Portland observer., June 20, 1974, Page 2, Image 2

Page 2
Portland/Obaerver
Thursday, June 20, 1974
Broadcast legislation increases race
by Keveread Jraae Jarksoa,
President, Operation PUSH
WE SEE THE WORLD
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
E d itor/P ub lish er
THROUGH BLACK EYES
EDITORIAL FOCUS
Symbol of racism Priorities wrong
»
The d e m o tio n o f Ellen Law fro m the p osition o f
P rincipal o f Je ffe rso n H igh School is a sym bol o f
the sickness th a t pervades the Portland Public
School system.
Surely the a d m in is tra tio n should have kn ow n
b e fo re n o w if Mrs. Law is not a ca pa ble p rin cip a l.
In fa ct, th e y sh ou ld have kn o w n b e fo re they
a p p o in te d her, since she served a ye ar as acting -
p rin c ip a l. It does not ta ke th re e years to e v a lu a te
a p rin c ip a l's p e rfo rm a n c e and w e d o u b t that the
d e m o tio n w as th e result o f a "ro u tin e e va lu a tio n
as stated by Dr. Fletcher. It does seem strange that
the school d istrict c o u ld to le ra te Mrs. Law fo r three
years, b ut m ust e lim in a te her b e fo re she achieves
te nu re n ext year.
The school d istrict has the rig h t, a nd the
o b lig a tio n , to insure q u a lity p e rfo rm a n ce , but w e
w o n d e r w h a t has happened to o th e r p rin cip a ls
w h o d id n 't q u ite m ake it a t Jefferson, or Adam s, or
Roosevelt.
W e re they d e m o te d or w e re they
m ove d to a n o th e r school w ith d iffe re n t problem s?
It w o u ld not be so serious if Mrs. Law w ere
just a n o th e r e m p lo ye e w h o c o u ld n 't m ake the
gra de . But it happens that Mrs. Law is the o n ly
Black h ig h school p rin cip a l. If th e re w e re tw o or
th re e Black p rincip als, as the d istrict's p o p u la tio n
w arran ts, then the loss o f Mrs. Law w o u ld p ro b a b ly
not be q ue stion ed , p ro v id e d th e d istrict can prove
its a lle g a tio n s. But w h a t a pp ea rs to be e v id e n t is
th a t no Black w ill be a p p o in te d to an a u th o rita tiv e
position and re ta in e d there.
Those w h o are
a p p o in te d w ill be those w h o can be e lim in a te d fo r
some cause.
A survey o f th e Blacks w h o m th e d istrict calls
a d m in istra to rs show s th a t m an y o f these p e o p le
are not q u a lifie d th ro u g h e d u ca tio n or e xp e rie n c e
fo r th e positions th e y h o ld — p la c in g th em in the
u n te n a b le p osition o f le ttin g them selves be used or
b e in g in d a n g e r o f b e in g e lim in a te d .
Mrs. Law's cu rre n t p ro b le m s should be a lesson
to a ll o f those w h o w o u ld be te m p te d to place
th e ir o w n a m b itio n s a b o ve the g o o d o f the
c o m m u n ity. Those w h o a llo w them selves to be
used a ga in st th e ir o w n c o m m u n ity can be disposed
o f w h e n usefulness is e n d e d a nd th e ir co m m u n ity
w ill not rise up to d e fe n d them .
H o w e ve r, a n o th e r d a n g e r exists.
Those w ho
w o u ld sit back a nd say "s h e deserves w h a t she's
g e ttin g " are s e llin g th e ir c o m m u n ity short also.
Those w h o have assured Dr. B lanchard th a t there
w ill be no protest are le ttin g th e school district o ff
the hook.
If th e re is a p ro b le m w ith the a d ­
m in is tra tio n o f Je ffe rso n, th e d istrict a d m in istra tio n
crea ted that p ro b le m a n d m ust be h e ld ac­
co u n ta b le .
The racist p o licie s th a t p e rv a d e the Portland
School District m ust be th e o b je c t o f our a tte n tio n .
Rather th an castigate Mrs. Law, w e had b etter look
b e y o n d her to the real issues.
