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Page 2
Portland/Observer
Thursday. December 20. 1973
The energy crisis and the ghetto
by Vernon E. Jordan
WE SEE THE WORLD
h___ •
THROUGH BLACK EYES
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
E d ito r/P u b lish e r
EDITORIAL FOCUS
Roasts attack Blacks
in the name of poor
O ne o f th e fe w re m a in in g Black directors in the
N orth w e st
—
C le v e la n d G ilcre ase , Executive
D irector o f the P ortland M e tro p o lita n S teering
C o m m itte e -
is the subject o f a viciou s personal
a tta ck. The N ix o n A d m in is tra tio n has don e a ll it
can to e lim in a te Black directors, but a ll attacks do
n ot com e fro m the co n se rva tive R epublicans.
S om etim es the m ost e ffe c tiv e atta ck comes from
th e so -ca lle d supporters o f the p e o p le
Racists o f th e w orst sort have a tta cke d this Black
m an in th e n a m e o f th e poor — but the leaders
o f the atta ck a re not o f the le g itim a te poor, but are
the victim s o f se lf-im p o se d p ove rty. They a re the
d isg ru n tle d fo rm e r e m p lo ye e s a n d a fe w u nh ap py
current e m p lo y e e s o f the PMSC C h ild D e v e lo p m e n t
C enter, a lo n g w ith others w h o w o u ld use th e ir
fic titio u s or le g itim a te gripes to fu rth e r th e ir o w n
cause.
They have in v o lv e d the parents o f the
ch ild re n th e y a re supposed to serve.
These e m p lo ye e s have not fo llo w e d the g rie v
ance p rocedures ope n to th em under fe d e ra l
g u id e lin e s a n d h ave m ade no person al a p p e a l to
G ilcrease.
They d o not seem co nce rn ed w ith
fin d in g answ ers to th e ir p ro b le m s or those o f th e ir
agency.
Instead, th e y h ave lau nch ed a p ersonal attack
on G ilcrease a nd a re a tte m p tin g to use the racial
issue to tu rn th e Black co m m u n ity a g a in st h im and
his a gency.
G ilcre ase is a m an w h o is respected fo r his
p h ilo so p h y a n d his a d m in is tra tiv e a b ility .
His
p ro gram has bee n fo u n d a b o ve rep ro a ch by
n um erou s fisca l a n d so cial e va lu a to rs
The Black
c o m m u n ity w ill not a ffo w a fe w rab b le -ro u se rs and
th e ir m is-le d fo llo w e rs to destroy this m an.
Buy wisely
A n o th e r C hristm as season is a lm ost o ve r and
a g a in th e h a rd -e a rn e d m on ey o f Black p e o p le has
bee n spent in businesses w hose o w ners and
m an ag ers care n o th in g a b o u t a nd c o n trib u te
n o th in g to th e Black co m m u n ity.
W hen a p p ro a c h e d by the a d ve rtisin g sta ff o f the
O bserver, som e o f these co m p an ies d em onstrate
no interest in Black tra d e . Some g o to g re at ends
to a v o id th e q ue stion . The a d ve rtis in g d ire cto r at
Lippm ans h id e s a n d w o n 't a nsw er the phone.
Rhodes h ave said th e y d o n 't w a n t Black trade.
M e ie r a nd Franks just a re n 't intereste d -- they
g et Black tra d e w ith o u t co n trib u tio n s to the c o m
m un ity. C ohn Brothers say som e tim e s they d o n 't
have Black custom ers -- o th e r tim es th e y say
th ey have to o m a n y Black custom ers.
The
m an ag er o f C laren ce W a lke r F low ers on K illin g s-
w o rth said he just d o e sn 't care if p e o p le fro m the
co m m u n ity co m e to his shop or not.
T ra d e w e ll
refuses e ven the m in im a l co n trib u tio n s to c o m
m u n ity projects.
W e m ig h t try a N e w Y ear's R esolution -- and
spend our m o n e y in th e c o m m u n ity a nd in stores
w h o so licit o u r tra d e a nd co n trib u te to th e c o m
m un ity.
' " '' W « » « » • • « » «
The U.S. House o f R epresentatives vo ted to
e lim in a te a ll b using fo r th e purpose o f d e se g re
g a tio n
— e v e n those busing p ro gram s u nd er
court o rd e r — in the n a m e o f e n e rg y co nse rva
tion.
