I
page 2
Portland/Obaerver
Thursday. August 23, 1973
MAN...VOU REALLY GOT SOME HOT TAPES'/
WE SEE THE WORLD
|t u L < :
— fity
i/srkla*
bilis ta
THROUGH BLACK EYES
If it is true thill food
prices will continue to go up,
what will the people do
whose income is less than
$5,000 per year? There are
thousands of families m the
11.8. whose income annually
falls far below $5,000 per
year.
A few years ago, the
federal government admitted
that there were 8,876,700
9*
ALFRED LEE HENDERSON
EDITOR/Pl BLISHER
EDITORIAL FOCUS
The A lb in a C on tracto rs A sso ciatio n has requested
that th e M o d e l C itie s H om e R epair Program be
'tra n s fe rre d fro m th e P ortland D e v e lo p m e n t C om
m ission to AC A. The H om e R epair Program p ro
vides g rants o f up to $1,000 fo r h om e re p a ir fo r
M od el C ities reside n ts.
The purpose o f th e M o d e l C ities a ge ncy is
tw o -fo ld :
to p ro v id e services a nd to p ro v id e
tra in in g a nd e x p e rie n c e to c o m m u n ity residents to
e n a b le th e m to m a in ta in p ro g ra m s a fte r M o d e l
C ities is g on e.
M o d e l C ities does not o p e ra te
program s, b ut co ntracts w ith e x is tin g age ncies to
o p e ra te th em . O n ly if M o d e l C ities residents are
in clu d e d in p la n n in g , d e c is io n -m a k in g a nd p ro
gra m o p e ra tio n on th e a d m in is tra tiv e le v e l w ill this
second o b |e c tiv e o f th e M o d e l C ities Program be
e ffe c tiv e .
The P ortland D e v e lo p m e n t C om m ission
has
fa ile d w ith th e HRP in se ve ra l areas.
A lth o u g h
term s o f th e c o n tra ct c a ll fo r p rio rity to m in o rity
contractors, contracts a re a llo tte d a cco rd in g to w ho
is a v a ila b le at th e m o m e n t. A co n tra cto r w h o does
not have an o ffic e or w h o se w ife is e m p lo y e d and
not at h o m e to a n s w e r th e p h o n e does not have
an o p p o rtu n ity to o b ta in contracts. There is m uch
dissatisfaction w ith PDC s ta ff a n d a lle g a tio n s o f
poor c o m m u n ic a tio n , lack o f in fo rm a tio n g iv e n ,
some a lle g e d instances o f m is tre a tm e n t o f h o m e -
ow ners. There a re co m p la in ts a b o u t the q u a lity o f
the w o rk a n d PDC's fa ilu re to p ro v id e p ro p e r
p o lic in g o f th e co n tra cto r's w o rk .
A ll o f these areas co u ld be co rrected by PDC
w ith som e e ffo rt.
H o w e ve r, the m o re lo g ic a l
a ction w o u ld be to tra n sfe r this M o d e l C ities
p ro je ct to a c o m m u n ity-b a se d o rg a n iz a tio n . W ith a
c o m m u n ity o rg a n iz a tio n a v a ila b le , o n e th a t has
a lre a d y q u a lifie d fo r M o d e l C ities fu n d in g , w h y
should this p ro je c t go to a d o w n to w n , q u a si-
g o v e rn m e n ta l a gency?
The A C A a n d th e c o m m u n ity stand to b e n e fit
fro m a tra n sfe r. The h o m e o w n e r w o u ld be g u a r
a n te e d q u a lity w o rk.
Since A C A is m ad e up o f
co ntractors w h o w o rk a n d liv e in A lb in a , it is
sensitive to the needs o f the c o m m u n ity a nd can
be re a ch e d by m em bers o f the c o m m u n ity . C o m
p la in ts w o u ld be h a n d le d p ro m p tly a n d in a sensi
tiv e m a n n e r.
AC A w o u ld g u a ra n te e th a t a ll
m in o rity co ntractors w o u ld get e q u a l co n s id e ra tio n ,
ra th e r th a n th e jobs g o in g to a fa v o re d fe w .
The a d m in is tra tiv e fu nd s th a t n o w go to PDC
w o u ld b e used fo r tra in in g a nd co n su lta tio n .
