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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1974)
Pag« 2 PortUnd/Obaerver Thursday. May 16. 1974 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Division brings power? Dear Editor: WE SEE THE WORLD THROUGH BLACK EYES ALFRED L. HENDERSON E d ito r/P u b lish e r EDITORIAL FOCUS This election urgent The O re g o n Prim ary Election, to be h e ld on M ay 28th, is a n im p o rta n t e le c tio n fo r the p e o p le o f O re g o n . Som e m ig h t say “ It is o n ly a Prim ary , but in som e races the person w h o w ins his p a rty s n o m in a tio n in th e Prim ary is assured o f e le c tio n to o ffic e in N o v e m b e r. It is a serious e le c tio n fo r O regonians fo r w e w ill choose a G o ve rn o r, a U.S. Senator, fo u r U.S. C on gressm en, a State Labor C om m issioner, a State S u p e rin te n d e n t o f Public Instruction, a nd a C h a irm a n o f the M u ltn o m a h C ounty Board o f C om m issio ne rs, as w e ll as legislators, city and co un ty co m m issio ne rs and o th e r local o ffic ia ls , school b o a rd m em bers, etc. It is an e le c tio n we c a n n o t a ffo rd to sit out. W ith th e p o s s ib ility o f a Presidential im p ea ch m en t on th e h o rizo n , w e are ca u tio n e d to look fo r ca n d id a te s w ith in te g rity w h o o p e n ly a nd h on estly w ill rep re sen t those w h o e le ct them . The voters a re b e in g b o m ba rd ed w ith cliches fro m th e ca nd id ates — one o f w h ich is to th ro w o ut th e 'p o litic ia n s ' and e le ct the 'co m m o n m an . But le t's not fo rg e t that the a ve ra g e O reg on “ p o litic ia n " is the “ com m on m a n ". He is the m an next d oo r w h o fo r a ny o f a n u m b e r o f reasons chooses to serve his co m m u n ity as an e le cte d o ffic ia l. He should not be put aside just because he has g ive n p re vio u s service in p u b lic o ffic e . He should be ju d ge d on his record o f service a nd o n ly if th a t record is la ckin g or if a n o th e r c a n d id a te seems to have m ore to o ffe r, should he be rejected . The O bserver w ill endorse those ca nd id ates w e b e lie v e have the personal in te g rity a n d the e x p e rie n c e to e n a b le them to best serve a ll the p e o p le o f O reg on . W e w ill endorse those ca n d id a te s w h o have d em on strate d th e ir c o m m it m ent a nd th e ir in te g rity , not o n ly in the fie ld o f a ffirm a tiv e a ctio n a n d m in o rity rights, b ut in those pro gram s -- e d u c a tio n , e m p lo y m e n t, h ou sin g, tax re fo rm , etc. - that e ffe c t the e ve ry d a y lives o f p e o p le . C harles Jordan, " th e n ew fa ce that com pletes th e C ity C o u n c il," w as a p p o in te d to his C ouncil seat m la te A p ril. Jordan a dm in iste rs the Fire Bureau a n d th e H um an Resources Bureau, w h ich includes m ost o f the city's social service program s. Ex p e rie n ce Jordan brinas to the C ou ncil inclu de s his service as Assistant C ity M a n a g e r o f Palm Springs, C a lifo rn ia ; as Executive D irector o f P ortland s M o d e l C ities A g e n cy; as A ctin g D irector o f the H um an Resources B ureau; a n d as D irector of ca re er e d u ca tio n fo r the N o rth w e st T ra inin g Lab. Because o f his b ro ad e xp e rie n c e in a d m in is tra tio n and in the social services, Jordan brings a new perspe ctive to the C ity C ouncil w h ich is o rd in a rily m ade up o f a tto rn eys a nd business p e o p le . As the C ity C ou ncil's first Black m e m b e r, Jordan b ring s a r insig ht into the p ro b le m s o f m in o ritie s a nd the p oo r a nd p ro vid e s a link b e tw e e n C ity H all and m an y p e o p le w h o have n e v e r b e fo re been a d e q u a te ly re p re sen te d in city g o ve rn m e n t. Educated, e xp e rie n c e d , d e d ic a te d a n d honest, Jordan is by fa r the m ost q u a lifie d c a n d id a te fo r C ouncil p osition #4. O ne o f the most im p o rta n t p o sitio n s to be fille d is that o f C ongressm an fo r th e Third District, the seat w hich w ill be vacated by Edith G reen. Mrs. G reen has show n us w h a t it m eans to have a re p re sen ta tive w h o opposes a ll o f the program s that w o u ld a id the p e o p le she is chosen to represent. W ith a g re a t D em ocra tic m a jo rity in the district, the person w h o re ce ive s the D em ocratic n o m in a tio n w ill u n d o u b te d ly g o to W a sh in gton . There are several q u a lifie d ca n d id a te s w h