The e n e rg y crisis is n o w b e in g used to d e p riv e
Black c h ild re n o f th e ir c o n s titu tio n a l rig h t to an
o p p o rtu n ity fo r a q u a lity e d u ca tio n .
W e a lre a d y k n o w th a t th e poor su ffe r m ost fro m
shortages a nd ris in g prices. W e k n o w th a t m in o rity
u n e m p lo y m e n t is ris in g w h ile w h ite u n e m p lo y m e n t
fa lls or is static. The jobless rate fo r Blacks rose
fro m 8.3 p e rce n t in O cto b er to 9.1 percen t in
N o ve m b e r, w h ile th e w h ite u n e m p lo y m e n t rate
re m a in e d at 4.2 p e rcen t.
W e e xpect th a t in tim es o f e c o n o m ic crisis,
m in o ritie s w ill h a v e to go w ith o u t a d e q u a te fo o d
a nd shelter, b ut n o w o u r c h ild re n a re to be d e
p riv e d o f th e ir rig hts, also.
The U nite d States can h a rd ly be respected as a
w o rld le a d e r w h e n th e p ro fit-m a k in g e ffo rts o f the
o il m o n o p o ly a re used as an excuse to d e n y Black
c h ild re n o f th e ir rig h t to som eday p a rtic ip a te in the
structure o f the A m e ric a n society.
PMSC challenged
(Continued from pg. 1, col. 4)
charges that the children
who were in the bus were
not taken to the doctor.
Mrs. Boynton said she had
given that responsibility to
the Social Worker, Jean De-
Masters, and did not know
until later that Mrs. De-
Masters had neglected her
duty.
The union representatives
charged that the Master-
Teacher had taken a parent's
petition calling for the re
in statem ent of Mrs. De-
Masters from an aide. Mrs.
Boynton said the unsigned
petition was found fastened
to a wall and was brought
for her to see.
The union charges that the
center is unclean. The last
City-County Public Health
Department check recorded
Reasons
G reetings
and
W ishes
Even if the Arab states
stop trying to blackmail us
into abandoning our long
standing com m itment to
Israel, there will still be a
serious oil shortage.
The
energy crisis appears to be
here to stay. It is something
that started years ago when
world demand increased and
prices rose sharply, and it
will probably go on until new
energy sources are found.
The President has already
called for a great national
effort to attain self sufficiency
in energy supplies by the
end of the decade, pros ing
once again that Americans
have almost unlimited capa
city to set and follow through
on national goals that don't
directly tackle the human
problems of living together
decently.
In the 1960's, the national
goal was to put a man on the
moon. In the 70's it will be
to increase energy supplies.
When will we decide to make
the eradication of poverty
and the revitalization of our
cities a great national goal
in the 1990's?
Meanwhile, the energy
crisis continues and it has
important implications for
Black people and |>oor peo
ple.
As the government
moves to conserve energy,
its policy must be based
firmly on two important
principles.
First, the burden of the
shortages should be borne by
all. with the heaviest burden
on the people who can most
afford it.
It’s no great sacrifice to
limit the use of gas eating
cars or for middle class
homes to reduce thermostats
to 68 degrees.
But Black
people and working people
was on November 30th and
found the renter in good
order.
Mike Zaharakis, union or
ganizer. said he would fur
nish the Observer with a list
of 150 specific allegations
against Mrs. Boynton, but
this list never materialized.
He also agreed to bring evi
dence of the union's strength
among the center workers
since he claims 60 percent
membership. Mrs. Boynton
said she had never been in
formed which staff members
had requested union repre
sentation or the total num
ber, which seemed to change
from day to day.
Several
staff members had told her
they were no longer in
terested in the union because
they disapproved of its tac
tics.
Zaharakis said harassment
of staff has increased since
the union became involved,
but refused to define the
harassment or give examples.
He said the unions only con
cern is to organize the staff
so they will have union rep
resentation to protect them
from undeserved harassment
and firing. He said the union
struggle will be “militant,
non-violent and effective".
Mrs. Overton said she had
contacted 27 parents at ran
dom and that only two had
complaints about the center
or the director. She said an
independent evaluation of
conditions at the center is
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December 22nd.