M in o rity co ntractors, m a n y o f w h o m a re s e lf-ta u g h t,
w o u ld be assisted to e n te r the m a in stre a m
— to
o b ta in contracts a n d sub-contracts th a t sh ou ld be
a v a ila b le to th e m th ro u g h o u t th e city. They w o u ld
be tra in e d to c o m p e te in the co nstructio n trades,
rath er th a n fo re v e r be d e p e n d e n t on fe d e ra l p ro
grams.
W hen M o d e l C ities a n d o the r fe d e ra l pro gram s
are g o n e , w h e n
g o v e rn m e n t g u a ra n te e s fo r
m in o ritie s a re lifte d , w h e re w ill m in o rity co n
tractors a n d th e ir m in o rity e m p lo y e e s be if th e y
a re le ft on th e s id e lin e s n ow ?
W e w ill n eve r see Black w o rke rs on m a jo r co n
struction protects u n til w e h ave Black contractors in
m a jo r co nstructio n . W e w ill n e v e r fin d Black a p
p re ntice s a nd Black y o u th in th e b u ild in g trades
u n til w e see successful Black contractors. A n d w e
w ill n e ve r see successful Black co ntractors if th ey
a re d e p riv e d o f th e o p p o rtu n ity fo r e x p e rie n c e and
tra in in g th a t is rig h tfu lly theirs.
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company,
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The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only
in it's Publisher's Column (We See The World Through
Black Eyes). Any other material throughout the paper is the
opinion of the individual w riter or submitter and does not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer.
member
MEMBER
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Oregon
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Publishers
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MEMBER
NÊWA peb
families in the United States
UFW n eed , Jupport
A U n ite d Farm W o rke rs U n io n p ic k e t w as shot
a n d k ille d last Thursday n ig h t -
the second UFW
m e m b e r to d ie v io le n tly in just tw o days.
The
v ic tim w as a 6 0 -y e a r-o ld m a n w h o w as m a n n in g a
p icke t lin e at th e G u im a rra V in e y a rd s in Kern
C ounty, C a lifo rn ia .
F arm w o rkers a re p ic k e tin g v in e y a rd s th a t h ave
not re n e w e d th e ir la b o r co ntracts th a t w e re w o n
th re e years a g o fo llo w in g years o f strikes, p ickets
a n d boycotts. The UFWU, w h ic h is o ffic a te d w ith
the AFL-CIO, is m o re th an just a n o th e r la b o r u n io n .
It is a m o v e m e n t o f th e p e o p le
— C hicanos,
P h ilip p in e s, Blacks, p o o r w h ite s — w h o w o rk in
th e fie ld s .
It is a m o v e m e n t to w a rd d ig n ity fo r
those w h o h a v e n ot h ad th e a d v a n ta g e s a nd
p ro te c tio n s p ro v id e d to m ost w o rk e rs by th e ir
u n io n s a nd by th e fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t.
Cesar C havez has c a lle d a n a tio n -w id e boyco tt
o f g ra pe s a n d lettuce .
The b o yco tt is necessary
because th e g ro w e rs can use n o n -u n io n h e lp a nd
ille g a ls fro m M e x ic o to h a rve st th e crops w h ile the
u n io n is on strike.
The q u e s tio n n o w is n ot w h e th e r fa rm w o rk e rs
w ill h a v e an a d e q u a te w a g e , w h e th e r th ey w ill
h ave p ro p e r s a n ita ry fa c ilitie s in the fie ld s , or
w h e th e r th e y w ill be p ro te c te d fro m the m isuse o f
pesticides. It is a q u e s tio n o f w h e th e r th e y w ill
have a rig h t to s e lf-d e te rm in a tio n , a rig h t to
o rg a n iz e , a rig h t to e n jo y the sam e b e n e fits that
o th e r w o rk e rs h a v e as le g a l g u a ra n te e s.
I Reprinted Irum Ih e Chiragu
Defender |
Aid starving Africans
by Vernon Jordan. Jr.
Starvation has come to
Africa, and unless a major
international effort is sue
cessful, millions of people
may die before this fall.
The affected area is at the
lower end of the Senegal.
Mauritania. Mali. Upper Vol
ta. Niger and Chad. Unfam
iliar place names, most of
them, and that may be part
of the slowness of the world
to respond.
The first warning signs
went up more than three
years ago, when drought hit
the region. I t has continued,
and is likely to go on for
some years yet.
Last fall,
word was spread by the UN
Food and Agriculture O r
ganization that crop failures
in the area were due.
So the world knew about
it. but little was done until
tribesmen started streaming
into t o w n s and villages,
pleading for food.
