Page 2
Portland Obe$rver
Th
lay. July 29. 1976
Woman on the movo
W e see the world
Copley News Service
through B lack eyes
Reagan spoils bid
Ronald Reogan's firontic last-ditch effort to earn
the Republican Party's nomination by announcing his
running mate may end any hope he had for success.
Those Republicans who were drown to Reagan by
his ultra-conservative politics were amazed to learn
that he hod selected an admitted liberal, especially
in light of his continuous promise to name a person
with political views similar to his own. With the
prospect of a conservative ticket gone, there is no
reason for many of these citizens to prefer Reagan
over the incumbent president.
Senator Richard Schweiber of Pennsylvania is con
sidered to be one of the most liberal Republicans in
Congress.
The choice was obviously an effort to grab un
committed votes in Schweiberi home state and that
effort seems to have been successful — at least
Schweiber, who until he received the call from
Reagan was a Ford delegate, claims to have garner
ed twenty votes for Pennsylvania — some of which
had been leaning toward Ford.
But the reaction throughout the country has been
one of shock and disbelief. AAany of Reagan's
strongest supporters are beginning to wonder about
their choice.
The announcement might bright the needed sup
port from middle-of-the-road Republicans who see
little difference between Reagan and Ford — but it
might also lost the solid conservative vote which now
has reason to question his political integrity.
J
Don’t teach cheating
Little League Baseball has provided an outlet for
young boys - teaching them sportsmanship, compe
tition, and providing a healthy attitude. Thousands of
men across the country can look back with pleasure
to their Little League days with the belief that their
participation made them better men.
Little League has its obvious problems - over-
zealous parents, broken hearted children, and on
lookers who don't have the skill to excell. But
overall, if a rational equilibrium can be held, the
sport has more positives than negatives.
For this reason, and because of the respect given
to Little League and its participants, the organization
must guard its credibility. When a coach tells young
boys that he has the umpire "in my pocket", when
he has an umpire change a call and tells the
opposing coach, "I knew it was wrong, but I hod to
win ", that is going too far.
If Little Leogue has a purpose it is to teach young
people to try their hardest, but to be fair and to
respect the other fellow's rights.
In 1925, the biggest year in our history
for women in polities, Florence Kahn of
San Francisco and Ella Mae Nolan served
in the California delegation to tha U.8.
House of Representatives. Only once
since that time have wo had two women
from California concurrently serving in
Congress. Today, Representative Shirley
Pettis and 1 are members of the Califor
nia delegation in tha House.
The year 192S was also the year when
the United States had two women gover
nor», Nellie Roes of Wyoming and Ma
Ferguson of Texas. Today we have only
one woman governor, Ella Grasso of Con
necticut.
I t was the victory of the earlier
women's suffrage movement that made
women more involved and more aggres
sive in their participation in government
in the 1920s. Unfortunately, due to
several factors, among them the depree
sion, momentum for the women's move
ment was lost
Today, women are on the march again.
Our impact is being felt in all segments of
society. I believe that this time our parti
cipation in government will be per
manent.
It will be permanent because our
strength as women in the future will rest
on economic power. History bears testi
mony to the lesson women are currently
learning, that economic and political
power go hand in hand.
In 1920. only 20 per cent of those in the
work force were women. In 1974, the
percentage was 46 per cent.
We know that most women work out
side their homes because of economic
need. Of the 36.5 million women who
work, 43 per cent of these have never
been married, are unmarried or are
widowed. In other words, they support
themselves. Also, today greater numbers
of women are entering the labor force
early and are staying there even though
they are mothers of small children.
However, the limited income of women
and the limited job opportunities open for
them are very discouraging. Women who
work full time earn only $3 for every $5
earned by men.
The gap is greater today than it was 20
years ago. In 1966, women earned 64 per
cent of what men earned: today it has
dropped to 60 per cent. The reason is that
women are entering in increasing num
bers but are not moving up in the work
force.
It is no surprise to find that in May.
1974, 94 per cent of those earning more
than $300 per week were male.
