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.
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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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