o could serve w e ll, but fro m a m o n g th e m w e chose State Senator Vern Cook. C ook, w h o describes h im s e lf as a " C iv il L ib e rta ria n ", has served in the O regon House o f R epresentatives a nd the Senate fo r 20 years, a nd has a s o lid record o f support o f in d iv id u a l rights. He is concerned a b o u t d is c rim in a tio n a n d o p pression — not o n ly a g a in st m in o ritie s but against the poor — and his reco rd show s this concern. W e b e lie v e Cook to be in te llig e n t, honest, a nd o p e n -m in d e d — a m an w h o does not cla im to have a ll o f th e answ ers to the p ro b le m s o f the B la c k 'c o m m u n ity , but a m an w h o w ill a tte m p t to fin d e q u ita b le solutions. John Toran seeks State Senate Position #9. Toran has had e xp e rie n ce w ith th e results o f le g is la tio n th ro u g h his pra ctice o f la w , a n d has e xp e rie n ce d the fo rm u la tio n o f le g is la tio n th ro ug h his p o sitio n as Legal C ounsel fo r th e Senate E nvironm ent a n d Land Use C o m m itte e , w ith the 1973 L eg isla tive Session. Toran should re c e iv e the D em ocratic n o m in a tio n . B ill M cCoy is se e kin g re -e le c tio n to his House seat. M cCoy, w h o w as first e le cte d in 1972, served on the House W ays a nd M eans C om m itte e , an A unu sua l a p p o in tm e n t fo r a fre sh m a n le g is la to r. M cC oy a lso c h a ire d the s u b -c o m m itte e on a g in g a n d is a m e m b e r o f the E m ergency Board. M cCoy, w h o has a b a c k g ro u n d in social w o rk a n d p u b lic a d m in is tra tio n , has w o rk e d w ith th e a g e d , y o u th , th e h a n d ic a p p e d , d e lin q u e n t a nd dependent c h ild re n , a n d w e lfa re recipie nts. His e x p e rie n c e w ith a n d k n o w le d g e o f state a ge ncies is an asset to his d istrict a n d to th e le g is la tu re . The O b server endorses B ill M cCoy, o u r first Black le g is la to r, fo r re -e le c tio n . W a lly Priestley represents the 16th House d istrict. Priestley, c a lle d " r a d ic a l" by frie n d s a n d d e tractors, has lo n g bee n a c tiv e in c iv il rig hts m ove m e nts. He w as a m o n g th e first to p a rtic ip a te in a n ti-w a r d em on stratio ns. He w e n t to C a lifo rn ia to assist Cesar C havez a nd the fa rm w o rk e rs lon g b e fo re they b e ca m e a p o p u la r cause He p ic k e te d p ro te s tin g p o llu tio n b e fo re the a v e ra g e citizen b e ca m e co nce rn ed . He has been b e a te n , arrested, ja ile d fo r a d v o c a tin g the rights o f the in d iv id u a l — a nd fo r this he has re c e iv e d the scorn o f the “ e s ta b lis h m e n t". O reg on needs a " r a d ic a l" vo ice in Salem . You can if you try The O bserver c o m m en ds D exter H enderson fo r his a d m in is tra tio n o f the A lb in a W e lfa re o ffic e . H enderson, a w h ite S outherner a nd re tire d m ilita ry o ffic e r, cam e in to his jo b u nd er c o n tro v e rs ia l c o n d itio n s , but im m e d ia te ly set a b o u t to p ro v e th a t his concern w as fo r th e p e o p le o f A lb in a . W ith in tw o m onths, H enderson increased the n u m b e r o f m in o rity s ta ff m em be rs fro m 17 to 25 a n d a p p o in te d the o ffic e 's first Black supervisor H enderson p ro v e d th a t w h ite s w h o a re fo rtu n a te e n o u g h to be p la c e d in p osition s o f a u th o rity can e x e rt th e ir in flu e n c e to a id the c o m m u n ity . O th e r a d m in is tra to rs m ig h t w e ll ta ke a fe w m om en ts to ask H enderson h o w he fo u n d ' q u a lifie d Blacks w h e n th e y ca n n o t, or h o w he w as a b le to w o rk w ith the c o m m u n ity residents ra th e r th a n a g a in st th e m . D ivide and conquer The Black c o m m u n ity o f P ortland is a fflic te d w ith d iv is io n s and a n im o s itie s th a t have d e v e lo p e d o ve r th e years d ue in p art to v a rio u s e vents a nd pressures e ffe c te d by the w h ite m a jo rity . M any w h ite persons in positions o f a u th o rity w h o fin d th e m se lve s in the p o sitio n o f w o rk in g w ith the Black c o m m u n ity soon re co g n ize those d ivisio n s a nd fin d a w a y to c a p ita liz e on th e m . The o ld p ra ctice o f " d iv id e and c o n q u e r" has w o rk e d w e ll th ro u g h th e years. A lth o u g h m otives are d iffic u lt to assess, an occurance o f yesterday had a ll th e sym ptom s o f a n o th e r a tte m p t by a county a d m in is tra to r to turn in d iv id u a l a g a in st in d iv id u a l a nd o rg a n iz a tio n a g a in s t o rg a n iz a tio n . But this a tte m p t ( if it w as an a tte m p t) fa ile d m is e ra b ly as the " o u ts " fo u n d the " in s " o f the m o m e n t a n d m ad e th em a w a re o f the g a m e b e in g p la y e d . The resu lt w as a m o m e n t o f u n ity . W e h op e this u n ity is a sym ptom o f a n e w era — a tim e w h e n Black p e o p le w ill w o rk to g e th e r p u ttin g re a l a nd im a g in e d d iffe re n c e s aside — fo r the b e tte rm e n t o f th e co m m un ity. I would like to respond to the editorial in the Portland Observer, May 2. 