Director's Message

December 9, 2005

To: DHS employees

From: Dr. Bruce Goldberg, DHS Director

"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government." Thomas Jefferson, (1743-1826) third President of the U.S.

As we close out 2005 and look to the year ahead, the department continues to grapple with budget issues. Rather than have you read about this in the newspaper, I want you to hear it from me first.

Frankly, we are still working to determine how large a deficit we are facing this biennium and what actions will need to be taken to balance the books. Those discussions are continuing here in the department, with the Governor's office, and with legislative leadership. We will have a clearer picture later in the month as we prepare for the Legislative Emergency Board meeting in January to discuss these issues.

The issues being addressed in the 2005-07 budget are different from what the department just finished wrapping up for the close out of the 2003-05 biennium. The anticipated budget shortfall for 2005-07 is being driven primarily by a decline in our federal support and an increased demand for services. This includes a growing demand for the Oregon Health Plan, which provides health care to needy people. The numbers of those needing food stamps and cash assistance is also higher than we originally anticipated for this budget period. Finally, the numbers of children coming into foster care continue to outpace our expectations as well. We are trying to determine why, in the face of an improving economy and lower unemployment, the need for human services continues to increase.

The plan we are in the process of drafting to deal with these budget issues includes considerations of which services might have to be reduced to restore balance. As you know, the agency's budget for 2005-07 is approximately $9.8 billion, with about $2.5 billion of that coming from the state's general fund. The overwhelming majority of our budget is spent in Oregon's communities, purchasing services that improve the lives of our fellow neighbors and citizens in need -- mental health care, long-term care, medical care and food. We also help keep children safe and protect the public's health by assuring that we have clean water to drink and by preventing the spread of infectious diseases, among other charges.

 Of course you know that these are just examples and that we do much more. You also know that many of our programs don't have sufficient resources to meet the needs you see every day. Most importantly you realize that this is not merely a monetary issue. This involves the lives and wellbeing of people, families and communities.

 Meeting the needs of an increasing caseload by reducing the services we currently provide will be difficult. I will share with you the details of this plan once it is finalized and we have discussed it with legislative leadership. We are working hard to minimize impacts. As we put forth a plan to rebalance our budget, we will be working with the Governor and the legislature to seek creative solutions and ways in which we can avoid cutting needed services.

I know this kind of uncertainty is difficult for you and the clients we serve. I want you to know that I appreciate and value the work you all do and your dedication to getting the job done, even during challenging circumstances like those that we are currently facing in human services today. I remain optimistic and buoyed by the belief that Oregonians and their elected officials care deeply about their neighbors in need and will do all that they can to assist them.

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.

If you have a disability and need this message to be provided to you in another format, please send an email to dhs.forms@state.or.us, or call (503) 947-5107. You can also fax your request to (503) 373-7690, or call (503) 947-5080 for TTY service. If you know of others who need this accommodation, please let them know it is available.