Cash for Cavities: Wheeler Collects Donation on Day of Dental Vote

Uninsured kids enjoyed a bright moment last week when the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to save a free dental clinic at Creston K-8 School.

Commissioner Jeff Cogen, who asked the board to spend $20,000 to keep the clinic from closing, trumpeted the move on his website as preserving a vital service. "This is a vulnerable population, and providing this support fits directly with our mission," Cogen wrote. "I'm proud to be part of the solution.”

Meanwhile, on the day the board agreed to throw the clinic a $20,000 lifeline, a key player in the deal also tossed County Chair Ted Wheeler a $250 campaign donation. The donation came from Kurt Ferre, president of the Multnomah Dental Society, which is taking over the clinic in order to save it from closing.

Curiously, while Wheeler took money from Ferre on the day of the vote, Cogen reported no donation from Ferre after requesting the board fund the clinic.

Wheeler has not yet replied to a request for comment, but we'll update this post when he does.