The north Coast Times Eagle, Friday, 3 August,
1979
On Shakey Ground
by A rth u r Honeym an
by D ouglas W e is k o p f
A b i t o f n e a r l y p a s s e A m e r ic a n a i s
a l i v e an d c r u i s i n g i n S e a s i d e .
Y oung a d u l t s a n d t e e n a g e r s c o n t i n u e
t o c r u i s e t h e g u t o f B ro a d w a y o n w e e k e n d
n ig h ts .
T h is i n c r e d i b l e a c t i v i t y c o v e rs
a s i x - b l o c k s t r e t c h o n t h e m a in s t r e e t
an d a n e q u a l a m o u n t o n t h e b a c k s t r e e t s
as th e gas g u z z le rs c i r c l e th e s t r i p fo r
h o u rs e v e ry F rid a y and S a tu rd a y n ig h t.
T h i s a c t i v i t y m ig h t a p p e a r s t a r t l i n g
to n o n - lo c a ls , e s p e c ia lly to P o rtla n d e rs
who a r e b e c o m in g a c c u s to m e d t o g a s s t a
t i o n c l o s u r e s fro m F r i d a y e v e n i n g t o
M onday m o r n in g .
E a s te rn e rs p a r tic u la r ly
m u st r e s e n t t h e f l a g r a n t w a s te o f p r e
c io u s f u e l s .
T hey w a it in g a s l i n e s f o r
h o u rs back in th e b ig c i t i e s o f th e
N o r t h e a s t a n d o f t e n r e a c h t h e pum ps t h e
m om ent t h e v r u n d r y .
The r i t u a l i s s i m p l i c i t y i t s e l f .
T he
young p e o p le c i r c l e th e S e a s id e g u t l i k e
haw ks o r v u l t u r e s , w h i c h e v e r m e ta p h o r
i s p r e f e r r e d , e n d l e s s l y w a v in g t o t h e
sam e f r i e n d s o n e a c h s w in g a r o u n d , t h e
b o y s w h i s t l i n g and t a l k i n g i t up w ith
th e g i r l s a s i f n o th in g had c h a n g e d b e
tw e e n t h e s e x e s t h e p a s t tw o d e c a d e s ,
t h e L a V e rn e s a n d S h i r l e y s t e l l i n g th e m
to g e t l o s t j u s t l i k e th e y d id in 1957.
E ach o r b i t i n g a u to g e n e r a l l y h a s a p i l o t
a n d a c o - p i l o t , a n d p e r h a p s o n e o r tw o
o t h e r s o f t h e sam e g e n d e r , th o u g h a t
r a r e m o m en ts a c o m b i n a t i o n c a n b e n o t i c e d
i n a p a s s i n g m a c h in e .
The t r a d i t i o n a l c r u i s i n g o f t h e g u t
p r o v e s c o n c l u s i v e l y t h a t A m e r ic a n s , y o u n g
an d o l d , w i l l r e f u s e t o c o n s e r v e e n e r g y
a s lo n g a s i t a p p e a r s p l e n t i f u l .
The
d i r e w a r n i n g s , h i g h p r i c e s a n d g lo o m y
p r o p h e s i e s o f a b o n e - d r y f u t u r e seem t o
h a v e no e f f e c t o n t h e s a c r e d r i t e o f
c r u i s i n g a ro u n d in o u r b e lo v e d r o a d s t e r s .
The l o c a l t o u r i s t i n d u s t r y h e lp s p e r
p e tu a te t h i s a n a c h r o n is tic p a s ttim e .
T he i n d u s t r y h a s t o c o n v i n c e t r a v e l e r s
th a t p le n ty o f gas i s a v a ila b le o r e v e ry
b o d y w i l l s t a y hom e.
A lre a d y th e in d u s
t r y a l l o v e r t h e C o a s t h a s s e t up p h o n e
li n e s to a s s u r e t r a v e l e r s th e y can f u e l
up i n w h a t e v e r r e s o r t t h e y w is h t o
v is it.
