September 29, 2024 • 30 mins
Mattress World Northwest is helping to support Furniture Share as they provide furniture and other items to people in need. Multnomah County elections has advice on ranked choice voting that Portlanders will use in November. This is National Recovery Month and we'll look at what resources are available. Auto and homeowners insurance rates are up, and there might be things you can do about it.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. Furniture Share is
an organization of the Wilhamtt Valley that's helping to provide
furniture and other items to people in need. Portlanders will
face rank Choice voting in November and we'll have important
information on how it works. This is National Recovery Month
and we'll examine what resources are available for people who
want to end substance abuse. Mattress World Northwest is putting
(00:28):
it support behind a great nonprofit called Furniture Share. Sean Hathaway,
owner of Mattress World Northwest, joins us on Local Voices
along with Michelle Robinson, executive director of Furniture Share. Sean,
why did Mattris World Northwest choose Furniture Share as a
nonprofit to support?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
As you know, we support a lot of nonprofits. Bet
When I met Michelle and saw her energy and passion
behind helping the community, and that realizing that there was
such a thing as furniture poverty where people actually sleep
on the floor with no mappress or sit on the
floor with no chair, it was something that I really
(01:06):
thought compelled that our company needed to stand behind and support.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Michelle tell us about Furniture Share. What do you do
in what areas do you serve?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Well, A lot of people know food banks. We are
a furniture bank. So what we do is we provide
the basic furniture essentials to low income families and we
also provide healthy food box. So the core client for
furniture Share of families and individuals experience furniture poverty, which
(01:36):
also includes low income household people transitioning from homelessness, and
survivors of domestic violence. These clients typically lack the household
furniture such as beds, tables, chairs, and other basic items
that provide comfort, safety, and dignity in their home.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Are there certain areas of the state that you serve.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
We serve lend Benten and Lincoln County. We do serve
parts of Marion County. We will serve the whole state,
but they would have to come to us to pick
up their furniture.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
How important is furniture, especially beds for families who often
can't afford it well.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Beds are crucial for children's physical and emotional well being,
providing proper sleep. It also supports growth, health and the development,
and offers safe and stable environment that promotes learning, focusing,
and overall mental health. So when kids have a bed
to sleep in, they're going to do better in school.
(02:37):
And everyone knows when you do better in school, your
life improves absolutely.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Michelle. For families who need help getting furniture, what's the
process do they call? Do they come in?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Well, we work through referring agencies, and those are agencies
that know their income. It can be DHS where they
get their food stamps, so it could be the house authority,
it can be their church, just anyone that knows their
need and they will refer them through our referring portal.
(03:10):
But if they don't have a caseworker, they can always
call our phone number which is five four one seven
five four nine to five one one and see how
they can get referred. We help a lot of families
get referred. But by doing that, having a referral process,
make sure that we are meeting the truly needy families
(03:30):
in our area.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Sean, how does Mattress World Northwest help Furniture Share.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
We like to support one of their main functions, which
is a barbecue where Michelle makes tons of fabulous barbecue food.
So we just give our money to support that and
they hand it out to all the businesses. But two
years out three were able to donate about two hundred mattresses,
so new mattresses.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
That is terrific. How many stories does Mattress World Northwest
have and what areas do you serve?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, we just opened our twenty fifth store in Sherwood
that we're from Kravalis, Albany elevenon, follow five five up
to Portland and out to Scappoos and stand in. That's
that's our service area.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Sean, What say's Mattress World Northwest apart from other mattress stores.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Well, in our market, we're locally owned. My wife and
I own the business. We've been around for thirty years.
Some of our employees have been with us all thirty years,
and we're just really community oriented. Every place where we
have a store, we try to participate with some group
like this, whether it's a high school fundraiser where we're
supporting a team or a sport or Now that I've
(04:39):
done a few mattress donations like this, I'm getting people
that email me once a month asking for mattresses, and
so I really enjoy that. And what I do is
I like to shoot a little video to pump up
their organization as well. So they've got to meet a
lot of really nice people that when you hear about
problem we might have in the Portland metro area, I
(05:03):
get to meet the people that are solving firsthand and
really helping people.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
That is terrific. Michelle, you accept donations of more than furniture,
You also accept working appliances. Tell us what you need.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
We always need refrigerators, we need watcher dryers, but our
four main furniture items are of course beds, dressers, couches
and dinner tables. And that when we ask that everything
is gently used in a rips, tears or stains.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Michelle, how important our air conditioners and air purifiers.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Air purifiers and air conditioners are vital to our low
income families, improving their air quality and reducing health risk
and providing relief during extreme heat, which can also prevent
heat related illnesses and improve overall well being.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So, Michelle, how can people contact Furniture Share to request
furniture or if they want to make a donation.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
They can go to our website which is www dot
furniture share dot org to make a donation. They can
also call us at five four one seven, four nine
five one one to find out how they can help
support our efforts, how they can volunteer, or even if
(06:22):
there's someone that is in need of any of the
items that we provide, they can learn how to be
referred to our service.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Sean, what do you want listeners to know about Mattress
World Northwest commitment to Furniture Share.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Our commitment is we partner with our manufacturers, and these
two hundred mattresses came from temper Seely and Beauty Rest
and so we just love giving back to the community.
What I would like to just stress is I got
to go to her year end fundraiser slash Award ceremony
and organically with the group she worked with, four people
(06:54):
stood up and told stories about kids and veterans getting
their very first new mattress. I was blown away. I'm
really proud to be a part of an organization that's
getting people off the floor and helping them get a
great night's sleep.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
That is great. Michelle, tell us one more time, what's
your website if people want to find out more, Hey.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Our website is Furnitureshare dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Terrific. Michelle and Sean, thank you very much. For joining
us on Local Voices. That's Michelle Robinson, executive director of
Furniture Share and Sean Hathaway, the owner of Mattress World Northwest. Again,
the website for Furniture Share is furniture share dot org.
