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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1976)
Page 2 Portland Observer Thursday, May 13, 1976 W e see the world through Black eyes Profit motive controls Africa policy In the fa ce o f g ro w in g insistance o f the Black nations o f A frica and the Black p e o p le o f Rhodesia and N a m ib ia fo r Black m a jo ritie s g o v e rn m e n t, the U nited States has fin a lly b eg un to a tte m p t to d e fin e an A fric a n p olicy. Secretary o f State Kissinger's recent trip to A fric a , d u rin g w h ich he a nn o u n ce d U.S. support fo r m a jo rity Black ru le , is a response to the th re a t o f Soviet in flu e n c e in A fric a rath er than a ju d g e m e n t based on m o ra lity. Kissinger chose to a v o id a n y e nd orsem en t fo r Black m a jo rity ru le in the U nion o f South A frica . The reason fo r th e o versig h t is A m e rica n inve st m en t in South A frica . C u rre n tly U.S. inve stm en t in w h ite -m a |o rity -ru le d South A frica — n e a rly $2 b illio n — surpasses U.S. inve stm en t in a ll o f Black A frica . Fifty o f the 100 largest A m e rica n com panies o p e ra te in South A fric a , a nd in spite o f recent lib e ra tio n o f A n g o la a nd M o zo m b iq u e and a push fo r th e o ve rth ro w o f the Smith g o v e rn m e n t in Rhodesia, A m e rica n investm ents a re increasing. Trade w ith South A frica also is increasing. U.S. exports to South A frica rose to $231 m illio n in the first tw o m onths o f 1976. U.S. im p o rt o f South A frica n goods has re m a in e d at $65 m illio n . This inve stm en t by U.S. m u ltin a tio n a l firm s, o f course, is the d e c id in g fa cto r in U.S. fo re ig n policy. The U.S. im ports Rhodesian chrom e, v io la tin g a lo n g - s ta n d in g U n ite d N a tio n s s a n c tio n a g a in s t trade w ith the Sm ith g o ve rn m e n t. Congress has re p e a te d ly refused to re p e a l the Byrd a m e n d m e n t, w hich le g a lize s the trade. O pponents o f re p e a l are U nion C arbid e and A lle g h e n y -lu d lu m . A test o f the n e w A fric a p o lic y w ill be w h e th e r Kissinger's stated support o f a Black g o v e rn m e n t fo r Rhodesia w ill have a n y im p act on Congress, or w h e th e r the U.S. w ill co n tin u e to support the Rhodesian econom y. O f even g re a te r interest is South A fric a . If Black lib e ra tio n comes to A frica , it m ust also com e to South A frica . It is here th a t w e w ill see the U.S. suddenly lose its n e w interest in lib e ra tio n a nd se lf-g o ve rn m e n t, a n d m ake its last stand fo r co- loniahsrp. , , U.S. e co n o m ic interests are fa r g re a te r in South A fric a than in Rhodesia. Last Ja nu ary U.S. firm s supported a sm all g ro u p o f congressional leaders w h o lo b b ie d to re p e a l the U.S. E xport-Im port Bank p o lic y fo rb id d in g loans to South A frica . They a rg ue d that w ith o u t Exim bank cred it, m illio n s o f d o lla rs in jobs w o u ld be lost to fo re ig n com petitors. O ne o f the firm s le a d in g the fig h t to re p e a l the Exim bank loo n ban was Fluor C orpo ratio n, w h ich w ill b u ild a fa c ility to e xtra ct g a so lin e and fu e l o il fro m coal W hen co m p le te d , the Fluor p ro je c t w ill m ake South A fric a the w o rld leaders in cool g a s ific a tio n te ch n o lo g y. A m e rica n fo re ig n p o lic y is b e in g c o n tro lle d by m u ltin a tio n a l co rp oratio ns w hose interest is in p ro fit and not in the fu rth e re n c e o f fre e d o m . The A m e rica n g o v e rn m e n t must com e to term s w ith the fa c t that w h e n the chips are d o w n its Black citizens, w h o com p rize o ve r o n e -fifth o f the p o p u la tio n , w ill n ot a llo w a c o n tin u e d s u b ju g a tio n o f Black A frica . Lee Brown best choice C o n g r a tu la tio n s to M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty B o a rd C ha irm an Don C lark, fo r a p p o in tin g Dr Lee Brown as D irector o f Justice Services. Brow n w ill take o ffic e June 1st, fo llo w in g the re s ig n a tio n o f Jake Tanzer, w h o is ru n n in g unopposed fo r a judgeship. Clark a p p o in te d Brow n as C ounty S h e riff a year ago, m a k in g g o o d his w o rd that Blacks w ill re ce ive e q u a l co nside ratio n fo r h ig h a p p o in te d positions in his a d m in is tra tio n . Brown is w e ll suited to this p o sitio n a nd has show n his a b ility and ju d g e m e n t in his year as S h e riff. He has re o rg a n iz e d the S h eriff's D ep art m en t and has a tte m p te d to b rin g la w e n fo rc e m e n t p e o p le closer to the c o m m u n ity th ro ug h the team p o lic in g p la n a nd th ro ug h c o m m u n ity service p ro jects. Brow n has the e d u c a tio n a l b ackg ro u n d a nd the p ra ctical e x p e rie n c e to d ire c t a nd c o o rd in a te the co u n ty 's m a n y corrections program s. W e c o n g ra tu la te C om m issioner C lark fo r his a p p o in tm e n t a n d assum e that ’ the Board w ill concur w ith his se lection. — ------------------------- rrrrr----------- LETTERS JUDGE WILLIAM RICHARDSON TO THE c o t Women now To the Editor: This is in response to Hazel Hays' recent letter regarding the employment of Black women at the Bureau of laibur. 