people have a say in what they do."
Neighbors around the proposed development worry mainly about the new wells affecting existing groundwater supplies. They also are frustrated by the county's decision because they have spent close to $20,000 fighting the development.
"It seems to me the cost should be on the developers," neighbor Laurel Hines said. "They should have to explore the resources before they allow the new use."
The new development is on land zoned exclusively for farm use. But Laack and another one of the four owners qualified for the development under Measure 37, which requires local governments to pay for value reductions caused by land-use regulations or waive the regulations.
After three packed hearings, the county planning commissioners approved the subdivision as long as the landowner reconfigured the parcels so that there are no more than 28 lots of at least five acres each, and one 80-acre lot. The owners originally proposed 43 lots.
Owners also have to review the area's available groundwater. A review is a less intense effort because it considers existing wellwater data and does not require scientists to collect new data.
bcasper@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 589-6994
Meth Suspect's Son Hopes She Gets Treatment
BY RUTH LIAO
Statesman Journal
March 17, 2007
The 17 children taken into protective custody during a series of a drug-related arrests in Salem this week have been placed in stable care, officials said Friday.
Salem police arrested 12 adults in meth busts during a 14-hour investigation beginning Wednesday. Children from four households and ranging in age from one month to 17 years were taken into state care following those arrested.
One of those 17 is Angel Cervantes-Shull, 17, who is staying with an older sister. Angel said he wants his mother to receive treatment -- not go to prison.
"I guess this is the only way I can get my prayers answered," Angel said of his mother, Evyette Mayla Shull, 51. "I just don't want my mom to be gone for a long time."
Shull was arrested on charges that included possession and delivery of methamphetamine, first-degree child neglect and endangering the welfare of a child.
Angel described his mother as a sweet, caring parent who struggled to raise his siblings on Social Security and food stamps. When her kids needed something, she went without, Angel said.
Angel, who will turn 18 in July, has been talking with local radio stations and television stations in an attempt to tell his mother's story since her arrest.
Police also accuse Shull of sending Angel's 15-year-old brother to deliver drugs.
Angel's younger brother remained in foster care Friday. It was not clear whether charges were pending against him. Angel said his brother is shy and introverted and not the type to use drugs.
"It sucks to see my brother suffer for the mistakes my mom did," Angel said.
Angel said his mother suffered chronic pain and illness. He said she occasionally smoked meth, but he never saw her smoke in front of him. Angel said he recently suspected his mother was using meth when she needed to get dentures.
Shull has previous second-degree theft charges from Aumsville and Salem. Angel said she shoplifted household items that she needed for him and his brother -- toiletries such as shampoo, and razors so that Angel could shave.
"She put everyone before herself," Angel said.
Angel, who said he works seasonally with his father at Fordyce Farm, said he knows his mom committed a crime. Angel said he's glad -- in a way -- that his mother was caught so she could get help.
"I just want for her to get help and get healthy," Angel said. "That's all I want for my mom."
rliao@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 589-6941
Statesman Journal
March 17, 2007
The 17 children taken into protective custody during a series of a drug-related arrests in Salem this week have been placed in stable care, officials said Friday.
Salem police arrested 12 adults in meth busts during a 14-hour investigation beginning Wednesday. Children from four households and ranging in age from one month to 17 years were taken into state care following those arrested.
One of those 17 is Angel Cervantes-Shull, 17, who is staying with an older sister. Angel said he wants his mother to receive treatment -- not go to prison.
"I guess this is the only way I can get my prayers answered," Angel said of his mother, Evyette Mayla Shull, 51. "I just don't want my mom to be gone for a long time."
Shull was arrested on charges that included possession and delivery of methamphetamine, first-degree child neglect and endangering the welfare of a child.
Angel described his mother as a sweet, caring parent who struggled to raise his siblings on Social Security and food stamps. When her kids needed something, she went without, Angel said.
Angel, who will turn 18 in July, has been talking with local radio stations and television stations in an attempt to tell his mother's story since her arrest.
Police also accuse Shull of sending Angel's 15-year-old brother to deliver drugs.
Angel's younger brother remained in foster care Friday. It was not clear whether charges were pending against him. Angel said his brother is shy and introverted and not the type to use drugs.
"It sucks to see my brother suffer for the mistakes my mom did," Angel said.
Angel said his mother suffered chronic pain and illness. He said she occasionally smoked meth, but he never saw her smoke in front of him. Angel said he recently suspected his mother was using meth when she needed to get dentures.
Shull has previous second-degree theft charges from Aumsville and Salem. Angel said she shoplifted household items that she needed for him and his brother -- toiletries such as shampoo, and razors so that Angel could shave.
"She put everyone before herself," Angel said.
Angel, who said he works seasonally with his father at Fordyce Farm, said he knows his mom committed a crime. Angel said he's glad -- in a way -- that his mother was caught so she could get help.
"I just want for her to get help and get healthy," Angel said. "That's all I want for my mom."
rliao@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 589-6941
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