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Governor urges support of Children's Plan PORTLAND (AP) - With his Oregon's Children's Plan under assault in the Legislature, Gov. John Kitzhaber said Friday it is probably the most important component of his $12 billion proposed budget. ``This is about the depth of our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless. This really is about putting children first,'' Kitzhaber said during a speech to the Portland City Club. Some legislators have proposed cutting 20 percent from the $66 million plan to restore funding in other areas. And some influential lobbyists are seeking to divert funds to other interests, Kitzhaber said. ``It is competing for resources, in a very tight budget, with the powerful lobbies representing education, public safety, human resources and economic development,'' he said. ``Very young children and their families do not have a lobby of this magnitude.'' The Children's Plan would seek to keep children from getting into trouble later in life by giving their parents counseling and other services when the children are still young. The governor said that while writing his budget he faced tough decisions in cutting funding from other established programs, like assistance for the elderly, to provide for the Oregon Children's Plan. But he said ``I am willing to defend these choices'' because the plan is a sound investment both socially and fiscally. ``For every dollar invested in this kind of early prevention, for example, over four dollars are saved in costs later in life,'' Kitzhaber said. The idea, Kitzhaber said, is to identify at-risk children and get them the help they need before it's too late. ``This represents a significant shift in state priorities from after-the-fact intervention to front-end prevention and treatment,'' he said. Under the plan, doctors would counsel new mothers who have been battered, have been drug users, or have other problems to try ensure they treat their young children in ways that have a positive effect. Other services would also be available. ``It is an important shift and one that must be made, both because of the human consequences of failing to invest in our youngest citizens and because of the fiscal reality we face,'' Kitzhaber said. Visit our back issue library Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Western Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing