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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1973)
P ortland/O beerver Common Causo backs information bill A couple of week» ago nine of ua from the Portland Branch attended the NA A C P Northwest Area Conference in Seattle. Washington. I t was an outstanding con ference and the highlight was the presence of Clarence Mitchell. Director of the Washington Bureau of the NA A C P. Mr. Mitchell has been with the N A A C P for 26 year» and is commonly known a» the “101st Senator of the United States." I would like to share with you this week M r. Mitchell's address which will show you some of the real concerns we in the N A A C P have, and must address ourselves to in the immediate future. E lli* H. Casson Text of speech of Clarence Mitchell Perhaps the most eloquent Texas and a Black man Irom description of the status as the state of Georgia serve as signed to Black Americans congressmen re p res en tin g was given by a great leader districts from their reaper who has passed from us. He live states. W hat is more, gave a message to the nation they are accepted and treated on Thursday night when CBS with dignity and honor by the repeated his historic utter colleagues who also came ance that the white citizen from their states. stands on history's mountain As we look at these- things top and the Black citizen I have mentioned we must stands in the hollows. remember that in the Nixon President Johnson, who budget it is proposed that made that statement, was there be an increase of over himself an example of one $600 million in funds fur Civil who sought to place the Black Bights Agencies. A t this and W hite citizen on high and point I am prepared to accept equal ground. Another great this proposal in good faith. I champion of Civil Bights will say also that the admin spoke in Washington this istration has now given to the past week at a dinner given Congress an opportunity to in his honor and in the honor continue to support Civil of one of his colleagues, Bights Agencies And it former Chairman Emanuel will be up ta us to fight to te lle r of the Judiciary Com implement these proposals mittee. The person who made and to make them work in the statement was former the way we would have them Congressman William Mr work. Culloch, a Bepubliran of Ohio. He reminded the listeners On the other hand, as we that anything go<id that they look at the Nixon budget, it is possess, they must fight to clear that many of the great hold. programs which has meant We have won great victor much to the disadvantaged let by getting important leg are headed for the chopping islalion passed. We have an block. Notable among these Equal Employment Oppor are The Anti Poverty Agency tunity Act which covers pri and The Model Cities Agen vate employment. Federal cies. These great programs Employment, state and local have done much to bring to employment. The reach and forgotten citizens new hope power of this law was seen and new opportunity in get recently when, as the result ting into the mainstream of of an agreement with the American life. All across this A m erican Telephone and country 1 have seen examples Telegraph Company. The of how these programs have Equal Employment Oppor resulted in cleaner streets or tunity Commission was able have given police depart to announce that job benefits ments an opportunity to re in the way of hark pay and lease personnel from clerical prom otion for women duties in order that uni amounting to some thirty formed personnel might be million dollars or more had been won by application of freed to fight crime. It is also evident that in many hospi this statute. Lals and many schools, and in We have Fair Housing Ix*g other aspects of our national islalion. The reach of that law was again demonstrated in life these programs have given new meaning to consti the month of December when tutional promises. Thereby, the Supreme Court pointed they have helped our citizens out that not only did it understand the great value of protect the minority against law as we know i t discrimination, but it was also It must be remembered designed to protect white that even though the Presi persons who themselves be lieve in Fair Housing and do dent may seek to dispose of the Congress can not wish to be confined to them, maintain the life and vitality what are called all White of these programs. And it la G hettoes. (T ra ffic a n te v. Metropolitan Life Insurance our job to see to it that Congress works in this direc Company.) We know the power of tion. Title V I of the 1964 Civil We face also the question Bights A rt. We have seen a of revenue sharing. There is virtual revolution in employ no doubt that it is the ment in hospital's treatment intention of the Nixon admin of patients because federal istration to transfer money assistance required non dis from federal financed pro criminatory