Rank choice voting is coming to Portland in the November
general election for certain races, along with standard style ballots
(07:41):
for other races. Leah Benson with multon McCatty Elections joins
us on Local Voices. Leah, what will these new ballots
look like?
Speaker 4 (07:48):
When Portlanders receive their ballot envelopes in the mail and
open them up, they'll notice two things. First that there
are going to be two pages to their ballots. We're
used to seeing all the contests done one ballot page,
but with ranked choice voting for the City of Portland
contests are now going to be two pages. One for
the general election like federal and state offices and measures,
(08:11):
and then another separate one that's only for the City
of Portland candidate contests. So let's talk more about that
City of Portland candidate contest ballot. That ballot, like I said,
is going to use ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting
is a form of voting that allows voters to rank
multiple candidates in order of preference instead of selecting only one.
(08:33):
And so the ballot is going to look like a
grid style and it'll have up to six columns of
ranks and then the candidates in a list on the
left hand side, and you can fill in ovals to
rank candidates in the order of your preference.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So will Portland doers be the only people who receive
those ranked choice ballots in Moultnamon County.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
For November of twenty twenty four, City of Portland residents
are going to be the only one to receive ranked
choice ballots. In November of twenty two, twenty six, Moltnoma
County is implementing ranked choice voting county wide, So in
twenty twenty six, the entire county will receive rank choice
voting ballots for this but for this November twenty twenty four,
(09:12):
it's only Portland residents that are going to get that
rank choice ballot.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
All right, So this is a new process for everybody.
What do I do if I make a mistake on
my ballot?
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Oh? The good news is if you make a mistake,
don't worry. We are here for you. And we're ready
for that. We always encourage voters that if they'd like to,
you can correct your own mistake on a ballot. So
let's pretend that you accidentally fill in an oval for
the wrong candidate, the person that you don't actually want
to rank on your ballot. What you can just do
(09:42):
is draw an X over that filled in oval and
just fill in another oval, as long as you make
it obvious which choice you want to correct, so which
one you don't want and which one you do. We
have election workers that are examining the ballots to make
sure that we understand voter intent. So if you make
a mistake, you can correct it on your own, and
(10:03):
we encourage you to. That said, sometimes you may have
made a mistake that you don't know how to correct,
and in that instance, you can always order a replacement ballot.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
To do that.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Just visit our website moltnoma votes dot gov and you
can order one through the website, or you can always
call us at the elections office with any questions and
we're happy to point you in the direction of how
to get your ballot fixed.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
So if I need help filling out my ballot, what
can I do if.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
You need help filling out your ballot, we have so
many resources. First and foremost, I would encourage folks to
visit our website Moltec dot gov, slash elections or Monoma
votes dot gov, and if you find the rank choice
voting information on there, you'll find all sorts of tools
that help you practice filling out your ballot, including a
(10:55):
mock election platform called ranked vote that allows you to
practice filling out to rank to ue ballot and see
what results look like.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
When will we know who won?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
So, just like other contests, we will post the first
election results at eight pm on election night, so Tuesday,
November fifth, at eight pm, just like all other contests,
and then we continue to run tabulation as we receive
more ballots and produce more results daily up until December second,
(11:26):
when the results are officially certified by the state. So
we can't say exactly when you'll know who won, but
we can tell you we're going to start reporting results
on election night, and typically we receive about ninety percent
of the ballots by Thursday after election day, so that
would be November seventh, So usually around Thursday, we have
(11:47):
a pretty high return rate and we start to see
results become more and more clear.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
So what are the voter registration deadlines for new registrations
and changes to previous registrations.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
For voter registration? Soober fifteenth is your deadline. Make sure
us circle that date in your calendar and make sure
you are registered and that you've made any changes you
want to your registration by October fifteenth.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
So when does the voter's pamphlet go out? And then
when do the ballots go on the mail?
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Voters are going to start to receive their voter's pamphlet
after October eighth. That's when we send out all of
the voter's pamphlet to people's to people's homes. Then you're
going to have about a week to look at the
voter's pamphlet, get comfortable with the different contests, read about
the candidates, learn more about rank choice voting, and starting
on October sixteenth, we start sending out the ballots to
(12:37):
Portland voters. By October twenty fourth, everyone in Portland should
have received their ballot.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
What should I do if I don't receive a ballot?
Speaker 4 (12:44):
If you don't receive a ballot, give us a call.
You can call our office at five zero three nine
eight eight eight six eight three, and we will figure
out what's going on and help make sure that you
get the ballot.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So, if people have questions about how ranked choice voting
works or the election in general, where can they get
information on that.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
If voters have questions about rank choice voting, there are
so many resources they can turn to. Number one, I
would say, go to Portland dot gov slash vote. The
City of Portland has put together so many resources that
explain how rank choice voting will work for City of
Portland contests. That's a great place to start. Second, Moltnomah
(13:25):
County also has a ton of information about this. You
can go to moltco dot us backslass RCV and there
you'll find all sorts of information about rank choice voting
as well. In addition to that, voters can call three
to one one and the phone operators there are prepared
to answer any questions people might have about ranked choice voting.
(13:49):
They can help them fill out their ballot, they can
help them find additional resources and just point them in
the right direction. Additionally, Moltnomah County Library employees have been
trained to help voters with rank choice voting. So if
you go into a library with questions. The folks there
will be able to provide answers and put you in
the direction of more information.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So are there any resources to help voters with disabilities
or those who might not speak English is their primary language.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Absolutely, we are prepared to help any voter that we can.
So if folks have accessibility concerns and need support with
filling out their ballot, you can visit Monoma votes dot
gov and there's a form there where you can fill
out an accessibility request and then that gets directed to
our Voter Accessibility Team or the VAT team, which are
(14:40):
like a bunch of superheroes I think, because they go
out into the community and meet people where they're at
to make sure that they get the support that they need,
whether physical support or support with explanations to ensure that
they know how to confidently fill out their own ballot. Additionally,
we have a lot of voters in Moltnomah County and
in the City Portland who may not speak English at home,
(15:03):
and if voters have any difficulty understanding their ballot, we
are here to help. Just call our office and we'll
get you hooked up with translation services and make sure
that you have all of the information you need to
understand what's on your.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Ballot and tell us one more time. What's the county
elections office website?
