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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1976)
Page 2 Portland Thursday, October 21at. 1976 No - M easure #11 Expand coliseum M easure No. 53 authorizes e xpansio n o f the M e m o ria l C oliseum . The tw o-story a d d itio n w o u ld be b u ilt on the side fa cin g B roadw ay, a nd w o u ld p ro vide e x h ib it space, m e e tin g room s, office s and a p u blic lobby. The added space w o u ld p e rm it larger conventions, 45 o f w h ich have re je cte d Portland in the last tw o years because o f in a d e q u a te space. Last year conventio ns bro u g h t $26.5 m illio n in to the city. V ote Yes, M easure No. 53. We see the world through Black eyes Press has responsibility This year m ore than ever before w e have seen the candidates created by the press In the past it has been the advertising m en w h o m ode the candidates - but this year it is the d a ily new spaper. W e read every day in nearly every page o f our d a ily new spaper that Jim m y C arter is fuzzy, that he w a ffle s , that his fo llo w e rs are not enthused, that his support is soft. No m atter how specific and d e ta ile d his position papers are, w e read every day th a t the people d o n 't know h im . W e have seen no e ffo rt to report on his positions or to in te rp re t them to the voters We ha «>«■ w o n d e r if this isn't a new e ffo rt to gain a Ford victory. The fe w e r p e o p le vote, the better the chance fo r Ford. Tell the p e o p le o fte n enough that they ore apathe tic an d they w ill be. Tell thgm everyday that the voters are not enthused, and m aybe th e y 'll lose th e ir enthusiasm . Tell them Carter is slip p in g and m aybe th e y 'll sw itch th e ” vote. Ignore the issues a nd b lo w the in s ig n ifica n t d e tails a ll out o f p ro p o rtio n , then say th e candidates a re n 't discussing the issues. The press has a g re a t re sp o n sib ility — a responsi b ility to be fa ir and tru th fu l, to pro m o te the d e m o cratic e le ctio n process, to encourag e p a rtic ip a tio n in governm ent. W e have seen little o f this in recent weeks. Priestley - District #16 W ally Priestley is ru n n in g fo r re -e le c tio n to his seat the Legislature fro m District 16. His votes have proved him to be concerned a b o u t th e poor a nd the oppressed. He has consistently voted against the interests o f b ig business a nd fo r the interests o f the w o rk in g class. Priestley has had his share o f rid ic u le fro m the w h ite press -- but this typ e o f rid ic u le o fte n fo llo w s ♦t»e person w h o attem pts to represent the com m on people . Those w h o h ave w atched Priestley closely fin d him not o n ly to be un u su a lly in te llig e n t, but w e ll prepared and not a fra id to ask p e n e tra tin g and em barrassing questions. This is w h y b ig business interests brought in Bill W yatt to attem pt to d e fe a t h im fn the p rim ary. Priestley has served his district. It was he w ho introduced b ills to honor M a rtin Luther King's b irth day, to a ttem pt to stop the g e rry m a n d e rin g o f the A lb in a district. He w as a m o n g the first to support the U nited Farm W orkers a n d to oppose the V ietnam War. The Observer endorses Priestley fo r re -election. Yes - M easure # 7 M easure #7 w o u ld a llo w taxpayers to indicate on th e ir state tax form s w h e th e r they are w illin g to have $1.50 o f tax paym ents placed in a special fu n d fo r cam paigns. The m oney w o u ld be used to fu n d the cam paigns o f the candidates fo r the six elected state positions: G overnor, Secretary o f State, State Trea surer, A ttorney G eneral, S uperintendent o f Public I istruction, and Labor C om m issioner, w ith $90,000 go in g to each. C andidates fo r the State Senate w o u ld get $4,900 and fo r the House, $2,450. The funds w o u ld o n ly be a v a ila b le fo r th e g e neral e le ctio n . C andidates w o u ld not have to take the m oney, a nd if they d id not, th e ir spending w o u ld not be lim ite d . Those w ho do choose to pa rticip a te w o u ld be a llo w e d to raise an a d d itio n a l a m o u n t eq u a l to w h a t they received. It has becom e a fo ct o f life th a t big m oney is necessary to w in on e le c tio n . Those w ho run on re p u ta tio n alo n e , an d still w in , are fe w and fa r betw een . The need fo r m oney adds the dange r o f special interest groups c o n tro llin g the candidates they buy. This b ill does not go fa r enough and does not put a lid on spending — but it is a step in the rig h t d ire ctio n . Vote Yes on M easure 7. Cease - District 18 Jane Cease is seeking e le ctio n to the House o f Representatives, District 18. M n . Cease w ants to b rin g the p e o p le back in to the le g is la tiv e process and if e lected w ill ke e p close contact w ith her constituents. W h ile seeking votes, she