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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1973)
Page 2 Portland/Observer Thursday. September 6. 1973 H E SUGGESTED T H A T THE POLITICAL ESPIONAGE, SPYING AND BURGLARIES THAT FLOURISHED UNDER HISAOHINIS TRATION HAD THEIR ROOTS IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS PROTEST HOVE ~ MENTS OF THEIVM* WE SEE THE WORLD A THROUGH BLACK EYES “ -ew e LETTERS TO THE EDITOR l)var Sir: ALFRED LEE HENDERSON ED1TOB/PCBLISHER It iv rn w to nw that all of our elected officials the President, Congress, officials of los-al and state govern ments, school boards, are commited to everyone making sacrifices (especially financial sacrifices) except for them selves and their appointed non civil service aides! Could it be that by 1976 those making financial sacri fices and opportunity sacri fices will include so many citizen s th at fed eral em EDITORIAL FOCUS Model Cities: Who controls it? School Board rip-off? Has th e M o d e l C ities P la nn ing Board a b d ic a te d control o f th e p ro g ra m or has th e ir re s p o n s ib ility and a u th o rity b e e n ta ke n fro m th em by the city? > Board m e m b e rs a re n o w fin d in g th em selve s /- p ow erless in th e fa c e o f an aggressive city ad- • m in is tra tio n . A lth o u g h they are to be in c lu d e d in a ll p la n n in g fo r th e m o d e l n e ig h b o rh o o d , p lans a n d d ecision s a re b e in g m ade a ro u n d a n d o ver th em e v e ry d ay. A lth o u g h som e m em be rs o f the P la nn ing Board h ave re c e n tly c o m e to re a liz e th a t th e y a re p o w e r less, a c tu a lly th e y h a ve never had c o n tro l o f the p ro gram . In itia lly M o d e l C ities, s ta ff a n d b oa rd , was e s ta b lish e d a n d c o n tro lle d by the P ortland D e ve lo p m e n t C om m ission. At som e hazy p o in t, this p o w e r passed fro m PDC to th e city — so that -■ n ow th e p ro g ra m is c o n tro lle d by city h all. W hen PDC c o n tro lle d M o d e l C ities it w as d o n e w ith fin e sse -- th ro u g h c o m m u n ity p e o p le and su btly e n o u g h so th e p e o p le a nd e ven m ost b oa rd m em be rs th o u g h t th e y w e re m a k in g the decisions. N o w th a t th e city is in fu ll co n tro l, decisions are just h a n d e d d o w n w ith no e ffo rt a t p re te n d in g "c itiz e n p a rtic ip a tio n ". Take a loo k a t w h o has p ro fite d fro m the M o d e l C ities funds. M o d e l C ities w as to have p ro v id e d services to p e o p le , p ro g ra m d e v e lo p m e n t a nd a d m in is tra tiv e e x p e rie n c e , tra in in g a n d jobs. Pro gram s sh o u ld h a ve been used to d e v e lo p le a d e r ship a nd p ro fe ssio n a lism from a m o n g th e residents. But th e p ro g ra m s h ave been a w a rd e d to the sam e a ge ncies th a t had a lre a d y p ro ve d in c o m p e te n t to d e a l w ith the c o m m u n ity p ro b le m s -- if not o v e rtly racist: th e W e lfa re D e p a rtm e n t, the J u v e n ile C ou rt, th e School District, th e co un ty, PDC, etc. -- a ll w h ite c o n tro lle d a g e n cie s fro m o utsid e th e c o m m u n ity . A close e x a m in a tio n o f m ost o f these o p e ra tin g a ge n cie s w o u ld sh ow th a t th e y have not used M o d e l C ities m o n e y to d e v e lo p n e w app ro ach es or so lu tio n s a n d th a t th e y h ave n ot e m p lo y e d a s ig n ific a n t n u m b e r o f m o d e l n e ig h b o rh o o d re si dents in d e c is io n -m a k in g positions. It is u n d o u b te d ly because these o p e ra tin g a g e n cies h a ve n o th in g to fe a r fro m th e C itizens P lan nin g B oard th a t th e y co n tin u e to resist c o m p lia n c e w ith M o d e l C ities p o licy. E valuations a n d re c o m m e n d a tio n s m e a n n o th in g if th e Board has n e ith e r the p o w e r nor th e in c lin a tio n to cut o ff fu n d s to o ffe n d in g a ge ncies. A n d the s ta ff ca n n o t be e x pected to m a ke strong re co m m e n d a tio n s if th e ir fro m the d ire cto r com es fro m th e city a n d board. The P la n n in g B oard must c la rify the lin e s o f a u th o rity , seize w h a t p o w e r is r ig h tfu lly a n d le g a lly th eirs, m uster th e ir strength a n d a tte m p t to use th e little tim e th a t is le ft to b e n e fit the co m m u n ity. Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201 North Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 97217. Mailing address: P.O. Box 3137. Portland, Oregon 97208. Telephone: 283 2486. Subscriptions: $5.25 per year in the Tri-County area, $6.00 per year outside Portland. Second Class Postage Paid at Portland, Oregon 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 III III Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association member ! MEMBER Auoclation • Founded 1M5 SUPPORT YOUR ADVERTISERS I C om m issio ne r Iv a n c ie says p e o p le d o not a p p re cia te th e site n e a r the M e m o ria l C o lise u m th a t is b e in g purchased by the school d is tric t fo r w a re house fa c ilitie s . He w a n ts th e la n d m ad e a v a il a b le fo r a h o te l a n d c o n v e n tio n fa c ilitie s . The p e o p le w h o h a v e o w n e d hom es a n d liv e d in th e a re a fo r m a n y ye ars k n o w a n d a p p re c ia te it. They k n o w th a t it is p o te n tia lly o n e o f th e m ost v a lu a b le sites in th e c ity — v ie w p ro p e rty , easy fre e w a y access, n ea r d o w n to w n , the M e m o ria l C oliseum a n d Lloyd C enter. They have been fig h tin g fo r th re e years to p ro te ct th e ir hom es a nd th e ir investm ents. Those w h o h ave had the strength to h o ld on h a v e seen th e hom es o f th e ir n e igh bo rs crash d o w n a ro u n d them . It is d iffic u lt e n o u g h to a ccep t th a t hom es sh ou ld be d e stroye d to m a ke roo m fo r w a re h o u se s a n d p a rk in g fa c ilitie s It is d iffic u lt e n o u g h to accept that th e hom es o f th e p oo r a n d o f th e m in o ritie s are a lw a y s the first to go. But it w ill be e ven m ore d iffic u lt to accept if these hom es m a ke w a y not fo r a school fa c ility , b ut fo r a lu x u ry h o te l. W e a g re e w ith the school d is tric t th a t th e re are e th ic a l a n d p o litic a l q ue stion s in v o lv e d . W e also q ue stion th e c o n tin u in g c o n d e m n a tio n if a fu tu re sale is c o n te m p la te d . A n d w e a re sure th a t if such a sale does ta ke p la ce , those fa m ilie s w h o have been d is p la c e d w ill suspect a conspiracy. W e th e re fo re ca ll on the M a y o r, n ot to d e te r m in e the "h ig h e s t a n d best u s e " fo r th e la n d , but to in te rc e d e on b e h a lf o f th e p ro p e rty o w n e rs a nd p ro tect th e m fro m a g re a t la n d grab. If th e re is to be a h o te l or o th e r p riv a te fa c ilitie s on th is site, the o w n e rs sh o u ld h ave th e rig h t to n e g o tia te prices w ith th e d e v e lo p e r a n d not be c a u g h t in c o n d e m n a tio n p ro c e e d in g s by a p u b lic a ge n cy. Perhaps th e pre sen t o w n e rs w o u ld lik e to d e v e lo p th e la n d th e m se lve s a n d b eco m e stock h old e rs or o w n e rs o f th e n e w d e v e lo p m e n t At least th e y sh o u ld h a v e this choice. If th e School B oard is a b le to a c q u ire this p ro p e rty th ro u g h c o n d e m n a tio n , th en im m e d ia te ly sells it to p riv a te d e v e lo p e rs , it w ill loo k lik e a p rio r a rra n g e m e n t b e tw e e n th e School Board, PDC, a nd p ossibly C o m m is s io n e r Iva n cie , since he was in ch a rg e o f city p la n n in g at the tim e the School Board b e g a n a c q u irin g th e lan d. W e d o not o b|e ct to a h o te l, b ut w e o b je c t to the m a n n e r in w h ic h th e p ro p e rty is b e in g ta k e n fro m the p e o p le a nd th e fa ct th a t th e Black fa m ilie s w h o n o w o w n the lan d w ill h ave no p ro fit fro m the d e v e lo p m e n t. SENATOR EDUARD BROOKE STATED THAT IT M S INCON - I Progress thu Unity Albina Contractors Association 72 N. E. Sacramento Portland, Oregon 288-8301 Watergate and Civil by Bayard Rustin All eyes are focused on the political scandals of the Nixon Administration. The testi mony before the Senate Com mittee has revealed an Ad ministration with little under standing of or regard for basic democratic principles: certainly the "ends justify the means" philosophy of high ranking officials differs little from the thinking that prevails in totalitarian states. But if the Administration has played fast and loose with the democratic process, it has also treated its citi zens particularly its 20 million Black citizens with contempt and disdain. And as the Senate investigation continues to probe into