Speaker 4 (15:19):
The County Elections office website is MULTNOMA votes dot gov.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Lea, thank you very much for taking time to talk
with us.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
As Leah Benson with MULO MC County Elections and details
about rank choice voting and how it works. If you
have questions, go online to moltco dot us slash RCV
or Portland dot gov slash vote, or you can call
three one one. This is National Recovery Month. Oregon Health
and Science University Assistant Professor of Medicine, doctor Laurel Halleck
(15:50):
Koppelman joins us on Local Voices. Doctor Halleck Kppleman as
a family nurse practitioner with a specialty in substance use
disorders and trades patients all over the state of Oregon.
What are the goals of National Recovery Month?
Speaker 5 (16:02):
Well, the goals of National and Recovery Month probably are
based on each person's desires and what they're looking for.
So the goal from my perspective as a provider is
making sure that people know that they have access to
treatment if they are looking for treatment for a substance
use disorder. And for a person that may be considering
recovery is knowing that there are folks like me out
(16:24):
there that recovery is possible if that's something they want
to pursue. If anything, at least making sure you have
people that you can talk to when you are ready.
But the focus really is, hey, we're here, We're ready
when you are, and we want to be here when
you're ready.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
How does a supply to the opioid crisis.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Well, certainly Recovery Month covers all substances alcohol, marijuana, tobacco.
I think opioids is certainly at the height of everyone's
mind at the moment, particularly as it relates to things
like ventanyl and the increased number of deaths that we've
had opiate overdose deats, I should say, particularly here in Oregon.
(17:06):
In Recovery Month, again, we're looking at letting people know
that we are here, that there is a treatment available
if this is something that you are struggling with.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Also letting people know that this is a.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
Chronic illness and it's not a moral failing. And so
if you're having trouble cutting back on your own that's
just a sign that this is a chronic disease.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
So we actually have treatments that can help.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So if you know someone who is using drugs, what
should you do? How should you approach them? Talk with them?
Speaker 5 (17:35):
Yeah, well, I like to start out with if you
don't know someone who's using drugs, it's probably because you're
not opening up to them about your own stigmas. Everyone
has someone in their life that either is afraid to
talk to them. More people are using substances than we realize,
So I would say if someone does come to that
means they feel incredibly comfortable with you and safe that
(17:57):
you're not going to judge them. So making sure you
have an open mind yourself. And then if you do
know someone that has a substance use sort of looking
for treatment, they can look to places where there are
nurse practitioners.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Physicians pas that are suitable for.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Treating substance use disorders as it comes across with opioid
use disorder. There are FDA approved treatments out there, methadone
being one, pup and orphan being another, and maltrexone is
the other FDA approved treatment at the moment, I'm able
to prescribe PUP and orphan, and I can do that
from a telehealth setting, so I can see folks across
(18:34):
the state of Oregon if they're unable to find a
provider who has access to prescribing. It allows me to
reach folks from southern Oregon all the way out to
the wah Wallas and here in the Portland metro area
as well.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
What role do nurse practitioners play in helping serve and
treat rural and underserve communities.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
Well, we're really fortunate in Oregon, I'm sure you're aware,
but practitioners have full practice authority.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
That means we can practice to.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
The highest extent of our education, and our credentialing allows
for us to see patients throughout without the auspices of
a physician. That enables us to open our own practices,
and so in rural communities in particular, nurse practitioners have
been leading the forefront of treating folks with opigious disorder
prescribing BUP and orphan, and that's been really advantageous to
(19:26):
our Oregonians in my opinion, and also in some notable
studies we've jumped on board. We're ready to help, and
because we have a nursing background, we offer that extra
bit of compassionate care and I think.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
We're really good listeners as well.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
So it's been a wonderful experience to be able to
practice an a state like this. Some of our states
across the nation are not as forward thinking, although we've
had full practice for over thirty years here, So it
would be wonderful if all nurse practitioners were able to
offer this type of care.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Practice a little bit about what a treatment program consists of.
What's the recovery period and the remission therapy that goes on.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Yeah, so I would say no one is necessarily in remission.
I would say you're in recovery once you decide you
want to be in recovery, and that's continuing throughout. For
some folks, it means receiving medications to.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Help with their use disorders.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
It may be a combination of medications and cognitive behavioral therapies, meeting.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
With peer groups. For every person, it's different, and it's.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Really important to realize it's an individualized treatment plan. There's
no time frame that's associated with better outcomes, except for
we know folks that are on medication for a longer
period of time have less likelihood of returning to use.
I've had patients in the past that have been on
a medication called bupen orphans since it was initiated in
(20:56):
the US back in two thousand and two is when
it was authorized. They've been on that medicine for life,
just like some of us stay on medicines for high
blood pressure and for diabetes.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
It is a treatment and there is no hard stop
date when someone would get medication. I think as.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
Humans we are lifelong learners and if you can find
a way to work with your recovery without medication, wonderful.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
But it is available.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
There are many tools in your tool belt you can access,
and the treatment duration is a lifetime.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
The treatment medications that you mentioned, how do they work well?
Speaker 5 (21:35):
So there are three that I mentioned. The one that
I specialize in is bupin orphan. Bupen Orphan is a
partial opioid agonist, so things like vicoin, percocet, heroin, fetanyl,
those are all full opioid agonists, so those attached to
the opioid receptors in the brain, sometimes causing respiratory suppression.
