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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1976)
Page 2 Portland Observer 1 «day. September 16U. 197« The B-l Bomber W e see the world through Black eyes It’s not too late The City of Portland faces a serious question that must be resolved within the next few weeks. For about six years the school district's plan to build on educatinal center on the property north of the Mem orial Coliseum has continued because no city agency seemed concerned enough to question it. As the plonning and acquisition of the land took place, the prevailing attitude seemed to be that it was too late to intervene. If the educational center is built, it will be there for years and years, and it will be too late. The City Council must act now to make a rational decision based on what is best for the community, not based on the indicision that has gone on before. The same foctors that make it a good site for the school district make it an ideal ploce for coliseum expansion or related facilities. This type of develop ment would spread out into the odjocent neighbor hood, bringing related businesses to the lower Albina area. This would bring a much needed boost to a depressed area and would enhance the pro posed Union Avenue development. The school district could easily find suitable space for its warehouse/maintenance facilities. Public land is available around the freeway and fremont bridge areas and elsewhere. Depending on the site select ed the administration and some other programs might have to be located separately — but this should be no great problem. We ore not questioning the desirability of combining administration with other functions, but we do question whether the ware- house/maintenance/food service areas must be lo cated on such valuable land. During the years, the only real protest has come from the people of Albina — those who were dis placed and those who can visualize a better future for the community. Only Commissioner Ivancie has raised serious questions on the city level. It is time for the city to assert itself and io plan with the best interest of the entire community in mind. If the school district believes it has a moral com mitment to the people who once owned the land, let it absolve this commitment by sharing the procedes of sale with them. Unemployment a crisb There are an estimated 7,000,000 unregistered Black voters in the United States. In the history of thrs nation, only five of the 38 presidents have de- featd their opponents by more than 7 million votes — Herbert Hoover, FDR, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that 15,398,000 Blacks will be voting age on November 2nd. Blacks will represent 10.3 percent of the persons eligible to vote. With such potential clout at the polls, the outcome of the election is threatened by those 7 million unregistered Block voters. K massive voter registration campaign has been launched - Operation Big Vote. The nonpartison effort seeks to invigorate existing voter registration efforts and to assist local leaders in organizing new drives Of course as for away as Oregon is, and with a small Block population, it will not be a target in this national effort. But this does not excuse the local community horn on all out effort in voter registration and voter participation. With the ease of postcard registration there is no excuse tor anyone to neglect to vote in this important election. The Block vote obviously is a significant factor in elections at ail ieveis of government. Black votes are a balance of power in many cities — and even in a city like Portland, in a close race, can be the deciding factor. We hear much about voter apathy this year, but we can be sure the racists will not be apathetic. They will vote. We cannot afford to sit this one out. Black vote needed The greatest crisis in the United States is unem ployment. Unemployment in the last three months is officially 7.8 per cent, but this does not include those who have exhausted their unemployment benefits or have given up looking for work. Unemployment is not only devastating to the individual and his family, but is a loss to the nation. Unemployed workers are a drain on the economy, drawing unemployment compensation or welfare. Unemployment also means loss of production with the accompanying loss of circulation of dollors. Un employed workers do not pay taxes, so all levels of government suffer. Like every piece of social legislation since the Roosevelt area, the Humphry-Hawkins bill has been denounced as a boondoggle that would bankrupt the nation. It is called a federal make-work program — leaning on the shovel. This is not true since two- thirds to three-fourths of the jobs created would be in the private sector. The bill has been called too expensive — about $12 billion a year. But detractors forget to odd that in four years, national production would increase about $275 billion and would odd about $36 a year to the federal budget in taxes. We cannot afford to continue the high rate of unemployment and the accompanying social con sequences if the nation is to survive. No surprise No one should have been surprised to hear alleg ations that the local FBI office has been involved in break-ins and wiretapping. This sort of thing has been going on all over the nation. Why not here? It points to the need for a new administration and a new philosophy of government designed to meet the needs of the peop/e. Discrimination suit hits Hyster (Continued from p.l col. 6) in September, 1975. because of bis oppo sition to Hyster'» unlawful employment practices as defined by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. as amended. Howard Shields was employed by Hy ster on May 5th. 1970. in its sales divi sion. was transferred to the Danville plant in May, 1974, and was terminated in October of 1975. He charged that during his tenure in sales he was denied promo tion and that he was subjected to racial slurs and epithets against him and other Black persons. Robert Earl Moore was employed by Hyster on March 15th, 1966 at its Dan ville Plant as a cleaning grinder, and progressed to foreman, miscellaneous weld area, in 1972. remaining in that d) unlawfully discharging Black persons; el maintaining policies and practices with respect, but not limited to wages, layoff, recall, job assignments, and other terms and conditions of employment which unlawfully operate to deny equal opportunities to Black persona; f) maintaining policies and practices that utilize subjective, non-job related hiring criteria, which criteria operates to disparate and adversely affect Black per sons; g) maintaining policies and practices which adversely affect Black persona; hl failing and refusing to take affirma tive action to correct the effects of dis criminatory policies and practices com plained herein. The suit asks for a permanent injunc tion enjoining the Hyster company from continuing any policy or procedure dis criminatory against Black people. It also asks for back pay and benefits, at least 215,000 for punitive damage, and 215,000 tor mental distress. It asks that Dilworth, Middleton, Shields, and Coun ter be given appropriate employment, back pay and benefits. It also asks that an affirmative action program be designed. Portland O bserver Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201 North Killmgsworth. Portland. Oregon 97217. Mailing address: P .0. Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 97206. 'Telephone: 283 2466. by Yvwtas Brathwafce Barks Copley News Service The moat difficult decision I have made as a member of Congress is to support the continued funding of the B-l bomber. My constituents have been divided and as troubled on the issue as I have been, it is gratifying that the Houae-Senate Con ference Committee agreed to delay the decision for full scale producation of the B 1 until February. It leaves the question open to be decided by the President elected this November. The decision is a wise compromise. Human needs have always guided my decisions. I have consistently urged reductions in defense spending levels so that more re sources might be devoted to humanitar ian programs. As long as such problems as poverty, unemployment, inadequate and expensive health care continue to exist in our society, I will urge primary attention to these critical human needs. Unemployment and related hardships are the major problems among my const! tuents. The congressional district I re present lies squarely in the center of Loa Angeles County in which the overall un employment rate during July was 8.7 per cent. In my district, which is 46 per cent Black, the rate is much higher. In Southern California, over 9.200 per sons arc employed at the Rockwell B-l Division. Those employed by special con tractors and subcontractors, whose jobs also depend upon the B-l, number into the thousands. A cutback in B-l funding would have disastrous economic consequences. Present defense policy holds that the manned bomber is a vital part of our defense system. Combined with land bas ed intercontinental missiles and sub marine launched missiles, the bombers make up our triad of strategic defense forces. To he effective, each leg of the triad thould be able to absorb Soviet attack and retain the capacity to retaliate in sufficient force to inflict unacceptable damage on the Soviet Union. The miliary experts warn that to maintain strategic superiority the aging B 52 must be re placed. If it is given that the Air Force is committed to a new manned bomber, I would prefer to see it built in the Ixw Angeles area or some other locale that is also experiencing high unemployment. At present, the B I is to replace the B 52. production of which was diacontiuu ed in 1962. This remarkable new bomber can fly fast and low - so low that it cannot be detected by radar in time to be attack ed by ground-to-air missiles. It can travel at speeds of about 600 miles per hour while at a few hundred feet elevation as its terrain tracking radar automatically takes it up hills and into valleys to avoid radar detection. One hundred miles from a target it can fire SCRAM missiles and beat a low-level retreat. Opponents argue that all of these strategic benefits may be obsolete by 1990 if the Soviets develop an AWACS lairborne warning and control system) that could give them a more sophisticated detection capability. The delay of full scale production is the result of extended public and congres sional debates. The funding approved for the B-l by the House for the 1977 fiscal year is 2948 million for the beginning of production. Included in that figure is 289 million in advance funding for eight additional bombers for the following year. The Senate approved a slightly higher figure. An amendment which I supported called for postponement. Though it failed in the House, it passed the Senate and was agreed upon by the conferees. It was further agreed that the B-l bomber project will be funded at the