the motives and mentality of th o s e a ro u n d P r e s id e n t Nixon, one is struck by how many of those most deeply involved in W atergate were also responsible for de veloping and implementing policies which have done in calculable harm to Black people. their corporate resolve to lift the burden of poverty, to clean up the physical en vironment. to erase bigotry and racial prejudice, and to provide full equality of op portunity for all Americans.” That's quite an agenda, but it is one that the corpor ate community, as Mr. E k lund made so very clear, has a direct responsibility to achieve. As he rightly pointed out, this responsi bility is necessary to "the fulfillment of promises in h eren t in th e co rp o rate charter," as well as to the continued visability of cor porate America. I think every corporation and businessman in the coun try ought to ponder M r. Eklund’s words and his the sis, and begin to act on them. Business should be going be yond the most elementary acts assisting local com munities, increasing job op portunities, contributing in far larger amounts to social action programs and agen cies but also should be fighting on behalf of impor tant social goals like welfare reform, federal social legis lation, and a full employment policy. I am a good deal more hopeful that this situation will come about after listen ing to Coy Eklund's thought ful remarks, for they indicate that at least some of the most im p o rta n t business leaders in the nation are not aoout to sink into the quirk sand of a policy of corporate "benign neglect". The same John Ehrlichman who justified political spying also played significant roles in devising every anti Black policy im p lem ented. For Ehrlichman. the issue was never one of social justice, or putting the government at the disposal of those who most desperately needed its services. The issue, as he once remarked to an HEW official, was simply that "the Blacks aren't where our votes are." One ran only add that Ehrlirhman's artions were consistent with his philo sophy. As the President's chief domestic policy advisor, he advocated policies which broke the pattern of civil rig h ts advancem ent, in creased the numbers of the poor and unemployed, and divided the races. It was Ehrlichman. for in stance, who fought his own Department of Health. Edu ration and W elfare when it tried to enforre school de segregation guidelines in the South. When the Department of Housing and Urban Develop ment devised a number of innovative housing programs, it was Ehrlichman who ve toed the proposals. He also helped coordinate the Ad ministration's strategies of exploiting the schools, busing controversy, the impound ment of funds appropriated for housing and schools, and the wholesale cut back of social programs. Another official who has appeared before the com m itte e , R o b ert M ard ian played an important role in the Administration's effort to weaken desegregation guide lines during his term as general counsel to H E W . He was an ardent spokesman for the "S o u th ern S tra te g y " , arguing constantly for a slow down in the enforcement of desegregation o rd ers and urging concessions to the South. A tto rn e y G en eral John Mitchell, who has already been indicted, was a key figure in the Administration’s efforts to compromise with discrimination. He placed the Justice Department on the side of Southern segre gationisls who were atternp ting to slow the pa< e of school desegregation. He was at least partially re sponsible for Haynesworth and Carswell. And he tried, and nearly succeeded, in de stroying the Voting Rights Act. The Ehrlichmans, Mardians and Mitchells did not com prise the entire Administra lion. Some Cabinet members and low er echelon officials displayed an understanding for the struggle of Black people. Most of these of ficials, however, are gone, having either been fired or resigned in frustration. W atergate is not an iso lated incident. The political A For guaranteed top quality work in all areas of building construction, contact the Again, counting on the 'code' phrases....? by Vernon Jordan. Jr. said, “the corporation has a selfish interest in the preser vation and well being of the total society in which it operates. You can't do busi ness -- you can't make profits - in a crumbling, d is in t e g r a t in g , p o v e r ty - pocked social environment. “Indeed, we are coming to