(21:56):
And that's why we talk about overdose death when people
stop breathing. Buben Orphan works as a partial opioid agonist,
so it attaches to the receptors, provides relief from withdrawal
symptoms cravings, does not lower the respiratory rate in the
same way that a full agonist will, and therefore it
allows someone to feel normal again. They will likely not
(22:22):
have cravings, they will likely reduce their withdrawal symptoms, and
the hope would be is that they can stay on
this medication until they're able to build up the rest
of the infrastructure in their lives so that they can
continue to remain opioid free.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
It talked to us a little bit about that what
is necessary along with those drugs that can be used
during recovery, what else is important to staying on track
and staying off drugs.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Yeah, well, I mean again, I think it's person specific
from a harm reduction perspective, which means, you know, we
want to we realize people are going to use substances.
We want to provide the medications that will prevent death.
So having medications likenlozone, which is an opioid antagonist that
will save someone in an overdose situation from opioids. Having
(23:14):
a medication like bupin orphan, which can help reduce cravings.
We don't necessarily say that you have to have therapy,
you have to have some sort of counseling going.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
Along with it.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
Is it helpful, yes, but it's not necessary. What is
necessary is that a person is willing to try different
things and find what may or may not work for them.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
And continue with that.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
So I think what's more necessary is having folks around
them be supportive and helpful and hoping we can all
work together to figure out why someone would start using
a substance and help prevent people in the future from
doing so as well.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Is it common to have to try more than one
time to be successful.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Oh? Absolutely. I have worked with folks who have spoken about,
you know, this is my you know, twentieth time trying,
and that's the point is you're continuing to try.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
And one of my.
Speaker 5 (24:15):
Colleagues who is a peer and he's in the National
Recovery Month video that we produced, he actually mentioned that
he'd tried a million times and it was the million
and first time that it worked. So everybody's different. For
some people it will work on the first time, but
situations are always different for each person.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
If someone is looking to find out more about what
treatments are available, are their internet resources that people can
go to to find out that information.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
Yes, Nationally, folks can go to we shoes andps dot
org if they'd like to check out a nurse practitioner
that is a prescriber or a person who can offer treatment.
If you're in Oregon, I work for a telehealth group
at OHSU organ Health and Science University, and we do
(25:07):
have a telehealth clinic that's accessible for folks across the
state with or without insurance, and we see folks on
a phone or video connection to provide their treatment. Nationally,
folks can also go to the SAMSU websites, and of
course they can go to the National and Students of
(25:28):
Drug Abuse websites to look for treatment locators.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Doctor anything else you'd like to add.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
No, I'm just really glad that people are taking an
interest in this topic. I think we all have an
idea of what a person who's using a substance or
has a substance use disorder looks like. And people that
are using substances are all around us. They're part of
our families, and they're all people that deserve love, and treatment.
So I'm hopeful that we can offer that to as
many people as who.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Desire it or thanks for joining us. That's Oregon Health
and Science University Assistant Professor of Medicine, doctor Laurel Hall
compliment with information on National Recovery Month. Auto and homeowners'
insurance rates have gone up. Kenton Bryan, with a Northwest
Insurance Council joins us to explain why.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
Coming out of the national pandemic period, a lot of
things have changed in the marketplace, including general inflation is
even worse in areas related to repairing cars, replacing homes,
repairing homes, so labor costs, parts costs, materials costs have
(26:32):
all gone up dramatically, much higher than the general rate
of inflation, and that's forced insurers to increase premiums for
homeowners and drivers.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
What can policyholders do about it?
Speaker 7 (26:43):
It's important to know what your insurance policy covers. Always
important to do that and have regular communications with your
insurance company or your insurance agent. But right now it's
especially difficult for folks in the homeowner's market in some
parts of Oregon and Washington to find coverage, and they
have to shop around more than they have before. In
the auto market, it's a similar situation. It's really important
(27:05):
to if you get a renewal notice that has a
significant increase in your home or auto policy, this is
the time to shop around and see if you can
get a better deal and then explore with your insurance
agent if you're going to keep your policy. Are there
ways you can reduce some of your costs?
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Do you have any tips on comparison shopping.
Speaker 7 (27:25):
Well, it might take some time and some effort, but
you can find different prices for coverage from different insurers.
One way to do that is to do your own
research online, but another way to do it is to
approach an independent insurance agent or broker and explain your
insurance needs to them as you understand them, and have
them shop around for you. You might have to go to
(27:45):
more than one insurance agent or broker to get the
broadest available number of policies and companies that are writing
in the market.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Does bundling insurance types homeowners and auto? Does that help you?
Speaker 6 (27:58):
Know?
Speaker 7 (27:58):
We see a lot of commercial these days about bundling
home and auto insurance, and there's no question that there
are discounts available from insurers if you buy your home
insurance and your car insurance from the same insurance company. Again,
market conditions are a little tough right now, and you
may not see the kind of results in discounts that
you saw, say, five years ago, But those discounts are
(28:19):
still available, and insurers are writing across Oregon and Washington
and they're competing for your business.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
What should we consider when deciding on a deductible.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Well, deductible is a really important part of your insurance premium.
It's the part you pay out of pocket before your
insurance kicks in, So it the important thing about the
deductible is to know how high it is, and in
the case of homeowners insurance, it's usually a percentage of
the limits of your policy, whereas an auto insurance it
tends to be just a fixed dollar amount. You can
choose an amount, and the higher you're deductible is the
(28:51):
more you're willing to pay out a pocket if you
suffer a loss, the lower your insurance premiums will be.
So it's good to explore what your options are when
you're talking about renewing a policy or looking for new coverage.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
At what point do you not need collision or comprehensive
insurance on a car.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
Typically, if your insured vehicle is worth less than ten
times the amount of premium and purchasing that collision or
comprehensive coverage may not be cost effective for you. If
you have an older vehicle and it's paid off, you're
not making any car payments on it, and you just
think about what will the cost be to replace this
vehicle if it was a total loss, and that is
(29:31):
a fairly low amount, say under five thousand dollars, Depending
on your own budget, of course, you might want to
consider dropping that coverage.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
That's Kenton Bryan with a Northwest Insurance Council with information
on what you can do to help lower your insurance costs.
