K
OBSERVER
ENDORSEMENTS
This y e a r's O re g o n
P rim ary
is p a rtic u la rly
im p o rta n t because o f the g ra v e co ncerns th a t fa c e
th e n a tio n a n d th e state
D u rin g the p e rio d since
the last e le c tio n w e h ave h ad to b e a r th e b u rd e n s
o f crisis in th e in te g rity o f g o v e rn m e n t b ro u g h t to
lig h t by th e W a te rg a te a ffa ir a n d s u rro u n d in g
scandals; th e in c re d ib le c o m b in a tio n o f in fla tio n
a n d sk y ro c k e tin g prices, a lo n g w ith a ris in g ra te o f
e m p lo y m e n t; the e n e rg y crisis a n d p re d ic te d
shortages o f n e a rly e v e ry th in g , in c lu d in g fo o d ; th e
decision s o f the co n s e rv a tiv e N ix o n -a p p o in te d
S uprem e C o u rt; a reversal o f c iv il rig hts gam s; a n d
a tre n d to w a rd fa cism in this co un try.
C o n s id e rin g these im p o rta n t issues, o n e can
h a rd ly sit o u t this e le c tio n or a p p ro a c h it w ith o u t
serious study a nd th o u g h t.
M a n y o f th e c a n d id a te s a re w e ll q u a lifie d
in som e races it is d iffic u lt to choose th e best
co n te n d e r. M a n y h ave s im ila r v ie w s a n d s im ila r
records, but u s u a lly th e re is o n e fe a tu re w h ic h
d istin gu ishe s o ne c a n d id a te fro m th e o th e rs -- an
a ttitu d e or th e cre a tio n o f an a tm o s p h e re o f trust
a nd u n d e rsta n d in g .
The O b server has not e n d o rs e d c a n d id a te s fo r
e ve ry p o s itio n .
W e h ave e n d o rs e d o n ly those
c a n d id a te s w hose records sh o w co nce rn fo r h u m a n
rights, fo r e q u a l o p p o rtu n ity a n d fo r in d iv id u a l
lib e rtie s
City Council, Position # 4
C harles Jordan, "th e
n ew face th a t co m p le te s
the City C o u n c il," was
a p p o in te d to his C ou ncil
seat in late A p ril.
Jor
dan a d m in is te rs the Fire
Bureau a n d th e H um an
Resources B ureau, w h ic h
includes m ost o f the
city's social service p ro
gram s. E xperience Jor
dan brings to th e C o u n
c il 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 E xecutive D ire cto r o f
P ortland's M o d e l C ities A g e n c y ; as A c tin g D ire c to r
o f the H um an Resources B u rea u; a n d as D ire cto r o f
ca re er e d u c a tio n fo r the N o rth w e s t T ra in in g Lab.
Because o f his b ro a d e x p e rie n c e in a d m in is tra tio n
a nd in the so cial services, Jo rd a n b rin g s a n e w
perspe ctive to the C ity C o u n cil w h ic h is o rd in a rily
m ad e up o f a tto rn e y s a nd business p e o p le . As th e
C ity C o u n c il's first Black m e m b e r, Jo rd a n b rin g s a n
insig ht in to th e p ro b le m s o f m in o ritie s a n d th e
p oo r a n d p ro v id e s a lin k b e tw e e n C ity H a ll a n d
m an y p e o p le w h o h a v e n e v e r b e fo re b e e n a d e
q u a te ly re p re s e n te d in city g o v e rn m e n t.
td u c a te d , e x p e rie n c e d , d e d ic a te d a n d h on est,
Jordan is by fa r the m ost q u a lifie d c a n d id a te fo r
C ou ncil p o s itio n #4
»
Chairman, County Commission
C o m m is s io n e r D on
C lark
is s e e k in g
the
C h a irm a n s h ip
of
the
M u ltn o m a h
C o u n ty
Board o f C om m issioners.
The Board C h a irm a n is
the a d m in is tra to r fo r the
co u n ty a n d as such is
re sp o n s ib le fo r th e im
p le m e n t a t io n
of
a ll
co u n ty p ro g ra m s
C la rk has e sta b lish e d
a g o o d re la tio n s h ip w ith th e B lack c o m m u n ity a n d
has expressed concern fo r m in o rity p ro b le m s . As a
m e m b e r o f th e C om m issio n, C la rk 's in flu e n c e has
b ee n re stricte d to le g is la tio n .
The Black c o m
m u n ity h opes th a t as C h a irm a n C la rk w ill b rin g
a b o u t ch a n g e s in co u n ty p o lic y a n d p ra c tic e th a t
w o u ld b rin g tru e o p p o rtu n ity to m in o rity p e o p le .
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