understand that social forces, no less than m arket forces, operate to determine corpor ate success and longevity. Just as the intelligent person must give thought to what makes for a more fulfilling existence for himself, so must the corporation be concerned with whatever makes for a better environment in which to survive or prosper. Call it en lig h ten ed s e lf - in t e r e s t . Don’t call it generosity or altruism.” He made a very telling point new to the whole de bate o ver the co rp o rate role the fact that: “The corporation is the creation of the people. And created by them, it is intended to fulfill certain purposes of the people and to perform in ways beneficial to them . . . “From inception the cor [Miration has always carried an implied social responsi bility. I t is not a new burden lately added to the chief executive's duties, nor is it an optional accessory to be discriminately adopted or rejected. It is inherent in the corporate charter. It was there in the beginning." And he called on the business community for im r ,,iate action "to strengthen Elizabeth I, Sale 6825 S.E Stark CEIVABLE THAT PRESIDENT NIXON WOULD EQUATE THE STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS WITH THE M TE R G A TE BURGLARIES. Defining corporate responsibility The idea of "corporate re sponsibility" is a relatively new one and while a good number of executives accept the need for their corpora tions to become active in tackling some of the prob lems facing the society, others are reluctant to do so. I wish these reluctant cor porate chieftains and their apologists had been present to hear Coy Eklund's address to the National Urban League Annual Conference in Wash ington last month. Eklund, President of the E q u ita b le L ife Assurance Society, laid it on the line with one of the best defini tions of corporate responsi bility I've ever heard. And his defense of the concept could not have come at a better time, since all too many business leaders and others are weary from their brief experiment in social in volvement in the 1960s. Those who self righteously proclaim that their company is in business to make profits ought to have heard Mr. Eklund declare that “the business of business is not only profits: it is people too. Fortunately business does not have to choose between pro fits and people . . . There is considerably greater likeli hood of better social conduct in a company enjoying first- rate financial results in a business attending to its social conduct." Mr. Eklund took the long term view all responsible business leaders must take: "To survive long term," I e ployees, Blacks, women, Chi canos, American Indians, stu dents, small farmers, senior citizens, ami labor will unite under the battle cry "free dom", "liberty". A N D the battle cry which preceded the founding of the Republic "Taxation without represen talion is tyranny!" Or should a new one be created, such as "Taxation without equal opportunity and meamnglul jobs is tyranny!" espionage, the betrayals of the dem ocratic system all are inextricably tied to domestic policies of scarcity and polarization. Those who were plotting campaigns of political subversion without any thought of its broader implications watched racial progress grind to a hall without remorse or compas sion. I do not believe that the central issue of the W ater gate scandal is w h e th e r Nixon was aware of the breakin plans or whether he was involved in the cover up. The responsibility is Nixon’s for having set a pattern of political behavior he has ad hered to from his first cam paign for elective office. The same holds true for domestic policies. Il is sig nificant that those connected with W atergate were the most zealous advocates of reaction and social hardness. T h e ir a ltitu d e s , h ow ever, only mirrored the attitudes of their boss. President N ixon condoned and ap proved of what John Ehrlich man and John Mitchell were doing he made them two of his closest advisors. We must not forget that this Administration has from the start favored the most privileged, at the expense of those least able to help themselves. If history deter mines that the N ix o i Presi dency was infamous, it should record that the neglect of and disdain or the social and economic needs of poor and working people was as in famous as its scorn for de mocracy. 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