T h e ir d o l l a r s a r e v i t a l to lo c a l
e c o n o m ie s .
N o t s o lo n g a g o l o c a l c o m m e r c ia l f i s h
e rm e n w e n t o n a P o r t l a n d t a l k show a n d
p l e a d e d f o r m o re f u e l .
T hey t o l d o i l
com pan y e x e c u t i v e s who g o t t h e i r s h o t
o n t h e sam e show how d e s p e r a t e l y t h e f u e l
w as n e e d e d t o k e e p t h e r e s t o f u s i n
can n ed tu n a and f i s h s t i c k s .
T ru e , th e
b o a ts fe e d on d i e s e l and t h e c r u i s e r s
e a t u p g a s s t r a i g h t fro m t h e pum p, b u t
t h e c o n t r a s t i s i r r e s i s t a b l e . We a r e a l l
ru n n in g o u t o f a l l ty p e s o f f u e l s .
T he
c i v i l i z a t i o n s th o s e f u e ls b u i l t a r e in a
p a n ic .
Y et e v e ry F r id a y and S a tu r d a y in
S e a s id e , in P o r tla n d , in c o u n tle s s c i t i e s
a l l o v e r t h e c o u n t r y (a n d y o u c a n j u s t
b e t t h a t T o k y o , V ie n n a a n d T im b u k tu h a v e
t h e i r own G u ts ) ’ d r i v e r s a r e w a s t i n g t h o u
s a n d s o f g a l l o n s o f p r e c i o u s g a s g o in g
aro u n d in c i r c l e s .
I n t h e m e a n tim e , t h e
f is h e r m e n , l i k e th e in d e p e n d e n t t r u c k e r s ,
a re re g a rd e d as a s e l f i s h s e l f - i n t e r e s t
g r e e d i l y d e m a n d in g a g r e a t e r s h a r e o f t h e
p u b lic f u e l s to c k s .
As t h e C o a s t i s d ra w n r e l e n t l e s s l y i n
to th e c lo s in g n e t o f th e e n e rg y c r i s i s ,
t h e G ut C r u i s e r s w i l l s u r e l y b la m e t h e
f o l l o w i n g dem o n s f o r t h e e x t i n c t i o n o f
t h e i r m a tin g h a b i t s .
In th e fo llo w in g
o r d e r th e y a r e :
T h e A r a b s a n d OPEC; t h e
o i l c o m p a n ie s ; t h e g o v e r n m e n t; t h e p o o r
w r e t c h who o p e r a t e s t h e l o c a l g a s p u m p s.
C e r ta in ly th e y w i l l n o t f in d any f a u l t
in th e m s e lv e s f o r th e la c k o f g a s in t h e
p u m p s.
C r u is in g and w a s te a r e C o n s t i t u
tio n a l rig h ts .
And t h e y w i l l c o n t i n u e a s
r i t e s u n t i l t h e pum ps a r e d r y .
MICL
C o m m u n ic a tio n s E x p e d i t o r
R u th 'A n n e W e i n s t e i n
C opy E d i t o r
C o n trib u to rs :
M ic h a e l S r o u f e
D o u g la s W e is k o p f
C om posed by
A .R .G .H .
C h r i s M e h lig
L in d a T a y l o r
M a r g a r e t M cFadden
E l i z a b e t h M cQueen
R o b e rta S ch an ek
A r t h u r H oneym an
S a p p e r G r im s h o t
B a r b a r a F re e m a n
Jo h n F r a z ie r
R o b e rt M e rc e r
Don Osborne
G lo r ia M e rc e r
Cartoonist
J a m e s B .L a m b e r t
C h a r l e s N e w lin
D e l l G ra y
L o r i J a n e W in slo w
" I t 's b een o u r e x p e rie n c e t h a t th e
l a b o r u n io n m eans d i s a b l e d w o rk e r
a n d i s m o s t l y r e f e r i n g t o t h o s e who a r e
i n j u r e d o n t h e j o b a n d who a r e e l i g i b l e
f o r W o rk m a n 's Comp.