rate of 287 million per month beginning in October. The commitment of funding until next February will total 2350 million. Thia will allow Rockwell Interna tional, the B 1 contractor, to keep its staff of engineers and executives working without going into full production. A t the rate of 287 million per month, the price of a holding action is more expensive than gearing for full produc tion. The waters become even more murky. The proponents of B-l production con tend that momentum will be lost and coots will skyrocket by the necessity of canceling subcontracts and disbanding work forces. Also, inflation will take its tolL Opponents will work to see that the program is delayed forever. And upon the shoulders of the man elected president in November will be the weight of an awesome decision. He will not be alone. AU of us will join in the pain. Priestley defies 'gag rule’ I Continued from p. 1 col. 3) present and future school board members to properly and fully carry out the res ponsibiiities of their oath of office to the best of their ability.'* Priestley then presented a post dated letter, dated the next day, to be sent in violation of new policy, to the President of the E-R Commission advising that the City Council Wednesday will have before it the ordinance requested by the school district tc vacate streets on the property adjacent to the Coliseum so that con struction can begin on their Educational Service and Administration Center. Mao iContinued from p. 1 col. 6) and Marxist. If Mao were around to listen to all the speculation about his succession, he would probably subscribe to the mroe lugubrious ones. Like most Chinese, be is well read in Chinese classics, many of which are unending tales of the fickleness of politics and the inevitable depravity of government. But the thing the he believ ed from his earliest Marxist days was that China's destiny was and had to be linked with the rest of the world. Being a Marxist meant for Mao being a man of the world, not just a Chinese bottled up in an overcrowded country. Mao's legacy remains to be seen, even the question of whether his name will continue to be honored. He died at the end of an era, an era when destinies of peoples were intertwined with the being of one person He was born when the events that produced China today were spawned, just as similar events in the West spawned the two world wars and what came afterwards. It is a new era now and one can say that be died when he really had nothing left to do. Copyright PNS, 1976. (Franz Schurmann. noted scholar of con temporary China, is the author of Organ isatioe and Uealagy la t a a a i a l x (Tuna “ U.C. Press, 1966 — and The China - Random House. 1967, 1974.) it «un» not Priestley told the Observer that he believes the "gag policy” to be on in fringement on his right to free speech and discrimination against the minority point of view. If board stationary can he used by individual members to express agreement with a policy, it is discrimina tory and limits free speech to deny its use to express opposition. “The whole affair was an attempt to shut me up. because I disagree with the rest of them." Steve Buel, unsuccessful candidate for the School Board, speaking tor the audi ence to the Board, said he was shocked when he read the resolution. “I couldn't believe someone as renowned as Mrs. McCoy could consider such a resolution." He told Attorney Robert Ridgly who had earlier confirmed his belief in free speech, that to talk about his connections with the American Civil Liberties Union and to vote on this resolution "is absolutely unbelievable.* »rain UMW sponsor workshop The United Minority Workers will sponsor a workshop, “Affirmative Action 1976" on October 11th and 12th at the Cosmopolitan. Representative» from Region X Bureau of Labor; General Ser vice Administration; Environmental Pro tection Agency; Health. Education and Welfare; Contract Compliance; and Hous ing and Urban Development will present this workshop. Edward Mitchell, Director of Civil Rights for GSA in Washington. D.C.; Carol Thomas. Director of Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for EPA; and Antoin ette Ford, from the Bureau of Labor will be p resent Father McNamara of the Campaign for Human Dignity, which funds UMW will also attend. Jimmy Carter has also been invited to be present. 1st Place Cownunity Service ONPA 1973 Dolías: $8.70 You can call Mesquite, Farmer’s Branch, Richardson or anywhere around Dallas, and talk for a full 60 minutes for only $8 70, plus tax I hat s if you call before 8 a m. or after 11 p m. and dial direct without operator assistance. Go ahead Try it sometime Pacific Northwest bell lot Place Best Ad Results ONPA 1973 Subscriptions: 27.50 per year in the Tri-County area. 26.00 per year outside Portland Second Class Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon ALFRED L. HENDERSON MiUw/Publisher I be 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 irirt,. idual writer or submitter and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer. Na ti onal Advertising Representative I Publisher.. Inc New York M iM S tl' Oregon Newspaper Publishers 1 Association Honorable Mention Herrick Editorial Award N N A 1973 2nd Place Best Editorial M l Subscribe te the Observer Tri-County area $7.50 other areas $8.00 fo r 52 issues Name MfMWR ¡ U A m iN JLL S a Place Best Editorial NNPA 1973 Address ER City Mail to: Portland Observer P.O. Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208