Give Nixon amnesty
W ashington G overnor Dan Evans has proposed
that the President be g iv e n a m n esty by Congress so
that the n a tio n can fo rg e t W a te rg ate. This seems
c o m p le te ly rid icu lo u s at firs t g la n ce , but m aybe
the President should be g ra n te d a m n e sty — a fte r
he has been im p ea ch ed , re m o v e d fro m o ffic e ,
ind icted , trie d , fo u n d g u ilty , a nd sentenced. Then
Congress m ig h t g ra n t am nesty.
One could a rg ue that in losin g his o ffic e and
u n d e rg o in g p u b lic disgrace, M r. N ixo n w o u ld have
su ffe re d e no ug h.
But M r. N ixo n has not shown
such ch a rity to others - he has refu sed to grant
am nesty to those yo un g m en w h o refu sed to fig h t
in an ille g a l and im m o ra l w a r; he has refused
am nesty to those w ar protestors w h o w e re fa ls e ly
accused o f conspiracy and s u ffe re d inca rce ratio n
and e x h o rb ita n t costs for le g a l fe es to p ro ve th eir
inn oce nce ; he has refused to g ra n t a m nesty to
those persons w h o are still se rving sentences for
b re a k in g unjust laws.
The o n ly persons he has
show n a n y ch a rity and co m m u te d th e ir sentences
have been m em bers o f the M a fia a n d Jim m ie
H offa
G o ve rn o r Evans had his b rillia n t ide a a fte r
v ie w in g the Egyptian crow ds c h e e rin g N ixo n w h ile
A m e rican s ca ll fo r im p ea ch m e nt.
But G overnor
Evpns should re m e m b e r that the E gyption crow ds
w o u ld cheer a n y A m e rican President w h o b ro ug ht
m oney a nd a to m ic reactors.
He sh ou ld also
re m e m b e r that the a verag e Egyption c o u ld hardly
be e xp e cte d
to
kn o w
and
u nd ersta nd
the
im p lic a tio n s o f W a te rg ate or the su rviva l o f this
co un try's D em ocratic fo rm o f g o ve rn m e n t.
G o verno r Evans should re a lize th a t he cannot
a lw a ys trust th e ju d g m e n t o f crow ds. The crow ds
shouted "Z ie g H e il!" , a nd the crow ds cried,
"C ru ic ify H im !"
It is b etter th a t the jud ge m en ts o f W a te rg ate be
m ade in the H alls o f Congress than in th e streets o f
C airo.
ounty
b u d g e t e x h ib its one
The n ew M u ltn o m a h C ou
nty buc
interestin g p h e n o m e n o n .
N e a rly a ll o f those
positions b e in g e lim in a te d a re th e p e o p le w h o
p ro v id e services
--
nurses, social w o rke rs,
counselors. These a re the e m p lo y e e s w h o have
fa c e -to -fa c e contact w ith p e o p le ; w h o a c tu a lly do
the w ork.
Very fe w o f the a d m in is tra tiv e p osition s are
b e in g e lim in a te d .
True, it is essen tial to have
g oo d
a d m in is tra tio n
and
s u p e rvisio n .
The
le a d e rsh ip a t th e to p sets th e to n e o f the d e p a rt­
m ent a n d b rin g s a b o u t e ffic ie n c y .
But, w h a t
h appens to th e su pe rviso r w h o no lo n g e r has
a n y o n e to supervise?
If th e D e p a rtm e n t o f H um an Services is d ro p p in g
n e a rly 160 e m p lo y e e s , is n 't it re a s o n a b le th a t they
w o u ld re q u ire fe w e r a d m in is tra to rs ? Yet th e re has
been a p ro life ra tio n o f a d m in is tra to rs a nd assistant
a d m in is tra to rs a nd directors. At this tim e o f b u d g e t
crisis th e D e p a rtm e n t o f H um an Services has
chosen to d e c e n tra liz e , h irin g fo u r Q u ad directors
w ith sa la rie s o f o ve r $20,000 a year.
A lth o u g h
d e c e n tra liz a tio n is supposed to b rin g services
closer to th e p e o p le , it a pp ea rs to be p a rt o f a
p ro life ra tio n o f a d m in is tra tiv e positions.
A n o th e r d e p a rtm e n t th a t seem s a n a tu ra l to
share som e o f the b u d g e t cuts is the n e w Program
A n alysis a nd Research a nd Design U nit.
