MEASURE
MEASURE IS BEING LED BY ADDICTION TREATMENT GROUPS.
MAGGIE VESTRE EXPLAINS WHY.
HOW MANY YEARS SOBER ARE YOU?
>> MY YEARS AND 10 MONTHS
CONGRATULATIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS. >> HUBERT MATTHEWS USED AS HE
PUTS IT EVERYTHING NAMELY
COCAINE FOR 20 YEARS THE
PORTLAND NATIVE SURVIVED ON THE
STREETS DOWNTOWN AND WAS IN AND
OUT OF JAIL SEVERAL TIMES
FINALLY RANDOMLY A LAWYER MADE
A SUGGESTION.
A SUGGESTION. >> HE SAID YOU MIGHT WANT TO
THINK ABOUT GETTING SOME
TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I EVER
HEARD OF TREATMENT IN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE. I'M A VETERAN.
>> I'M A FATHER.
I'M A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER
OF SOCIETY.
OF SOCIETY. >> TREATMENT CHANGED MATTHEW'S
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. HE'S CERTIFIED DRUG AND ALCOHOL
COUNSELOR AND HE'S THE GUY
YOU'LL SEE IN THIS NEW CAMPAIGN
AD FOR OREGON BALLOT MEASURE
110 ITS FORMAL NAME THE
EDICTION TREATMENT AND
RECOVERY ACT.
RECOVERY ACT. IT'S ALSO BECOME KNOWN AS THE
DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION MEASURE.
>> IT'S BEEN A FAILING SYSTEM.
IT'S EXPENSIVE AND IT RUINS
LIVES.
LIVES.
LIVES. A
LIVES. A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO
EDICTION IS LONG OVERDUE.
>> THE CAMPAIGN BEHIND THE
MEASURE SIMPLY PUT IT WOULD
REMOVE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR
LOW LEVEL DRUG POSSESSION
CHARGES AND IT WOULD REPLACE
THEM WITH A ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR
FINE.
FINE.
FINE. THAT FINE COULD THEN BE WAIVED
IF THE PERSON SEEKS TREATMENT.
IT ALSO PROMISES TO BEEF UP
TREATMENT OPTIONS STATEWIDE AND
PAY FOR THAT WITH SURPLUS TAX
REVENUE FROM MARIJUANA SALES.
THE MEASURE HAS A LONG LIST
OF ENDORSEMENTS INCLUDING THE
OREGON NURSES ASSOCIATION, THE
COALITION OF COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR AND A CENTRAL CITY
CONCERN.
CONCERN.
CONCERN. >> ALL RIGHT.
HERE'S WHERE WE DOVE INTO THE
OPPOSITION FOR THIS MEASURE
WHICH IS BEING LED IN PART BY
LOCAL RECOVERY GROUPS NAMELY
OREGON RECOVERS AND THE OREGON
COUNCIL FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
>> OPPONENTS ARGUE THE MEASURE
FAILS TO BRING IN ANY NEW
REVENUE WHICH THEY BELIEVE IS
ABSOLUTE NEEDED TO TACKLE
EDICTION IN OREGON.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY THINK IT
OVERSELLS ITS PROMISE TO CREATE
NEW TREATMENT OPTIONS AND WILL
THWART FUTURE CHANCES
OF RAISING MORE MONEY.
THEY ALSO ARGUE THE GROUPS
BEHIND IT HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH
TO CONSULT WITH TREATMENT
GROUPS ALREADY OPERATING HERE
ON HOW TO REACH THOSE MOST
IMPACTED BY EDICTION.
THE OREGON COUNCIL FOR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WRITING THE
MEASURE PROVIDES NO NEW
FUNDING, DESTROYS PATHWAYS TO
TREATMENT AND RECOVERY AND
FAILS TO ADDRESS RACIAL
INJUSTICE IN OUR SYSTEM'S.
NO ONE FROM THE OPPOSING VIEWS
WAS AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERVIEW.
HERE'S MATTHEW'S TAKE.