Thanks for listening to Local Voices, I'm brad Forard. You
can hear past episodes on the iHeartRadio app under the
podcast tab. Local Voices is a public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
Hey,
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. Furniture Share is
an organization of the Wilhamtt Valley that's helping to provide
furniture and other items to people in need. Portlanders will
face rank Choice voting in November and we'll have important
information on how it works. This is National Recovery Month
and we'll examine what resources are available for people who
want to end substance abuse. Mattress World Northwest is putting
(00:28):
it support behind a great nonprofit called Furniture Share. Sean Hathaway,
owner of Mattress World Northwest, joins us on Local Voices
along with Michelle Robinson, executive director of Furniture Share. Sean,
why did Mattris World Northwest choose Furniture Share as a
nonprofit to support?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
As you know, we support a lot of nonprofits. Bet
When I met Michelle and saw her energy and passion
behind helping the community, and that realizing that there was
such a thing as furniture poverty where people actually sleep
on the floor with no mappress or sit on the
floor with no chair, it was something that I really
(01:06):
thought compelled that our company needed to stand behind and support.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Michelle tell us about Furniture Share. What do you do
in what areas do you serve?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Well, A lot of people know food banks. We are
a furniture bank. So what we do is we provide
the basic furniture essentials to low income families and we
also provide healthy food box. So the core client for
furniture Share of families and individuals experience furniture poverty, which
(01:36):
also includes low income household people transitioning from homelessness, and
survivors of domestic violence. These clients typically lack the household
furniture such as beds, tables, chairs, and other basic items
that provide comfort, safety, and dignity in their home.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Are there certain areas of the state that you serve.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
We serve lend Benten and Lincoln County. We do serve
parts of Marion County. We will serve the whole state,
but they would have to come to us to pick
up their furniture.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
How important is furniture, especially beds for families who often
can't afford it well.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Beds are crucial for children's physical and emotional well being,
providing proper sleep. It also supports growth, health and the development,
and offers safe and stable environment that promotes learning, focusing,
and overall mental health. So when kids have a bed
to sleep in, they're going to do better in school.
(02:37):
And everyone knows when you do better in school, your
life improves absolutely.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Michelle. For families who need help getting furniture, what's the
process do they call? Do they come in?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Well, we work through referring agencies, and those are agencies
that know their income. It can be DHS where they
get their food stamps, so it could be the house authority,
it can be their church, just anyone that knows their
need and they will refer them through our referring portal.
(03:10):
But if they don't have a caseworker, they can always
call our phone number which is five four one seven
five four nine to five one one and see how
they can get referred. We help a lot of families
get referred. But by doing that, having a referral process,
make sure that we are meeting the truly needy families
(03:30):
in our area.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Sean, how does Mattress World Northwest help Furniture Share.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
We like to support one of their main functions, which
is a barbecue where Michelle makes tons of fabulous barbecue food.
So we just give our money to support that and
they hand it out to all the businesses. But two
years out three were able to donate about two hundred mattresses,
so new mattresses.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
That is terrific. How many stories does Mattress World Northwest
have and what areas do you serve?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, we just opened our twenty fifth store in Sherwood
that we're from Kravalis, Albany elevenon, follow five five up
to Portland and out to Scappoos and stand in. That's
that's our service area.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Sean, What say's Mattress World Northwest apart from other mattress stores.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Well, in our market, we're locally owned. My wife and
I own the business. We've been around for thirty years.
Some of our employees have been with us all thirty years,
and we're just really community oriented. Every place where we
have a store, we try to participate with some group
like this, whether it's a high school fundraiser where we're
supporting a team or a sport or Now that I've
(04:39):
done a few mattress donations like this, I'm getting people
that email me once a month asking for mattresses, and
so I really enjoy that. And what I do is
I like to shoot a little video to pump up
their organization as well. So they've got to meet a
lot of really nice people that when you hear about
problem we might have in the Portland metro area, I
(05:03):
get to meet the people that are solving firsthand and
really helping people.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
That is terrific. Michelle, you accept donations of more than furniture,
You also accept working appliances. Tell us what you need.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
We always need refrigerators, we need watcher dryers, but our
four main furniture items are of course beds, dressers, couches
and dinner tables. And that when we ask that everything
is gently used in a rips, tears or stains.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Michelle, how important our air conditioners and air purifiers.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Air purifiers and air conditioners are vital to our low
income families, improving their air quality and reducing health risk
and providing relief during extreme heat, which can also prevent
heat related illnesses and improve overall well being.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So, Michelle, how can people contact Furniture Share to request
furniture or if they want to make a donation.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
They can go to our website which is www dot
furniture share dot org to make a donation. They can
also call us at five four one seven, four nine
five one one to find out how they can help
support our efforts, how they can volunteer, or even if
(06:22):
there's someone that is in need of any of the
items that we provide, they can learn how to be
referred to our service.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Sean, what do you want listeners to know about Mattress
World Northwest commitment to Furniture Share.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Our commitment is we partner with our manufacturers, and these
two hundred mattresses came from temper Seely and Beauty Rest
and so we just love giving back to the community.
What I would like to just stress is I got
to go to her year end fundraiser slash Award ceremony
and organically with the group she worked with, four people
(06:54):
stood up and told stories about kids and veterans getting
their very first new mattress. I was blown away. I'm
really proud to be a part of an organization that's
getting people off the floor and helping them get a
great night's sleep.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
That is great. Michelle, tell us one more time, what's
your website if people want to find out more, Hey.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Our website is Furnitureshare dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Terrific. Michelle and Sean, thank you very much. For joining
us on Local Voices. That's Michelle Robinson, executive director of
Furniture Share and Sean Hathaway, the owner of Mattress World Northwest. Again,
the website for Furniture Share is furniture share dot org.
Rank choice voting is coming to Portland in the November
general election for certain races, along with standard style ballots
(07:41):
for other races. Leah Benson with multon McCatty Elections joins
us on Local Voices. Leah, what will these new ballots
look like?