Where
were the members of the
vast army of international
experts then?
Why didn't
our State Department start
things moving sooner? Was
information about the im
pending disaster Tiled in neat
folders while people died?
Now relief supplies are
coming in, too little and too
late. The U N and individual
countries including our own
are sending food, but it is
one thing to get them to the
ports and airfields of the
region and another to get
them into the hands of the
people off in the hinterlands.
State fosters racism
Two Black m e n h a v e a p p lie d to the O re g o n State
Public U tilitie s C om m issio n fo r tru c k in g licenses —
o n e a p p lic a tio n is p e n d in g , th e o th e r has been
d e n ie d .
O re g o n la w p ro v id e s th a t truck licenses w ill not be
issued unless th e a p p lic a n t can p ro v e th e nee d fo r
m o re trucks. This la w , d e s ig n e d to p ro te c t e x is tin g
c o m p a n ie s fro m c o m p e titio n , m ig h t be p ro p e r,
a lth o u g h e ven th a t is q u e s tio n a b le . But if th e la w is
used to p e rp e tu a te an a ll- w h ite in d u stry, if is not
p ro pe r.
W h e n this la w w a s passed, a ll tru c k licen see s in
O reg on w e re w h ite . They c o n tin u e d to be a ll- w h ite
u n til B ill Jones, a Black, a c q u ire d a d u m p truck
license in A p ril o f ,973. In issuing th a t licen se, the
PUC said race w as not an issue a n d re je c te d
e v id e n c e g iv e n by th e A sso ciate d G e n e ra l C on
tractors a nd th e A lb in a C on tracto rs A s so cia tio n
d e m o n s tra tin g a n e e d fo r Black truckers.
W e b e lie v e it is a m a tte r o f c iv il rig h t: a n d o f
racism , a nd th a t in p ro m o tin g th e id e a th a t it is not,
th e PUC is p e rp e tu a tin g racism . P ublic U tilitie s C o m
m issio ne r R ichard S abin fe e ls his co m m is s io n has no
re s p o n s ib ility as to th e race o f th e a p p lic a n t. He b e
lieve s th a t g ra n tin g a lice n se on th e basis o f race
w o u ld be an u n ju s tife d d e v ia tio n fro m th e la w . He
m a in ta in s th a t the PUC d id n ot c re a te an a ll- w h ite
industry a nd has no re s p o n s ib ility to e n d th a t
c o n d itio n .
The PUC is not accused o f c re a tin g an a ll- w h ite
ind ustry or even o f p u rp o s e fu lly p e rp e tu a tin g it. But
if an ind ustry is closed by th e state, a n d is a lre a d y
a ll-w h ite , th en is n ot the state a fa c to r in p e r
p e tu a tin g s e g re g a tio n ?
A n ind ustry th a t is re g u la te d by th e state sh o u ld
be even m ore fre e fro m racism th a n p riv a te
industry.
The state sh o u ld use its re g u la to ry
p o w e rs to insure th e e n try o f m in o ritie s in to
industry a nd n o n -d is c rim in a to ry h irin g p ra ctices by
the w h ite licensees.
Has a state re g u la to ry p ro c e d u re ta k e n p re c e
d e n t o v e r the C o n s titu tio n o f th e U n ite d States?
W hat a b o u t the 14th A m e n d m e n t, w h ic h insures
e q u a l p ro te c tio n o f the state fo r a ll its citizen s?
Tim e a fte r tim e the fe d e ra l courts h a v e fo u n d th a t
e m p lo y m e n t systems a n d o th e r p ro ce d u re s th a t
p e rp e tu a te p re -e x is tin g s e g re g a tio n a re u n c o n
s titu tio n a l.
A n o th e r p ra ctice th a t m akes tru c k in g a closed
in d u stry is the p ra c tic e o f s e llin g licenses. W ith a
re stricte d n u m b e r o f licenses, th e s e llin g a n d
tra n sfe r o f licenses a m o n g truck o w n e rs restricts
the a v a ila b ility o f licenses to “ o u ts id e rs ".
N ot
o n ly th a t, by lim itin g th e n u m b e r o f licenses, th e y
are a b le to m a k e a n ice p ro fit in th e sale. It is
e v id e n t th a t those tran sfe rs w ill g o to frie n d s a n d
re la tiv e s , n ot to Blacks.
$
Lark of roads and local
transportation has been a
stumbling block and the im
provised nature of the oper
ation results in waste and
confusion.