policies. Perhaps grams to so-called revenue the best indication of the sharing projects. This could political change is the fart be constructive if the money that today in the Congress of is spent for what is needed the United States a Black and is spent in a manner that woman from the state of will benefit all of the citizens. It T a k e s B o t h H a l v e s ... Telephone equipment is only half of a total [communications system. It takes more. That’s why we provide no-extra charge training programs, Communications Con sultants at your service whenever you need them. We pay property tax on your business telephone equipment and guarantee it for as long as you need it. When you want Total Communications... C all O n Us. Pacific Northwest Bell Unfortunately, this is not yet the rase. So far, the states, cities and other political sub divisions receiving monies under revenue sharing pro grams all too frequently are planning to spend such funds for purposes that do not help the general welfare. Here again, we have the respon sibility to see that the monies are spent in a way that will be beneficial to all. 1 would like also to close with a reference to a problem which has been exaggerated out of all proportion. That is the question of whether at this late date, after the 19.64 and 1966 school desegrega lion decisions, all children shall be given access to schools without regard to race. In the Congress last year, voices called for legisla lion that would cancel out c o u r t desegregation deci sions. Make no mistake about it. although the President led in this call he was joined by many Democrats who call themselves liberals. We were able to defeat some of the worst of these proposals because we had bi partisan support. I æ I us tell the people of this country that the fight against trans portslion of children to public schools is not a fight merely against Black children of this nation. It is a fight against the courts and the judicial process. It is imperative that if we are to save justice for all people in our land we must turn bark efforts of those who would seek to use the Congress for the purpose of destroying just court deci sions or who would seek to amend our constitution!!! A frivolous way so as to cancel out the benefits of equal treatment of the 14th amend ment. in this time of crisis, 1 hope all of us will remember that, as President Johnson said in his last interview, we can overcome but we must work for that purpose. Health insurance discussed "Action for H«a 1th Secur ity” w ill be the theme of a five-state legislative strategy conference on national health Insurance to be held March 8 -9 In Portland, O regon.Par ticipants from Washington, Oregon. Idaho, Nevada and Northern California w ill gath e r at the Portland Holiday inn to develop plana for citizen lobby efforts in their states. The meeting w ill be jointly eponsored by the Health Se curity Action Council, a coali tion ot 40 national organiza tions which support the prin ciples of the Kennedy-Grif fiths bill for national health insurance and the Oregon Co alition fo r Health Security. Opening the conference on the evening of March 8th w ill be E .G . M arshall, s u r of The Bold Ones television series and a prominent spokesman for the Kennedy-Griffiths b ill. Announcing the conference. Oregon spokesmen Dennis Thompson of Salem and Rev erend 1rs Blalock of Portland aaid: "T h is session of Con gress Is likely to pass some form of national health Insur ance members of Congress, the bill which is passed w ill serve the Interest of doctors. Insurance companies, hospit als and other providers far better than It w ill the average citizen. Healthcare is too im portant to be left to vesteti In terests, and so a grass roots movement Is underway to cre ate consumer health lobby groups In every state. The March 9 -8 conference Is our kick-off event for organizing the Pacific Northwest.” Oregon Common Cause P A C C h airm an . Blanche Schroder, announces intro duction of a Conflict of In terest b ill and a Lob bying Disclosure b i l l in Salem. Common Cause mem bers believe that public ac cess to the kinds of informa tion provided in these bills would be a step to the restoration of confidence in our public officials. Oregon is a state of many governmental commissions, boards, and agencies which wield considerable power and influence in addition to the disposition of large amounts of our tax monies. Their decisions can. and often do, affect our daily lives in many ways. W ithout laws requiring public disclosure by public officials of their financial holdings, it is virtually im possible for the public to have the facts needed to determine to what extent, if any. a public official may be influ enced by such matters. The Conflict of Interest bill does not require that persons di vest themselves of their holdings, only to disclose them. Income would be stat ed by categories, not