1974. titled “Choosing Wisely”. In this editorial Mr. Henderson at tempts to give a brief (opinionated) examination of the major candidates for Oregon’s governorship. There were several state ments which left themselves open to com m ents and clarification, but 1 would like to respond only to the last section on the gerryman dering procedures of Secre tarv of State Clay Myers in regard to the division of the Black community into 4 elec tion districts for the state legislature the House and the Senate. Mr. Hen derson stated that Mr. Myers did this division within the Black community be cause, "he (Mr Myers) would receive less flack and less political threat than from any other group of citizens". 1 don’t pretend to know what Mr. Myers' motives were -- to me, that’s not the issue the issue is how we as Black people. Black voters, perceive and use these results to our best advantage. It just might be that Mr. Myers did us. the Black community, a favor. A recent Oregon law states that a candidate for a legislative office must run from the district in which he resides. Therefore, if the Black community is made up of one district, that would probably assure us of our one "Black in the House, representing our one "Black" district - with many qualified Blacks running against each other for these two positions. That would put one of “us" on the 13-15 standing committees of the Senate and one of “us" on the 13 15 standing com mittees of the House. 1 don't know how you feel, but I don't call that "power". Now, by dividing the com munity 4 ways, there are some of "us" in 4 different districts for the House and the Senate. This means that the white man running for office has to speak to that percentage of “us" in that particular district. But more important, under the new law, it means that it gives Blacks an opportunity to organize, support and stand behind Black candidates in I different districts in both the House and the Senate. In recent years we have been striving for more Black unity, for a more united effort on all causes within the Black community. And that's beautiful, as long as we put it in its right per spective. As Black people we have to think beyond the the circle of Black unity. Because, like it or not. we are a minority in numbers, not only in Portland. Mult nomah County and Oregon, but throughout the country. We alone have yet to put in any candidate, even though our united percentage of votes, large or small, has often been the deciding factor in many elections across this nation. Almost any Black elected official will tell you it look more than just the Black vote to pul him into office. With a little political strategy and expertise and a whole lot of unity, the new district division provides us with the possibility of having 8 Blacks in the state legis lature 4 in the House and 4 in the Senate; 4 of “us" to serve on the 13-15 standing committees of thv Recently when I men tinned that the Oregon I^ibor Press was not being objec tive in its reporting of candidates and has ignored my candidacy and the can didacy of another fine candi date, "Chuck" Thompson, in favor of their handpicked choice the editor attacked and chastised me and called me ignorant. ' I've been a union member of different unions about twenty years. The I^bor Press says I’m “ignorant” and “won't waste any ink exposing me to its members," hut I would like for your readers to decide just who is ignorant. Am I ignorant because I advocate laws that protect the pen sions of working people without any fancy strings attached? Am I ignorant because I believe that Ore gon needs laws that will give union members a state bill of rights, so that they may have redress under state law when they are being treated unfairly by their unions? (I'm not implying that all unions mistreat their mem bers and ignore their wishes but some do, and these are the ones