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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 1972)
I- ? ~ i- C ift- K A - , C - I ' , y 1 +o PORTLAND, ORtGON PCRM|T NO POR TLA ND OBSERVER Bureau approved - Jordan gets the job Hilliard calls insurance agents for total commitment WUllam A . H U IU rd , city editor of THE OREGONIAN, told rnoie Pen 500 In d e p e n dent Insurance agents end company personnel here last w e e k tliere la a need In the Insurance industry for “ tout commitment to a non-dlscrl- mlnatory hiring policy — from the top to the bottom." Speaking at the 44th annual convention of the Oregon Association of In s u r a n c e Agents, H illiard said, "The background of racial Injuatlce In this country Is stUI with us, and It is a background tliat needs to be examined time and time again when we look around us and ask: 'Where are the blacks? Why don't they apply for work with us? They are protected by the laws.' “ That background tells us that blacks just are not going to show up overnight because of fa ir employment practice laws and other civil rights legislation enacted to insure ■hem of equal treatment If tlie y d k l, ixxleed, s e e k em ployment In areaa where tliey tied been eeluded previously." "The black today has no reason to lelieve that your doors are actually open." H illiard advised die Insurance agents. "B ut If you heceme die aggressive recruiter, the future should he d ifferen t." "D on't look for the ‘ supei black’ and don't be afraid of a black failu re,” he con tinued, " In general, blacks slnxild 1» afforded it» same treatment as any other per son on the job. But we should remember that blacks have not had the opportunity, the environment and the en couragement that most whites have taken for granted. There Is s need to take a second look at die whits standards we have aet up to use as a screen for job applicants." H illia rd joined THE ORE GONIAN In 1952, and was Gilmore named to health program W ILLIA M HILLIAR D named city editor in I97|. lie is a member of tie board of trustees of the Nstlonal Urban League, a member of die Ares I Advisory Com m ittee, P o r t l a n d Public Schools, and a past m ender of tie board of directors of die Portland branch, NAACP. In die concluding session of the convention, tl« Oregon Association of Insurance Agents passed a resolution calling fo r the creation of an all-Industry task force to pro vide increased opportunities in die Insurance tusiness for members of minority groups, including "a work/study pro gram encompassing actual work experience coupled with concentrated education." T l * Oregon Association of Insurance Agents. head- qua reared In Portland, Is a professional trade association comprised of 750 Independent agents engaged p rim arily in die Insuring of property and casualty risks. Newly appointed members to the Oregon Regional M edi cal Program staff are Bea trice G ilm ore, R, N „ and Richard M . Grant, E d D . M rs . Gilmore has joined tie Health Resources Develop ment Unit and D r . Grant Is (leading the H ealthcare Needs Assessment and Continuing Education Unit. M rs . Gilm ore received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ore gon School of Nursing and a certificate in Methods of supervision from Portland Community College. Since 1970, she has been employed by Model Cities and tie Com prehensive Health Planning Association of Metropolitan Portland as a Health Planner fo r the Model Cities area. H er previous experience In— eludes serving as supervisor- CoordUator for the Home Health Department of Bess Kaiser Hospital and on the staffs of Planned Parenthood A s s o c i a t i o n ot Po niard. Vteiong Nurse Association of Portland, Multnomah County Health Department, and M u lt nomah County Hospital. A native Oregonian, D r . Grant received his Bachelor of Science and M aster of Science degrees from theUnl- verslty of Oregon. He was awarded hts M aster of Public Health from tlie University of California at Berkeley and his Doctor of Education from the University of Oregon. Since 19t>8, he has served on the faculty of California State University at San Diego as Assistant Professor, Depart ment of Health Science and B . GILMORE Safety. He has also served as a consultant to the Los Angeles County School D is tric t and San Li lego s a te CnHege. The Oregon Regional M edi cal Program is one of 5b such programs in the nation authorized by Congress and funded by the Department of Health, Education, and W el fare. 7 he Oregon rpgram recently received a $1,072, 710 grant effective Sep tember I, to provide funding fo r the program’s fifth year of activities designed to im prove accessibility, efficiency and quality ot patient care in Oregon. The new award w ill expand program staff acti vities and fund eight projects in the state. Gilcreaie diiaqreei: (fucAtioni civilAervice by Cleveland Cllcraase It Is most unfortunate that one of our most publicized and accredited sources of information In tlie predomi nantly Black community, THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. In Its September 21, 1972 edi tion edition, released such a biased and misinforming article on the pruposal for C ivil Service status of Model Cities and Possible Future Bureau of