W ith
social p ro gram s b e in g e lim in a te d or cut d ra s tic a lly ,
it a p p e a rs th a t the a v a ila b le m o n e y sh ou ld be put
into d ire c t services ra th e r th an in to p la n n in g
e s p e c ia lly w h e n the p la n n in g can n eve r be
im p le m e n te d .
The C ounty needs to ta ke a closer loo k a t the
needs o f p e o p le a nd to set its p rio ritie s a c ­
c o rd in g ly .
It does not save m o n e y to d e n y
c o u n se lin g to d e lin q u e n t c h ild re n , p re v e n tiv e
h e a lth care to c h ild re n , h om e nursing to the
e ld e rly . The cost w ill be p a id fo r jails, h ospitals,
and n ursin g hom es
The p e o p le w ill lose in the
p ro d u c tiv ity and w e ll-b e in g th a t c o u ld h ave been
theirs.
Tne co un ty o ffic ia ls w ill lose a lso -- in loss o f
respect. The n e w b o a rd o f C ou nty C om m issioners,
w h ich w ill com e into b e in g in Ja nu ary w ith Don
C lark at its head, w ill fa c e d iffic u lt p ro b le m s
the serious consequences o f th e d e n ia l o f n e e d e d
services a n d the lack o f c re d ib ility th a t com es fro m
p la c in g b u ild in g s a nd g o lf courses b e fo re the
needs o f th e citizens.
Indecision must end
For a fe w days it a p p e a re d th a t G o v e rn o r Tom
M cCall h ad re g a in e d his p ersp e ctive on the issue
o f State P e n in te n tia ry W a rde n H oyt Cupp. W hen
Carl B ow les escaped w h ile on a social pass,
M cC all fo u n d C upp g u ilty o f p o o r ju d g e m e n t and
suspended h im w ith o u t pay. He th en a d d e d that
a lth o u g h C upp is d o in g a g o o d job , if B ow les w e re
to c o m m it a serious c rim e b e fo re a p p re h e n d e d , he
w o u ld e xpe ct C upp to resign.
This sh ou ld q u a lify as "c ru e l a nd unusual
p u n is h m e n t". The G o v e rn o r p u n ish e d C upp in the
w ay he saw fit, th e n h in g e d his fu tu re on the
w him s o f a c o n v ic te d m u rd e re r. Such a sentence
h a n g in g
over
th e
w a r d e n 's
head
w o u ld
u n d o u b te d ly not o n ly a ffe c t his p e rfo rm a n c e o f his
iob, but th e re a ctio n s o f the prisoners.
M cC all
should have m ete d o u t the p u n is h m e n t a nd let that
be the end o f it.
A fte r B ow les w as c a u g h t a n d it a p p e a re d th a t he
had not in ju re d a n y o n e , M cC all said he had n eve r
inten de d to go th ro u g h w ith the th re a t but used it
to e ntice Bow les to g iv e h im s e lf up. N o w th a t a
co up le fro m Eugene w h o w e re k id n a p p e d by
Bow les a re m issing, th e G o v e rn o r is n ot sure
w h e th e r C upp should resign or not if the c o u p le is
fo u n d to have been k ille d or in ju re d .
A cco rding to M cC all, C upp is d o in g a g o o d job
at the prison. M an y n e w re h a b ilita tiv e p ro gram s
have been in itia te d u nd er his d ire c tio n .
The
inm ates have been a llo w e d to fo rm clubs w h ic h
g iv e them the o p p o rtu n ity to k e e p som e id e n tity
and s e lf-v a lu e as w e ll as e s ta b lis h in g contacts w ith
the c o m m u n ity. O ne e x a m p le is th e UHURU club
o f Black inm ates, w h ic h has e s ta b lis h e d lin e s o f
c o m m u n ic a tio n b e tw e e n the in m a te s a nd the Black
c o m m u n ity, p ro vid e s in m a te speakers fo r schools
and o rg a n iz a tio n s , a nd p e rfo rm s va riou s c o m ­
m u n ity services as w e ll as e n c o u ra g in g self-
co n fid e n c e in its m em bers.