A re y o u s u r e t h e
w o rk sh o p i s r e a l l y r e l a t e d t o t h e h a n d
i c a p p e d ? * - - M ik e K a i l , D e p u ty Com m is
s i o n e r t o t h e B u re a u o f L a b o r.
T h e E m b a r c a d e r o , i n N e w p o r t, w as a b
s o l u t e l y i n a c c e s s i b l e t o p e o p le i n
w heel c h a ir s .
N ot o n l y w e r e s t e p s
le a d in g in t o e v e ry s id e o f th e b u i l d
i n g , b u t a l s o t h e r e w e re s t e p s l e a d in g
to e v e ry le v e l o f th e b u ild in g .
We
w e r e c h a r g e d 9 5 0 .0 0 f o r o u r ro o m , n o t
t h e $ 3 8 .0 0 we w e r e t o l d we w o u ld b e
c h a r g e d . T he c o n f e r e n c e w as n o t a b o u t
t h e h a n d i c a p p e d an d t h e l a b o r u n i o n .
I t w as a b o u t t h e d i s a b l e d w o r k e r w h o se
d i s a b i l i t y w as c a u s e d b y b u r e a u c r a t s .
T h e r e w e re t h r e e p e o p l e i n w h e e l c h a i r s ,
o t h e r s who w e r e o b v i o u s l y h a n d i c a p p e d .
A l l t o g e t h e r 125 p e o p l e r e g i s t e r e d .
E a c h p e r s o n p a i d $ 2 0 .0 0 r e g i s t r a t i o n f e e .
T he t o t a l in c o m e b e f o r e e x p e n s e s w as
$ 2 ,5 0 0 .
I d o n ' t know w h a t t h e e x p e n s e s
w e r e b u t I w o u ld e s t i m a t e t h a t t h e u n io n
c l e a r e d a t l e a s t $ 1 ,0 0 0 .
Remember When?
The anniversary of a low point
in American history is passing
virtually unnoticed this weekend.
Two U.S. destroyers, the Mad
dox and the Turner Joy, were rep
ortedly attacked by North Vietnam
ese patrol boats in the Tonkin
Gulf, August 4 and 5, 1964.
Although neither ship suffered
damage, the attacks were treated
like another Pearl Harbor, and
had the same result.
The United States went to war.
A bi-weekly newspaper published on
alternate Fridays in Cannon Beach,
Oregon, P. O. Box 189 (97110). 25C
an issue over the counter, $12 per
year, subscription rates.
Second
Class Mail permit pending.
M ic h a e l P a u l M cC u sk er
E d ito r & P u b lis h e r
"We w a n t y o u t o e x p r e s s y o u r f e e l i n g s
a b o u t t h e p r o b le m s o f t h e g e n e r i c a l l y
h a n d ic a p p e d .
And we a l s o n e e d so m e o n e
to r e p r e s e n t th e b u re a u o f L a b o r .'
— Tom M i c c i c h e , F i e l d S t a f f C o - o r d i n a t o r ,
L a b o r 's C om m unity S e r v i c e A g e n c y , I n c .
A FL -C IO .
J u s t a fe w w o rd s
The f o llo w in g d e f i n i t i o n s o f th e
p h r a s e " g o v e r n m e n t b u r e a u " w e re t a k e n
fro m t h e 1979 e d i t i o n o f t h e “T a x p a y e r 's
U n a b r id g e d D i c t i o n a r y " p u b l i s h e d by t h e
I U sed To Own My Own S o u l P r e s s .
1 . a p y r a m id b u i l t by s l a v e t a x p a y e r s
f o r th e P h a ra o h s o f F o lly .
2 . a p e r p e t u a l - c a r e m a u so le u m f o r t h e
in te rn m e n t o f deadw ood.
3 . a r e s t home f o r t h e c h r o n i c a l l y
in e p t.
4. a h o ld in g ta n k
jo k e s .
f o r tw o -le g g e d
5. a d o - i t - y o u r s e l f c lo n e k i t fo r
m e a th e a d s .
