ir y
PORTLAND
OBSERVER
V e t 6 Ne. 41
Thursday,
Aegw* * t b , W
10c f *
Affirmative Action: Dream or reality?
A question to being asked in Salem.' Is
affirm ative action alive in Oregon or is it
still just a piece of paper?
Harold Williams, who became the
s u it 's first affirm ative action office a
year ago says affirm ative action is very
much alive - but it is as fagile as a piece of
paper.
The affirm ative action position -
directly responsible to the governor -
was Governor Straub's idea. W ith a sin
cere commitment to equal opportunity in
employment, he sought to take affirm s
tive action out of the personnel depart
ment and give it the sanction of the
Governor's Office.
In creating the position and funding it,
the Oregon legislature denied the re
quested $150,000 required to run an ef
fective program allocating only 150,000.
Some say this was to doom the program
to failure: others believe it was a move to
embarrass the Governor.
The office now consists of the director,
one assistant, and one secretary. The
responsibilities of the office are to insure
that every state agency practices affir
■native action in hiring and promoting
minorities and women
W illiams has come under attack recent
ly from the Oregon State Employees As
sociation and from some women's groups,
who say problems still exist in state
government. Problems do still exist,
stemming from over one hundred years
of discrimination.
Thus far, affirm ative action has been
measured by percentages of members of
various m inority groups who are employ
ed in the agencies. These statistics show
improvement. L ittle regard is given to
the position of those employees or the
careers of individual employees. I t is not
possible to determ ine what happens to
individual employees. “W e can keep re
cruiting minorities and women, but if we
don't know w hat happens to them we
can't run a good personnel program. W e
moat know the turn-over in the agendas;
we must know who we are losing and
why.“ Williams explained. W ithout es
sential statistical d aU . it is not possible to
determine what happens to individuals.
When W illiams asked the Emergency
Board for 110.000 for computer costs, his
reguest was denied.
The fallacy of using overall percen
Uges is that it hides the true picture. The
Departm ent of Human Resources, for ex
ample, looks good statistically but the
vast m ajority of its m inority employees
are in the Albina Human Resource Cen
te r and moat of these are in entry-level
positions. These people can remain in
these positions for years without ad
vancement or a consistent high turn over
in low-level positions can occur, and the
percentages remain the same.
“U n til we can track each employee we
will not be able to pin point the obstacles
to the advancement of minorities and
women." W illiams said.
Much of the time of the affirm ative
action office is spent in evaluation of civil
service criteria to insure that require
m enu are related to the position. Many
observers feel th a t unless the s U te merit
system leivil service) is abolished, a more
equiUble system of hiring and promo
tion devised, there is little hope for
equal opportunity. Originally established
to provide an unbiased method of selec
tion and to avoid political influence, the
m erit system has become a mare of unne
cessary requirementa and regulations.
Unrealistic job qualifications and exam
¡nations entirely unrelated to the skills
needed to do the job effectively rule out
vast numbers of competent applicants.
Teste w ith ethnic and class bias eliminate
many m inority and lower class people.
In recent years court action and per
sonnel departm ent enlightenment have
eliminated similar testing procedures
from many private companies and
governmental agencies. Lacking this
authority to abolish the system and begin
anew, W illiam s and his staff are laboring
to change them one by one.
The seniority system and the tendency
to move incompetents up or aside locks
inefficiency into state service. I t also in
sures that minorities and women hired as
a result of recent interest in minority
hiring will be the first fired. Courts have
found strict seniority systems to be un
constitutional if they discriminate against
classes of employees, but Oregon retains
its seniority system.
Bach biennium, budget shifts will eli
minate previous gains. The Highway D e
partm ent. currently faced w ith a 400 em
ployee layoff, will lose most of its minor
ity employees.
In addition to the problems of limited
staff and the built in haxzards of the merit
system. Williams has little direct power.
He can help some people into jobs, but he
cannot keep them there. He can help
some beat the system, but he cannot
change the system. He does not have the
School District approves education center plans
power to hire and fire.
Each agency has an affirm ative action
officer, but this person is hired by and is
responsible to the head of his agency.
Although W illiams can offer direction and
guidance, he can e x e rt no control over the
agency hiring.