has taken the tim e to p o ll the voters, asking the issues they are most concerned about. Her o w n interests have been in the fie ld s o f consum er p ro te ctio n , e n viro n m e n t, w o m e n 's and m in o rity 's rights, e d u ca tio n , urban problem s, etc. Mrs. Cease not o n ly speaks to the issues that concern us, but gives evid e n ce that she w ill not just reappea r at e le ctio n tim e but w ill seek o u t the opin io n s and w ishes o f the voters o f her district. No - M easure #12 This m easure w o u ld re p e a l le g is la tio n w h ich a llo w s local governm ents to enter into agreem en ts to cooperate to gethe r in specific issues. It would e lim in a te the C o lu m b ia Region Association o f G overnm ents (CRAG), an o rg a n iza tio n m ade up o f Clockam as, W ashington and M u ltn o m a h C ounties fo r p la n n in g o f com m on problem s the M e tro p o lita n area. The CRAG board is m ade up o f e lected o ffic ia ls re p resentin g the three counties and is supported by assessments on the counties. There o re m any issues w h ich e ffe c t the tri-co u n ty area and need to be addressed jo in tly — mass transportatio n, sew age, solid waste disposal, p o llu tio n , h ighw ays, etc. M any a d d itio n a l c o o p e ra tive e ffo rts w o u ld be jeo p a rd ize d in clu d in g m utual a id o f p o lic e a nd fire departm ents, jo in t purchasing, etc. V ote N o on M easure 12. Save land planning S M easure No. 10 w o u ld re p e a l O regon's la n d use p la n n in g la w , w h ic h pro vid e s fo r local p a rtic ip a tio n in w ritin g goals a nd plans fo r land use. Land use p la n n in g protects the state's fa rm lands and forests, w h ic h a re so essential to the econom y, against encroachm e nt by urban spraw l. It protects n e ig hb orhoods against h igh-rise apartm ents, indus try, or other uses that the residents b e lie v e to be d e trim e n ta l. If M easure 10 is passed, O regon cities and counties w ill no lo n g e r be re q u ire d to w rite com prehensive la n d use plans a nd fe d e ra l m oney w ill no lo n g e r be a v a ila b le to those w h o do. W e have seen p la n n in g in a ction as the M odel N e ig h b o rh o o d w ro te plans to locate parks, re a lig n streets, zone fo r s in g le -d w e llin g a nd m u ltip le d w e llin g housing, restrict business or industrial d e ve lo p m e n ts, etc. Do w e w a n t to go back to the hit d nd miss era, w h e n the p e o p le have no control over th e ir n e ig hb orhoods and w h e n the neighbors hear a b o u t the n e w m otel next do o r w h e n the w re ckin g b a ll arrives? V ote N o on M easure 10. No - M easure # 5 2 M easure 52 w o u ld a llo w the Exposition-R ecreation C om m ission to exp a n d its fa c iltie s to the west side and ads re striction o f E-R C om m ission m em bers. C om m issioners are a p p o in te d *b y the M ayor and there is no p rovision fo r re m o vin g them . M easure No. 52 w o u ld p ro vid e fo r re m o va l o f Com m issioners by a m a jo rity vote o f the council and p ro vid e that a ll E-R C om m ission resolutions can be change d or re p e a le d by th e C ouncil. The E-R C om m ission is an in d e p e n d e n t body under the city charter and should not be subjected to day by day re v ie w by the C ity C ouncil. W e w o n d e r w hy these calls fo r restrictions a lw a ys com e o n ly a fte r a Black appears on the scene. Vote N o on M easure 52. 1st Place Portland O bserver Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201 North Killingsworth. Portland. Oregon 97217 Mailing address: P .0. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208. Telephone: 283-2486. Subscriptions: $7.50 per year in the Tri-County area, $8.00 per year outside Portland. Community Service ONPA 1973 1st Place Best Ad Results ONPA 1973 5th Place Best Editorial Second Class Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon NNPA 1973 The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in its Publisher's column IWe See The World Through Black Eyesl. Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the individual writer or submitter and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer. Honorable Mention Herrick Editorial Award NNA 1973 ALFRED L HENDERSON Editor/Pubhsber National Advertising Representative I Publishers. Inc. New York »aco sare Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place (o m m u n itv Leadership ONPA 1975 MEMBER N e GÍ p A p ER Association - founded tSSS Save Edgefild Manor This m easure requires the o p e ra tio n o f E dgefield M anor N ursing H om e by the county u n til July 1982, and pro vid e s a tax levy o f $1 m illio n per year fo r its o p e ra tio n . This m easure stems fro m the effo rts o f the Board of C ounty Com m issioners to close E d g efield AAanor in fa v o r o f supporting the in d e g e n t aged in p riva te nursing hom es. The "m a in stre a m c a re " approach of the Board, the in te n tio n to care fo r the poor w h o are ill or a g e d through the re g u la r channels ra th e r than iso la tin g them in clinics or hom es fo r the poor is an h o n o ra b le one and w e b e lie v e it is a p ro p e r one. H ow ever, a t the present tim e, there are not enough B allot m easure No. 11 prohibits a d d in g flu o rid e to co m m u ity w ater systems. Due to on error in d ro v in g up this m easure, it w ill a p p ly to o n ly a fe w w ater supplies, those le g a lly described as "c o m m u n ity — a w ater supply that serves three or m ore households but is not a m u n icip a l system (city, county, special district or p u b lic co rp o ra tio n ) or a pu b lic u tility system. This m easure w o u ld d eny the rig h t of persons using co m m u n ity w a te r supplies to flu o rid a te their w a te r if th a t is th e ir desire. Vote No. on M easure #11. su ita b le nursing hom es and hom es fo r the aged w h ich g iv e a d e q u a te care. It is a w e ll kn o w n foct that the care p ro vid e d at E dgefield tops most hom es in the a rea, and c e rta in ly is fa r superior to most. In this case "m a in s tre a m in g " the po o r w o u ld put them in in fe rio r fa c ilitie s. Rather than close E dgefield, the county should expand it to becom e a com prehensive ge ria tric center, p ro v id in g the best care not o n ly fo r the poor but fo r a ll o f those w h o pre fe r to liv e there. This not only w o u ld p ro vid e a center fo r in and o u j-p a tie n t core, research and social services, but w o u ld erase the stigm a of the " p o o r fa m ily ." Vote Yes on M easure 26-14. Black self-government degrees. In contrast, the present lan Smith Are Blacks in Rhodesia ready to white cabinet does not have one person govern themselves? This was a question with a second degree. The large Black middle class in on a talk show last week. Most people said that self-government Rhodesia, comparatively, has a superior and majority rule are inherent rights of standard of living, high qualifications and positions of some responsiblity. They are any government. Of course some said. “No, Black experienced in a wide variety of employ Africans can't govern themselves. They ment. Considering the legal limitations. aren't ready." I suspect these are the Blacks have had ample job experience in same people who say the people of Wash education, health, private business and ington. D.C.. aren’t ready to govern industry. They have, however, met with difficulty in breaking into the armed themselves, either. Actual facts show that the Rhodesian forces, police and technical amd mechan majority is prepared, and all indications ical jobs. Few Blacks have had a chance for point to an economically sound transfer of promotion to top positions. This lack of governmental control. top management experience may will be When Zambia (old Northern Rhodesia) filled by Rhodesian Blacks with education gained independence in 1962. in the whole and training who have gone to work country there were only 100 college abroad or in other African countries graduates and about 1.000 high school es|»ecially in Malawi, Botswana and graduates. Zambia had really been little Zambia. more than a company-run province. Such When a minority of 270.000 whites is not the case today in Rhodesia. have denied the rights of six million In Zimbabwe, now known to us as Blacks to education, voting, property Rhodesia, there are over 4.000 African ownership and governing, then surely it college graduates, 80 per cent of whom is unfair to allow that minority to use the received their degrees from foreign ed argument that 4 C 4 W W 1». ucational institutes. The illiteracy rate is prepared. 50 per cent, one of the lowest in all Africa. One of the reasons moat people have a The cabinet that is proposed to take warped view of African leadership is the over the interim Black government has undue publicity given Idi Amin, the two members with PH.D. degrees. A president of Uganda. There are over 100 dentist, three medical doctors and oppressive dictatorships in the world. several who hold two or more university Yet, we hear more about Amin than all bv lv o n n e B rath w a itr Burke the others put together. On the other hand, little has been said about the suceessful transition to inde pendence and majority rule that Lis taken place in Kenya. Thirteen years after it won its independence from Britain, Kenya's economy is expanding. British or American technicians are being brought in to set up computer programs, lay out new plants and set up new departments. Most big African owned farms have European managers. There are as many whites in Kenya today as there were at independence, and the number is growing. In 1962, ’he year before independence, the white population of Kenya was 55.000. The number dropped approxi mately 