that need reminding as to who is supposed to serve whom.) Am I ignorant because I believe that all both progress and |iowcrl Sincerely, Eugene Jackson lEdltor's note: If Mr. Jackson's logic were followed to its natural conclusion, “we" would have Black Hepresentatives and Sena tors serving in all of the districts of Portland and in some other ureas of the state including Moliula.l Straight answers to the most often asked questions about your electrical service: Is PGE researching to develop new power sources such as geo thermal, solar power, even the wind itself? We certainly are. Our research budget for 1974 is nearly $900,000. Recently we con tributed $30,000 to the state of Oregon to aid in the exploration of geothermal sources. And the elec trical industry as a whole has set aside some $100.2 million this year for research. This amount will undoubtedly increase each year. Govern(nent and the electrical manufacturing industry, too, have recently increased the size of their research budgets in the quest for new energy sources. Increased research is underway. D iscrim ination c h a rg e d Dear Editor: House. 4 of "us" to serve on the 1315 standing com mittees of the Senate. Now, somehow that percentage looks much belter to me. As 1 see it Secretary of Slate Clay Myers has in (•reused the possibilities of the Black community from having its "one" district with its "one" representative to having up to 8 representa lives in our state legisla lure and to me. thut's unions must be financially responsible to their mem bers? Am I ignorant because I believe that local unions must be strengthened, not merged with other locals to form giant labor conglomer ates that all too often loose touch with the needs and wishes of their members? Am I ignorant because I believe that the members are the union, and that all too often no one bothers to ask or seems to care how the rank and file feel about issues? But maybe the real reason the I^tbor Press says I'm ignorant is because I say what I believe and not what they, “the union bosses", want to hear. Send for PGE's Straight Answer bookie, ■f) Conservation Center of Portland General Electric Co. P O. Box 1788 Portland. Oregon 97207 Thank you, W.J. (Bill) Dwyer Democratic candidate for Labor Commissioner P R IN T IN G PROBLEMS? C a ll us to d ay! MEMBER = s l — “ Oregqn 11 Newspaper Publishers J l l m a Association = B I 1 A new scapegoat The Eastport N u rsin g H om e, w h ic h w a s ch a rg e d w ith p a tie n t n eg le ct, g e n e ra lly u nsa n ita ry c o n d i tio n s a nd filth , by the State H ealth D ivision a nd the C ou nty D ivisio n o f M e d ic a l Services, has com e up w ith a n ew excuse. The o w n e r, A le x Fehrer, states th a t his n ursin g h om e is in a d e q u a te because he had to h ire m in o rity persons as ja n ito rs a n d th ey th re a te n e d to "c a u s e tr o u b le " if th e y w e re d is m issed. He p o in te d out th a t Title VI o f th e C iv il Rights Act re q u ire s th a t age ncies re c e iv in g fe d e ra l fu n d s e m p lo y m in o ritie s T itle VI does re q u ire the e m p lo y m e n t o f m in o ritie s - b ut it does not re q u ire th e re te n tio n o f in c o m p e te n t e m p lo ye e s It does n ot say m in o rity p e o p le ca nn ot be fire d . The C iv il Rights Act w as not m e a n t to in clu d e m in o ritie s o n ly in ja n ito ria l positions -- but in a ll le v e ls o f e m p lo y m e n t - but if Fehrer w a n ts to use m in o rity ja n ito rs th e re are m in o rity -o w n e d ja n ito ria l services as w e ll as co m p e te n t in d iv id u a ls a v a ila b le . W e assum e the H e a lth d iv isio n s w ill not a llo w the C iv il Rights B ill or the a ffirm a tiv e a c tio n re q u ire m e n ts to be used as the scapegoats fo r a n e g lig e n t nursin g h om e o pe ra to r. M f"" ublished every Thursday y Exie Publishing Com my, 2201 North Killings orth, Portland, Oregon 1217. Mailing address: .0. Box 3137, Portland, regon 97208. Telephone: S3 2486. ubscriptions: $5.25 per ear in the Tri County area, 6.00 per year outside Port rrond (la ss Postage Paid Portland. Oregon. he Portland Observer’« of rial position is expressed ily in its Publisher's column Ve See The World Through lark Eyes). Any other laterial throughout the ajjer is the opinion of the idividual writer or sub litter and does not neres jrily reflect the opinion of le Portland Observer. C om m ercial p r in tin g - L ith o g ra p h y T y p e s e ttin g * W eb Press EXIE Publishing, Inc. t 283-2487 f