Speaker 4 (07:48):
When Portlanders receive their ballot envelopes in the mail and
open them up, they'll notice two things. First that there
are going to be two pages to their ballots. We're
used to seeing all the contests done one ballot page,
but with ranked choice voting for the City of Portland
contests are now going to be two pages. One for
the general election like federal and state offices and measures,
(08:11):
and then another separate one that's only for the City
of Portland candidate contests. So let's talk more about that
City of Portland candidate contest ballot. That ballot, like I said,
is going to use ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting
is a form of voting that allows voters to rank
multiple candidates in order of preference instead of selecting only one.
(08:33):
And so the ballot is going to look like a
grid style and it'll have up to six columns of
ranks and then the candidates in a list on the
left hand side, and you can fill in ovals to
rank candidates in the order of your preference.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So will Portland doers be the only people who receive
those ranked choice ballots in Moultnamon County.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
For November of twenty twenty four, City of Portland residents
are going to be the only one to receive ranked
choice ballots. In November of twenty two, twenty six, Moltnoma
County is implementing ranked choice voting county wide, So in
twenty twenty six, the entire county will receive rank choice
voting ballots for this but for this November twenty twenty four,
(09:12):
it's only Portland residents that are going to get that
rank choice ballot.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
All right, So this is a new process for everybody.
What do I do if I make a mistake on
my ballot?
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Oh? The good news is if you make a mistake,
don't worry. We are here for you. And we're ready
for that. We always encourage voters that if they'd like to,
you can correct your own mistake on a ballot. So
let's pretend that you accidentally fill in an oval for
the wrong candidate, the person that you don't actually want
to rank on your ballot. What you can just do
(09:42):
is draw an X over that filled in oval and
just fill in another oval, as long as you make
it obvious which choice you want to correct, so which
one you don't want and which one you do. We
have election workers that are examining the ballots to make
sure that we understand voter intent. So if you make
a mistake, you can correct it on your own, and
(10:03):
we encourage you to. That said, sometimes you may have
made a mistake that you don't know how to correct,
and in that instance, you can always order a replacement ballot.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
To do that.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Just visit our website moltnoma votes dot gov and you
can order one through the website, or you can always
call us at the elections office with any questions and
we're happy to point you in the direction of how
to get your ballot fixed.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
So if I need help filling out my ballot, what
can I do if.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
You need help filling out your ballot, we have so
many resources. First and foremost, I would encourage folks to
visit our website Moltec dot gov, slash elections or Monoma
votes dot gov, and if you find the rank choice
voting information on there, you'll find all sorts of tools
that help you practice filling out your ballot, including a
(10:55):
mock election platform called ranked vote that allows you to
practice filling out to rank to ue ballot and see
what results look like.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
When will we know who won?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
So, just like other contests, we will post the first
election results at eight pm on election night, so Tuesday,
November fifth, at eight pm, just like all other contests,
and then we continue to run tabulation as we receive
more ballots and produce more results daily up until December second,
(11:26):
when the results are officially certified by the state. So
we can't say exactly when you'll know who won, but
we can tell you we're going to start reporting results
on election night, and typically we receive about ninety percent
of the ballots by Thursday after election day, so that
would be November seventh, So usually around Thursday, we have
(11:47):
a pretty high return rate and we start to see
results become more and more clear.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
So what are the voter registration deadlines for new registrations
and changes to previous registrations.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
For voter registration? Soober fifteenth is your deadline. Make sure
us circle that date in your calendar and make sure
you are registered and that you've made any changes you
want to your registration by October fifteenth.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
So when does the voter's pamphlet go out? And then
when do the ballots go on the mail?
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Voters are going to start to receive their voter's pamphlet
after October eighth. That's when we send out all of
the voter's pamphlet to people's to people's homes. Then you're
going to have about a week to look at the
voter's pamphlet, get comfortable with the different contests, read about
the candidates, learn more about rank choice voting, and starting
on October sixteenth, we start sending out the ballots to
(12:37):
Portland voters. By October twenty fourth, everyone in Portland should
have received their ballot.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
What should I do if I don't receive a ballot?
Speaker 4 (12:44):
If you don't receive a ballot, give us a call.
You can call our office at five zero three nine
eight eight eight six eight three, and we will figure
out what's going on and help make sure that you
get the ballot.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So, if people have questions about how ranked choice voting
works or the election in general, where can they get
information on that.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
If voters have questions about rank choice voting, there are
so many resources they can turn to. Number one, I
would say, go to Portland dot gov slash vote. The
City of Portland has put together so many resources that
explain how rank choice voting will work for City of
Portland contests. That's a great place to start. Second, Moltnomah
(13:25):
County also has a ton of information about this. You
can go to moltco dot us backslass RCV and there
you'll find all sorts of information about rank choice voting
as well. In addition to that, voters can call three
to one one and the phone operators there are prepared
to answer any questions people might have about ranked choice voting.
(13:49):
They can help them fill out their ballot, they can
help them find additional resources and just point them in
the right direction. Additionally, Moltnomah County Library employees have been
trained to help voters with rank choice voting. So if
you go into a library with questions. The folks there
will be able to provide answers and put you in
the direction of more information.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So are there any resources to help voters with disabilities
or those who might not speak English is their primary language.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Absolutely, we are prepared to help any voter that we can.
So if folks have accessibility concerns and need support with
filling out their ballot, you can visit Monoma votes dot
gov and there's a form there where you can fill
out an accessibility request and then that gets directed to
our Voter Accessibility Team or the VAT team, which are
(14:40):
like a bunch of superheroes I think, because they go
out into the community and meet people where they're at
to make sure that they get the support that they need,
whether physical support or support with explanations to ensure that
they know how to confidently fill out their own ballot. Additionally,
we have a lot of voters in Moltnomah County and
in the City Portland who may not speak English at home,
(15:03):
and if voters have any difficulty understanding their ballot, we
are here to help. Just call our office and we'll
get you hooked up with translation services and make sure
that you have all of the information you need to
understand what's on your.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Ballot and tell us one more time. What's the county
elections office website?