O ver 600 m m atps sig n e d letters a nd p e titio n s
expressing th e ir respect fo r W a rd e n Cupp.
C upp d id m a ke a serious e rro r, a n d in n o c e n t
p e o p le m ig h t h a v e s u ffe re d because o f it.
But
C upp's a c c o m p lis h m e n ts o u tw e ig h t th e e ffo rts o f
one error.
The prison needs H oyt C upp a n d he
should be re ta in e d
— w ith o u t the th re ats o f
G o verno r M cC a ll.
spread corporate irresponsi
bility is a betrayal of the
cause of freedom.
Institu­
Black people, whose in­
tions that we permit to
terests have long been over­
operate unchecked will be
looked by the media, have
come monsters.
more than adequate reasons
In the few cities where the
to oppose HR. 12993, soon to
people haven't begun to
be considered by the Senate
make the stations account
Communications Subcom
able, it is only because they
mittee.
didn't know they could.
The bill is pro-broadcast
Citizens are only now be
industry and anti-people. It
coming aware of their rights
will seriously handicap any
and are w earing them
effort to make radio and
proudly. This shameful piece
television stations really re­
of paper, the “Broadcast
sponsible and responsive to
License Renewal Act of
the needs of the masses.
1974“, would strip the public
Greater accountability to
the public by broadcasters of rights they're just now
learning to use effectively.
would be furthered by two-
year. rather than five year It prefers the broadcasters'
bank accounting to the
license terms.
The tax
system makes the people ac­ public's truth accounting. It
gives broadcasters profits in
countable every year. Con
Kress is accountable every their pocketbooks and re­
lieves them from broad
two years. Even the Presi
casting
the contents of the
dent is accountable every
history book, the civics book
four years. Now the broad
casters want five years. We and the Good book.
Operation PUSH opposes
maintain that, in deference
the
bill com pletely and
to the Office of the Presi­
dency, the nation's purveyors unconditionally.
We urge all concerned
of information should be at
citizens to send a letter or
least as accountable as the
nation's greatest concealor of
information.
Only those with something
to hide
-•
whether in
broadcasting or politics
are threatened by a call for
greater accountability to the
people. Radio and television,
(Continued from pg. 1. col. 9)
which of all the nation's in­
weekly executive committee
stitutions bear the greatest
meetings of the Financial
responsibility for how people
Management S ystem , a l­
think, must above all open
though his city counterpart
their doors, their corporate
always attended. He stated
structure and their minds to
that it would be unusual for
all of our citizens.
Booz-Allen to recommend his
We do not condone unjust
termination since their con
demands upon the media.
tract with the county ended
We do support rules which
in January. He accused Hall
balance the interest of the
of
attending to personal
people with that of the
business on county time,
broadcasters.
This legisla
including getting haircuts,
tion upsets that balance. It
attending political meetings,
substitutes instead what the
and doing personal shopping.
Supreme Court calls "a
After his resignation. Lee
curious neautrality in favor
found that his replacement
of the broadcaster.”
was hired im m ediately,
Operation PUSH urges
although there is a hiring
people in local communities
freeze, and that he has the
to become involved in
title and the salary of the
assessing the programming
Assistant Controller.
and employment practices of
Lee found that he had no
their local TV and radio
civil service status and no
outlets. The silence of the
legal recourse. He had been
people in the face of wide
hired in a temporary position,
unknown to him, and as such
joined the hundreds of
Multnomah County employ
ees who have no job
security.
Lee had previously been
! Oregon
employed for 4 */» years as
Newspaper
Internal Auditor for the
! Publishers
Univgrsity of Oregon Medical
...
Association
School and prior to that held
several accounting positions.
member
He graduated from the
University of Oregon with a
B B.A. in accounting in 1960
and attended Northwestern
School of la w .
He is a
certified public accountant.
Walt Lee
______ S H O P
telegram to Senator John
Pastore, Chairman of the
Senate Communications Sub­
com m ittee. asking
that
hearings on the bill be ex
tended if necessary to permit
a full and complete record of
public opposition to this
legislation to be developed.
I urge any American who
feels as I do. that radio and
TV ought to return to the
people, in programming and
jobs, what they take from us
in profits, to join me in re
questing permission to testify
personally before the Sub
committee against this most
dangerous bill.
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