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Dear Sir,
way peace
and good fo rtv n e
I would like to express my
continued admiration and
high regard to you and your
staff or your courageous and
forthright articles in opposi
tion to racial oppression and
economic exploitation of many
Black people in Portland (the
lily of white roses).
It appears at this writing
(Christmas season, 1973) that
the Portland Observer will
continue to sustain the tradi
tion initiated by John Russ
warm, editor of Freedom's
Journal in 1827, when he
wrote:
“If we are to be
free . . . we must voice our
anger and hopes against
those whom would re-enslave
us , .
John Russwarm's news
paper is considered by Black
historians as the “first sig
nificant publication devoted
to Black liberation.” I think
you will perpetuate that
tradition.
Seasons Greetings,
James H. Rogers,
Assistant Professor,
Black Studies, PSU
Coll
2 8 3 -2 4 8 6
There's Alore W h e re
This Com e f r o m
he
to
or
by
The selertion will be made
by Mr. Crews; A.I.. Ilender
son. publisher ol the Ob
Server; and Roy J. Harris ol
Brotherhood Productions.
Subscribes
being made but that the
IWW was not willing to wait
until the evaluation is com
pleted before picketing the
center and continuing their
accusations. Al I.ucas said
he had found some problem
of communication and divi
sion among the staff and par
ents but that he did note the
situation was as serious as it
has been presented. He also
questioned the participation
of a staff member in the
press conference on agency
property and during his
working hours without the
consent of the director.
PMSC board chairman
John Rice will call a special
board meeting within the
next few days to consider
the recent evaluation of the
center.
The National I^bor Rela
tions Board has made a pre
liminary finding that the
IWW has no jurisdiction to
represent center employees.
An election of the employees
to determine union repre
sentation has not been held.
The PMSC Child Develop
ment Center is funded by the
U.S. Department of Health.
Education and Welfare and is
administered by PMSC. It is
a full day, head start pro
gram for children of low
income parents who are em
ployed or in school.
The
program has two satélites
one at Iris Court and one in
Southeast Portland.
Bicycle Donated
Not Everyone
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
Second Class Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
sharp rise in unemployment,
even w ithout an energy
crisis.
This country's goal
has to be that of full employ
ment
a job for everyone
willing and able to work.
We've had enough experience
with “jawboning" to know
that voluntary compliance is
nonexistent. Regulations on
energy use ought to be
formulated now
before it
is too late
to insure that
there is rational use of scarce
energy and that employment
won't suffer
And I'd like to see some
kind of watchdog committee
set up to insure that the
energy crisis doesn't become
everybody's excuse for plac
ing more burdens on poor
|H-ople and for evading social
goals and responsibilities.
Already, at least one
southern achool district has
asked that court ordered
school busing directives be
set aside to conserve fuel.
All sorts of similar energy
saving patriots will lie coming
out of the woodwork now,
saying it is their duty to cut
heat to tenants to 55 degrees
or to stop the school buses or
close factories.
Minorities
and working people need
assurances that the energy
crisis is not going to become
another excuse to put more
pressure on their necks.
Finally, in addition to
pushing the search for alter
native energy supplies, ra
tional national policy demands
pushing socially desirable
goals are needed.
For
example, one reason why the
energy crisis is upon us is
the fantastic road building
program of the past two
decades, a program that
created suburbia and down
graded cities.
A commit
ment to mass transit systems
and to reviving city renters
would go a long way toward
conserving fuel while im
proving the quality of Ameri
can life.
to our
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company,
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address: P.O. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208. Telephone:
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The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only
in it's Publisher's Column lW e See The World Through
Black Eves). 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.
whose jobs are dependent on
auto transportation shouldn't
be hit with the same driving
limitations and gas taxes as
Sunday pleasure drivers.
And Black people shouldn't
be victimized by gougers
using the energy crisis as an
excuse. Every winter many
hundreds of thousands of
Black people in urban ghettos
freeze because their land
lords don't prov id« enough
heat for them.
The 68
degree home heating target
never existed. While it tries
to cut back on energy use,
the governm ent shouldn't
foster flu epidemics in the
ghettos
housing codes
should be enforced and
gougers made to pay dearly.
The second principle is
that energy allocations should
not hamper industrial users
in a way that throws people
out of work. While it may
only be a scare tactic, talk is
current that some factories
will have to be shut down
and their workers laid off.
Most experts predict a