Speaker 4 (15:19):
The County Elections office website is MULTNOMA votes dot gov.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Lea, thank you very much for taking time to talk
with us.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
As Leah Benson with MULO MC County Elections and details
about rank choice voting and how it works. If you
have questions, go online to moltco dot us slash RCV
or Portland dot gov slash vote, or you can call
three one one. This is National Recovery Month. Oregon Health
and Science University Assistant Professor of Medicine, doctor Laurel Halleck
(15:50):
Koppelman joins us on Local Voices. Doctor Halleck Kppleman as
a family nurse practitioner with a specialty in substance use
disorders and trades patients all over the state of Oregon.
What are the goals of National Recovery Month?
Speaker 5 (16:02):
Well, the goals of National and Recovery Month probably are
based on each person's desires and what they're looking for.
So the goal from my perspective as a provider is
making sure that people know that they have access to
treatment if they are looking for treatment for a substance
use disorder. And for a person that may be considering
recovery is knowing that there are folks like me out
(16:24):
there that recovery is possible if that's something they want
to pursue. If anything, at least making sure you have
people that you can talk to when you are ready.
But the focus really is, hey, we're here, We're ready
when you are, and we want to be here when
you're ready.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
How does a supply to the opioid crisis.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Well, certainly Recovery Month covers all substances alcohol, marijuana, tobacco.
I think opioids is certainly at the height of everyone's
mind at the moment, particularly as it relates to things
like ventanyl and the increased number of deaths that we've
had opiate overdose deats, I should say, particularly here in Oregon.
(17:06):
In Recovery Month, again, we're looking at letting people know
that we are here, that there is a treatment available
if this is something that you are struggling with.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Also letting people know that this is a.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
Chronic illness and it's not a moral failing. And so
if you're having trouble cutting back on your own that's
just a sign that this is a chronic disease.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
So we actually have treatments that can help.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So if you know someone who is using drugs, what
should you do? How should you approach them? Talk with them?
Speaker 5 (17:35):
Yeah, well, I like to start out with if you
don't know someone who's using drugs, it's probably because you're
not opening up to them about your own stigmas. Everyone
has someone in their life that either is afraid to
talk to them. More people are using substances than we realize,
So I would say if someone does come to that
means they feel incredibly comfortable with you and safe that
(17:57):
you're not going to judge them. So making sure you
have an open mind yourself. And then if you do
know someone that has a substance use sort of looking
for treatment, they can look to places where there are
nurse practitioners.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Physicians pas that are suitable for.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Treating substance use disorders as it comes across with opioid
use disorder. There are FDA approved treatments out there, methadone
being one, pup and orphan being another, and maltrexone is
the other FDA approved treatment at the moment, I'm able
to prescribe PUP and orphan, and I can do that
from a telehealth setting, so I can see folks across
(18:34):
the state of Oregon if they're unable to find a
provider who has access to prescribing. It allows me to
reach folks from southern Oregon all the way out to
the wah Wallas and here in the Portland metro area
as well.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
What role do nurse practitioners play in helping serve and
treat rural and underserve communities.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
Well, we're really fortunate in Oregon, I'm sure you're aware,
but practitioners have full practice authority.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
That means we can practice to.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
The highest extent of our education, and our credentialing allows
for us to see patients throughout without the auspices of
a physician. That enables us to open our own practices,
and so in rural communities in particular, nurse practitioners have
been leading the forefront of treating folks with opigious disorder
prescribing BUP and orphan, and that's been really advantageous to
(19:26):
our Oregonians in my opinion, and also in some notable
studies we've jumped on board. We're ready to help, and
because we have a nursing background, we offer that extra
bit of compassionate care and I think.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
We're really good listeners as well.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
So it's been a wonderful experience to be able to
practice an a state like this. Some of our states
across the nation are not as forward thinking, although we've
had full practice for over thirty years here, So it
would be wonderful if all nurse practitioners were able to
offer this type of care.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Practice a little bit about what a treatment program consists of.
What's the recovery period and the remission therapy that goes on.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Yeah, so I would say no one is necessarily in remission.
I would say you're in recovery once you decide you
want to be in recovery, and that's continuing throughout. For
some folks, it means receiving medications to.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Help with their use disorders.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
It may be a combination of medications and cognitive behavioral therapies, meeting.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
With peer groups. For every person, it's different, and it's.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Really important to realize it's an individualized treatment plan. There's
no time frame that's associated with better outcomes, except for
we know folks that are on medication for a longer
period of time have less likelihood of returning to use.
I've had patients in the past that have been on
a medication called bupen orphans since it was initiated in
(20:56):
the US back in two thousand and two is when
it was authorized. They've been on that medicine for life,
just like some of us stay on medicines for high
blood pressure and for diabetes.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
It is a treatment and there is no hard stop
date when someone would get medication. I think as.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
Humans we are lifelong learners and if you can find
a way to work with your recovery without medication, wonderful.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
But it is available.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
There are many tools in your tool belt you can access,
and the treatment duration is a lifetime.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
The treatment medications that you mentioned, how do they work well?
Speaker 5 (21:35):
So there are three that I mentioned. The one that
I specialize in is bupin orphan. Bupen Orphan is a
partial opioid agonist, so things like vicoin, percocet, heroin, fetanyl,
those are all full opioid agonists, so those attached to
the opioid receptors in the brain, sometimes causing respiratory suppression.
(21:56):
And that's why we talk about overdose death when people
stop breathing. Buben Orphan works as a partial opioid agonist,
so it attaches to the receptors, provides relief from withdrawal
symptoms cravings, does not lower the respiratory rate in the
same way that a full agonist will, and therefore it
allows someone to feel normal again. They will likely not
(22:22):
have cravings, they will likely reduce their withdrawal symptoms, and
the hope would be is that they can stay on
this medication until they're able to build up the rest
of the infrastructure in their lives so that they can
continue to remain opioid free.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
It talked to us a little bit about that what
is necessary along with those drugs that can be used
during recovery, what else is important to staying on track
and staying off drugs.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Yeah, well, I mean again, I think it's person specific
from a harm reduction perspective, which means, you know, we
want to we realize people are going to use substances.