W hile Africans are starv
ing and a small amount of
food is seeping in. American
grain is filling the holds of
ships bound for Russia, and
this cargo bottleneck hamp
ers relief efforts.
Right now, the biggest
dangers facing some twenty
million A f r i c a n s in the
drought region is not starva
tion -• that's still a few
months of. It is disease for
their w e a k e n e d condition
leaves them prey to other
w ise c o n tro lla b le illnesses.
There have been reports of
hundreds of children dying in
a measles epidemic, and the
very old and very young are
dying of other sicknesses.
The whole fabric of many
tribal societies has already
died. Nomadic cattle breed
ers have moved to the cities,
abandoning a way of life that
goes back over a thousand
years.
An estimated forty
percent of their livestock
have died.
Farm ing people
are eating t h e i r
seeds,
meaning that future crops
will not be sown. And the
drought driven d e s e r t is
pushing relentlessly
south
ward, threatening f u t u r e
progress in the region and
upsetting the delicate bal
ance of life and ecology in
northwest Africa.
The world has b e c o m e
hardened to pictures of hun
••••••••••••••••••••e
gry people, even of children
with distended stomachs and
matchstick limbs.
But this
current catustrophe in Africa
can't depend solely on the
goodwill of individuals moved
by tragic photos. It requires
large scale international and
governmental action.
The United States should
lake the lead by establishing
an African relief "czar" em
powered to cut the red tape
and deliver the goods. The
U N ought to act boldly, for
since most p e o p l e have
doubts about its effective
ness as a peacekeeper, its
total credibility now lies on
its ability to stave off disas
ters such as that which
threatens s i x African na
lions.
Beyond the immediate em
ergency relief that is requir
ed, American and interna
tional policy ought to be
retooled to provide massive
aid to rebuild the stricken
areas and to launch plans to
help develop the region's
economy.
The inadequate
ports and tra n s p o rta tio n
network now proving to be a
major stumbling block to
relief efforts ought to have
been im p ro ved long ago.
Colonialism's heritage, which
now includes starvation, ran
be erased by an international
Marshall Plan that funnels
aid to impoverished nations
of the Third World. Instead
of competing in development
of destructive weapons, the
super powers should now
start competing in humani
tarian works.
in poverty; or 29,900.000 15
per cent of the population
recognized by the Federal
government as impoverished
in poverty or on the
borderline.
In 1967, it was estimated
that there were 50 million
children of school age in the
United States and six million
of them cume from poor
families, with incomes below
$3,300.
Only two million
received free lunches, leav
ing four million hungry chil
dren without lunches every
day. This situation has not
improved greatly in the past
six years.
Many children go to srhiml
without breakfast, are too
hungry to learn ami are in
such pain that they must lie
taken home. In some cases
mothers keep their children
from school so that "at least
they can cry themselves to
sleep from hunger in their
mother's arms". Right here
in the United States there are
pregnant m o t h e r s so ill
nourished that blood trans
fusions are given routinely as
a part of their regular pre
natal rare.
Studies have been made
that show that in some c a s e s
the nutritionally motivated
craving of mothers for iron
am, calcium leads them to
eat starch for calories to
supplement their food There
are thousands of babies horn
daily who have protein de
ficiency during their early
1
ito b h o h o d 1912
QUALITY DRY CUANING
REASONABLE RAHS
•S ame t v « s c o t s it v ic e
•7 MOU« C lfA N IN G
SATUXOAT5 UNTIl N O O N
•C O M M U t lA U N O rr
M XVgt
By Bayard Rust in
(Editors note: Bayard Rus-
tin was included on the list
of W h ite House enem ies.
The following is M r. Rustin's
reaction.,
Since he took office in 1969
I have persistently criticized
President N i x o n because,
among other things, his poli
cies are disastrous for Black
people.
These policies have doub
led Black unemployment, in
creased the number of Blacks
living in poverty, and accel
erated the deterioration of
our cities.
But the conduct of this
Administration as revealed
in the W atergate hearings
raises other issues that are
important to Black A m eri
cans.
We find, for example, that
those who were active in
p lann ing illeg al acts, ob
structing justice, destroying
evidence, bugging, and w ire
tapping, and break ins are
the very same people who
have helped formulate the
domestic programs of the
Administration.
John Ehrlirhman, strongly
implicated in the sordid affair,
was also the President's chief
domestic advisor.
One wonders whether Mr.