6 . D eadw ood C i t y w i t h s i c k l e a v e .
7 . a p la c e t h a t b u z z e s w ith e x c u s e s
l i k e a dung h eap b u z z e s w ith f l i e s .
T he f l a v o r o f t h e c o n f e r e n c e b e c a m e
a p p a r e n t t h e f i r s t m o r n in g w hen t h e
la b o r o f f i c i a l s p a tte d e a c h o t h e r on
th e back fo r b rin g in g th e c o n fe re n c e
t o g e t h e r and f o r c r e a t i n g a l i a i s o n
s i t u a t i o n b e tw e e n t h e u n i o n an d t h e
g o v e r n m e n t.
I s a y g o v e rn m e n t i n s t e a d
o f S ta te b ecau se F e d e ra l,
S ta te ,
C o u n ty a n d C i t y o f f i c i a l s w e re a l l
th e re .
T he b u r e a u c r a t s d i d an e q u a l l y
n i c e io b o f o a t t i n a e a c h o t h e r on th e
back.
T h e d y n a m ic s o f t h e
w h o le
c o n f e r e n c e se e m e d t o b e t h a t o f t h e
b u r e a u c r a t s s u p l i c a t i n g t h e u n io n o f
f i c i a l s , w h ile tu r n in g th e sc re w s
t i g h t , a n d v i c e v e r s a w i t h t h e u n io n
o ffic ia ls .
I t w as a m e t t e r n i c h e a n
c h e s s gam e b e tw e e n t h e b u r e a u c r a t s
and l a b o r , each s id e s a y in g t h a t i t
w as t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h e o t h e r
s i d e t o m ake t h i n g s b e t t e r f o r t h e i n
j u r e d w o r k e r , w h i l e a t t h e sam e t i m e ,
b o th s i d e s w e re s a y i n g , ' l e t us g e t
t o g e t h e r o n a common m e e t i n g g r o u n d . '
I c o u l d n ' t b e l i e v e t h i s , I w as w a t c h i n g
a gam e o f d i p l o m a c y , s i m i l a r t o i n t e r
n a t i o n a l gam es a b o u t w h ic h I h a d
r e a d i n t h e 1 9 th c e n t u r y E u r o p e a n h i s t o r y .
T h i s w as h a p p e n in g i n N e w p o r t, O r e g o n .
I t w as h a p p e n i n g a t t h e e x p e n s e o f t h e
i n j u r e d w o r k e r , a paw n; t h e g e n e r i c a l l y
h a n d i c a p p e d w as a l m o s t o u t o f t h e
p ic tu re .
S te v e B a ile y , one o f th o s e
who c o n d u c t e d a w o r k s h o p , cam e t o
me s a y i n g t h a t h e w o rk e d f o r T he
P o r t l a n d H a b i l i t a t i o n C e n t e r and
w o u ld b e c o n d u c t i n g a w o r k s h o p a b o u t
t h e h a n d i c a p p e d p e o p l e i n h i s p ro g ra m
and t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p w ith th e u n io n .
T h e n t h e u n io n o f f i c i a l s b e g a n s p e a k i n g
a n d t h a t w as t h e l a s t I saw o f S t e v e
B a ile y .
A f te r th e o n ly f r e e m eal ( lu n c h ) ,
Roy '" r e e n , d i r e c t o r o f W o rk m e n 's Comp,
spoke.
F o r t y - f i v e m in u te s l a t e r th e
f i r s t w o rk sh o p b e g a n .
N o t o n l y w as
th e c o n f e r e n c e n o t a b o u t h a n d ic a p p e d
p e o p l e , b u t i t w as a l s o u n o r g a n i z e d .
T he o n ly w o rk sh o p d e a l i n g w ith h a n d i
c a p p e d p e o p l e w as u p s t a i r s b e y o n d t h e
re a c h o f p e o p le in w h e e lc h a ir s .