One of the brighter sides to the affir
mative action picture in Oregon is Gover
nor Straub’s determination to evaluate
agency heads on the basis of th eir a ffir
m ative action performance. Straub is
meeting with his agency heads and for
the first time they can be fired for lack of
performance in this area. Although some
agencies have successfully resisted in the
past, the word is out that the Governor
expects compliance.
The facts point clearly to the responsi
bility of the legislature. To insure equal
employment opportunity the affirm ative
action office must be properly funded and
staffed, lines of responsibility redrawn,
and the m erit system eliminated.
Adolph Browa joins CSD staff
New in Portlandts "Adolph Brown. Jr.,
ADOLPH BROWN, JR.
34. Adolph is an intake w orker a t the
East Multnomah County Office of the
Children's Services Division (CSD). He
has been here since the beginning of July,
coming to Portland a fter working for
CSD for six months in Klam ath Falls.
Adolph grew up on the W est side of
Chicago, where he was in a street gang.
A fte r the A rm y , he returned to Chicago
and worked for five years as a receiving
clerk for Boise Cascade. T h a t wasn't
enough, so Adolph proceeded to graduate
from both Malcolm X Community College
and Southern Illinois University.
W hile a t Malcolm X he was a counsellor
for other students. H e also did tw o years
volunteer w ork w ith street gangs. Before
moving to Oregon, he worked as a social
w orker for the Illinois Departm ent of
Children and Fam ily Service.
W hy did he change his life around and
go into social work? “I have always had a
keen interest in people. I was intrigued
w ith people's behavior and w hy they do
w hat they do. Also, social workers he had
known while in the street gang had an
effect on him. “They w ere good people.
They influence you a lot.”
Here in Portland. Adolph finds his job
is different because he is in intake. “In
take is the initial stage of contact for
incoming clients. The intake w orker’s job
is to assess the validity of the complaint,
to see if there is a problem, and if it to a
problem CSD can help with. Sometimes
we have to refer people to some other
agency.”
There are tw o problems which stand
out as the most common. “Child neglect to
the most prevalent problem in Multno
mah County for pre-teenagers. F o r teen
agers. the biggest problem to a power
struggled between teenagers and the
parents. Often the caller to having a crisis
and needs some professional advice,
someone to rap w ith.”
W h at to the biggest problem he finds in
his job “T here to too much demand.
There to too much to do in an eight hour
day."
W h at does be think of Portland? “P o rt
land to a beautiful city. It's dean, has
space, and isn't overcrowded. The pace to
slower here. I think you could live a long
(Please turn to p. 4 col. 4)
The Portland School Board moved a
step closer to building its $16 million
administration and service center build
ing Monday as the board approved financ
ing and bid procedure recommendations.
Building is expected to begin in late
November.
Planning for the building began six
years ago and after deciding on the side
near Broadway, between Dixon and Han
cock, the major controversy developed.
The land was occupied by housing, much
of it owned by Blacks and older citizens,
moat of whom did not w ant to sell. Using
what some called “pressure" tactics, and
condemning tw o pieces of property, the
district finally acquired the land. About
that time, City Commissioner Frank
Ivancie questioned the use of the land by
the school district because it is adjacent
to the Coliseum. H e felt expansion of the
Exposition Recreation Center or tourist
facilities would be a better use for the
land. A task force was appointed, which
approved use of the land by the district.
School Board member W ally Priestley
raised the question of “highest use" at the
Monday night school board meeting, ex
plaining that if a measure on the Novem
ber ballot allowing the E .R Commission
to expand to the west side is defeated,
the land in question should be available to
i t Even though the E.R . Commission
might not use the land immediately, it
should be held for later use.
Priestley also questioned the advisabil
ity of combining the adm inistrative of
fices w ith the shops and warehouses. I t is
his opinion that the shop/warehouse/
fleet service operation could be built on
much cheaper land. The land, which was
acquired for an average $140,000 per acre
is now valued at $240,000 per acre, ac
cording to Priestley.
Priestley's opposition brought the ire
of form er board members Bill DeWeese
and Paul Howe. Howe told the school
board, th a t the area was “depressed and
blighted and in need of Urban Develop
ment" and that all concerned - including
Model Cities, the E lio t Neighborhood
Association and the Displaced Persons
Association - all agreed that it should be
purchased by the school district. Some
parcels were purchased for as little as $2
per square foot, he explained.
