Thursday. March 31. 1077
From the Legislature
We see the world
1
7 '
With Senate Joint Reaolutxm 7. the
through Black eyes
Education needed, too
President Carter has proposed a change in e le ctio n
law s that w o u ld a llo w citizens to go to the p olls on
e le c tio n day, show p ro o f o f e lig ib ility , a nd vote
w ith o u t preregistering. This proposal is s im iila r to
O regon's new law p e rm ittin g re gistration on e le ctio n
day, b u t e lim in a te s the trip to the registrar's office.
N e a rly 70 m illio n e lig ib le A m ericans fa ile d to vote
in the 1976 presidentia l e lection a nd in 18 states
fe w e r than 50 per cent o f those e lig ib le to vote
a c tu a lly voted The percentage v o tin g has d ro pped
steadily since 1960. The U nited States ranks 21st
am ong the dem ocratic nations in its voter turn-out.
The e lim in a tio n o f registration has been a d vo ca
ted by Black groups fro r m any y e a rs -s in c e registra
tion has o fte n been used as an ille g a l tool to prevent
Blocks an d other m in o ritie s from voting.
An e lim in a tio n o f registration w ill not do the job
alone. The g overnm en t must also launch an educa-
tinal program to reach those w h o do not vote out o f
ignorance, fe a r or lack o f fo ith .
It has been o n ly ten to fifte e n years since
Blacks suffered and die d fo r the rig h t to vote. The
years o f restraint and terror have le ft a lasting
im pression and m any Black p e o p le in the South ar
still a fra id to vote. Four m illio n Blacks r ^ n a in
unregistered in the South. An outreach p rogram by
both the fe d e ra l and the state governm ents is
needed to encourage these p e o p le to p a rticip a te .
In the N orth and the West, the p ro b le m is not one
of fear but o f loss o f hope. O nly recently have Black
candidates had a realistic chance to w in e le ctio n and
fo r ge n e ra tio n s the w h ite candidates w h o have
a p p e a le d to Blacks fo r th e ir votes have fa ile d to
respond to the needs o f the Black com m unity.
Then, p e rv a d in g the e n tire governm en t, there has
been the corruption and hypocracy o f the N ixon-F ord
A d m in is tra tio n — a lie n a tin g the voters and b rin g in g
a fe e lin g o f hopelessness to those w h o w o u ld lik e to
pa rticip a te in th e ir governm en t.
President Carter's e le c tio n reform package is m uch
neede d,but it w ill be successful o n ly if accom panie d
by a p ro g ra m o f p u b lic educatio n a nd by con tin u e d
reform a nd openess in g o vernm en t.
school safety net plan, and with Basic
School Support vote out by 53 0, mem
tiers of itoth chambers are confident that
many of the other pieces of major
legislation that have been corralled in
committees will now start coming to the
floor.
Last week committees heard testimony
on veterans housing, proposal for a state
owned bank, and required minimum
sentencing.
Poor Bob!
Senator Bob Packw ood has said th a t he w ill vote
a g ainst the Senate ethics b ill because the b ill w ill
place a lim it on Senator's outside incom es.
This seems a b it strange to those o f us w ith long
m em ories, w h o re m e m b e r h o w Packw ood r ilifie d
the late Senator W ayne M orse o ve r his e a rn in g s fro m
speaking engagem ents. Packw ood m ade a ca m
p a ig n issue out o f the fa ct that Senator M orse m ade
a little e xtra m oney speaking on c o n stitu tio n a l issues
an d the V ie tn a m w a r - a lth o u g h he n ever missed an
im p o rta n t Senate vote. Packw ood also atta cke d the
Senator because he d id not return to O regon every
tw o or three w eeks to visit his constituents.
Soon a fte r he a rriv e d in W ashington, Packw ood h it
the lu cra tive speaking circuit. His excuse - not
e noug h m oney in his salary to m e e t the high cost o f
the o ffice . He also fo u n d that it cost too m uch to run
hom e to O regon e ve ry tw o or three w eeks. O f course
he fo u n d out too late to undo the e ffe cts o f his sm ear
ca m p a ig n against Senator Morse.
U n fo rtu n a te ly w e cannot say that Packw ood has
never m issed an im p o rta n t vote in the Senate.
N o w w e fin d M r Packw ood fig h tin g to keep his
rig h t to an outside incom e fro m the speaking tours.
He does of b e lie v e the p e o p le h ave a rig h t to
in te rfe re w ith his outside a c tiv itie s on his " fr e e
tim e " .
W e suggest that if M r. Packw ood w e n t back to his
p o sition o f 1968—that a Senator should spend his
tim e on the flo o r o f the Senate, stu d yin g the issues,
a nd ru n n in g hom e to O regon e ve ry tw o or three
w e e ks—he w o u ld n 't h ave a n y spare tim e to w o rry
about.
VETERA N S
The veterans' housing program is in
trouble in Oregon. Funds which have
been set aside for the program will run
out this spring unless the voters approve
a constitutional change in the bonding
capacity for the program. The voters
should have a chance to vote on that
proposal in May.
In the meantime, the Joint Committee
on Trade and Economic Development is
examining the policies governing the
program. There are three major areas of
concern.
First, a balance must be found between
the financial rehabilitation aspects of the
Notice of Intent To Apply
For Federal Funding
Wrong issues got
most
attention
The fuss over saccharin is in d ic a tio n o f th e petty
nature o f m any A m ericans. C ongressional m em bers
are g e ttin g m ore m a il c a llin g fo r an end to the
fe d e ra l ban on saccharin than on a n y o ther isssue.