15.000 in the vear immediately following. Many of the old settler families sold out and m o\ed to South Africa or Rhodesia. But many stayed and ins <-sted their money in Kenya's booming free enterprise economy. In recent years Rhodesia built its own factories to furnish goods that it could not import because of economic sanctions. As a consequence, Black ruled Rhode sis will be launched with even a better in « a , 4 » a « c w w tn > strength of Kenya will be duplicated and surpassed. That is, if widsom and sense prevail. Majority rule is at least 12 years behind schedule. The Black Rhodesians are capable and ready. There is no reason for delay. Methodist Bishop opposes gam blin g m easure To the editor: Jack M. TueU, bishop of The United Methodist Church of Oregon, has made the following statement concerning State Measure No. 6. which would amend the constitution to allow charitable, fraternal and religious organizations to conduct bingo games for profit: “I was surprised to bear this measure was on the ballot, and I strongly oppose it for three basic reasons: 1. Such an exemption opens the door wide to commercial gambling interests coming into Oregon on a wide scale under the guise of alleged "charitable" organi cations. The destructive influence of such professional gambling activity is well known, and almost universally opposed by law enforcement officials. 2. Such an exemption contravenes a basic constitutional principle - that of equal justice before the law. Why on earth should certain organizations be al lowed to do an act which is criminal for all other organizations and people? We have just come through W atergate which re affirmed the idea ’.hat "no person is above the law," and now comes this amendment which proposes to do just that - put certain groups above the law. 3. Such an exemption is not desired by many of the groups that would receive it, namely the great bulk of the churches. If an organization can be maintained only by use of an activity which is illegal for everyone else, and which appeals solely to the desire to get something for nothing, then one has to question wheth er such a group deserves to exist. To put it another way, if the members of an organization believe in it. they should be willing to pay for it. I would urge Oregonians to vote against State Measure 6." Jack M. Tuell. Bishop The Portland Area, The United Methodist Church Reform state election T a the Editor: Representative Glenn Otto and I and 26.000 residents of Multnomah County initiated a proposed amendment to Mutt nomah County's charter which wiil be on the ballot November 2nd as Measure 26 13. This amendment would make substan tial changes in the way we elect our county commissioners and our commis sion chairman. We believe they would then be more responsive, more reapon sible and of better calibre. Here’s why: All five commissioners would be elect ed from five single member districts of approximately 110,000 residents each. This would make it possible for people to really get to know their commissioner. Commissioners would spend more time with their constituents and could main tain regular contact with a much higher percentage of those they would represent since they would only represent one fifth as many people as they do now. It would coat the candidates for commissioner only one fifth as much money to run district wide as it now costs which would reduce the influence of special interest grops. There would be more competition for the commission posts by good candidates, since a challenger would have better chance, and we would have better com miasoners All commissioners would serve for two year terms. A commissioner would have to be responsive all the time instead of just during the 4th year of hit term when he is running for reelection. We could replace a bad egg with a good person sooner, without a recall. Perhaps he'd have to campaign more but that would keep him closer to the people. The chairman of the commission would continue to be elected county wide but he would have to also win election in his own single member district. If a commissioners neighbors and close associates reject him why should a candi date for chairman of the commission be foisted upon the unsuspecting people of the rest of the county? A candidate for attorney general, who lost in th general election, once said of hia opponent whom he defeated in the primary election, "my opponent won where they knew her best and where they knew me best ". In all three cases the voters probably came out with the right dicision and the same would be true here in Multnomah County. We urge the people of Multnomah County to Vote Yes For County Reform and vote to approve of Ballot Measure 26-13 on November 2nd. Sincerely. Senator Vern Cook and Representative Glenn Otto Co-Sponsors Subscribe to the Observer Tri-County aron olh. r $7.50 $8.00 fo r 52 issues Nam e Address City