DeWeese, who was a member of the
school board for twelve years, said the
project had been studied for five years
and without exception, everyone agreed
this was the best site.
The School District estimates a savings
of $1.3 million per year by moving the
functions now served in ten buildings into
the new building. About 50% of this
savings will be in the area of delivery and
fleet maintenance savings. Another 28
per cent w ill be from consolidating food
service costs by preparing meals for all
schools in a central kitchen, chilling them,
and delivering them to the schools on a
Alkia |oins new city council
Samuel D. A ikin, 28, outpolled nine
other candidates to get a position on the
five member C ity Council of Oregon's
newest city. A dair.
Adair became Benton County's third
largest d ty in M ay, when residents de
cided to incorporate. The d ty of approx
imately 700 citizens to eight miles north of
Corvallis, at the old Camp Adair.
Aikin received 76 votes, the closest
opponent, Ms. Charline Carr, receiving 55
votes. Although Aikin was found by
most residents for M ayor, M rs. C arr was
elected M ayor by the Council.
Aikin to a graduate of East Texas
State University in Psychology. For the
past three years he has been a Budget
Analyst in the S U te of Oregon's Execu
tive Departm ent, the only Black to hold
that position. He w ill take a leave of
absence beginning September 16th to
earn a M aster’s degree in Business Ad
ministration a t Oregon S U te University.
H e has a teaching assistantship while
attending the university.
Aikin's w ife, B etty, to an AsstoUnt In
structor a t O SU. teaching educational
theory and supervising student teaching
practicum.
Aikin waged a strong campaign, w ith
a platform that captured the attention of
the voters. He believed th a t he was parti
cularly well qualified for the council, and
for the office of M ayor, because o f his
experience in budget management.
Among his goals were: finding funding
sources for the new d ty , building bus
shelters for the school children; improv
ing streeU , lighting, and the park; en
couraging d ty beautification; contracting
w ith the county in the d ty of Corvallis for
garbage, police and building inspection;
forming Black dubs; and forming a liaison
w ith the county and nearby d ties and the
League of Oregon Cities.
“In establishing a new d ty we have to
w rite a charter, pass laws, arrange for
various services, and find funds to hire
the people we need," Aikin explained. I f
selected as M ayor he would have organ
ized the council into committees and
would have contacted all citizens to find
their interests and areas of expertise. As
(Please turn to p. 5 col. 3)
Democratic Party adopts Caucus of Black Democrats’ issues
Many of the positions and issues of the
Caucus of Black Democrats (CBD) as
passed M ay 1st, 1976. a t the CBD Confe-
ence in Charlotte, North Carolina, have
been adopted by the Democratic P la t
form Comm ittee, and were approved at
the July, 1976. Democratic National Con
vention.
The CBD agenda covered tw elve issue
areas:
• Full Employment
• Urban Policy
• V o ter Participation
• National Health Care
• Crim inal Juatice Reform
• Education
• Equal Opportunity
• Income Security — Food Stamps
— tax Reform
• Foreign Policy
• M ino rity Business Development
• Rural and Small Town Development
• Energy
These issues will also be presented to
the Republican National Committee's
Platform Committee. M any of them
reflect p riority issues in the Congression
al Black Caucus Legislative Agenda.
FULL EMPCDYMENT
T he Platform adopts the principles of
Full Em ployment as the Democratic
P a rty ’s top p riority without naming the
Hawkins-Hum phrey bill (H .R . 50). Full
Em ployment is also the highest priority
of the Caucus of Black Democrats. Like
H .R . 50. the Platform calls for securing
opportunities for useful jobs for all A m er
icana able, willing and seeking work, and
for the reduction of unemployment to no
more than 3 per cent in 4 years. The
Platform adopts key CBD statements on
the bill: Federal Reserve Board accoun
tability. elimination of the Black-white
unemployment and income gaps; the
need for skill training, and the special
needs of youth. I t fails to define “adult"
unemployment to be addressed as that of
persons 16 years of age and older, and
fails to speak specifically to unemploy
ment among women. I t includes a strong
section on anti-inflation policies.
The Platform also does not address
legislation supported by the CBD to
cushion the impact of plant closings.
