Shelves at food banks may empty faster and those who donate medical care to the needy may be busier than ever this year due to the failure of Measure 30 and the deep cuts likely to follow in state-run social services.

The failure of Oregon's largest taxing measure in history could push the burden of providing social services to already-overburdened community organizations that try to fill the gaps in services without the benefit of state financing. Many in those organizations feel the cracks in the system are becoming ever wider and that organizations such as Southwestern Oregon Community Action, THE House or the South Coast Gospel Mission will be overwhelmed and forced to turn away people in need.

"I know we're just going to be inundated," said Community Action Administrator Bob More, who oversees several free benefits programs. "We are not going to be able to stretch that program to serve everybody."

Measure 30, which included temporary and permanent changes to state taxes that would have increased revenues by $800 million, failed by a vote of 59 percent to 41 percent this week.

In Coos County, approximately 65 percent of voters cast ballots against Measure 30. Curry County voters defeated the measure similarly, with 62 percent of those who cast ballots saying they wanted the measure defeated.

Even before the vote, the Legislature already had detailed about $545 million in cuts in case Measure 30 failed - with $188 million coming from human services. For those who make daily decisions between buying gasoline, prescription drugs or food for their families, losing services they've been receiving through Department of Human Services could push them even further down poverty row.

"We have a lot of individuals who live below the federal poverty levels," said Kevin Stufflebean, DHS community development coordinator for Coos and Curry counties. "This pushes people even further below (that) level."

According to the most recent figures available, nearly one in three Coos County residents, 22,974 people, received some form of service from DHS in 2002. Those services included as mental health treatment, vocational rehabilitation services or pregnancy care.

Stufflebean said it's unclear how many in Coos County will lose their benefits from DHS - including state medical insurance through the Oregon Health Plan - but from local demographics, the number could reach into the thousands.

"We're looking at a lot of individuals who are covered by OHP that will be losing or receiving a reduction in service," Stufflebean said. "Reductions are going to have impacts on several thousand people in Coos County and Curry County."

Stufflebean said he expects the department to attempt to find more help from volunteer groups to maintain some level of service for the most needy.

"There's definitely a lot of local entities who step up to try to help these individuals who don't have services," he said, adding that churches and service clubs likely will be asked to do more than they have in the past.

Such groups have been expanding their levels of service for years and community organizations reported an increase in local people's need after the January 2003 failure of Measure 28, which would have increased the tax bill for a typical Oregonian by 5 percent and forestalled $310 million in cuts.

Since that measure failed, THE House, which provides beds and food for some of the area's neediest, increased its service by approximately 4,000 meals - serving a total of 24,000 meals in 2003.

Similarly, the food bank operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Coos Bay also experienced an influx of new people. Juanita Epping, a volunteer at the food bank, said the church as seen an ever-increasing number of people who come to pick up monthly food boxes and bread. Approximately 137 families received bread and food from the church in January 2003. Epping said the past month, 380 families came to collect those services.

"It has been increasing and I know it will increase even more now," she said.

So far, Epping said the food bank has been able to fill people's food needs through community donations and other helpful hands. She added that the church is committed to continue providing the service as long as possible.

"As long as we have the food, we're going to stay open," she said.

DHS has provided an extensive list of cuts to meet with its expected reductions in revenue. A partial list of some of the proposed reductions include:

n discontinuing day care assistance to students;

n not implementing prescription drug assistance for low-income elderly residents and people with disabilities not otherwise eligible for the state Health Plan;

n and reducing OHP plus coverage for adult prescription drugs.

Several cuts proposed by the DHS Wednesday already have appeared on Gov. Ted Kulongoski's list of priority programs that he wants to try to save. Among those are lottery-funded gambling addiction programs, and health benefits for children and pregnant women. In all, the governor wants about $87 million in programs spared from the budget ax.

Without a special session, the main burden of making any changes to the reductions would fall on the legislative Emergency Board, which meets between the biannual sessions.

Sen. Ken Messerle, R-Coos Bay, who holds a seat on the board, said legislators are trying to determine whether they can alter program funding within general fund departments.

"I think people are just starting to sort it out," he said. "If we change the programs within the departments, the big question is, do we have that authority?"

The Emergency Board is scheduled to meet again in April and Messerle said he believes that will give the board enough time to work out any necessary funding changes before cuts go into effect May 1.

Without some improvements, Messerle said he believes the deepest impacts will be on those who depend on state-provided social services.

"The people that are disabled and really don't have any other options, I think we need to be really sensitive to that," he said.

Service groups, like Community Action, have been attempting to fill the gap in medical need as well as food needs. Community Action operates the MedNet Program, a one-time program that pays for clients' dental, prescription or emergency room visits.

The program, funded locally and largely by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, served 255 households a year ago and still had to turn many clients away, More said. Willing doctors agree to take a one-time $60 per patient payment from Community Action and then write off the rest of the debt.

But with fewer people eligible for OHP, More expects a larger strain on the program. He said it's likely those people will turn to MedNet, which in turn will be forced to turn many of them away.

That will leave many with no place to turn for their medical needs other than back to the community - something More believes will indirectly cost the local area more than the increases of Measure 30 ever would have.

"If they are not able to get their medical needs met, where are they going to go?" he asked. "The hospital. And we've got a public hospital."