To illustrate this discrepancy further,
women make up 1 per cent of all engin
eers. 7 per cent of all lawyers and judges,
10 per cent of all physicians and 14 per
cent of all chemists. In 1870, women held
one-third of the faculty positions in high
er education. Today they hold only one-
fourth of these positions. A t the same
time on these faculties, women make up
40 per cent of the instructorn and lectur
ers and only 10 per cent of the full profes
sors.
In our national best interests, these
inequities must be the basis of action in
the near future.
We need to press for advancement but
also we need to enlarge the types of jobs
open to women.
Women's participation in labor unions
is long overdue for expinsion. Total union
membership for women in unions has
increased from 18.1 per cent in 1952 to
21.7 per cent in 1972. I t is hardly an
increase of which to be proud.
It is of interest that there are virtually
no union officials at the governing and
high appointee levels that are women.
There to. however, some hope to be
gleaned from the California apprentice
ship program. In January, the total state-
approved apprentices numbered 30,000.
Of thia number, 322 were women, just
over 1 per cent. Over a nine-month
period, thia number has increased by 90
women.
Women carpenters, women auto
mechanics, women meat cutters - clearly
we need them.
For we are now recognising that these
fields should have been open to women
long ago. And, by the way, let's add to
that list electricians, truck drivers,
paperhangers and plumbers.'
In California, committees that manage
apprenticeship
programs
now
are
responsible for bringing women into their
programs. A t least, they are responsible
for setting up goals and timetables for
participation of women. It to a slow be
ginning and one that to mere challenge
than it to cause for rejoicing.
Breaking into the apprentice program
Lakes a mettle that some of us didn't
know we had. The same might be said for
standing for election to the state legisla
ture. In January. 1976, 611 women hod
been elected across the country. Out of a
total of 7.500, that to lees than 8 per cent
women. But it to double the number serv
ing in 1999.
Somehow, the determination and tena
city required to be a carpenter and a
state legislature are alike.
These are reports of slim but hopeful
progress. Women can get discouraged
but they can't q u it They must remember
that women outnumber and outlive men.
It is essential that women assume their
full share of the political and economic
responsibility.
It
to our
pc. sonal
challenge. We must accept this challenge
with enthusiasm and a perseverance
geared to accomplishment.
Prosidont’s budgot unfair
by Csngrssmnss Aogastae Hawkins
B L A C K C O M M U N IT Y
ÄELF HELP -M U TU A L A IP -
SELF IHPftOVFMFNT - COUPEPATION
f
If you were President, and had bud
get problems, where would you go to
get most of your revenues for running
the country? Well if you were interest
ed in equally spreading the pain around,
you'd probably opt for making everyone
pay their fair share.
Businessman and worker alike; poor,
not so poor, comfortably off, and the
wealthy would be taxed according to
their ability to pay.
Unfortunately the tax laws are w rit
ten so that essentially the poorer you
are. the more taxes you pay (directly
and indirectly).
The President does have some real
options, however. For example, in his
annual budget presentation to the Con
gress, he can recommend ways of low
ering and/or raising payroll taxes, per
sonal income taxes and Corporate taxes,
in order to more equitably distribute
the manner government must pay for
itself.
Mr. Ford in his 1977 budget, how
ever. has chosen to continue the pres
sure on the nation's low income groups
by proposing that in tax matters, low
income families will continue to pay
more taxes than all other groups.
So in the regressive social security
tax situation, the President wants to
increase the em ployer-em ployee tax
rate another .6 percent beginning Jan
uary 1, 1977.
Curiously, you're exempt from this
increase if you make more than $16,500
annually; I call this - turning the
screws another notch on those least able
to pay.
Even more ridiculous to the fact that
a person making under $3,000 a year,
will see a rise in his tax to 5.8 percent
of adjusted gross income. If you are in
the lucky category of a $25,000 $50,000
earner, your social security tax will only
be 3.9 percent of your income.
Overall, the Federal tax burden has
increasingly shifted to the lower and
middle income groups. This to in part
due to higher social security tax rates,
decreasing corporate taxes and elephant
sized tax loophole factors. And nothing
in the President's new 1977 budget will
change this picture.
Now the President's budget to not all
bad news. He wants to lower personal
income taxes - that's the good news!
It's good news especially if you earn
$7,500 or more.