U R B A N P O L IC Y
The Platform calls for a major effort
for urban revitalisation and a new p art
nership of federal, state and local govern
ments to develop the country's first ur
ban policy. The CBD's parallel proposals
call for a M arshall Plan for the cities, and
federal incentives for metropolitan co
operation in the provision and funding of
services. The Platform adopts positions
similar to CBD proposals for altering
revenue sharing and block grant pro
grams to strengthen civil rights and citi
zen participation provisions and for in
creasing the “need” factor in allocation
formulas. There to also support for emer
gency anti-recession aid to states and
cities.
A major C BD proposal, creation of a
Federal M etropolitan Redevelopment
Bank, was dropped from early Platform
drafts.
The Platform does not speak of such
detailed CBD proposals as a Joint Con
gressional Committee on U rban Policy,
cabinet-level Executive Council on Urban
Policy and government commission on
urban needs. A special section of the
Platform calls for aid to older cities, simi
lar to the CBD call for aid to cities such as
New Yo rk which have reached advanced
stage of fiscal crisis.
In housing, the Platform strongly sup
ports direct federal subsidies to provide
lower-income housing, as does the CBD
agenda. I t also stresses housing rehabili
tation and calls for strong-anti-redlining
measures and enforcement of the Fair
daily basis.
The annual savings of $1.3 w ill be used
to pay for the building. According to M r.
Nellar, thia is a conservative estimate
and no possibility of not achieving these
savings is seen. However, if the money
was not available, the payments would be
made out of existing program money, not
by going to the people w ith a tax levy.
Housing A ct and of open housing gener
ally.
The Platform planks on transportation
are even broader than those of the CBD
and include funds for operating subsidies
as p art of flexible-use funds. I t does not
speak directly to citizen participation in
transportation or to minority represents
tion on regional transportation bodies.
V O T E R P A R T IC IP A T IO N
Some of the CBD positions w ith res
pert to voter participation come within
jurisdiction of the Party's Rules Commit
tee. and are dealt with in a separate
analysis of th a t Committee s actions.
The Platform does support passage to
legislation to provide voter registration
by mail, and for enforcement of the V o t
ing Rights Act, key CBD agenda items. It
does not include support for time off
during the work day in which to vote.
N A T IO N A L H E A L T H C A R E
National Health Insurance to a major
Platform section, and includes most of the
specifics in the C BD agenda, such as
comprehensive coverage, special men
tion of mentel health, development of
health personnel and use of employer-
employee payroll tax for financing the
system. How ever, the Platform leaves
open the key question of using the fed
eral government as the sole program
adm inistrator, a position endorsed by the
Black Democrats.
The Platform does not directly address
such questions as encouragement of mi
nority business statement elsewhere in
the document. There is no language call
ing for additional medical schools attach
ed to predominantly Black colleges, but
improved access to health care by under
served population groups is said to be of
particular importance.
C R IM IN A L J U S T IC E R EFO R M
The Platform endorses- CBD's posi
tion to ban “Saturday Night Specials,”
increase citizen involvement in the crimi
nal justice system, and to reorder the
Law Enforcement Assistance Administ
ration's priorities. W here the CBD calls
for decrimination of victimless crimes,
the Platform calls for emphasis of "crimes
against persons and property as a higher
p riority than victimless crimes.” Both do
cuments speak to the need for grand jury
reform , and both call for a major effort on
drug control focusing on the financiers
and high-level suppliers, and both call for
full funding and effective implementation
of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Act of 1974.
SAMUEL AIKIN
The Platform generally supports the
CBD in opposing Senate Bill 1 on criminal
justice reform, raises the same concerns
about governmental lawlessness such as
bugging, wiretapping and disruption, and
calls for reform of the policy, but without
asking that police officers reflect the ra
cial composition of their communities.
The Platform does not speak to a mora
torium on new prison construction, better
appointees to the Supreme Court and
more Black Federal Judges, key provi
sions of the Charlotte document.
E D U C A T IO N
The general thrust of the Party P lat
form w ith respect to education follows
the principles expressed by the Caucus of
Black Democrats. This includes support
for quality education, innovation in edu
cation, administration of compensatory
programs such as T itle 1 of the Elemen
tary and Secondary Education Act, and
greater funding for education. On this
last point, the Platform simply calls edu
cation programs “underfunded" where
the CBD asks a three fold funding in
crease for education. C BD’s call for equi
ty in investment and outcome was not
included in the Platform.
(Please turn to p. 2 col. 4)