Mary Gear, Oregon Department Of Health & Human Services Medford Oregon

Recently, it has come to our attention, of the inappropriate and unbridled activity of bureaucracies in various States. The focus of our attention is the Department of Health & Human Services in the State of Oregon. This department is ranked among the States in 49th position. The agency and its employees, who are supposedly kept in check by a State legislative committee, seemingly have no accountability.

Employees make poor decisions regarding foster care that have cost heartache, confusion, unwarranted dislocation of Children, Disabled & Seniors, and even lives.

On the other side the the coin, this agency in Oregon unwittingly destroys care facilities with excellent records and long standing history. Further the Department maligns facilities or the operators themselves by (what we might figuratively call) "allegation or concern dropping". This tactic is leveraged by the department via the media and is usually printed or broad casted my some local news outlet without comprehensive journalistic research.

Case in point. (August 23, 2008) Mary Gear, Licensing Administrator for a department division, states to a local news source in Medford Oregon, information that would certainly cause the public to prematurely judge or draw a negative conclusion. One care giver said, "you're at their mercy, dodging published allegations and concerns that are unfounded . . . . .and if they decide they don't like you, there is no mercy." Clients with these types of conditions are watched very carefully and yet they can still hurt themselves." Gear blatantly made a public statement saying "He's the alleged perpetrator", speaking of the director of this particular home.

"If this isn't true", said J. Smith, a local care professional, "this care giving home has been forever damaged by Gear's unmanaged tongue." Smith also mention that she has known of unfounded or bias rovokings, suspensions, allegations, and other proceedings by Health and Human Services of Oregon. "This department should have an obligation to make things right when they are wrong, which they are so many times."

Other officials were wiser and more discreet not to say anything that would be personally damaging.

Douglas Goldberg, the State Director for the Department of Health in Salem and
Human Services could not be reached.

One unnamed Department administrator in Salem said that Goldberg seems to have little power over his departments and staff. I think he is just waiting on his Public Employees Retirement money.

We have heard of several fine services for children, adults, and the disabled falling victim to this "unprofessional behavior". One director of the children's home spoke to us regarding this growing issue. "We moved out of the State where Child Protective Services are more civil, professional and work hand in hand with you. The department employees in Oregon have graduate degrees but many have few people skills and applied knowledge," said the director.

We will continue to investigate more stories relating to this department in Oregon.

Tim ****
Washington, District of Columbia
U.S.A.