Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, February 04, 1971, Image 3

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    I
. K
Discrimination Suit
Dismissed
PORTLAND/OBSERVER Feb. 4, 1971
Kinsey reports---------------
In Its third week, the Oregon
H o u s e of Representatives has
been working with the knowledge
that It faces several great chal­
lenges In this, Its 56th session.
With that knowledge, the com­
mittees have begun work on the
over 250 bills which have thus
far been Introduced and re­
ferred to them.
One major piece of legisla­
tion, the Extended Benefit Un­
employment Compensation bill,
has already been passed by the
House and the Senate, and
signed Into law by the Governor.
This measure extends the bene­
fit period for unemployed O re­
gonians for an additional 13
weeks, and is designed to give
an a d d i t i o n a l compensation
period for those workers who
had exhausted their 26 weeks of
unemployment compensation el­
igibility.
In another area, the House of
A proposed Harvard Univer­ to work and place their children Representatives s e n t a House
sity study of black Infants In In governmentally provided day­ Memorial to the Secretary of
B o s t o n ’ s Roxboro community care center." D r. James Jones, Transportation
recommending
has been suspended on the basis
a black professor of psychology that the basic national ra il
of objections by a review com­ at Harvard, who supported the transportation system include
mittee. The study was designed
r e v i e w committee’s position, service to the State of-Oregon.
to determine how Infants, aged said: "Imagine how Harvard I am very pleased to be able to
3/,i to 13 months, got along psy­
would react if a group came report that on January 28, 1971,
chologically with their mothers from Roxbury and wanted to In­
Transportation Secretary J o h n
and with day-care staffers. The vestigate the corporate struc­
Volpe announced his final rec­
r e v i e w committee, formed by ture, or study white students ommendation for a national ra il
the Black United Front, said the from the South. The project passenger system, which pro­
results of the study might be couldn’t occur without a review vides ra il service north and
used to Justify a federal pro­ at some centeral level."
south on the Pacific Coast and
gram to "force black mothers
passenger service through O re -
gon.
As a member of the Urban
Affairs Committee, I was in the
group who went to Portland
Thursday when the Committee
held a public meeting at the
Dickman Center. The purpose
Some time ago I presented house-to-house canvass of the of this hearing was to give se­
this proposal and It did not get c o m m u n i t i e s Involved (ten nior citizens In the area an op­
top priority and finally it was blocks In all directions In a typ­
portunity to express themselves
tabled. I hope the readers of ical community will yield more to the legislators concerning
this column will see that this children that we can house.) their unique problems. As a re -
experiment Is a plan of preven­
a ilt of this hearing, I realized
This canvass would be conduct­
tion. Maybe we have forgotten ed by the persons who serve as that two needs seemed to be of
that "an ounce of prevention is volunteer teachers. It would overwhelming concern to these
worth a pound of cure."
o l d e r people: their desire to
pre-register youngsters, ex­
plain the program to the parents feel wanted and needed; and the
I The Ethnic School supple­
and Invite both parents and c h il- frustrations which are created
ments Hebrew Christian tradi­
d r e n to the opening. Parents by the lack of readily available
tion with Afro-American tradi­
would be Invited to participate transportation. Their inability
tion and places the two tradi­
to get out and shop or go to see
as volunteers on all levels.
tions In supplementary relation­
their doctor creates a situation
Parents of children who ac­
ships. It provides experiences
wherein they feel like virtual
tually would constitute the advi­
tor building a strong self-
shut-ins.
sory committee, along with vol­
image, self-respect, and self­
It seems that, even though the
unteers at each site. Represen­
u n d e r s t a n d in g . It teaches
tation from each local advisory services to the aged are many,
"Black l o v e " without teaching
committee would serve on a there is somehow a lack of co­
"White hate." It is a learning
ordination between the various
central governing board, re­
experience which enriches the
agencies who provide these ser­
sponsible for policy and distrib­
adult teacher as well as the stu­
vices, which results in the in­
ution
of
tonds.