in specific amounts. Comon Cause, itself a citi zen's lobby, believes that lobbying plays an important role in the governmental pro cess, lobbying, however, by it's nature, seeks to influence decisions and it is thought that the public has a right to know who the lobbyists are. what legislation or adminis trative action they are paid to influence, the amounts they spend and ihe public officials to whome they direct their activities. Oregon is the only state in the union which still allows fees payable only if lobbyists' efforts are success ful. The Common Cause bill would prohibit such coni in gency fee lobbying. Oregon Common Cause m e m b er- were surprised to learn lh.il legislators can be paid by lob byists. The bill would not al low this practice. The bill also includes disclosure require ments to those who lobby administrative agencies and officials. The principal »pun sor of the bill is Represen tative (B) Bill Ge. inn of Albany, Oregon. The Civil Bights Division head also said she was hope ful the present session of the leg islature would “be kinder than in the past” so that the present investigative staff could be expanded from the present 12 persons. "We've had a backlog of cases for some time dealing with all illegal forms of discrimina tion. including age” she said. "W ith more help, we might be able to get caught up so we can deal with cases as they come up." Commissioner Nilsen told the Council that a lot of the problems dealing with age discrimination in employment stem from ignorance of the law. "We must make people realize that you should hire on the basis of background, training and experience - period," she said. A representative of the National Council on Aging. Jim W intz of Seattle pointed out that "once a person is 45. he's behind the eight ball when it comes to work. He's in a captured position. We (the National Council) find that people 45 and over are now being put out of jobs. They run into a dead end. "W e feel it is the most subtle form of discrimination there is." According to Nilsen, com mittee members are Sue Gordon, Coordinator of the Women's Program for the State Divisiuii of Continuing Education; Sal Lissitz, Exe cutive Director of the Robi son Jewish Home; D r. Wal- WILPF reviews Vietnam The Women’s International League fo r Peace and F ree dom w ill hold a series of discussions on books regard ing Vietnam . W ILPF believes it is important for Americans to understand the background of the w ar and thia country’ s mistaken involvements there as well as to know and ap preciate the Vietnamese Cul ture. The series of book discus sions w ill be held on Tuesday noons, from 12 to 1:30 p j n . Room E - Public L ib rary, S. W . 10th and Y am hill. Tuesday. March 6 WHEN CAN I COME HOME? (A debate on anmesty for Ex iles, A n ti-w ar prisoners, and others) byM urray PolnerD ls- cusslon leader - Ray Hart- sough. Tuesday. March 20 OPEN SECRET: THE KIS SINGER-NIXON IX C T R IN L IN ASIA: WHY WE ARE NEV ER LEAVING, edited by V i r ginia Brodine and M ark Sel den. Discussion leader-Ralph Bunch. Tuesday, April 3 WAR W ITHOUT END: AMER ICAN PLANNING FOR THE N E X T VIETNAM S. byMIchael T . K lara, Discussion le a d e r- Sylvia M ore. Tuesday, A pril 17 • THE ENEM Y: W HAT EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW SBOUT IM PERIALISM , by F elix Greene. Discussion leader - Ann Campbell. ( • This time only: 11:30 to 1 pun.) The public Is Invited and welcome: Bring a Sandwich: Coffee Available. For further information contact: M ary Bolton, 246- 6324. scheduled Two public bearings w ill !e held on city-county consolida tion this week. Tuesday even ing, February 20th, the Char ter Commission w ill meet st 8:00 p jn . at T rin ity Church in the proposed Council Dis tric t 1. The meeting Is open to the general public. It w ill be broadcast live over Radio KBPS. A county-wide hearing is scheduled at 2:00 pan. on Sat urday, February 24th In the auditorium of the Public L i brary. This second county wide hearing (the final one oc curs at the end of May) was scheduled fo r Saturday after noon to accommodate those people who are unable to at tend evening meetings. ¥)iir ticket to the big game: F R E E C L IN IC Visit the Health Help Center. 4919 N .E . 