A ls o
my g r o u p o f p e o p l e w a s , som ehow , p l a c e d
i n a room w h ic h w as m i s s c h e d u a l e d
s o t h a t we w e r e f o r c e d t o m ove i n t o a
w o rk sh o p r i g h t b e f o r e i t e n d e d .
T h a t w o r k s h o p w as a b o u t w o r k m a n 's
c o m p , a s w as t h e w o r k s h o p f o l l o w i n g t h a t .
I t h i n k I s h o u l d m ake i t c l e a r
t h a t I 'm a l l f o r d i s a b l e d w o r k e r s g e t
t i n g w o r k m e n 's comp a n d b e i n g r e h a b i l i
t a t e d f o r th e p u rp o s e o f g e t t i n g jo b s
w h ic h a r e e q u a l l y a s l u c r a t i v e a n d b e n e
f i c i a l to t h e i r w e lf a r e , as th e p re v io u s
j o b , b u t t h i s i s n o t why I w as t h e r e .
A n d , e v e n th o u g h I t r i e d t o i n t e r j e c t
my t h o u g h t s , I w as i g n o r e d a n d f e l t
t h a t I w as som ehow b e i n g m is u s e d by
t h e p e r s o n who h a d u r g e d me t o go t o
t h e w o rk sh o p .
Of c o u r s e , I s h o u ld
b e u s e d t o t h i s by now , a f t e r g o in g
t h r o u g h 25 o r 30 y e a r s o f b e i n g i g n o r e d
in p u b lic and s o c i a l s i t u a t i o n s .
B ut
I 'm n o t .
T h ro u g h o u t th e d a y , s e v e r a l
u n i o n o f f i c i a l s s t a t e d t h e y w e re g l a d
I w as t h e r e , b u t t h e i r a c t i o n s b e l i e d
t h e i r s ta te m e n ts .
A d i a l o g u e w h ic h t o o k p l a c e b e tw e e n
th e
C h a i r p e r s o n o f t h e M anpow er C o m m itte e
o f t h e O re g o n A F L -C IO ,J e a n N o rd m a rk ,
a n d t h e woman w i t h m e, J o a n n G r i f f i n ,
i n t h e b a th r o o m w e n t l i k e t h i s :
JN — w h a t d o y o u t h i n k o f t h i s c o n
fe re n c e?
JG — S o r r y y o u a s k e d b e c a u s e I h a v e
to say i t s tin k s .
JN — W e l l , a h , w h a t m a k e s y o u s a y
th a t?
J G - - T h e w h o le c o n f e r e n c e i s p h o n y
an d th e E m b a rc a d ero i s i n a c c e s
s i b l e to p e o p le in w h e e lc h a ir s ;
v e ry p o o rly p la n n e d .
J N - - W e l l , I p l a n n e d i t a n d I 'm
re s p o n s ib le f o r p ic k in g th e
E m b a rc a d ero .
I th o u g h t i t
w o u ld b e n i c e f o r e v e r y o n e
t o go to t h e b e a c h .
JG — W h ere d o y o u l i v e ?
J N --S e a s id e .
JG --T h e b e a c h i s n i c e .
I lo v e
th e b e ach .
B ut t h e E m b a rc a d ero
i s i n a c c e s s i b l e , and w hat
a b o u t a l l t h o s e p e o p l e who
liv e in P o rtla n d ?
E x i t JN .
A f t e r m uch d e b a t e t h e n e x t m o r n i n g ,
J o a n n and I d r e s s e d in b lu e je a n s and
o u r m o st c o m f o r ta b le c l o t h i n g and a f t e r
f in d in g an a c c e s s ib le r e s ta u r a n t in
N e w p o r t, we w e n t b a c k t o t h e w o r k s h o p s .
A f t e r l i s t e n i n g t o f i f t e e n o r tw e n ty
m i n u t e s o f p r o f u n d i t i e s a b o u t w o r k m e n 's
co m p , I r a i s e d my h a n d a n d w a s f i n a l l y
re c o g n iz e d .