The
director
dent.
ability of the elderly to know
would also serve on this board.
II Education and Economic
The program would be loused where a particular service is
Growth Organization ’EGO)
In the sponsoring churches. In bek.g provided to fill their
1.
Church
sites:
To 1« instances where space would not specific needs at any given
named later.
be available larger structures tim e. Repeatedly In the course
III Joint strategy and Action
could house two operations on a of the hearing, one could sense
Committee of Sponsors.
single site. In this event only the underlying theme that these
IV Tills project would lie de­
senior citizens feel lonely and
one coordinator would be em­
signed to reach black young­
p lo y e d . Individual sites would frustrated, and unable to take
sters aged 3 to 12 years living
meet three (3) hours a week on advantage of the services wlilch
In communities adjacent to the
are actually available to them if
days designated by the local
Churches named. It would be in­
only there were better coordi­
governing body.
tended to combat attitudes of
nation and communication be­
Volunteers who staff the Eth­
black Inferiority, hostility, and
nic school would be trained in tween the agencies and the
self-hate prevalent In young­
people who need the service.
workshops preceding the open­
sters growing up In low-income
Basic School Support has been
ing of the school and continuing
g h e t t o s , Infested with poverty
In-service training would be an issue before the House Edu­
and n e g l e c t . Research has
p r o v id e d throughout the year. cation Committee, of which I am
shown that attitudinal changes,
a member. House Bill 1114 was
The school would be set up ac­
and periods of most rapid
sponsored by the Republicans,
cording to grade levels with all
growth occur In the very young.
pre-school youngsters in one and would increase basic school
For this reason, the age group
support from $178 to $212 per
class. Among the problems an­
designated has lieen chosen. It
student, which is a reasonable
ticipated is the lack of written
is the Intent of the project to
increase within the limitations
material
available on grade
help these youngsters see them­
o
f the Governor’s Budget. In
selves as productive and suc­ level. For this reason, trained Committee,
however,
this
volunteers
would
need
to
be
re­
cessful people. The television,
amount was raised to $300 per
cruited to write and re-w rite
radio, books and other media do
material on reading level of the student, and no means of raising
not provide positive heroes with
y
o u n g s t e r s involved. Another the additional revenue was sug­
which the child can Identify.
The
Republican
anticipated
problem would be gested.
Thus, we would seek to provide
members o f the Committee
low reading levels of youngsters
a cultural background to gener­
found themselves caught in a
ate pride and self confidence In in the community which renders
game of one-upmanship, so they
them incapable of reading even
the child’s self-concept.
In turn increased basic school
material below their level. For
The black church lias tradi­
this reason we propose to use support to $381 per student.
tionally been the one stable o r­
After both increases had been
ganization In the black commu­ the Sullivan Programmed Read­
voted down by the Committee,
ing
material
published
by
the
nity. It commands respect even
the
original proposal of $212
from
those
wlio
are
not B e h a v i o r i a l Research Asso­
per student was approved and
ciates
of
Palo
Alto,
California.
members therein. For this rea­
Research involving use of these the measure was sent to the
son, adults will respond posi­
Ways and Means Committee for
tively to any manifestation of m a t e r i a l s in the Oceanhlll-
further action.
Brownsvllle
District
of
New
concern generated from it -
The House Republicans have
further, education has long been York Public Scltool (A commu­
also
Issued a number of signifi­
seen as the way of escape from nity not unlike ours) indicated cant policy statements on what
remarkable
gains
In
reading
can
the ghetto. So it would not lie
we feel are the important issues
a problem to involve Community be demonstrated. We would, of that face our state. The most
youngsters In a Church-related course, seek to have their con­
important is the proposed Home
"School" which sought to pro­ sultants train our volunteers to
Preservation Plan, which Is in
use
these
materials
and,
as
Is
vide an experience which Is
the
nature of a program to pro­
provided in no other institution their practice, continue consul­
vide substantial home owner tax
tative
services
throughout
the
and which the community has,
relief without the need for addi­
itself, demanded at other levels. duration of the first year.