>> IT'S JUST POLITICS AND YOU
KNOW I KNOW I KNOW WE'VE GOT TO
GET SOLUTIONS GOT QUIT TALKING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. >>
OKAY. >> MAGGIE JOINING US NOW LET'S
TAKE A SECOND FOCUS ON THAT
STATEMENT THAT WAS AT THE END
OF YOUR PIECE IN THE ORGAN
COUNCIL FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
THEY SAID THAT THE MEASURE
PROVIDES NO NEW FUNDING AND
DESTROYS PATHWAYS TO TREATMENT
AND RECOVERY WHICH IS KIND
OF LIKE THE WHOLE POINT OR AT
LEAST THE MAJOR POINT OF THIS
BILL.
BILL.
BILL. SO
BILL. SO HOW DID THEY COME TO THAT
CONCLUSION?
CONCLUSION? >> YEAH, EXACTLY.
SO THE ARGUMENTS ROUNDING THOSE
KIND OF BOILS DOWN TO HOW THAT
EXCESS MARIJUANA TAX REVENUE
WAS GOING TO BE SPENT.
AND I WANT TO POINT OUT
SUPPORTERS SAY THE MEASURE
WOULD BUMP THAT POT OF FUNDING
FOR EDICTION RECOVERY UNLESS
THAT WAS A PUN UNTIL I WROTE IT
FROM TWENTY FIVE MILLION
DOLLARS A YEAR UP TO ONE
HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT SAID, ONCE IT'S THERE AND
IF THIS PASSES THE OREGON
HEALTH AUTHORITY WOULD BE IN
CHARGE OF DOLING OUT THAT MONEY
VIA GRANTS TO EXISTING AGENCIES
TO BOTH SET UP A NEW KIND
OF NETWORK OF WHAT THEY'RE
GONNA CALL EDICTION
RECOVERY CENTERS AND ALSO TO
CONTINUE THEIR NORMAL
OPERATIONS.
OPERATIONS. SO SUFFICE TO SAY THOSE
AGENCIES ARE A LITTLE SCARED
BECAUSE THIS IS NEW.
THEY'VE MAYBE CAN'T COUNT ON OR
THEY'RE WORRIED THEY CAN'T
COUNT ON THE FUNDING THEY'VE
HAD IN THE PAST AND THEY SAY
THE MEASURE DOESN'T HAVE
ANYTHING IN WRITING TO
GUARANTEE THEIR PAST FUNDING.
SUPPORTERS SAY ABSOLUTELY NOT
EXISTING OPTIONS ARE NOT GOING
TO BE ELIMINATED.
THERE WOULD BE MORE MONEY GOING
TO THIS ONE RESOURCE.
SO THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
WELL, AT THE END OF THE
STATEMENT THEY SAID THAT AND IT
FAILS TO ADDRESS RACIAL
INJUSTICE IN OUR SYSTEMS.
>> WHAT'S THE CONTEXT ON THAT?
>> YEAH, SO BASICALLY ADVOCATES
SOME ADVOCATES I SHOULD SAY
WANT MORE MONEY GOING TO A
MYRIAD DIFFERENT THINGS TIED TO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. ONE
THAT. ONE EXAMPLE THAT WE HEARD WAS
THAT THEY WANT SOME MORE MONEY
GOING TO PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO IN
THE PAST HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND
SORT OF TARGETED WITH THESE LOW
LEVEL OFFENSES AND THEIR LIVES
HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BECAUSE
OF THAT BECAUSE OF ISSUES LIKE
THAT THE END OF THE URBAN
LEAGUE INITIALLY ENDORSED THIS
MEASURE, ENDORSED THE MEASURE
AND NOW THEY PAUSED THEIR
ENDORSEMENT.
ENDORSEMENT. THE NAACP IN PORTLAND IS STILL
ENDORSING THE MEASURES.
THEY'RE KIND OF DIFFERENT TAKES
ON THAT.
ON THAT.
ON THAT. ALSO WORTH NOTING THIS IS BEING
BACKED BY A NEW YORK BASED
GROUP CALLED THE DRUG POLICY
ALLIANCE.
ALLIANCE.
ALLIANCE. AND SOME ARE HANGING THEIR
CRITICISMS ON THAT SAYING THAT
THIS IS BACKED BY A MAJOR
NATIONAL GROUP AND THEREFORE
IT'S TAILORED TO OREGON'S
ADDICTION LANDSCAPE.
ADDICTION LANDSCAPE. WE'VE HEARD