I s p a s t i c a t e d and f i r e d
t h e s e s h o tg u n q u e s t i o n s ;
"W h a t a b o u t t h e d i s a b l e d w o r k e r
who w as b o r n d i s a b l e d ? " I s t u t t e r e d .
My s t u t t e r i n g c o n t i n u e d now t h a t a l l
e y e s an d e a r s w e re on m e,
'W h a t h a s t h e u n i o n d o n e a b o u t t h i s ? "
My s t u t t e r i n g b e c a m e e v e n m o re m a c h in e
gun l i k e , "w h at i s th e u n io n d o in g
now a n d w h a t d o e s t h i s w o r k s h o p h a v e
t o d o w i t h t h e p e o p l e who w e r e b o r n
d is a b le d ? "
T h e man r e s p o n s i b l e f o r my b e i n g
t h e r e , t h e man r e s p o n s i b l e f o r o r g a n
i z i n g t h e v a r io u s w o rk sh o p s c o u ld
s e e t h a t my e y e s w e r e g l a r i n g a n d
h a s t e n e d t o p l a c a t e me by l e t t i n g
J o a n n know t h a t I w as t r y i n g t o s p e a k .
H er re s p o n s e — " Y e s , l i s t e n t o w hat
h e 's s a y i n g ."
He t o l d J o a n n t h a t
S te v e B a ile y had a w o rk sh o p d e a l i n g
w ith t h e h a n d ic a p p e d .
J o a n n a s k e d " W h e re ? ' h i s r e s p o n s e —
" U p s ta ir s ."
H e r r e s p o n s e — "How
d o yo u e x p e c t a w h e e l c h a i r t o go u p
s ta irs ? "
He s a i d t h a t h e w o u ld go
check in to th e p o s s i b i l i t y o f b rin g in g
i t d o w n s ta irs .
I n t h e m e a n tim e , my
q u e s t i o n s w e r e b e i n g a n s w e r e d by
c i r c u m v e n t i n g th e m .
T h e u n i o n man
cam e b a c k t o J o a n n a n d e x p l a i n e d t h a t
t h e w o r k s h o p w o u ld b e d o w n s t a i r s i n
t h e a f t e r n o o n , t o w h ic h s h e r e p l i e d ,
" I d o n ' t t h i n k we c a n g o t h r o u g h
a n y m o re o f t h i s s t u f f .
I d o n 't t h i n k
we c a n w a i t t i l l t h i s a f t e r n o o n . "
T h e u n i o n man s a i d , " W a i t , I w i l l go
t r y t o b r in g i t d o w n s t a i r s t h i s m o r n in g ."
He w as g o n e .
I w as j u s t a b o u t r e a d y
t o s h o o t o n e m o re q u e s t i o n a t
t h e g r o u p w hen J o a n n b r o u g h t me a n o t e
e x p l a i n i n g w h at w as g o in g o n .
I re
s t r a i n e d m y s e l f fro m g o i n g a n y f u r t h e r .
S o o n t h e u n i o n man w as b a c k a n d s a i d
t h a t t h e w o r k s h o p w o u ld b e h e l d d o w n
s t a i r s i n t h e m o r n in g .
T he o ld w o rk sh o p
b ro k e u p .
Jo a n n and I w a ite d a ro u n d
f o r S t e v e B a i l e y ' s w o r k s h o p t o show u p .
The u n io n b o s s , a f t e r b e in g a s k e d by
J o a n n , in fo rm e d u s t h a t t h e o t h e r u n io n
man w as m i s i n f o r m e d , t h a t t h e w o r k s h o p
w o u ld r e m a in u p s t a i r s .
We w a lk e d o u t .
J o a n n w a lk e d me u p t h e s t e p s a n d s a t
me on t h e e d g e o f t h e w a l l , w a lk e d
b a c k dow n t h e s t e p s a n d p i c k e d u p t h e
w h e e lc h a ir w h ile th e r e s t o f th e c o n
f e r e n c e lo o k e d o n .
It s till isn’t too la te to
le t us know w h a t you
th in k a b o u t SALT 2 !
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