Human Resources Employees, recommeded by Commissioner Nell Gold schmidt. While I can ap preciate the viewpoint and opinion of Rev. AJJ. Hender- ^Why not invest locally? CIIZ - rrv U O ! Savings on deposit with us go to work here In Oregon. llenj.O Franklin a a v iM a a a M M Sia m H m m M. H u m . e™» . IS OrtloM • P h ™ . M S -1 »4 omasa: Franklin aid«. Portland. Oregon SZXM son, It is most Important that the citizens of our city not le misled down a primrose path, due to promises tradi tionally made to p rim arily black and other disadvantaged persons In ourcommunlty. As a Black man, I am not willing to settle any longer for promises, o v e r the years, too many promises liave been made and later broken. I want guarantees, something concrete, a viable plan with out loopholes, which lias been adopted, endorsed, and proven workable before I w ill be ready to stand up and cheer. F irs t let me ask this ques tion. P rio r to reaching his opinion, did Reverend Hender son consult the members of the City-County C ivil Service Review Committee, which was appointed approximately one year ago, with a budget of $72,000 to 1» expended on re search on tlie present Civil Service Structure. Perhaps If Reverend Henderson liad contacted D r . L ee Brown, who chairs this c o m m itte e ,o rM r. George Rankins, the D irecto r of tlie Concentrated Employ ment Program , who also serves on the committee, he would not have been so eager to form hla opinion. Thia draft proposal was submitted to my office by M r, Ron Buel of Commissioner Goldschmidt's staff, who re quested my recommendations. Unfortunately, this proposal Is filled with nothing more than supposition and I find myself unahle to begin to make any recommendations, except perhaps to tear it up and start again. Of course, this proposal appears to be a mere continuation of the same ap proach taken by Commis sioner Goldschmidt's staff, In regard to the establishment of a Bureau of Human Re sources. Tlie original pro posal, as well as all subse quent documents related to It, have teen non-deflnltlve in nature and leave the most Important matters to S|iecu- latlon and conjecture. Let me raise a few more questions for everyone to con sider. As this proposal would bring a totally new function Into city government, should the existing positions be adapted into an old system? O r should the old system be adapted to the new function? Tlie proposal states that " I f an employee does not pass the examination, C ivil Ser vice status w ill be withheld.” A re people fully aware of C iv il Service guidelines so that they fully understand what can hajipen to- a non-Clvl) Service member wlthoutgaln- Ing C iv il Service status? The proposal deals with "how to get current employees (PMSC and Model C ities) who are performing their jobs well Into the C ivil Service sys tem ." This is most disturbing In that quite often In poverty programs, people with limited qualifications and skills are hired with the intent of teach ing them hwe to perform their jobs w e ll. At the point of entry Into the Bureau of Human Resources, many of the staff may not be performing their jobs " w e ll" . Where w ill they be then — leek out on the streets, collecting unem ployment or on tie welfare rolls? The C ivil Service has long been a means by which to d i s c r i m i n a t e against blacks, m ln o rite s and low- income, disadvantaged whites. In no way does this proposal set forth any type of change or restructure of this system. Why not develop a new C ivil Service system. Incorporating a viable, sound career ladder plan, by which those under- trained and unde rskllled could enter the system and have the- opportunity to advance through It? So what If this proposal w ill supposedly "take care" of all those em ployees who are presently In the training process — what w ill happen to those future employees to come? Wlwt avenue w ill they have to enter the C ivil Service system? The availability of jobs listed on the "C iv il Service Careers Opportunities L is t” within the proposal. Is most (Please turn to p. 8 col. 5) Correction E . Shelton is not a Repub lican, but la a life-long Democrat. Hla wife, Helolse la the R e p u b lic a n in the fam ily. Tha Observer apolo g ia s for this e rro rl C la rie s Jordon, D irecto r of the Model Cities Agency, was named Acting D irecto r of the new Bureau of Human Re sources created by tlie Port land City Council on Sep tember 20. The City Council un animously approved the crea tion of tie Bureau of Human Resources p ro p o s e d by M ayor-elect N e il Gold schmidt. The creation of the Bureau was steeped in con troversy lecause it proposed that the Green Amendment be invoked, placing the (W ar on Poverty; programs directly under tlie city and eliminating the Portland Metropolitan Steering Com m ittee. Ih e Bureau w ill ad m inister the city's manpower and social service program including Model C ities. The original plan included the takeover by the city of tlie functions of PMSC. Thia m atter w ill be decided by the city council in a few weeks. Commissioner Gold schmidt said the incorpora tion of the poverty programs into the Bureau is basic to its existence. He believes there is too much overlap among the various social agencies