E h rlic h m an helped devise
the administration's
anti
4
busing strategy, or proposed
the dismantlement of the
OEO, the retrenchment in
housing programs or any of
the other hard, callous poli
cies the Administration at
tempted to implement.
One also wonders how far
this Administration m i g h t
have gone to subvert the
democratic process.
John Mitchell, once the
nation's chief law enforce
ment official, has already
said publicly that the re-
election of Richard Nixon
was more important than
making a clean breast of
criminal acts.
How far would the Admin
istration have gone if. In
stead of enjoying a com
manding lead over its oppon
ent it faced a close race last
fall?
W hat becomes evident is
that the Administration a
bandoned the concept of de
mocratic competition. Politi
cal opponents were looked on
as enemies rather than as a
loyal opposition.
Any means, legal or other
wise, was justified in their
minds to ensure victory.
And while there has been
no proof of President Nixon’s
direct involvement, his re
sponsibility is clear.
Throughout his political ca
reer Richard Nixon has em
ployed the tactics which have
set the pattern for W ater
gate.
.
s t u '.tr v iq k
04V C U A N IN G
AVAHABlt
Oo » Vourt.il
And Viv. tt
1 014 N XltUMOSWOOTH
4 ( I x b . ( .e l . ( I n » a s u .
2S9-9357
Exie Publishing
Company
283-2486
M ttii/w ^¡timatioo Actio*
'Reyuirtmoid tko eoly voy f
Nixon regime totalitarian
Does the O re g o n State P ublic U tilitie s C o m m is
sion h ave a re s p o n s ib ility to d e s e g re g a te an
a ll- w h ite in d u s try p la c e d in it's care? W e th in k it
does.
A tio c ittio n - Foundod 18K
years, and it has been estab
lished that protein deficienci
in early childhood can cause
permanent b r a i n damage,
causing I .Q deficits from as
many as 18 to 22 points,
from which the child can
never recover.
There are
people in the I lilted Stales
who go Io the city dumps
digging for lood. When the
dump truck comes, these
people go through the garb
age to get cheese, butter,
meal or whatever is edible
that has been thrown away
These are the poor
Black,
White, Red. Brown, Catholic,
and Protestant.
It seems clear that econo
mists and government ex
perts do not know how to
manage the economy. Price
controls do not work. The
President makes pronounce
merits and promises that
things will lie under control
by a certain date
nothing
changes.
It is quite clear
that nobody knows what to
do. We do know that our
economy is in trouble. The
dollar is in trouble and the
monetary experts do not
know how Io stabilize the
dollar.
There is one thing Con
gress can do.
It can pass
legislation
guaranteeing a
minimum income of $6,000
for a family of four. Many
poor families have Io s|>cnd
half of their income for food.
Every man in Congress is
living on a good salary.
They can vole raises to them
selves and cannot legislate a
minimum income f o r the
poor.
When eggs go up to $1 211
a dozen and other items go
op i -orrcspondingly, w h a t
will the poor do?
The
welfare checks are made
quale now
those not on
Welfare will soon lie there it
prices keep snaring.
It is
lime (or Congress to set an
adequate income f o r the
poor.
by Benjamin Mavs
K —a -
ACA requests program
What will the poor do?
He used the Communist
issue against Jerry Voorhis
in his f i r s t congressional
campaign despite the fact
that Voorhis was anti-Com-
munist.
The same tactis
were used against Helen
Gahagan Douglas in Nixon's
Senate campaign.
Even had he nothing to do
with W atergate, Nixon al
ready set an example which
his subordinates have tried,
and, apparently succeeded in
living up to.
Thus I do not believe that
W atergate is merely an ex
ample of the same sort of
tactic other Administrations
have employed - as conser
vatives assert.
Nor do I
agree with those liberals who
see W atergate as the result of
an all too powerful office of
the President.
Some have characterized
the m entality of this Admin
istratin as paranoiac.
I
disagree.
Paranoia implies unreason,
and I think that those who
formulated plans for surveil
lance, harassment of Demo
cratic politicans, and income
tax audits of opponents knew
precisely what they were
doing, however inept they
may have been in carrying
out their plans.
This was, rather, an Ad
ministration whose mentality
bordered on the totalitarian.
This is a strong term; I do not
apply it loosely.
t
C o n tra c t y o u r
p r in tin g
to
a
m in o r ity
fir m
Use minority printers
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• $6.00 per year elsewhere.
Name
A d d re ss,
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A pt. ( if a n y ).
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State & Z ip
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