N ot even bussing, c iv il rights or the V ie tn a m w ar
caused such a furor.
A ll this fo r a d ie t coke. If a ll this fu ry over the loss
o f a sw eetner to persons w h o cannot use sugar w e re
d irected a t a h e a lth y d ie t or the reaso n a b le go o d
taste o f essential fo o d , it w o u ld be m ore understand
able.
But the central issue is d ie t coke. N e ve r since the
days o f ra tio n in g d u rin g W o rld W ar II has there been
such desperate h o rd in g a nd never b e fo re has there
been such a trem endous outcry o ve r a g o v e rn m e n t ».
p o licy.
*
TO HATH f t
>
DEGRADING !
The Executive Depart
ment. Manpower Planning
Division, as administrative
agent for the Governor of
Oregon, is making applies
tion to the U.S. Department
of Labor. Employment and
Training Administration, to
continue the federal grant to
operate the Special Grants
to Governors Program in
this State.
Funds will be utilized to
provide subsidized vocation
al classroom training, job
training and related man
power services to poor, un
employed and under-employ
ed Oregonians throughout
the State.
Interested persons may
submit written comments
regarding this application
for federal assistance during
a 30 day period beginning
with publication of this
notice. Please address com
ments concerning the FY 78
Special Grants to Governors
Program to the Oregon Man
power Planning . Division.
240 S.E. Cottage Street,
Salem. Oregon 97310.
program and the economic stimulus
ch* racteriatica. A second area of study
• U«ibility Some. “ «•
would extend the Vets program to those
who served in the Peace Corps and to
those who were conscientious objectors
involved in alternative service. A third
area of scrutiny involves the granting of
second loans to veterans and the rules
covering the transfer of a veteran
housing loan to a non-veteran.
STA TE O W N E D BANK
Rep. George Starr (D Portland) testi
fied Friday before the House Revenue
and School Finance Committee about his
bill, HB 2350, to establish a state owned
and operated bank in Oregon.
Stair's idea is to create a publicly
owned bank which would work independ
ently and with local banks. Net earnings
from the bank would be used to help pay
fur basic school support, property tax
relief, and to help defray the costs of
slate-mandated programs.
The Bank of North Dakota is the only
state owned and operated bank in the
country and has been going strong since
1919. Its President, Herb L. Thorn dal.
appeared with Starr before the com
mittee.
There’s
no natural
Protection
Birth defects
are forever.
Unless you help.
March of Dimes
* Ns
CalTs
YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED w h a t your property coulc. sell fo r on
the present re a l estate m arket. C oll Cal or Bob fo r a m arket
value update
N o o b lig a tio n , of course.
Still serving the community
G. Stassens, Inc. Realtors
4 ^
(Continued from p .l col.6)
J r
fC
They are now shouting "niggers and animals" and worse
1st Place
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P ortland O bserver
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ONPA 1975
The 14 Blacks were arrested. One had
charges against him dropped, one was
granted immunity, and two pleaded
guilty to lesser charges. The Marine
prosecution is trying the case against the
10 others before an all-white military jury
and panel of judges.
Moot of the 17 known Klanamen inter
viewed by the investigative officers
maintained they acted only in response to
the alleged lawlessness of Black Marines.
But many of the Klansmen admitted they
had an intense dislike for Blacks, and
several even said they “thoroughly en
joyed harassing Blacks.”
The report quotes varying estimates of
actual Marine Kian membership but
concludes that the number 50 given by
some of those interviewed is exagger
ated. The average troop srength at Camp
Pendleton is 44,000. The base informa
tion office said no figures are available on
a racial basis.
Although each person interviewed by
the Naval Investigative Service was
asked if he knew of any Black organize
tion on the base, no one reported any.
Several Marines reported incidents of
harassing Blacks at the Twentynine
Palms Marine base. The report suspect
ed that Twentynine Palms was a Kian
recruiting area.
Sgt. Clouse, according to the report,
said he was introduced to the Kian while
Rationed at the Camp Hansen Okinawa
Marine base. Clouse reported that the
sergeant who recruited him was subsc
quently transferred to Camp Lejeune,
N.C., but, as far as he knew, Kian activity
was still continuing on Okinawa.
Charges of racial problems at Camp
Pendleton and other Marine bases are not
new. Following hearings by Represents
live Augustus Hawkins (D.-CA) in 1972,
the congressman declared, “Camp Pend
leton has one of the most dangerous racial
situations of any military base in the
country.”
•Todd Darling is a free-lance writer
based in Oakland, CA.
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AS THE HOME FOLKS FOR
EX PRESIDENT JOHNSON
A LF R E D L. HENDERSON
Editor/Publisher
CORRECTIONS
The House Judiciary Committee,
chaired by Representative Hardy Myers,
(D-Portland), continued to look into
measures aimed at reforming sentencing
and prison conditions in Oregon this past
week.
The committee heard testimony from
numerous people about the issue of
mandatory minimum sentences.
The Judiciary, which is reviewing the
bulk of the corrections bills this session,
has a number of minimum sentencing
bills before it.
Progress of these bills is important to
those people opposed to capital punish
ment because Rep. Glen Whallon (D
Milwaukie). House State Government
Operations Committee chairman, has said
a strong program could prevent this
session's death penalty bill from reaching
the floor.
Further hearings and a work session on
sentencing are planned.
N
e I
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p Efí
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When the Nile receded the
ancient Egyptians would toss
into it written instructions
about returning.
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