and that the Bureau w ill help eliminate this pro blem. opponents fear that city control w ill take authority trorn the community boards made up of persons who use and benefit from the pro grams and will place all de cision making in the hands of city government. Also at issue is the question of civil service and the fate of the agency employees if they go under the city. Jordon was named acting directo r and w ill be con sidered along with other ap- CH.ARLES JORDON plicants if he decides to apply for the permanent position. C o m m is s io n e r Gold- schmxit, under whose ju ris diction the Bureau now lies, said he hoped to get the Bureau in operation by January 1, 1973. Cleveland Gilcrease, Exe cutive D ire cto r of PMSC and one of the most outspoken citizens of the formation of the Bureau, said he was pleased with the selection of Jordon to head the depart ment. Gilcrease said he is in favor of a Bureau of Human Resources in concept but that he is opposed to the invoking of the Gree Amend ment as he fears it w ill re move the necessary inde pendence from the poverty- programs. Suit asks equal funding A legal showdown has de veloped between a persistent Black fund-raising organiza tion and the U.S. C ivil Ser vice Commission, the United Way of America, Inc. In a case with broad ram i fications, the United Black Fund, lnc„ a non-profit charitable organization, has filed suit against the United Givers Fund and United Way of Am erica, Inc. fo r d is cri minatory practices "against blacks and poor people." In the suit, the UBF charges that Hampton has illegally prohibited them from parti cipating In the Combined Federal Campaign, under the guise of F ftleral regulations promulgated by him. Hampton, the feel, has de prived them of their right to solicitation privileges without due process, thus violating their civil rights covered in the C ivil Rights Act of 18bb. UBF filed motion for pre lim inary Injunction mandating Hampton and his agents to perm it UBF to solicit within the Federal Installations in 1973 (which is slated to ¡«gin October 12, 1972), or prohibit Hampton from scheduling solicitation In that campaign p rio r to final judgment In this action. A hearing on the case has been scheduled before Judge O live r Gasch in the U.S. Dis tric t Court. Room 21, at 4:30 p jn . on September 25. The results of the hearing has national Implications. In that It sets precedence fo r other cases throughout the country, which have United Way of Am erica under attack for their discrim inatory policies on disbursements of funds. UBF President Calvin Ro- lark asserts, "Blacks in the inner cities have fallen to receive th e ir’ falrs h a re 'fro m these (UWA) funds.” Citing the Nationel Urban League as an example, he points out that among minority organl- zations the NUL receives the greatest amount frem the United Givers Fund. And, N U L ’ s share is only two-and- a-h alf cents out of a d ollar. "F urtherm o re, this regu lation Inhibits freedom of choice which should be the right of every employee him self to choose where his collar fo r charity goes." Ro- lark continues. "W e cite the findings of the United Givers Funds' own Task Force headed by M r . Hobart Taylor in which the failure of the UCF to meet certain cn tical community needs was highlighted . . . On thr contrary, it should com pel granting solicitation p ri vileges so that the entire com munity may be serviced," concludes Rolark. Walsh opposes Green on poverty issue Mike Walsh, candidate for Oregon's T h ird D is tric t seat in Congress, criticized his opponent, Edith Green, for her lack of support of poverty programs. Also told a group of Port land T oastmasters that the Third D is tric t is Oregon’ s only urban seat and one char acterized by areas ofextreme poverty. Walsh said that since 19t>5, Congress has funded pro grams to aid these poverty- areas and that this year after extensive hearings and debate, both Houses of Congress adopted a conference report that would extend the Office of Economic Opportunity through the next two years. "E v e ry Congressman from Oregon voted for the pro gram — except the Repre sentative who has represented the urban Third D is tric t for the last 18 years,” said Walsh. "T h ia b ill, designed to aid cities and those in cities who need help, was rejected by Incumbent Edith G reen," I r said. "T he fact is that cities, like Portland, do have large areas of poverty, and the cities need help to combat that poverty,” Walsh said. “ Programs and agencies like Model Cities and the Portland Metropolitan steering Com mittee are doing a good job here, and I believe they should be supported — not vetoed," he said. Angela seeks Cal position Angela Davis plans to return to California by the middle of next month in an attempt to get her old job back at UCLA as a philosophy uiatructor, a close associate said. M iss Davis, acquitted ea r lie r this year of charges re - la Bed to the M arin County Courthouse shootout In 1970, was fired by the University of California Board of Regents e a rlie r that year on grounds a hr m ade inflammatory speeches. Tbs word of bar reairn to California cams from longttae association James Alexander who la accompany ing M iss Davis on a tour of basasrn Europe. U fa