Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon • Page A1

BEAVERS, PILOTS BASEBALL IN KEIZER PIP SPORTS 1B Statesman Journal THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013 StatesmanJournal.com A GANNETT COMPANY Members face backlash State overpaid welfare benefits The $2.8 million is just 0.02 percent of two years of public assistance By Laura Fosmire Statesman Journal Oregon paid $2.8 million more in public assistance programs than it should have in the past two years, according to a new audit from the Secretary of State. The audit examined public assistance programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. Many of these programs in Oregon have more relaxed criteria than other states for accepting benefits. As a result, Oregon's participation rate is high approximately one in three, the audit found. As much as $6.6 billion in federal and state funds were spent on these programs in 2012; $2 billion of which came exclusively from Oregon.

But officials with the Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority, although they ONLINE To read the audit from the Secretary of State, go to com news. Willamette University officials have suspended the Sigma Chi fraternity's privileges and activities while It Investigates the chapter after comments on its private Facebook page were publicized, timothy j. gonzalez statesman journal Disgusting tale offers lessons think right now the biggest thing is trying to make sure that this is taken seriously. SANDRA SCHAEFER Willamette sophomore ONLINE For previous stories, a photo gallery, an editorial and an open letter from Willamette students, go to StatesmanJournal.com news. II agreed that some work could be done to ensure greater accuracy, said overpayments or payments to ineligible people occur very rarely.

That $2.8 million mentioned in the audit represents only 0.02 percent of the combined costs of the program over two years. Auditors worked to match and verify public assistance records with other data to find potentially ineligible recipients. Some of these matches were found to be those who were dead, had won the lottery at some point, were state prisoners or Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS, retirees. The occasional fraud does happen. In March, police arrested Holver Pa-niaguas, owner of Paniaguas Produce, on charges of racketeering, computer fraud, food stamp fraud and identity theft after police reported watching him drain the SNAP accounts of nine of his customers and pay them 50 cents on the dollar.

As for ineligible cases, the audit found about 1,200 matches to people who appeared ineligible, or only 0.09 percent of the combined enrollment of the three programs. The Statesman Journal has previously investigated how often food stamp fraud occurs, and found that the percentage of fraud cases has stayed consistent in recent years at 0.50 percent. But auditors were concerned that See AUDIT, Page 3A It's as if members of a Willamette University fraternity wanted an invisible tattoo imprinted on their foreheads: "Dear potential employers, don't hire me. I use bad judgment." That judgment included the lunacy of believing the fraternity's page would remain pri- Dick Hughes COMMENTARY College joins national group's investigation By Anna Staver Statesman Journal Twelve students were voted out of a Willamette University fraternity by their brothers because of a scandal surrounding the publication of a private Facebook group that could cost the fraternity its charter. The university's campus erupted on Saturday night as students shared a WordPress blog with images of Sigma Chi's private Face-book group.

The images revealed a series of conversations that used sexually explicit and degrading language about female students and faculty members. The fraternity members also talked about hazing pledges, secret on-campus parties and drinking. Willamette and Sigma Chi's national organization launched a joint investigation into the fraternity. On Wednesday, the university suspended its privileges and activities pending the outcome of the investigation sometime this summer, spokesman Adam Torger-son said. "We completely support what the school has done," Sigma Chi national executive director Mike Dunn said in a telephone inter-See FRATERNITY, Page 3A Facebook private vate.

Tip: Never put anything online, in an email or in a text that you wouldn't tell your mother. Online privacy is an oxymoron, which is what differentiates the Internet from personal and paper communication. Once you send an email, text a message or post a photo, you lose all control over who might eventually see it. That is Lesson No. 1 from the disgusting tale of how Sigma Chi members posted inappropriate (i.e., raunchy) comments on their supposedly private Facebook page.

See LESSONS, Page 3A HOW TO GET HELP If you are a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence, please call 911 or the Mid-Valley Women's Crisis Service hotline (503) 399-7722 or toll-free in Oregon 1-(866) 399-7722. sj INDEX Business 9A Editorials 7C Classifieds 6C Bridge 2D Comics 7D Lottery 1C Puzzles 8D Obituaries 2C WEATHER Mostly sunny today. Clear tonight. Full report 8C 48 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: I Classified ads: (800) 452-2511 orStatesmanJournal.comsubscribe I (503) 399-6789 BUSINESS Former Safeway store in Dallas is going to auction The building at 820 SW Church Street, which has been vacant for years, is among 91 properties up for auction Saturday. Page 9A A Gannett newspaper 2013 Printed on recycled paper.

Vol.162, No. 26 Subscriber services: (800) 452-2511 Classified ads: (503) 399-6789 For the latest news updates, go to StatesmanJournal.com. 1 I 40901 "07401 Price: S100 MID-VALLEY NATION Feds eye cellphone charges Fake charges added to customers' bills are becoming more common, consumer advocates say. Page 4A SPORTS CVC tennis tournament finals go to Sprague Boys win district title; girls doubles team comes from behind. Page 1B PIONEER TRUST BANK Salem's Community Partner Since 1924.

Investigators look into WESD meetings District's board discussed leader's candidacy behind closed doors. Page 1C tw FTIIC Equal Oupuuifly Lender.