It's bad news if you earn lees, because
as the Congressional Budget office sees
it, "cuts proposed by the President,
would grant nearly all of the relief to
corporations and individuals having in
comes of more than $7,600 through such
proposals as an increase in the personal
exemption from $750 to $1,000, elimina
tion of the earned income credit or
'work bonus' (which refunds ton percent
of their incomes to low-income workers
with children), reduction of the cor
porate tax rate (from 49) to 46 percent,
new stock ownership incentives, acce
lerated depreciation (on investments) in
areas of high unemployment, and inte
gration of the corporate and individual
income taxes."
The President keeps saying that he
wants to be fsir, but his actions againet
low income people are horrendous.
Under the President's new tax propo
sals. income taxes for those earning
$3,000 to $6,000 a year, would increase
about forty percent.
If he were fair, he'd push for taxes
that would bo progressive: the more
income you earned, the more taxes
you'd pay.
That's really fair, brotherl
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Officer says law explained
Too late to classify
SECRETABV A
STENOGRAPHER
Far Office ef Public Rein-
tiooe. Experience pi iifeucd
ExceOeat typist. Hearty
wage, health leeuranrs, va-
cetlen, rick leave. AppUea-
tioas accepted aetfl July
30th at Office ef the Coatrei-
le r;
L ia fie ld
Cellege;
McMfauvflk,
OR
971».
472-4121, est. 239. Aa Afflr-
mative Actiea/Eqaal Oppor
tunity Earieyer.
The Oshimili of Alor Nigerian Ruler speaks on
chieftancy role in Nigerian local government at a
formal luncheon sponsored by the African American
Committee of Portland. Time: 1:00 p.m. Date: July
31st, 1976 at the Quay Inn, Vancouver, Washington.
Portland O b server
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201
North Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 97217. Mailing address:
P.O. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208. Telephone: 283-2486.
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A L F R E D L. HENDERSON
Editor/PubUsher
The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in
its Publisher’s column (We See The World Through Black Eyes).
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.
/
1st Place
toauauaity Service
ONPA 1973
To The Editor:
On July 1st, 1976, you published an
editorial about the Eugene McCarthy
nominating convention. You indicated
that this office provided conflicting inter
pretations of the procedure for placing an
Independent on the Oregon general elec
tion ballot.
A t no time did this office provide such
conflicting information. Rather, the
McCarthy campaign, as well as every
other campaign or individual seeking the
Im plication incorrect
To the Editor:
As a member of the Salem Branch of
NAACP, I resent the implication in the
recent Portland Observer story that our
Branch to not doing anything about pro
blems in Salem. Although I do not speak
for the Branch, I do know that the Branch
President was consulted immediately by
1st Place
Best Ad Results
ONPA 1973
5th Place
Best Editorial
NN PA 1973
Honorable Mention
Herrick Editorial Award
NN A 1973
2nd Place
Best Editorial
3rd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 197$
local officials concerning the causes of the
disturbance in Bush Pasture Park, 8alem,
and that many members of the Branch
individually are satisfied that, although
there may be some racial overtones being
supplied by media coverage, race was not
the causal factor in the disturbance.
convention, but are satisfied that we pro
vided adequate printed information relat
ing to the nominating process. Use of this
same information by other Independent
candidates this year resulted in the suc
cessful nomination of candidates. We,
therefore, are assured that the printed
material to, in itself, sufficient guidance.
Sincerely,
Kim F. Skerritt
Assistant Secretary of State
We think locally that our Branch to
having impact on local problems and will
continue to do so, not by chasing the
limelight but by standing ready to assist
whenever we are needed -- in matters of
housing, employment, and other civil
rights matters. Need more be said?
Sincerely,
Norma Goodrich
$2.50 of your new subscription to
The Portland Observer will go to the
Oregon Black History Project
Tri-County aroa
$ 7 .5 0 other areas $ 8 .0 0
Nomo
MEMStB
same information, to provided the appro
priate manual describing the nominating
process under Oregon tow. The Admini
strative Rules printed therein explain the
need to identify the participants at any
third party nominating convention.
In addition, this office provided the
McCarthy campaign with a copy of mater
ial previously filed on behalf of an Inde
pendent candidate as a model for the
nominating process.
We regret the need of the McCarthy
campaign to hold another nominating
M tM B fR
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