1 wish to inform you and the community that the Civil Rights Division presently has one investigato’ . and by May 17th will have two investigators, who are Black females. The Bureau of Labor, as are all state agencies, is bound by the rules and regulations of the Personnel Division of the Executive Department. We are prohibited from hiring individ uals who do not first pass the initial screening of the Personnel Division. As to the point Ms. Hays incorrectly raises in her letter about the Civil Rights Division administering affirma tive action for Black women, it should be noted that since the Executive De partment is directly under the Gover nor's Office, and since the Governor's Office is responsible for affirmative ac tion through Mr. Harold Williams. 1 suggest that any concern about affirma tive action and the state personnel rules and regulations be reviewed with Mr. Williams. In this connection, the Bureau of Labor, and particularly the Civil Rights Division, has one of the best records of any state agency in terms of affirmative action compliance and minority compo sition in our work force. Judge Richardson is 44 years old atifi is not ready to retire. Judgr Richardson has a broad range of legal experience in 13 years as a private practitioner, trial lawyer, prose cutor and trial judge. Judge Richardson hus a BA degree from the college of Idaho and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Chicago. Judge Richardson is a legal scholar willing to work hard on the busy Court of Appeals Paid for by the Committee to Klyct Judge Richardson. A rt • evinson Treasurer. 700 Standard Plaza. Portland, Oregon 3 ?A1~?}17S C om e T o d a y famous, top-quality GREAT LAUNDRY PA IR ! 2-Speed, 3-Cycle Washer Sincerely, Bill Stevenson Labor Commissioner An economy woshar with features you'd expect to find only in higher priced models. T w o washing and two spin speeds Three cycles: N O RM AL, GENTLE and SOAK Cool down care for Permanent Press fabrics. 3 Wash rinse water temp selections, 2 lood-tize water-saving selections. Eosy-to-cleon filter Heavy duty I 2 hp motor; super SURGILATOR agitator Boc Pok Loundry Information Center Nuclear ban (Continued from p. 1 col. 6) a major role in promoting solar energy. The power energy could, for example, install solar power units in homes. The homeowner would then pay a small monthly charge, just like a utility bill, until the solar unit was paid off. "On the local level, the city of Port land can have a significant impact on reducing energy waste by changing building, zoning and other city codes. Right now, the city is conducting a pioneering study to identify such energy savings. I will study the final report carefully, and will recommend to the Council rode modifications which will increase energy conservation. The city must continue to take the lead in pro moting mass transit. It should also encourage the MSD's plan to generate energy from municipal wastes, a prac tice that is being tried successfully in many parts of the country. “As I see it, passage of Measure «9 can be the incentive to begin some of these vital moves. More is at stake here than the future of nuclear power. Measure »9 gives every Oregon citizen an opportunity to make a choice. We can go on as before, continue to waste energy, and eventually face an energy shortage far more serious than the last one. Or we can start to look at the future, look at our options, and make a decision to head off shortages by begin ning now to conserve energy. “I t is human nature to do little until faced with a crisis. But Oregonians have taken the lead on crucial issues many times in the past. I have faith that they will do so again ” kt oe a i ’I'EAIJ» ID A 4 000 Permanent Press Dryer Cool-down core for Permanent Press Extra large lint screen. Large 5.9 cu. ft. drying drum Pusb-to- stort button, outomatic door shut off Bok-Pok Loundry Information Center pulls up for easy re f erence, i y ) It I 4 '» P W o LDE-3000 . . IW ,p tl BUY 1 BOTH fee enly t • . *468 . EASY TERMS th in g s happen.„at S SHOP 9 TO 9 M O N THRU FRI SAT TIL 6 (Closed Son .) 30th and S. E. DIVISION 234-9351 EXIE PUBLISHING C O M P A N Y , INC. \ 2201 N. Kllllngsworth to Vote 2 8 3 -2 4 8 7 ptuntitU f a n d Publishers of OBSERVER P o rtla n d O b s e rv e r Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201 North Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 9721". Mailing address: P.O. Box 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208. Telephone: 283 2486. Subocripliona: $7.50 per year in the T ri County area, $8.00 per year outside Portland. Seeond Class Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon A L E R E I) I,. HENDERSO N Editnr/Publi*ther The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in its Publisher's column I We See The World Through Black Eyes). 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