We want to provide the medications that will prevent death.
So having medications likenlozone, which is an opioid antagonist that
will save someone in an overdose situation from opioids. Having
(23:14):
a medication like bupin orphan, which can help reduce cravings.
We don't necessarily say that you have to have therapy,
you have to have some sort of counseling going.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
Along with it.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
Is it helpful, yes, but it's not necessary. What is
necessary is that a person is willing to try different
things and find what may or may not work for them.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
And continue with that.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
So I think what's more necessary is having folks around
them be supportive and helpful and hoping we can all
work together to figure out why someone would start using
a substance and help prevent people in the future from
doing so as well.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Is it common to have to try more than one
time to be successful.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Oh? Absolutely. I have worked with folks who have spoken about,
you know, this is my you know, twentieth time trying,
and that's the point is you're continuing to try.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
And one of my.
Speaker 5 (24:15):
Colleagues who is a peer and he's in the National
Recovery Month video that we produced, he actually mentioned that
he'd tried a million times and it was the million
and first time that it worked. So everybody's different. For
some people it will work on the first time, but
situations are always different for each person.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
If someone is looking to find out more about what
treatments are available, are their internet resources that people can
go to to find out that information.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
Yes, Nationally, folks can go to we shoes andps dot
org if they'd like to check out a nurse practitioner
that is a prescriber or a person who can offer treatment.
If you're in Oregon, I work for a telehealth group
at OHSU organ Health and Science University, and we do
(25:07):
have a telehealth clinic that's accessible for folks across the
state with or without insurance, and we see folks on
a phone or video connection to provide their treatment. Nationally,
folks can also go to the SAMSU websites, and of
course they can go to the National and Students of
(25:28):
Drug Abuse websites to look for treatment locators.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Doctor anything else you'd like to add.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
No, I'm just really glad that people are taking an
interest in this topic. I think we all have an
idea of what a person who's using a substance or
has a substance use disorder looks like. And people that
are using substances are all around us. They're part of
our families, and they're all people that deserve love, and treatment.
So I'm hopeful that we can offer that to as
many people as who.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Desire it or thanks for joining us. That's Oregon Health
and Science University Assistant Professor of Medicine, doctor Laurel Hall
compliment with information on National Recovery Month. Auto and homeowners'
insurance rates have gone up. Kenton Bryan, with a Northwest
Insurance Council joins us to explain why.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
Coming out of the national pandemic period, a lot of
things have changed in the marketplace, including general inflation is
even worse in areas related to repairing cars, replacing homes,
repairing homes, so labor costs, parts costs, materials costs have
(26:32):
all gone up dramatically, much higher than the general rate
of inflation, and that's forced insurers to increase premiums for
homeowners and drivers.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
What can policyholders do about it?
Speaker 7 (26:43):
It's important to know what your insurance policy covers. Always
important to do that and have regular communications with your
insurance company or your insurance agent. But right now it's
especially difficult for folks in the homeowner's market in some
parts of Oregon and Washington to find coverage, and they
have to shop around more than they have before. In
the auto market, it's a similar situation. It's really important
(27:05):
to if you get a renewal notice that has a
significant increase in your home or auto policy, this is
the time to shop around and see if you can
get a better deal and then explore with your insurance
agent if you're going to keep your policy. Are there
ways you can reduce some of your costs?
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Do you have any tips on comparison shopping.
Speaker 7 (27:25):
Well, it might take some time and some effort, but
you can find different prices for coverage from different insurers.
One way to do that is to do your own
research online, but another way to do it is to
approach an independent insurance agent or broker and explain your
insurance needs to them as you understand them, and have
them shop around for you. You might have to go to
(27:45):
more than one insurance agent or broker to get the
broadest available number of policies and companies that are writing
in the market.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Does bundling insurance types homeowners and auto? Does that help you?
Speaker 6 (27:58):
Know?
Speaker 7 (27:58):
We see a lot of commercial these days about bundling
home and auto insurance, and there's no question that there
are discounts available from insurers if you buy your home
insurance and your car insurance from the same insurance company. Again,
market conditions are a little tough right now, and you
may not see the kind of results in discounts that
you saw, say, five years ago, But those discounts are
(28:19):
still available, and insurers are writing across Oregon and Washington
and they're competing for your business.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
What should we consider when deciding on a deductible.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Well, deductible is a really important part of your insurance premium.
It's the part you pay out of pocket before your
insurance kicks in, So it the important thing about the
deductible is to know how high it is, and in
the case of homeowners insurance, it's usually a percentage of
the limits of your policy, whereas an auto insurance it
tends to be just a fixed dollar amount. You can
choose an amount, and the higher you're deductible is the
(28:51):
more you're willing to pay out a pocket if you
suffer a loss, the lower your insurance premiums will be.
So it's good to explore what your options are when
you're talking about renewing a policy or looking for new coverage.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
At what point do you not need collision or comprehensive
insurance on a car.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
Typically, if your insured vehicle is worth less than ten
times the amount of premium and purchasing that collision or
comprehensive coverage may not be cost effective for you. If
you have an older vehicle and it's paid off, you're
not making any car payments on it, and you just
think about what will the cost be to replace this
vehicle if it was a total loss, and that is
(29:31):
a fairly low amount, say under five thousand dollars, Depending
on your own budget, of course, you might want to
consider dropping that coverage.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
That's Kenton Bryan with a Northwest Insurance Council with information
on what you can do to help lower your insurance costs.
Thanks for listening to Local Voices, I'm brad Forard. You
can hear past episodes on the iHeartRadio app under the
podcast tab. Local Voices is a public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
Hey,
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