9th Avenue (in the basement) for free health education information, pre ventative medicine, referral services, and health screen ing. Hours: Monday Thurs day 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call: Day 281 4429. night 282 6675. ter Klopfer. Departm ent of Psychology at P o r t l a n d State University. Gorman Hogan, Editor of the Catholic Sentinel: Court land Carrier, Manager of Dunhill of Portland, Inc.; Swan N e l s o n , Executive Secretary of the District Council of Carpenters; Carl W. Mays Jr.. Senior Vice President of the U n i t e d States National Bank; C. Kevin Collins. Equal Oppor tunity Officer for the United States Arm y Corps of En gineers. Robert Boozer. Public Ser vice Careers Program of the State Personnel Division; E. Shelton H ill, Executive D ir ector of the Portland Urban League; Clyde H. Fahlman. General Employment Man ager, Pacific Northwest Bell; Catherine Foyston. U r b a n Concerns Committee Chair man of the Portland Cham ber of Commerce; Jean Young, member of the State Advisory Council on Sex Discrimination i n Em ploy ment. All are from the Portland area. Nilsen said additional members will be added from other areas of the stae. Creation of the Ad Hoc Committee implements one of the rcommendations made at the conclusion of a recent inquiry by the Research D i vision of the Oregon Bureau of Labor into the employ ment problems of Oregon ians between 45 and 65 years of age. The study is entitled Up .Against the M id dle Age Barrier. Nilsen said he will ask the Ad Hoc Committee to advise the Oregon Bureau of Labor on the administration and enforcement of the portions of the State Fair Employ ment Practices Act covering age discrimination. He said one of the projects for the Committee will be to hold public hearings throughout the state so that guidelines can be formulated for use in interpreting the law. E. C. SOUL SURVEY 1. 2. Love Jones...Brighter Side of Darkness Could I t Be I ’m Falling In L o v e .............. .....................................................Spinners ^...including transportation You want to see the big game So what do you d o ’ Ju»t switch on your TV set And see more of the action than most of the men on the field You've got the best seat in the house—for about 2» worth of electricity per game Sound like a pretty good deal? It is. Electricity it's a bargain And we know that bargains are hard to find today. Almost as hard to find as enough leg room in the grandstand. Pacific Power h here we make the elei fru ity that makes things nicer for everybody. Play Pool Indies N ite Every W ednesday 5:00 to 10:00 pJB. L e a n to Shoot Pool Free Lessons M rs . O llie Organ, celebrates her birthday with M artha H. Dawson and Paul Knawls at Geneva’ s. Have your Birthday Party free at Geneva’ s. GENEVA’S 4228 N. Williams INSULATE THE EASY WAV WITH • * D o -lt-Y o u rs a lf * Insulation I R M O N O -T H E R M IS BETTER because it's: ★ FIRE RETARDANT-PEST RESISTANT ★ WILL NOT PACK OR SETTLE ★ GUARANTEED FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR HOME! ■■ — ............ Blow in Mono-Therm and cut your . heating and cooling bills by a t least 30%. * 3. Paint M e ................................. Ohio Players 4. Kissing My L o v e ...................Bill W ithers 5. W hy Can't W e Live T o g eth er................... .......................................................Tim m y Thomas 6. I Can't Stand To See You C r y .................. _......................................................... The Miracles 7. Could I t Be I'm Falling In L o v e ............... .................................................................... Spinners 8. Daddy's Home............. Jermaine Jackson 9. Love Train.......................................... O'Jays 10. Masterpiece............................. Temptations P IC K O F T H E W E E K le t t e r To Myself................................... Chi Lites THE SOUL GIANT OF THE NORTHWEST The conference Is free and la open to all interested per sons. For Information w rite the Oregon Health Services Comm ittee, Urban Studies Center, Portland, Oregon 97207 o r call (503) 222-3843, Page ¿ City-County Council studies age discrimination Members of the State Ad Hoc Advisory Council on Age Discrimination in Employ ment were to ld at an organizational meeting in Portland that guidelines are needed to help in the enforce ment of sections of the Oregon Fair Employment Practices Act pertaining to age. Gayle Gemmell, Adminis trator of the Civil Bights Division of the Orgon Bureau of I.abor. said that guidelines would not only help in law enforcement but would help those covered by the law to understand the extent of protection. She said it would be helpful if the Advisory Council could lend its assis tance in developing such guidelines. The 13-person Advisory Council was appointed by Norman O. Nilsen. the State L ab or Com m issioner and chief administrator of Ore gon's Human Bights Laws, to extend the benefit of the members knowledge and ex perience to the Bureau. Thursday, February 22. 1973 'The E. C. Soul KGAR Experience’ Every Saturday 12:15 - 4:30 D A T E A T IM E See ear factery i f i ss— teth’s ectwaBy deMeaetreMag »Ms rsssaikstls aaw I n s slaW ■ a - aad haw easy It is te f r i y 1 SHOP BARtT F O * BIST S K K T IO M THIS W S K M M Building Supply Discount Centers Inc. 8 9 *5 >. Vaaceever Ave. eire»» Ir e « SI Jee* tofc 28S-SS44 1 SI 21 S I M d eeg M a Bhrd. o»re»» free» MrPeaeMi Celt S S 4 -M 4 4 Both focerinn» o p e n 1 to • d e ify P re 5 Sunday». Ute goer SenkAmericerd or Me» te r Cherye.