tio n a l
major taxation. The
The
only
persons
who
would
Self-hood and person-hood for
major
feature
of this proposal
blacks can be achieved only by need to be college trained p er-
is an exemption from property
sonnel
would
1«
the
director
and
t e a c h in g loth Afro-American
tax of the first $1,51X1 of.
and Hebrew-Christian tradi­ the coordinators. The volun­
assessed value of each owner-
t e e r s would need only to lie
tions.
occupied residence in the state.
V We propose to conduct a
(Continued on page 4)
Another portion of the Plan is
A suit charging the Portland forms of racial discrimination
School District with racial dis­ In the future, and to fully Inves­
crimination was dismissed by tigate any claimed acts of dis­
District Court Judge Gus crimination which are presented
Solomon Thursday on the motion to them ."
of the plaintiff Black Coalition.
The order of dismissal also
In the order of dismissal, the calls for the superintendent of
Black Coalition stipulated that It schools, Robert Blanchard, to
"does not now claim , and never consider recommendations from
did claim , that ln d lv u d u a l the Black Coalition In making
members of the School Board or appointments to the committee
the central administration were he established a year ago to In­
ever guilty of Intentional dis­
vestigate allegations of racial
crimination against blacks."
discrimination. At the same
The order went on to state time, the Black Coalition agreed
tliat the Black Coalition Is "sat­ to turn over to Blanchard the
isfied that the Board and the facts concerning all alleged acts
central administration will con­ of racial discrimination that the
tinue their current policy of Coalition feel m erit Investiga­
using good faith efforts to pre­ tion and to cooperate fully with
vent, as much as is possible, all Blanchard and the Investigation
committee.
Black infant study blocked
a freeze on the property taxes
for Individuals aged 65 or older.
The Plan would encourage home
Improvements by allowing a
$500 annual Income tax deduc­
tion tor money spent on Ito me
improvements. The $1,500 ex­
emption would extend to nearly
3 7 5 , 0 0 0 homeowners in the
state. The senior citizen freeze
would result In direct property
tax relief of some 2.4 million
during the coming biennium, and
the total direct tax re lie f pro­
vided by this proposal is ex­
tended at more than $33 million
tor the coming biennium.
The policy statement on reap­
portionment Included the need
tor single member sub-district
tor each House and Senate seat,
and was designed to best comply
with the Supreme Court direc­
t i v e of "one-m an/one-vote".
We feel that single member
sub-district is an important
step In creating an equal voice
for all Oregonians, and their
government will be bringing
about greater contact between
the legislator and his constitu­
ent.
In the area of constitutional
revision, we realize that it
would be difficult, If not impos­
sible, to completely revise the
Constitution and to have It
adopted by the voters. There­
fore, we supported the concept
of section-by-sectlon revision,
with the firs t such section being
referred to the voters In the
general election in 1972.
These are three areas of dis­
cussion on which the Republi­
cans have Issued policy state­
ments. They are, I feel, signifi­
cant In scope and bold In con­
cept, and attack the Important
problems that have bearing on
the future of the State of O re­
gon.
In a lighter vein - among the
many very pleasant intervals I
spent this week was getting to
say "h ello " to the Juniors and
Seniors f r o m
Madison High
School when they visited the
Legislature. This week I also
got to meet the class presidents
and student leaders from all the
Portland high schools when they
visited the Legislature and at­
tended a meeting of the Educa­
tion Committee. On Wednesday
evening my wife, Maryon, and I
were among a group of legisla­
tors who were Invited by Secre­
t a r y of State and M rs. Clay
Myers to be their guests at a
soup supper In their home,
which was a most enjoyable oc­
casion.
Shop the Classifieds
Ethnic educational experiment
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